We’ve been breaking down our list of 16 classic fashion icons everyone should know. Last week we talked about the French blonde bombshell Brigitte Bardot. This week, were talking about American muse Edie Sedgwick.

This gorgeous fashion model was also an actress and inspiration to Andy Warhol. She lived a shocking double life as both a pop culture icon and a struggling addict who battled mental illness.

Getting into the details of which might require more than just a content warning, but if you’re interesting in learning more be sure to read till the end and scroll through our sources.

But if you want to know a little about Edie’s socialite upbringing and career as a model in the 1960s, keep reading to find out.

Table of Contents

All About Edie

Edie Sedgwick was born in Santa Barbara, California to a family of socialites in 1943. 

Every member of Edie’s immediate family seemed to have struggled with some type of mental illness throughout their lives, including Edie.

She was both homeschooled and studied at elite private schools during her childhood and would go on to study at Harvard.

When she was 21, Edie received $80,000 in a trust from her grandmother. She decided to use the money focus on her dreams of becoming a model and actress.

She met art legend Andy Warhol at Tennessee Williams’s birthday party and became one of his most famous muses.

She adopted his style and became a fashion icon after appearing in 18 of his movies.

However, Warhol’s movies weren’t exactly blockbuster hits and were more relevant in the underground community. Edie attempted to succeed in a mainstream acting career, but never got the chance.

Edie died at age 28 in 1971.

Fashion Inspired by Edie Sedgwick

Mod Moments

The ’60s was the era that brought us mod. The one element of mod you need to know? Silhouette. Edie’s thin and straight silhouette was what almost all fashion models of the era looked like. This has (fortunately) diversified since the ’60s, but that doesn’t mean the aesthetic can’t still be rocked by anyone today.