Peggy Moffitt, the iconic 60s model, died at 87 in Beverly Hills after a long illness.
Her son, Christopher Claxton, confirmed the news. Moffitt was renowned for her distinctive five-point Vidal Sassoon haircut, striking harlequin eye makeup, and her collaboration with the late L.A. designer Rudi Gernreich, particularly for modeling the groundbreaking topless monokini in 1964, which sparked international attention after Women’s Wear Daily published the topless image. Although the design was never intended for commercial production, it became a symbol of women’s freedom and ignited controversy.
While the monokini defined much of Moffitt’s public persona, it was just a small part of her extensive fashion career. Throughout her life, she promoted unrestricted movement in knitted clothing that was both avant-garde and effortless, coinciding with a time when women were advocating for greater social and political freedoms.
Born in Los Angeles at Hollywood Hospital, Moffitt attended Marlborough School for girls and later studied acting at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York City in the 1950s. There, she learned from notable instructors like Sydney Pollack and Martha Graham, and her classmates included Robert Duvall and Suzanne Pleshette. This led to a brief contract with Paramount Pictures and a series of supporting roles.
Moffitt met her future husband, photographer William Claxton, in L.A. in 1958. At the time, he was working as an art director for a jazz record label, and he encouraged her to pursue modeling. They married in 1959 and welcomed their son, Christopher, in 1973.
A trained ballet dancer, Moffitt’s background influenced her taste in clothing and her graceful modeling style, which caught the attention of Gernreich, known for his avant-garde, body-conscious designs. She first met Rudi in 1954 while working at the Jax clothing boutique in Beverly Hills. According to her son, they shared a deep appreciation for art, design, dance, and humor. One memorable moment was when Moffitt wore a suit designed by Gernreich with one shawl lapel and one peak lapel, which she found amusing.
Moffitt and Claxton collaborated on several projects, including what is considered the first fashion video, “Basic Black: William Claxton w/Peggy Moffitt,” in 1967. They also published “The Rudi Gernreich Book” through Taschen in 1991. Christopher noted that the synergy between them, especially with Gernreich, was significant, as he often called Claxton for photo shoots.
Moffitt modeled in major fashion capitals like New York, London, and Paris and appeared in cult films such as “Blow-Up” (1962) and “Who Are You, Polly Maggoo” (1966). Even into her 70s, she maintained her mod style and continued to do her own makeup, influencing many designers, including Marc Jacobs, despite her critical view of contemporary fashion.
“Fashion fell off a long time ago. I can’t tell you to the minute that it died. Probably when everybody started wearing pants,” she told WWD in 2016.
“Fashion is really dead except for…dream occasions or fantasy.”
Moffitt owned over 300 pieces of Gernreich’s designs, many of which were one-offs in custom colors. Some of these pieces were featured in the 2019 exhibition “Fearless Fashion: Rudi Gernreich” at the Skirball Cultural Center in L.A., including the iconic topless bathing suit styled with a bandeau that had “censored” written across it. The design faced criticism globally, with some viewing it as a decline of morality in the U.S. and even leading to arrests, but Moffitt defended it, stating, “Rudi’s aim was to free the breast rather than glorify it sexually.”
Moffitt had specific terms for modeling the monokini, insisting that only her husband photograph her in it on a closed set, and that the images not be published in men’s magazines. Despite this, the image was printed topless in WWD, creating significant media buzz and outrage.
Over the years, Moffitt grew weary of discussing the monokini in interviews. “She said imagine doing something that took one second in your life and having to talk about it for the remainder of your life,” Christopher recalled.
Moffitt, who held a trademark on Gernreich’s name after his passing in 1985, made several forays into the fashion business herself. She collaborated with Comme des Garçons on T-shirts and reinterpretations of Gernreich designs in 2003 and launched her own leisurewear label with L.A. designer Evelina Galli in 2016, which was represented in a licensing deal with Sage Licensing in 2019.
Christopher reflected on his mother’s legacy, stating,
“She was of a generation of young women wanting to push envelopes and explore, but at the same time not wanting to be too crazy and the bad girl. Because of the safety she felt with my father and trust, and the fact she believed in what Rudi was doing so much, it allowed her to be the creative person she wanted to be.”
