Justin De Villeneuve

Society photographer Justin de Villeneuve launched the career of Twiggy, the world’s first supermodel, and became her boyfriend and manager.

His other photographic subjects have included David Bowie, David Essex, Peter Frampton, Raquel Welch and Pattie Boyd. In his own words, he has been a boxer, a villain, an interior decorator and a poet - and he’s made and lost many fortunes. His exhibition, Fashion and Feathers, which pairs images of models and rock stars with pictures of exotic birds taken at the London Wetlands Centre, Barnes is open until 24 April. We went to Barnes to find out more!

T&L: You are famous for photographing human models, but what drew you to the birds at the WWT?

It was a revelation. I couldn’t believe the beautiful birds I was looking at in such a fabulous setting. Looking through the view finder of my camera I was astonished at the elegance and composure of the exotic birds. One of the first birds I photographed was a red-crested pochard. It reminded me of the portrait I had taken of David Bowie in Paris for the cover of his album Pin-Ups.

T&L: You’ve had a career in hairdressing. And what’s this about villainy? Please tell all!

I was born just before the start of the war – the second world war, that is. By a stroke of luck, this little Cockney boy evacuee was taken in by the writer JBP Priestley. On returning to shabby and battered London the East End was full of black market skullduggery, and I was in my element. I had acquired (don’t ask) a lorry load of wine similar to paint stripper. A friend - ‘Big Jack’ Myrovitch - told me that his friend, a hairdresser called Vidal Sassoon, was getting married and could I supply the beverages? I managed to ‘find’ a collection of exotic wine labels. I spent an evening feverishly taking off the old labels and replacing them with the exotics. Vidal was so impressed with the wine that he offered me a job as his personal assistant. So I, Nigel John Davies, became Christian St Forget, Mayfair crimper. Later, when I became an interior designer, I metamorphosed into Justin de Villeneuve. It was the 60s and the world was my crustacean.

T&L: Birds or humans as sitters?

At the WWT I had beautiful sitters - without the ‘won’t get out of bed for less than ten thousand pounds’ super model attitude - to photograph for free! Birds are easier, without attitude. Mind you, the Magpie Goose can be a bit saucy.

Fashion and Feathers is at WWT London Wetland Centre, Queen Elizabeth’s Walk, Barnes until 24 April wwt.org.uk