Twiggy launches a cruising game-changer

Twiggy launches a cruising game-changer

ALMOST half a century after being discovered as a 16-year-old, Twiggy remains a fashion touchstone.

So much so that emerging models today are still being referred to as “Twiggy-like’’.

She was the world’s first supermodel and at 64 she is now the face of Marks & Spencer’s fashion range and one of the most iconic figures to survive the riotous and raucous 1960s.

The choice of Twiggy as godmother to Evergreen Tours’ new river cruise ship Emerald Sky couldn’t be more appropriate.

Like Twiggy, the Emerald Sky is sleek, chic, funky, hip, modern and very much a game-changer.

The British style icon launched the new era in river cruising for Evergreen Tours when she shattered the Veuve Clicquot champagne bottle over the bow of the Emerald Sky in Amsterdam earlier this month.

The Emerald Sky is Evergreen Tours first river cruise ship. The second ship, the Emerald Star, will be launched on May 17.

A further two star ships – the Emerald Sun and Emerald Dawn – will join the fleet from next year.

Twiggy raises the bar again

Twiggy launches the Emerald Sky in Amsterdam. Picture: Brian Crisp

Emerald Waterways is part of the Scenic Tours Group and in the Australian market it is exclusive to Evergreen Tours.

Until the launch Evergreen had always leased the ships they had used for European river cruises.

Changing the perception of river cruising

Like Twiggy did in the 1960s for fashion, this ship will change the perception of river cruising.

From a design point of view it is like nothing else on the market and has the potential to appeal to a much younger river cruise demographic. The average age of river cruisers at the moment is 65.

This product would not look out of place on the home design pages of a glossy fashion magazine. Perhaps the same magazines that helped make Twiggy a household name.

Twiggy was on the ship’s first journey from Amsterdam to Basel and explained to Escape that this was her first river cruise.

“It was so funny because last year (husband) Leigh and I were talking about it,’’ she said as we sailed down the Rhine. “I think I’d read an article about river cruising. I think it was a cruise in France actually and I thought, oh that sounds really nice.

“We had done a couple of sea cruises before but I’m a bit nervous of waves. I get a bit seasick. We’ve been lucky though – I crossed the Atlantic once on the QE2 and we only had one rough night. We did a another cruise, and it was completely calm. We went around the Croatian coast and Greek Islands and in to Istanbul. I told an American friend I was going and he said: ‘Oh great.’ When we came back I told him it was brilliant and calm. He said ‘I didn’t want to tell you, but I did that trip and we had the roughest seas.’ I’m glad he didn’t tell me or I probably wouldn’t have gone.

No waves, no weather concerns

“But Leigh and I were both saying we should try a river cruise because there are no waves and I wouldn’t be freaked out about the weather. And I’m glad we did because this is lovely and I’m so glad I was invited to be godmother of this beautiful ship.’’

The Emerald Sky at Koblenz, Germany.

The Emerald Sky at Koblenz, Germany. Source: Supplied

Twiggy says she has no qualifications for the job.

“I know nothing about ships. But they asked me and I thought it would be a lovely thing to do. This was the perfect excuse to say to our kids – right we’re going down the Rhine. And it’s been lovely.’’

Twiggy has had the Midas touch throughout her career.

After her modelling career she was cast by Ken Russell in the hit movie, The Boyfriend. She followed that with success as a pop singer, starred on Broadway for several years in My One and Only (and was nominated for several Tony awards), then did a sitcom for three years with The Nanny star Fran Drescher and now is back in the fashion design world.

“Nineteen sixty-six was an amazing year for me,’’ she said.

“I was a little schoolgirl who got discovered and little did I know what was ahead.

Twiggy in her modelling heyday.

Twiggy in her modelling heyday.

The man who changed my life

“I think I was very lucky to meet the people I did in my life. People like Ken Russell whom I met in my late teens who decided to cast me in a film called, The Boyfriend. That completely changed my life. I modelled for four years, Ken cast me in the film, which was a musical – I had to take tap classes and singing lessons. I did the film and it was a pretty big hit – I won two Golden Globe awards.

“When you are doing something like that, suddenly you get other offers.

“I put the modelling aside at the grand old age of 21 and decided to follow the acting and dancing route which I did for a long time. I did albums in the ’70s.

“With my co-star from The Boyfriend – Tommy Tune – I did a huge musical on Broadway in 1983 called the My One and Only.

“This for me was the highlight of my career because I didn’t think I could ever go on stage. The thought of it really freaked me out. But it was the most amazing professional experience of my life to go out on a Broadway stage in front of 2000 people every night and sing Gershwin songs.’’

Twiggy’s career has filled many passports with stamps.

Travel broadens the mind

“The only place I haven’t travelled to – which I should go to – is South America. I’ve been nearly everywhere else,’’ she said. “Well, as they say, travel broadens the mind. In America I’ve met people who have never travelled outside the country. They think they really don’t have to because they have everything there – they have hot weather, cold weather, mountains, some of the best beaches in the world are in Florida.

The ship’s cinema, which can convert to a swimming pool.

The ship’s cinema, which can convert to a swimming pool.

“I think that’s sad as they don’t see other cultures and I think that’s the most amazing thing about travel – meeting people from other cultures.

“Leigh and I tend to love old things – we are not into modern. We fall in love with all the gorgeous old places – the castles. I can’t wait until we go through Heidelberg and see all the fairy castles.

“Actually when I was probably 18 or 19 we drove through the Black Forest. That has stuck in my mind. That’s why I’m so keen to go back on the river. It was like going through fairyland. It was like real Disney.

“I think my favourite city – other than London – is New York. I’ve lived there and I think it is an amazing city. Mauritius is one of the best places in the world – it’s an extraordinary place with the sweetest people I’ve ever met. Japan is another because it is so different. I haven’t really got one favourite.’’

The pool and sun deck

The pool and sun deck.

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