1960s supermodel Peggy Moffitt, 86, died in Beverly Hills on August 10. Moffitt was best known as the muse of Rudi Gernreich (modeling his scandalous topless bathing suits and other über-groovy fashions) and Vidal Sassoon (she maintained her geometric Sassoon hairdo till her death). An L.A. native, Moffitt began her career in movies eventually working her way up to bit parts in You’re Never Too Young, The Birds and the Bees, Girls Town, Blow-Up, and Batman. By the time of that latter show, she was already one of the iconic models of the ’60s. She and her husband, photographer William Claxton (who died in 2008) worked extensively with Gernreich: “Without Rudi I would have been a gifted and innovative model,” Moffitt said. “Without me he would have been an avant-garde designer of genius. We made each other better. We were each other’s catalyst. It was fun, it was invigorating, it was a true collaboration, and yes, it was love.” Moffitt and Claxton made the 1967 fashion video Basic Black, and wrote the 1991 The Rudi Gernreich Book. She is survived by her son Christopher Claxton, and a huge cache of Gernreich clothing and accessories.
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