Edie Sedgwick

During the mid 1960's, Edie Sedgwick was the constant companion of pop artist, sixties icon and film-maker, Andy Warhol, and played a part in his early success. Edie became famous in New York as one of Andy Warhol's 'Superstars.'

Edie Sedgwick dazzled everyone with her beauty, style, glamour and wealth. She was a very bright and well spoken young lady, having a penchant for shopping. Edie purchased everything, from only the very best stores in New York, including glamourous clothes, as well as considerable quantities of make-up and earings. She managed to spend a large amount of her family inheritance.

The Sedgwick family included a number of relatives who played a part in early American History. Edie arrived at the factory - backed by such a large family history - and dazzled Warhol. Edie helped to transform the factory's reputation as a place to be seen for all New York's wealthy socialites and trend-setters. During the period from 1963 until 1965, Edie featured in leading magazines such as Time, Life and Vogue. Warhol and Edie became close friends, and received substantial media coverage due to the fact that Edie accompanied Warhol everywhere - to parties at the factory, in Manhattan, and to leading Gallery Exhibitions. Edie added a touch of style and glamour to many art openings, which arguably, resulted in Warhol receiving much more media coverage than would have normally been reserved for an up and coming artist at that time.

Sadly, after leaving the factory, and despite her striking presence on the silver screen, Edie Sedgwick never became the movie star that she had dreamed or talked about. Some of her friends who arrived in New York with Edie also seem to have disappeared - there current whereabouts have never been documented.

Amazingly, Edie went on to become a major celebrity at the Chelsea Hotel in New York. The Chelsea received numerous visits from a number of celebrity musicians and artists but it had also got a reputation in New York for being very cheap in those days. Edie was often causing a scene there - at one point she achieved notoriety with the management of the Hotel, by setting her room on fire!!

There was some talk of Edie featuring as a model in some of the leading fashion magazines. Her biography includes details of how Vogue were keen to use her as a model, and, after arranging photo tests were very pleased with the results. However, just as her modelling career was about to take off, and without any specific reason, Vogue decided to drop her. From the comments made in Edie's biography, it appears that her previous connection to drug dealer friends was the reason for this decision.

After leaving the factory, Edie's life was not documented in the media, save for a lone article, from an interested reporter, asking the Factory crowd what had happened to Edie. Edie's biography continues her story into the late sixties and early seventies.

During the last few years of her tragically short life, Edie had a problem with a dependency on drugs. As a result, she became a patient at a number of hospitals but at one stage, things were so bad for her in the Manhattan State Hospital in New York that her mother eventually was forced to take her out. Edie ended up being admitted to the Cottage Hospital, Santa Barbara. Edie was not like the other patients because she was able to leave and take day visits - a special perk. Edie made a number of friends inside and she was very popular. During her stay Edie met the person who would later become her husband, Mike Post. With his tremendous help and encouragement, Edie started on the long road back to a recovery.