Evelyn Rose, was an icon of the 60's swinging London, that was both emblematic and mysterious. Between freedom and recklessness she quickly became the face of a generation guided by spontaneity, rebellion and a thirst for adventure.
One night, while she was dancing at the Cromwellian a NME photographer approached her and asked for her name. She replied: Iggy The Eskimo without really thinking about it. Wherever she went, people recognized her by her bohemian look and flashy makeup. It's like she wanted everyone to notice and feel her presence, to know that she was there.
As a true Brighton mod, she used to meet the trendiest bands in the most fashionable clubs of the capital. She encountered The Who, Eric Clapton, and was seen in company of artists like Brian Jones or Keith Richards. According to rumors, she even attended the recording session of Sympathy For The Devil by The Rolling Stones. But she would usually be affiliated with The Pink Floyd after running into Syd Barrett's girlfriend, Jenny Spires, while she was shopping at BIBA.
In 1969, she began a relationship with Syd and moved out to his apartment. At that time, Barrett was sharing his flat with the famous english artist Duggie Fields. And also started working on his first solo album The Madcap Laughs, as he was no longer a member of the Floyd. This project was not only different thanks to its surprising approach of psychedelic sounds but it was also unique through its disconcerting and uncluttered visuals.
The cover featured Syd in the foreground, crouching on the two-toned floor of his room that he had fun painting in orange and purple. In the background, a naked, lanky figure sits on a stool. At that time, Iggy had no clue that the shoot she did would be used by Syd. It is only years later, that she randomly saw in a record store, her naked body on the cover of the album.
Iggy passed away in December 2017. Leaving behind the memory of a carefree young woman, wandering around the 60's London streets.