If you’ve ever scrolled through a mood board and seen a woman who looks like she just woke up in a pile of velvet and expensive cigarettes, you’ve seen her. Anita Pallenberg. She wasn't just a "girlfriend" of the Rolling Stones. Honestly, she was the blueprint. When you look at images of Anita Pallenberg, you aren't just looking at old photography; you’re looking at the origin story of rock-and-roll style.
The bangs. Those kohl-rimmed eyes. The way she could wear a floor-length fur coat over basically nothing and make it look like armor.
She was German-Italian, born in Rome during the war, and by the time she hit London in 1965, she’d already hung out with Andy Warhol at the Factory and partied with the Dolce Vita crowd in Italy. She spoke five languages. She scared the hell out of Keith Richards because she was smarter than everyone in the room. When we talk about her visual legacy, we’re talking about a woman who literally changed how the most famous band in the world dressed and sounded.
The Photos That Defined the "Sixth Stone"
Most people start their search for Anita with the 1967 shots. There's this one famous image of her and Brian Jones where they’re dressed almost identically. Long, blonde hair, floppy hats, and that "don't look at me, but please look at me" arrogance.
Then things got heavy.
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She left Brian for Keith Richards during a chaotic trip to Morocco. That’s where some of the most hauntingly beautiful images of Anita Pallenberg come from—grainy, sun-drenched shots of her in the desert, looking like a nomadic queen.
The Gered Mankowitz and Michael Cooper Era
If you want the "real" Anita, you look at the work of Michael Cooper. He was the "court photographer" for the Stones. He lived with Keith and Anita. Because he was a friend, he captured the stuff the paparazzi couldn't get.
- The Nellcôte Summer: 1971. The South of France. The Stones were tax exiles recording Exile on Main St.. The photos of Anita here are legendary. She’s often pictured with her son, Marlon, or sitting at huge wooden tables littered with wine bottles and sheet music.
- Performance (1970): This is the movie she did with Mick Jagger. The stills are spicy, to say the least. There were rumors for decades that the "acting" wasn't exactly acting. In the 2024 documentary Catching Fire, it was finally confirmed that she and Mick did have an affair during filming. Keith was reportedly sitting outside in his car, fuming, writing "Gimme Shelter."
Why Her Style Actually Matters Today
It’s easy to dismiss these photos as just "vintage vibes," but look closer. Anita was one of the first women to aggressively mix masculine and feminine pieces. She’d steal Keith’s shirts. Later, Keith admitted he used to steal her pants because they fit him better.
She graduated from Central Saint Martins in the 90s. She actually went back to school for fashion and textiles. She knew the craft. When you see a modern image of Kate Moss or even Hedi Slimane’s designs for Celine, you are seeing Anita's DNA.
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The "Evil Glamour" look—a term coined by her friend Marianne Faithfull—wasn't about being pretty. It was about power. She wore leopard print, snakeskin, and heavy Victorian jewelry. She made it okay for rock stars to look "pretty" and for women to look dangerous.
The Dark Side of the Lens
We have to be real here. Not all the images are glamorous. By the mid-70s, the photos show the toll of heroin. There are court photos from 1973 and 1977 where she and Keith look ghostly. It’s a stark contrast to the vibrant, golden-girl images from '66.
She eventually got clean, of course. In her later years, she was photographed at fashion shows for Pam Hogg or Vivienne Westwood. Even in her 70s, she had that same "I don't give a damn" look in her eyes.
How to Curate the Best Visual History
If you're looking for high-quality references for your own style or a creative project, skip the generic Pinterest grabs. Look for these specific archives:
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- The Michael Cooper Collection: Best for candid, intimate lifestyle shots.
- Gered Mankowitz's Portfolios: These are the iconic "Between the Buttons" era shots where her influence on the band's fashion is most obvious.
- The Cecil Beaton Morocco Shots: High-fashion meets 60s counterculture.
Anita Pallenberg wasn't a muse in the sense that she sat still and looked pretty. She was a catalyst. She told Mick Jagger when a song sucked. She told Keith what to wear. She lived a life that was often messy and occasionally tragic, but she never looked boring.
To really understand the impact she had, find the photo of her and Keith leaving King’s College Hospital with their newborn son, Marlon, in 1969. They look like royalty from another planet. That’s the Anita Pallenberg magic.
For your next steps in exploring her legacy, you should look into the specific costume design she did for the film Barbarella, as her "Black Queen" outfit remains one of the most referenced looks in sci-fi cinema history. You might also check out the 2024 documentary Catching Fire: The Story of Anita Pallenberg to see newly released private films she shot herself during the 1960s.