Jane Holzer

Jane Holzer (née Brukenfeld), born October 23, 1940, also known by the nickname "Baby Jane," is an American model, actress, art collector, and real estate investor. She rose to prominence during the 1960s as pop artist Andy Warhol's first "Superstar." Known for her voluminous teased blonde hair, Holzer became an influential figure in international fashion and youth culture. Vogue editor-in-chief Diana Vreeland called her "the most contemporary girl I know," and journalist Tom Wolfe designated her the "Girl of the Year" in 1964.

Holzer was born and raised in Palm Beach, Florida. Her father, Carl Brukenfeld, was a real estate and insurance investor whose family established extensive real estate holdings in Florida, including commercial properties on Worth Avenue and oceanfront land on Merritt Island. Holzer grew up in a Jewish household and attended Palm Beach High School, Cherry Lawn School in Connecticut, and Finch Junior College in Manhattan, which she left to pursue modeling.

Before her marriage, Holzer modeled professionally under her maiden name in New York and Paris. In 1963, photographer David Bailey photographed her in London for English Vogue, a breakthrough that launched her modeling career. She became widely associated with the nickname "Baby Jane," given to her by columnist Carol Bjorkman. In 1964, after catching the attention of Diana Vreeland at the Paris haute couture collections, Holzer began modeling for Vogue and appeared on the covers of British Vogue and Show magazine. In 1966, Women's Wear Daily named her one of New York's "fashion revolutionaries."

Holzer met Andy Warhol in June 1964 at a party in her Park Avenue apartment. She quickly became his first superstar, starring in underground films such as Soap Opera (1964), Couch (1964), Batman Dracula (1964), and Camp (1965), as well as appearing in ten of his Screen Tests. Media coverage from Newsweek, Life, and The New York Times framed her as a prominent symbol of modern pop culture and changing social trends. She later returned to perform in Warhol films like Bufferin Commercial (1966), Sally Kirkland (1967), and Reel 39 of Four Stars (1967), and appeared in the independent production Ciao! Manhattan.

In 1965, Holzer pursued mainstream entertainment. She studied acting with Sanford Meisner, appeared on television programs such as The Wild, Wild East, Hullabaloo, and The Lloyd Thaxton Show, and taped a television special with Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. In 1966 and 1967, she released music singles, including "Boy You're Gonna Hurt Yourself" and "Rapunzel"/"Nowhere." Her mainstream acting work included an appearance in the film Jack of Diamonds (1967) and a role in the pilot episode of the TV series Coronet Blue.

Following her time at Warhol's Factory, Holzer established a career as a real estate developer and investor in Palm Beach, Florida, acquiring commercial properties on Worth Avenue. In 1984, she opened the ice cream shop Sweet Baby Jane's, and she later co-founded the A.R.T. gallery and became a business partner in the restaurant Le Bilboquet. She also served as an associate producer for the 1985 film Kiss of the Spider Woman. Holzer married real estate executive Leonard Holzer in 1962, with whom she had a son before their marriage dissolved in the 1970s. She continues to reside in Palm Beach as an active real estate investor and art collector.