Susan Bottomly, also known as International Velvet, was a 16-year-old model and socialite who was part of Andy Warhol's inner circle in the 1960s. Born into a prominent New England family, Bottomly was expelled from boarding school four times before meeting Warhol at a party in Boston in 1966.
Warhol, who was looking for a new muse to replace Edie Sedgwick, took a liking to Bottomly and began to mentor her. He renamed her "International Velvet" and featured her in his film Chelsea Girls, which was shot in the summer of 1966. The film was a critical and financial success, and Bottomly's sequence in the film, which co-starred Mary Woronov, was filmed in her own room at the Chelsea Hotel.
Bottomly's relationship with Warhol was complicated, as she was also involved with Gerard Malanga, one of Warhol's assistants and superstars. She eventually broke up with Malanga and began an affair with fashion designer David Croland, who later became known for his fashion illustrations. The two had a tumultuous relationship, with Bottomly later pursuing an affair with French movie actor and director Christian Marquand.
After Marquand, Bottomly returned to New York and ended her relationship with Croland. She appeared in a small role in the film Midnight Cowboy, which was released in 1969. However, by this time, dynamics at The Factory were changing, and Warhol was becoming less accessible to the public. Bottomly realized it was time to move on and went back to being Susan Bottomly.
