Following a series of affairs, including a long-term association with James Robertson Justice, Parkin separated from her husband at the start of the 1960s; at this time she lost the desire, inspiration and passion to continue with her artwork.

After making hats and bags for Barbara Hulanicki at Biba, and working alongside Mary Quant, she opened her own Chelsea boutique, which was featured in a Newsweek article about Swinging London.

She sold the shop to business partner Terence Donovan, then joined Nova magazine in 1965, when the radical Dennis Hackett became its editor.

David Gibbs' comprehensive anthology of Nova pages and images says of Parkin: "A dynamic sense of colour and design was all she needed to guide her.

Unfettered by the accepted wisdom of the fashion system, she introduced an unconventional and startling view of what women could wear... always teasing the edges of taste... She set the standard.

[4] In her two years as fashion editor, the flamboyant Parkin raised the bar with her coverage – shot by the new generation of young photographers – that again affirmed the Swinging City,[5] which Time magazine reported in 1966 as the hub of creativity and hedonism.

Published in 1975, Up Tight was highly publicised, thanks to fashion photographer Harry Peccinotti's cover shot of a French model wearing see-through knickers; this jacket design resulted in booksellers Hatchards keeping it under the counter.

After returning from living in New York City in 1980, Parkin split from her second husband, Patrick Hughes, and was again in need of funds to pay for her daughters' education.

[12] In 2017 Parkin appeared live in a one-woman show at a London salon hosted by Simon Oldfield of Pin Drop Studio.