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VIDAL SASSOON
by Pat Jacobs
Probably the most influential hair stylist of the 1960s was Vidal
Sassoon.
His creations included the Asymmetric 5-point, the Geometric, the
Wash-and-Wear Perm, the Nancy Kwan (named after the cut he designed for
her role in "The Wild Affair".
It was previously known as the Mary Quant cut, because it had
been seen first at her collection show.), possibly his best-known one,
"The Bob" (a short, angular hairstyle that debuted in 1963), and Mia
Farrow's haircut ($5,000!) for "Rosemary's Baby".
This was very popular with young women, particularly in London;
it retained popularity through the decades and is still around (with
modern variations).
Some trademarks of the Sassoon cuts, besides their unique
shaping, were that they were very cutting edge, so to speak, and
low-maintenace. Sassoon let the hair swing free, cutting the style into
the hair (no need for bobby pins, hairspray, mousse, or gel!).
Sassoon favored dark, very straight, shiny hair as his
prototypes. His geometric cuts seemed severe, yet were entirely organic
and free-flowing.
Mary Quant's cut was actually shorter, straighter, and more
severe than Kwan's particular style. Quant's was also more geometric. It
was also very popular with young women, becoming one of the signature
looks of
the mid-60s (the other was very long, flowing hair).
His mother encouraged him to go into hairdressing at an early
age. (Sassoon's parents were very poor; there was no money for higher
education, and Sassoon himself has admitted that he wasn't the "brainy"
type who could win or be awarded scholarships.)
In 1942, at age 14, he became the apprentice of a local
hairdresser in London, England.
Did you know that Sassoon volunteered and fought in the Israel
Defense Forces when the State of Israel was declared? (And because of
this, many Arabs and Muslims will not buy his Sassoon products.) He was
also a member of the 43 Group, a British Anti-Fascist organization.
By 1954, he was able to open his own salon. For the next nine
years, Sassoon and his staff worked to change hair dressing into an art
form.
He succeeded.
He was one of the first to lend his name to a chain of salons and
hair products (He's no longer connected with either one of these
enterprises.)
From 1966-1980, he was married to actress Beverly Adams (who was
featured in several Beach Party flicks and the Dean Martin "Matt Helm"
movies).
They co-wrote several books, including A Year Of Beauty and
Health. Beverly Sassoon became a noted fashion expert in her own right.
Sassoon's not only a founding leader of the hair design, but a
pioneer in the commercialization of hair styling, turning its craft into
a multimillion dollar industry.
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