| Life on the cutting edge of style HAIRSTYLE revolutionary Vidal Sassoon has left a legacy of cuts that will never lose their 'cool'. Sassoon had opened his first salon 18 years earlier, in London's Bond Street. It wasn't unusual then for women to visit the hairdresser once a week, to sit under a giant helmet dryer for an hour, then have their hair combed out, backcombed and sprayed with a shield of heavy lacquer. To maintain the style through the week, they slept in rollers. I literally lost my breath. Sassoon gave one of his last interviews to journalist Barbra Paskin for a BBC documentary. Although Sassoon's dream was to play football for Chelsea, by day he was a shampoo boy, while at night the Luftwaffe's bombs "lit up the skies and rearranged the streets of London", he recalled. In 1948, when he was 20, he headed off to fight in the Arab-Israeli war. He remained an active supporter of Israel for the rest of his life. In an industry known for being cut-throat, Sassoon was that most unlikely of souls - considerate, gracious and gentle. In the early '60s, his short, geometric cut on fashion designer and mini-skirt pioneer Mary Quant exploded onto the London scene. Models Jean Shrimpton and Twiggy sported 'Sassoon cuts', while The Beatles' blunt-cut fringes launched a unisex 'Mary Quant bob'. ' That was typical of his generosity. She replied the same day, writing, 'He was a special boy. Eventually he opened academies around the world to teach his methods. Sassoon had a huge celebrity clientele, including Hollywood stars Elizabeth Taylor, Joan Collins, Ingrid Bergman and Rita Hayworth. After opening a New York salon in the late '60s, Sassoon launched a hair care range. In 1970, he opened a salon in LA and made the Hollywood Hills his home. He'd come a long way from the poverty he'd known growing up in wartime, when kids from London's east end had few career options, especially those from single-parent homes. After his mother had a premonition he'd become a great hairdresser, she dragged 14-year-old Sassoon to an interview with society hairdresser Adolph Cohen. A larrikin, he loved a joke, and exuded confidence, yet also humility. But, as Sassoon walked ahead to open it for his mother, Cohen changed his mind. He liked the boy's manners and said he'd take him on for nothing. Which is what Sassoon created, revolutionising hair styling and giving rise to the term 'wash and wear'. The British hair legend, who died on May 9 at his home in LA, inspired stylists the world over, and "Sassoon trained" still remains code for the very best hair cutters in the industry. Sassoon translated his love of architecture into hairstyles and considered his creations to be works of art, once saying, "To sculpt a head of hair with scissors is an art form. "He designed his salon around the concept of open-plan, he played jazz in the background. "I use it to keep steady," he told her. "I'm no spring chicken after all. Later, having discussed his early career, he leant forward and told Paskin softly, "I've got leukaemia; I'm really quite ill. I've had a wonderful life, a fantastic life. " He gave her a sad smile and continued, "I cannot complain - I'm 84. It's been a fabulous ride. |
Sunday, 10 June 2012
Life on the cutting edge of style
