Those of us in the beauty industry have lost a legend today with the
passing of Vidal Sassoon, the pioneer who single-handedly brought the
art of hair out of the dark ages. Sassoon, who was 84, died of natural
causes in his home in Los Angeles, surrounded by family. Sassoon
devoted seven decades of his life to the industry and became a household
name so recognizable that some people may be surprised to learn that he
was a real human being, and not some advertising icon like Aunt Jemima
or Betty Crocker. This just shows how iconic Vidal was- millions of
people around the world know the name, even if they didn't know the man.
Those
of us who did know Sassoon, either directly or indirectly, realize that
the world has lost an artist on par with the likes of Andy Warhol or
Jackson Pollock. Vidal revolutionized the art of hairstyling to such an
extent that we may not even have the world "hairstylist" in our lexicon
without his contributions. Before Sassoon, the concept of "wash and
wear" hair did not exist. He was the visionary who turned hairstyling
into a distinctive and separate art form from hairdressing, which is an
art characterized by elaborate swirls and bobby pins and rollers and
teasing and lacquering the hair with spray. Sassoon's work was a
radical departure from the age-old art of hairdressing; Sassoon taught
the world about short geometric cuts, performed with such incredible
precision that the hair would fall perfectly into place, without the
need for "hairdressing" tools like irons and pins. This transition is
no less significant (and perhaps even more so) than the abstract
expressionism or pop art movements, which also took place during
Sassoon's prime.
Sassoon's contributions may have had an even greater impact than
the contributions made by Warhol or Pollock. In the 1960s, Americans
changed their perception about women as more and more females assumed
control of their lives by entering the workforce. This shift in gender
equality demanded hairstyles which would not require a two-hour visit to
a beauty salon. Vidal Sassoon was there to liberate women from the
"oppressive" hairstyles of the past by perfecting the types of styles
which we've come to know as "wash and wear"- many of these
Sassoon-inspired looks are still among the most popular hairstyles
requested today, nearly half a century after Sassoon created them!
In
other words, every woman who doesn't spend an ungodly amount of time in
the bathroom every morning primping and styling owes a tremendous debt
of gratitude to Vidal Sassoon. Every hairstylist who designs haircuts
based on a woman's facial features and bone structure owes a debt of
gratitude to Vidal Sassoon as well, because he was the pioneer who
taught us how to customize a look for a client, rather than pinning up
the hair in a bland French twist or a generic beehive, as most of his
contemporaries did. And every stylist who prides himself on cutting
hair with laser-like precision owes a debt of gratitude to Sassoon,
because his techniques are still being taught to cosmetology students
today.
Sassoon was also a driving force when it came to the consumer
aspect of hairstyling, which is not surprising since most of us first
heard of his name through blowdryers, shampoo, hairspray, and other
beauty products which bore his name on the label. Up until the 1980s,
very few hairstylists were known by name outside of the beauty industry,
and even fewer had their names emblazoned on products which could be
bought in virtually any drugstore or supermarket. The company's slogan,
"If you don't look good, we don't look good", became almost as iconic
as Vidal himself. Prior to the 1980s, it was nearly impossible for a
woman to walk into a store and purchase a blowdryer or curling iron
right from the shelf, or buy a shampoo which was formulated to be
"salon-inspired". Before Sassoon, the typical woman would have to go to
the local beauty parlor to have her hair dried with a blowdryer, or to
buy a shampoo that wasn't Breck or Prell or Suave. Vidal Sassoon paved
the way for Jose Eber, Nick Arrojo, Chaz Dean, and other "superstar
stylists" whose names grace various haircare products.
Today, we
erroneously credit Vidal Sassoon as being the inventor of iconic
shorter-length cuts such as the bob or the pixie. Although Sassoon
didn't invent these cuts, many of us
think he did, and this is a
tribute to his influence, much the way we tend to think that McDonald's
invented the hamburger or that Coca-Cola invented soda pop. The bob was
invented in the early 20th century and by the 1920s it was the go-to
look for flappers and actresses- in fact, the fashion correspondent of
The Times
stated, in 1922, that bobbed hair was passé. It was Vidal Sassoon who
resurrected this old-time hairstyle and re-invented it for a new
generation. Nearly all modern bobs resemble the variations developed by
Sassoon, rather than the bob that was popular in the Roaring Twenties.
Sassoon is also given credit for developing the pixie, which he
designed for Mia Farrow in the 1960s. However, barbers in Italy had
been performing this cut on women since the early 1950s (Remember the
1953 Audrey Hepburn film
Roman Holiday?). Sassoon may not have
invented these particular styles, but he sure as hell perfected them to
such an extent that we assume he was the originator. That, my friends,
is proof of his genius and ability.
Rest in peace, Vidal. We will miss you.
