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.
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