the man who changed the world: Vidal Sassoon

Everett/Photoshot
Everett/Photoshot

Vidal Sassoon, who died yesterday morning at the age of 84, is set to be remembered as the hairdresser who changed the entire way that women wore their hair.

Beginning his career at the age of 14 after his mother told him of a premonition she'd had, Vidal went on to create the ever-popular bob, after many years of honing his take on what a haircut should do for a woman. Opening his first salon in 1954 and inspired by Bauhaus architecture Vidal created hair that reflected the movement's modern, sharp shapes. He believed in using hair as a fabric, a material that could be shaped to perfectly accentuate a woman's bone structure.

This focus on aesthetics saw the arrival of many shorter cuts in the 1960s - a revolution in itself at a time when women were struggling to break free of traditional roles and looks. One of his early clients was mod fashion designer Mary Quant, the undisputed inventor of the mini skirt. He also gave Grace Coddington what went on to be a quintessentially Sassoon cut - the five point cut.

Vidal was also one of the first hairdressers to delve into the business of a consumer product range and be bought out by a major corporation. His life was most recently chronicled in the 2010 documentary Vidal Sassoon: The Movie.

published: 10/05/12