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Vidal Sassoon has died

(15 Posts)
nanaej Thu 10-May-12 23:46:17

Agree Vidal was great hairdresser and good to fight fascism here in England.
However as someone with Palestinian family background I cannot appreciate his support of Zionism.sad

Annobel Thu 10-May-12 17:26:15

My hair would never conform to anyone's styling, but when I had a Sassoon trained hairdresser it always behaved impeccably. I have now found another one and am hoping she will keep it in order, though she has inconsiderately gone on her honeymoon just when I need a trim. Shame that the Sassoon salon in Manchester doesn't have a training school.

soop Thu 10-May-12 17:15:16

gracesmum And even more with a tip! If I could have a weekly treat, it would be to have my hair coiffed. Hair a mess - bit like Miss Haversham. Hair coiffed - I'm a virtual Audrey Hepburn. wink

gracesmum Thu 10-May-12 16:53:52

I too went to the training school for a cut and restyle! It took all afternoon but I did feel so trendy. Then I had DD1 and without access to a granny couldn't ever organise a free afternoon to do it again.
He absolutely revolutionised hairdressing didn't he? No more shampoo and sets for the weekend like my Mum used to have!
Mind you, I wish I could afford to go to the hairdresser once a week, no longer 7/6 it costs more like the equivalent of a week's supermarket shop sad

Grannylin Thu 10-May-12 15:47:42

In the late 60's, I made myself a lime green shift dress and appliqued the Mary Quant flower logo in yellow onto the chest. I went up to London for the day and had my hair cut for 15/= at Vidal Sassoon's training school...all for an interview for a place at Warwick Uni. The interview was a disaster as I was completely thrown by the fact that the professor who interviewed me was blind! I didn't get a place but I looked pretty good!

whenim64 Thu 10-May-12 14:53:20

Same for me, Joan. I loved Mary Quant's op-art clothes and had the same hairstyle you describe (almost the same today!), and my dearest wish was to have that glossy hair with no split ends.

dorsetpennt Thu 10-May-12 13:47:25

He freed us from hairdryers and curlers! I had the geometric cut shorter at the back down to longer in the front so it swung forward - no lacquer as it was supposed to move freely. We used to straighten our hair with brown paper on top of the length of hair placed over an ironing board. Your friend then ironed across the paper - tried to do it on my own once and burnt my forehead - a nice look. As nurses we couldn't afford expensive hair curlers that could be applied to give the straight look. As joan said we had our Mary Quant dresses and boots - looked the business. I had a lovely navy crepe de chine dress with white ruffles at the end of long sleeves and collar to match. Cost a lot of money to buy and had to be dry cleaned too. Do you remember how many clothes had to be dry cleaned?

soop Thu 10-May-12 12:39:30

Having Vidal style one's hair must have been a very special experience. I would have loved it. A brilliant stylist.

Joan Thu 10-May-12 06:41:28

Just read up on him - he was a good man: Jewish, he went to Israel in 1948 to join the fight for establishing the Jewish nation and he was part of the movement against Oswald Mosley's East End fascists.

For us women though, he freed us from the primped, back combed and lacquered styles that had been so popular, and gave us the natural look, with geometric hairstyles that hung and moved naturally. His styles went so well with the Mary Quant miniskirt fashions. I'm so glad I was young in those days, and was able to stride around in my long boots and miniskirts, with my short, bother-free hairstyles.

RIP Vidal Sassoon.

janepearce6 Thu 10-May-12 00:12:42

I used to go to Vidal Sassoon in the '50s - he didn't cut or do my hair - I didn't have the sort of hair he wanted (I don't think). He was as slim as a whippet and I watched him almost dancing around his client's chair - balletic and quite dainty but he was so beautiful to look at! A real sight for tired eyes and in those days we were all tired!
RIP Vidal Sassoon flowers

merlotgran Wed 09-May-12 22:36:49

I loved my geometric haircut. So easy to maintain and gave a high cheekboned look. Your unruly curls might have been a pain in the 60s, nanaej but I was the one having to have regular perms in the eighties. The things we do for fashion!

nanaej Wed 09-May-12 22:25:01

A 60's icon. He caused me to iron and sellotape my unruly curls in attempts to get my hair to resemble one of his clean cut styles! They all failed.

Anagram Wed 09-May-12 22:21:51

Yes, glass, I think my own DD thinks Vidal Sassoon is just a brand of hair styling products.....(sigh...)

glassortwo Wed 09-May-12 22:13:47

I have just passed this on to my DD and she said is there such a person shock can you believe that !!!!!!!!! Thats sad its the end of an era.

whenim64 Wed 09-May-12 22:09:37

Vidal Sassoon has died, aged 84, of natural causes, it has been reported. From the 60s, when the likes of Twiggy or Mary Quant and her followers had those fabulous geometric hairstyles, it was always Vidal Sassoon who influenced hairstyles amongst me and my friends. He was only on the TV a couple of weeks ago looking very fit and healthy.