Happy birthday to the late Vidal Sassoon. The most famous hairstylist in history, who died last May, would have been 85 today. But the impression he left—and the styles he created—won’t be forgotten.
Sassoon began his career in London, and soon gained international fame with his signature, geometric cuts. If it were not for his shear genius, women would still be posted under the dryer—backcombing, teasing and spraying their tresses into helmets before leaving the house.
So in honor of the legendary hairstylist’s birthday, we’re celebrating the contributions he made to the hair industry that are still with us today.
The creator of the wash-and-go style, Sassoon created cuts that fit the increasingly busy and demanding lifestyles women were leading. Women were entering the workplace (holla!) and now had a style to match. The shapes were edgy, fashion-forward and flattering — and his cuts defined a new kind of sex appeal, as Vidal proved that women could actually wear shorts strands and look sexy.
He once famously chopped Grace Coddington’s (now the creative director of Vogue) curly locks into his signature short style and she instantly became a Sassoon style icon.
But it was Mia Farrow’s famous pixie cut in Rosemary’s Baby that shot Sassoon to mega-stardom. Her super-short strands became an iconic hairstyle and brought a cult-like fame to Sassoon — and still is copied by stars like Anne Hathaway, Ginnifer Goodwin and Michelle Williams.
From his celeb clientele to a slew of super models, Sassoon built a business model that sent his brand to new heights. Long before the Frederic Fekkai’s and Sally Hershberger’s of the salon world, he became the pioneer of the hairdressing mega-biz, paving the way for the future John Frieda’s(and their ultra-expensive haircuts to boot).
To honor what would have been Vidal Sassoon’s 85th birthday, we’ve created a tribute to the ways the legend continues to influence hair today.
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