That's Not My Age can't wait till September when a new documentary, Vidal Sassoon, The Movie and an autobiography (aptly called Vidal: An Autobiography) are due to be released. I once asked my hairdresser, Mr Guy Healey, 44, why Vidal Sassoon, 82, was considered the best hairdresser, ever. After all, the free haircut I received at the Sassoon salon during my Manchester student days wasn't anything to write home about. In fact, it ended in tears. The moral of that little story is... you have to pay for a decent haircut. Anyhow, Guy told me that Sassoon revolutionized hairdressing, changed the rule book for everybody, 'Before it was about the finish. He made it about the cut.'
Back in the 1963, Sassoon created the five-point bob. An ultra-modern pixie cut worn by the fabulous Mary Quant. In his new autobiography Sassoon admits that he was so excited about cutting the fashion designer's hair that he accidentally nicked her ear! And that Quant's husband, Alexander Plunket Greene asked, 'Do you charge extra for that?'
In spite of the ear-cutting episode, Mr Sassoon went on to cut the amazing Grace Coddington's hair and become the world's most famous hair stylist:
Read more about Vidal Sassoon's autobiography here
Have you ever risked a free hair cut?
Photos
Vidal Sassoon: Tribeca Film Festival
Vidal and Mary Quant picture and quote: Daily Mail
Vidal and Grace Coddington: Little House of Style
Doesn't Grace look gorgeous? No I don't think I have ever had a free haircut but I have had some pretty bad ones over the years!
ReplyDeleteNever free but have learnt over many years that you get what you pay for! My hair grows about a millimetre every few months so bad haircut lasts long time! Now rely on the amazing Pedro at Ena Salon to work his magic: www.enasalon.com
ReplyDeleteHi there-my only free haircut was my own diy, lol!! Have a good weekend x
ReplyDeleteI agree, it looks so intriguing!
ReplyDeleteI have had a couple of free haircuts over the years, the first was also a Sassoon disaster! After having said I didn't want short or layers, I ended up with both :-(. In the 1980s I had a friend who was a stylist at Sassoon's, but oddly I never had a free haircut from him!
ReplyDeleteThis is true: My mum gave me a really bad (bad bad) home haircut and then took me to to the Vidal Sassoon salon to see if they could rescue it. I came home with a neat little bob with fringe.
ReplyDeleteI have had many a free hair cut from trainees .. if they are well supervised at a good salon, it can be interesting :) ....
ReplyDeleteBut my hair grows fast LOL
Yes, I did the 'hair model' thing as a teenager for some rather radical cuts and colours, including a pink and purple job that prompted my school to add a new rule ('no hair to be coloured unnatural colours', as I recall) ... Ah, youth.
ReplyDeleteI went to the Glasgow salon for a freebie cut when I was a student. They - quite rightly - lopped off my truly awful shaggy perm. xx
ReplyDeleteThanks for linking to me! The Sassoon documentary is fantastic— I was lucky to attend the New York premiere. Unfortunately, Mr Sassoon was not there because he was sick. Otherwise, I would have chased after him and made him give me a haircut!
ReplyDeleteFree haircuts can be good, but you're definitely taking a risk. One of my friends is a hair model for Bumble & Bumble in NYC and she gets the best cuts and color from students!
- Catherine at Littlehouse of Style
http://littlehouseofstyle.blogspot.com/
Oh damn, the Sassoon jingle is now stuck in my head for who knows how long!
ReplyDelete