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Vidal Sassoon
Sassoon (left) with Figaro Claus Niedermaier from Biberach/Riss (Germany).
Born	January 17, 1928 (1928-01-17) (age 81) London, England
Nationality	Israeli
Occupation	hairdresser
Religious beliefs	Jewish
Website http://www.sassoon.com/

Vidal Sassoon, CBE (born January 17, 1928) is a British-born Israeli hairdresser and businessman.

[edit] Early life

Sassoon was born to Jewish parents in London. His father was from Salonica (Thessaloniki in Greece), and his mother, whose family was originally from Kiev, was born in London. Although too young to serve in the Second World War, Sassoon became a member of the 43 Group, a Jewish veterans' militia organisation that broke up Fascist meetings in East London after the end of the war.^[1] In 1948 he joined the Israeli Defence Forces to fight in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.^[1]

[edit] Influence in hairstyling

Sassoon's works include the geometric, the wash-and-wear perm, and the "Nancy Kwan" hairstyles. They were all modern and low-maintenance. The hairstyles created by Sassoon relied on dark, straight, and shiny hair cut into geometric yet organic shapes. In 1963, Sassoon created a short, angular hairstyle cut on a horizontal plane that was the recreation of the classic "bob cut." His geometric haircuts seemed to be severely cut, but were entirely lacquer-free, relying on the natural shine of the hair for effect. Sassoon is a father of modernist style and has also been a key force in the commercial direction of hair styling, turning its craft in to a multi-million dollar industry.

By the early 1980s, after moving to the United States, Sassoon had sold his name to manufacturers of haircare products and the multinational Procter & Gamble was applying his name to shampoos and conditioners sold worldwide. Former salon colleagues also bought Sassoon's salons and acquired the right to use his name, extending the brand in salons into the United Kingdom and United States. However, in 2003, Sassoon sued Procter & Gamble in the Federal Court alleging that P&G was destroying his brand by skimping on marketing in favor of the company's other hair product lines, notably Pantene. However, the suit was settled to their mutual satisfaction before trial. ^[2] Also in 2002, the chain of Vidal Sassoon salons was sold to Regis Corporation. By 2004, it was reported that he was no longer associated with the brand that bears his name.^{[citation needed]} Vidal Sassoon has authored several books, including A Year of Beauty and Health co-written with his former wife, Beverly Sassoon. He also had a short-lived TV series called Your New Day with Vidal Sassoon in the late 1970s.

In 1982, Sassoon started the Vidal Sassoon International Center for the Study of Antisemitism, or SICSA, a research centre devoted to the non-political, interdisciplinary gathering of information about antisemitism.

Sassoon was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2009 Birthday Honours.^[3]

[edit] Personal life

In 1967, Vidal Sassoon married Beverly Adams. They had four children, including an adopted son. One daughter, actress Catya Sassoon, died of a drug overdose on January 1, 2002. The couple divorced in 1980. He is now married to Rhonda Sassoon.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• The Vidal Sassoon International Center for the Study of Antisemitism
• The secret life of Vidal Sassoon
• Vidal Sassoon autographed photo