10 things you never knew about Vidal Sassoon
1.His work as a Jewish philanthropist; Established the Vidal Sassoon international Center for the Study of anti-Semitism at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem
2. Vidal Sassoon: The Movie – well you might just know about this one in 2011 he went on the road to promote the documentary styled story of his life and work rising through the famous fashion explosion in London in the 60’s playing his part with the creation of his iconic Wedge Bob, hairstyle.
3. He was abandoned by his father a gambler and womanizer, his mother struggled in poverty he spent seven years in a Sephardic orphanage, he also lived in a tenement in London’s east end
4. Vidal Sassoon spend months in the Israeli army joining the elite fighting force of the Palmach when Israel was formed in 1948 and sampled live action in Israel’s War of Independence behind Arab lines ‘ stating it’s the best thing he’s ever done in his life’
5. He is on record saying if he had the opportunity of an education he would have wanted to be an architect ‘no question about it’ claiming it was only in an architect’s presence he became star-struck. However at 14 his mother’s premonition of becoming a hairdresser was true when she dragged him in to Adolf Cohen’s barber in London’s Whitechapel Road
6. Vidal Sassoon was on record stating he was ambivalent towards hairdressing, liked the ladies coming in and the sense of belonging, he only returned to this as a profession and to London from Israel to provide financial support to his mother after his Stepdad had a heart attack
7. At the time of his film Vidal Sassoon: The Movie produced as a gift from a loyal friend Vidal was penning his autobiography : Vidal , Published by Macmillan
8. He earned $5000 for cutting Mia Farrow’s hair for the movie Rosemary’s Baby
9. Married twice Vidal had four children the oldest Catya was a teenage rebel and lived a glamour lifestyle of an actress and model fighting addiction to it lead to a heart attack and premature death
10. He was honoured by The Queen with a CBE in 2009 is considered by the public, hairdressers, fashion icons, the media and anyone who understands hair as the greatest person who changed the world with a pair of scissors