Giuseppe ‘Toni’ Mascolo, co-founder of Toni & Guy, has died.
The 75-year-old passed away on Sunday surrounded by his family.
“Toni Mascolo was highly respected within the hairdressing community, he was known as approachable and someone who made time for everyone,” a statement from Toni & Guy read.
“It is no surprise that he built up a lengthy list of achievements, which transcended the industry to include business, entrepreneurship and charity.”
Born in Naples, Italy, Mascolo’s family moved to London in the 1950s. His father was also an acclaimed hairdresser who taught him, and his four brothers, the trade from an early age.
It is with deepest sorrow that this weekend we said our final goodbyes to our founder, leader, husband, father and grandfather, Giuseppe Toni Mascolo.
— TONI&GUY (@toniandguyworld) December 11, 2017
We all loved him in life as we will love him in death. He will be dearly missed - Pauline, Sacha, Christian and Pierre Mascolo pic.twitter.com/HFdqN9Yrpd
Mascolo established the first Toni & Guy salon in Clapham, south London, in 1963 with his younger brother Gaetano, or ‘Guy’.
The salon was a revelation at the time, due to its ability to appeal to both men and women – a contrast to the traditional barbershops and female-only salons.
The company went onto achieve global success, as the Toni & Guy brand grew into a high street staple with more than 400 salons across 48 countries.
In an interview with The Guardian, Mascolo said: “Well, I would honestly say we invented all of the trends.
"We've done more books, more DVDs, more techniques than anyone else. I mean, my dad was doing texturising in the fifties.
“We also brought in new technology, Japanese samurai scissors we called them, much sharper than anything people had been using before.
"They allowed you to be much more creative with hair.
“Of course, it always takes a while for haircuts to filter down to the high street, sometimes as long as two or three years. So we can't prove anything.”
To celebrate the outstanding life of our founder, CEO and chairman Giuseppe Toni Mascolo; we look back at just some of our fondest memories incredible achievements, spanning over 50 years. Please continue to join us in sharing your wonderful memories #oneofakind #tonimascolo pic.twitter.com/pZDlaY0as4
— TONI&GUY (@toniandguyworld) December 12, 2017
In 1979, the brothers established the TIGI hair care brand.
The pair further ventured into cosmetics with the launch of label.m in 2005 and the creation of the first Toni & Guy consumer range.
Mascolo was awarded an OBE for services to hairdressing in 2008 and in 2012.
He is survived by his wife Pauline and brothers Bruno and Anthony, as well as his children Sacha, Christian and Pierre and his grandchildren.