Vidal Sassoon dies at the age of 84 in Los Angeles
British hairdresser died of natural causes
Hairdresser to the stars, Vidal Sassoon, has died at the age of 84. He was found at his home in Los Angeles and is reported to have died from natural causes, although some reports last year said that he may have been suffering from leukaemia.
Sassoon was born in Hammersmith, London, in 1928 and moved to the east end with his mother and younger brother when their father walked out on the family. Despite having spent time in an orphanage as a child and being evacuated to Wiltshire during the war, on his return to London he was strongly encouraged by his mother to take up an apprenticeship at a barber’s shop.
He went on to open his own Bond Street salon in 1958 and his trademark five-point bob was said to have revolutionised hairdressing. He was also one of the first hairdressers to launch his own range of shampoos and styling products bearing his name. He was also said to be a driving force in the commercialisation of hairdressing, turning his craft into a multimillion pound industry after he opened more salons in the UK and then took his business to the US.