4:18 PM
Another Modern Visionary Dies
Today Vidal Sassoon, creator of modern hairstyles, died after a long battle with leukemia. He was 84 years old.
The Mies Society paid tribute to his inspired work this year in the celebration of Mies’ 126th birthday.
Sassoon had cited Mies’ work, among that of other architects’, as inspiration for his innovative hairstyles, which became popular throughout the Western World in the 1960s.
Justine Jentes, Director of the Mies Society, had worked with Sassoon’s assistant to arrange for him to make a surprise appearance at the birthday bash. Though he was ultimately not able to attend, his legacy proved to be a popular draw for party guests, who were intrigued by his ability to translate minimalist sculptural forms from buildings to hair.
Modern visionaries like Sassoon invented a lasting aesthetic that works across mediums. They made “mid-century” an identifiable and covetable quality. And they did it in the name of better design. Just as modern architects merged form and function, so did disciples of Sassoon’s styling approach.
He invented looks such as the five-point cut (pictured) so women did not have to fuss over their hair (think of those 1940s ‘dos). Instead, they could have styles that fit their bone structures and allowed their hair to fall naturally into place. Just how many hours (or even years) he spared for well-coiffed women in recent decades remains to be counted, adding another dimension to the timeless quality of his creations.
