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Vidal Sassoon (born January 17, 1928) is a hairdresser. Sassoon was born to Jewish parents in London. His father was from Thessaloniki in northern Greece, and his mother, whose family was originally from Kiev, was born in London. Sassoon's works include the geometric, the wash-and-wear perm, and the "Nancy Kwan." 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. [ citation needed ] 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, it was reported that Sassoon was suing Procter & Gamble for destroying his brand by skimping on marketing in favor of the company's other hair product lines, notably Pantene. In 2004, it was reported that he was no longer associated with the brand that bears his name. Also in 2002, the chain of Vidal Sassoon salons was sold to Regis Corporation, thereby dissolving any connection between the brand. Vidal Sassoon has authored several books, including A Year of Beauty and Health co-written with his former wife, Beverly Sassoon. In 1982, Sassoon started the Vidal Sassoon International Center for the Study of Antisemitism, or SICSA, a research center devoted to the non-political, interdisciplinary gathering of information about antisemitism. In the late 1940s, he was a member of the 43 Group.
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