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Memories
of the Sixties Hairdressing Scene
featured by kind permission of Leon Simmons - 2004 |
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My father, Albert Simmons, and his partner
Professor Leonard Stein (one of the very rare professorships ever awarded
by the fellowship of Ladies Hairdressers) ran a then well-known and fashionable
ladies hairdressing salon in Marble Arch known as 'Romaine's of Park West'.
This was the breeding ground for the hair fashion revolution pioneered by
Vidal Sassoon, who worked for my father and recalls being interviewed for
a job in his first autobiography 'Sorry I Kept You Waiting, Madam'. In Romaine's were a remarkable team of creative fashion hairstylists who had some influence on Vidal's creativity (Vidal would have acknowledged that fact) and some of them became international names in high fashion ladies' hairdressing. There was Harold Leighton (Harrods), Gerard Saper, the brothers Philip and Gerald Belchak, plus a number of others who distinguished themselves later on with their own enterprises. Before running the Harrods ladies' hairdressing salon, Harold Leighton attended to numerous internationally famous stars and featured in many fashion magazines - he also wrote two illustrated best sellers on how to cut your own hair. He is still, I believe, an international consultant on hair and cosmetics. My father assisted Vidal in moving to a leading High Fashion Ladies Hairdressers in Albermarle Street (can't remember the name). They drove him crazy by booking him up with too many clients at a time and he couldn't handle the pressure (he threw his tools in the air and walked out). From there, as I recall, he went to Raymond 'Mr Teazie Weazie' Bassone. Raymond was a great cutter of hair but used to conceal his technique of cutting by working in cubicles with his clients and starting at different parts of the head to confuse anyone watching him. According to my father, it took a long time for Vidal to absorb Raymond's cutting technique (I have repeated this story to Vidal and he confirmed that Raymond was secretive about his cutting techniques). |
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He used to ring my Dad and tell him about the problems he was having--but
he eventually rang him up and said "I've got it!" Raymond, who was somewhat
theatrical, would sometimes hold his head in his hands and pace up and down
the salon in front of a long line of clients sitting under the driers. Eventually,
one of the women would try to attract his attention, possibly touching his
sleeve as he walked by, and attempt to talk to him. Raymond would appear
outraged and would say, "Madam, can you not see that I am meditating!" All
pretentious rubbish of course, but in those days that kind of camp nonsense
was part of the ridiculous image that Mayfair Ladies hairdressers used to
project their 'importance'. So it was at Raymond's where Vidal probably
mastered his fabulous hair cutting technique. But there was one thing missing: the technique of using the brush to dress out the hair. The master of that technique was 'French of London' in Curzon Place. The inventor of the technique was Freddie French himself. I know this because I started my career as a stylist in this salon. So Vidal had the cutting skills and French owned the brushing out technique. Now, as I understand it, one of the managers of the French salon eventually went to work for Vidal Sassoon or at least swapped his technique of brushing (dressing hair) for Vidal's technique of cutting. It was the marriage of the two most important techniques in High Fashion Ladies hairdressing that assisted Vidal to create those wonderful hairstyles. Justin DeVilleneuve was never ever in any shape or form a top hairdresser. Nigel Davies, as I knew him, was a junior (shampooist and under tuition) at Vidal Sassoon in the 60's. This was about the same time I was also working as a junior hairdresser at another salon in Mayfair. He was employed for a couple of summer seasons at my father's salon in Torquay and was a remarkably untalented stylist but was a bit of a showman. Vidal was a great buddy of my Dad and used to send juniors to Torquay to get experience in this busy salon. I knew Nigel quite well at that time and I was astonished that he became so successful. When I spoke to Vidal Sassoon many years ago he too was amazed, but was warm in his praise for Nigel's achievements. Best regards,  |
 The staff at Romaine's of Park West Salon in 1948. Vidal Sassoon is 2nd from left, Gerard Saper 3rd and Harold Leighton 4th. |
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Excerpt
from Vidal Sassoon's autobiography, reminiscing about Romaine's and his
own memories of Albert Simmons. Mark Hayes, Sassoon International creative director: “My life as a young apprentice learning hairdressing started in 1950 at a salon named Romaine's of Park West in central London, a stone’s throw away from Marble Arch. Vidal happened to join the salon around a year after I did when he came out of fighting the war in Israel. “I was in the right place (salon) at the right time and I was a very lucky young man as it turned out. I had the thrill and pleasure to learn my craft in two salons that we worked at together as mates. “Vidal, Gerard and Harold were known as the Three Musketeers. We were trained by some wonderful, dedicated people including Leslie and Connie Green, Frank Blashke, Morrie Gross, Len Stein, Albert Simmons and Gerry London (the third musketeer) and so many more names to fill a book!" Recreating Sixties and Vintage Hair Styles |
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All
Original Material
 SixtiesCity
2012 |