Man who made the Sixties swing

By James Martin - Thursday 12th August 2010


Vidal Sassoon's new autobiography, published next week, will reveal how the man who came to define 1960s style fought for Israel in the 1948 war of independence, helped defeat fascists on the streets of London and, thanks to his mother, revolutionised the world of fashion during the 'Swinging Sixties'.

His new book, Vidal: an Autobiography sees him speak affectionately about Betty who, as a young mother, was left to raise him alone after Vidal’s father left her for another woman.

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"Now when I look back on my career, and how I've cut the hair and listened to the secrets of some of the most beautiful women in the world I remember that it is all because of one great lady and her belief in me."

His close attachment to his late mother included her coming to parties in his famous salon in New Bond Street, and her moving with him to LA in the 1970s.

"Mother loved coming to the parties we had at the salon," he said. "I would sometimes warn her if a party was getting a little wild, to which she would respond. 'Darling I have seen it all'."

Her influence on his career started when she "had a premonition" about her son becoming a hairdresser which led to him taking up an apprentiship at an East London salon. "I vigorously protested, but she was having none of my nonsense".

Hair styling, however, would have to be put on hold for a greater cause: fighting in the 1948 War of Independence.

He describes his basic training experiences in the "Palmach" as, "Excruciating. I never worked so hard in my life. After a full day's training we would often be woken at 2.30 am for running exercises."

He also details his role in heavy fighting against Egypt in which his unit helped to conquer "Hill Eighteen" overlooking Beit Hanun, near the Gaza Strip.
A total of seven of the 42 soldiers in his unit were killed.

Betty played a big influence in his decision to come back and build the most successful salon business in the world: "My year as a soldier defending Israel ended when my mother called me home to earn a living."

Sassoon also recounts a difficult childhood in Shepherd's Bush, and later the East End, in which the absence of his Greek Jewish "conman" father led to his mother sending him and his brother to The Spanish And Portuguese Jewish Orphanage, where he lived for seven years.

He also fought against the infamous Black Shirts, and the police and courts, in the post-war era when just a teenager:

"In 1946 I became active in the anti-fascist 43 Group, which involved street fighting," he said.

"One evening in Kilburn we chased the fascists into the pub and were ourselves chased by the police. They arrested three of us and one of the sergeants severely beat my friend while calling us all sorts of names.

"The following day in front of the judge we pleaded our case against the sergeant, to which the judge scornfully retorted: "Our police would never act like that. This is not Nazi Germany. Now go home and be good boys."





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