A heart shaped lock drawn in pink and purple lines

Bravo Insider Exclusive

To read this article, you must have a Bravo subscription.

The Daily Dish The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

You Will Recognize All Of These Classic Vidal Sassoon Hairstyles

From Mia to Goldie, Vidal helped his famous clients turn heads.

By Tamara Palmer

One of the most famous hairstylists to ever pick up a pair of scissors, Vidal Sassoon built an international legacy of style and philanthropy that continues to thrive in the almost five years since his passing. 

How to Watch

Watch The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills on Bravo Tuesdays at 8/7c and next day on Peacock. Catch up on the Bravo App.

Vidal's famous motto was: "If you don't look good, we don't look good," and his calling card was the unforgettable styles he designed for celebrities and other icons. He often likened his work to that of architects, and famously said: "For me, the working of hair is architecture with a human element." As a philanthropist who grew up in an orphanage, he literally built dozens of homes for people who had none, including in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

He created daring looks that freed women everywhere from long-hair conventions and emphasized the beauty of female bone structure. Take a look at some of Vidal Sassoon's most famous muses, and the hairstyles he created for them.

1. Mia Farrow

Actress Mia Farrow—one of Vidal's most famous celebrity clients—turned heads with her short pixie cut while making the movie Rosemary's Baby. Farrow told the New York Times in 2013 that she cut her own hair short and that Vidal only trimmed an inch in a photo shoot "staged" by Paramount Pictures. But, Vidal's interview with NPR reveals a different possibility: "Now Mia had cut into her own hair. She came to the salon and said, 'What can you do for me?' And I said, 'Take it very short. It's the only way. I can't pull the short hair long, but I can make the long hair short.' And we did it, and it suited her marvelously because she had a shaped face and bone structure that was just perfect."

2. Mary Quant

Welsh fashion designer Mary Quant—who's known for her miniskirts—told The Guardian that Vidal "completely changed hair. Before him, it was simply hairdressing: Vidal made it cut and style."

3. Janette Scott

You may have just learned the term lob recently, but Vidal created a long bob with a soft fringe for English actress Janette Scott back in 1963.

4. Carol Channing

Buoyed by her thousand-watt smile and powerful charisma, Broadway leading lady Carol Channing gave Vidal's aesthetics a charismatic platform.

5. Denny Dayviss

Yes, Vidal was known for shorter and more geometric styles. But, the high, elaborate up-do he gave to South African opera singer Denny Dayviss proves that the stylist could not be pigeonholed.

6. Goldie Hawn


Kate Hudson's mama got a wild bob from Vidal for the 1969 rom com Cactus Flower. The look propelled her to a whole new level of it-girl status.

7-8. Tabatha Coffey and Peggy Moffitt

Tabatha Takes Over star Tabatha Coffey, who regarded Vidal as her mentor, attended the screening of Vidal Sassoon The Movie in 2010 and posed with one of her style icons, Vidal's longtime friend and muse Peggy Moffitt. The model and actress is still rocking the five-point cut that Vidal created for her in the Sixties. He called it his favorite style of all time, and described the cut as "the geometric design in its purest, most classical form."

Want the latest Bravo updates? Text us for breaking news and more!
Sponsored Stories
Recommended by Zergnet