As part of our celebration of Sassoon’s 70th anniversary, HJ is taking a look back at the most iconic haircuts by the man himself, Vidal Sassoon. We’ve already set a spotlight on The Nancy Kwan, the Five Point and The Mia Farrow, and now we’ll be taking a closer look at Sassoon’s iconic cut on American model and actress, Peggy Moffitt.
Peggy Moffitt defined the look of the swinging 60s with her exaggerated dress sense, asymmetric bowl cut, and heavy, kabuki-inspired makeup. In 1967, Peggy Moffitt, photographer William Claxton and fashion designer Rudi Gernreich collaborated on a short fashion film called ‘Basic Black.’
With hairstyles created by Vidal and his team, it is considered one of the first fashion videos ever made. “It was fun, it was invigorating, it was a true collaboration,” said Peggy of the movie.
The cut explored asymmetry, with Vidal sharing: “We were experimenting with uneven shapes – as long as it suited the wearer and was superbly cut.” Peggy Moffitt made the asymmetric, geometric cut her signature look and still wears her hair in that style. “Sassoon is to hair, what Picasso is to painting,” Peggy famously noted.
“The cut is such a glorious example of angles and geometry,” says Mark Hayes, Creative Director at Sassoon. “It is an extraordinary shape and retains a sense of beauty because of the dramatic way in which the hair frames the face.”
