Naha 那覇 Naafa
—  City  —
那覇市 · Naha City
From top left: Shuri Castle, Shureimon, Kokusai dōri, Kinjocho Ishidatami-michi, Central Naha
Flag Logo
Location of Naha in Okinawa
Naha
Coordinates: 26°12′44″N 127°40′45″E / 26.21222°N 127.67917°E / 26.21222; 127.67917Coordinates: 26°12′44″N 127°40′45″E / 26.21222°N 127.67917°E / 26.21222; 127.67917
Country	Japan
Region	Kyūshū (Ryukyu)
Prefecture	Okinawa
Government
• Mayor	Takeshi Onaga (翁長雄志, Onaga Takeshi?)
Area
• Total	38.99 km2 (15.05 sq mi)
Population (December 31, 2009)
• Total	317,906
• Density	8,153.53/km2 (21,117.5/sq mi)
Time zone	Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
City Symbols
- Tree	Fukugi
- Flower	Bougainvillea
Phone number	098-867-0111
Address	1-1-1 Izumizaki, Naha-shi 900-8585
Website	www.city.naha.okinawa.jp

Naha (那覇市, Naha-shi^?, Okinawan: Naafa) is the capital city of the Okinawa Prefecture in Japan.

Naha is a coastal city located on the East China Sea coast of the southern part of Okinawa Island, the largest of Okinawa Prefecture. The modern city was officially founded on May 20, 1921, but prior to that Naha had already been for centuries one of the most important and populous sites in Okinawa.

Naha is the political, economic and educational center of Okinawa Prefecture. In the medieval and early modern periods,^[1] it was also the commercial center of the Ryūkyū Kingdom.

City Center[link]

Central Naha consists of the Palette Kumoji shopping mall, the Okinawa Prefecture Office, Naha City Hall, and many banks and corporations, located at the west end of Kokusai-dōri, the city's main street. Kokusai-dōri (国際通り, "International Avenue"^?) boasts a mile (1.6 km) long stretch of stores, restaurants and bars. Kokusai-dōri ends at the main bus terminal in Okinawa, and is served by several stations along the Okinawa Monorail, the only train system in the prefecture.

Spurring off from Kokusai-dōri is the covered Heiwa-dōri Shopping Arcade and Makishi Public Market, a massive shōtengai filled with fresh fish, meat, and produce stands, restaurants, tourist goods shops, and liquor shops. Just outside the market area is the neighborhood of Tsuboya (壺屋, "pot/jar shop"^?), which was once a major center of ceramic production (see Tsuboya-yaki).

Northeast of Kokusai-dōri is a relatively new commercial district called Shintoshin (新都心, "New Metropolitan Center"^?). The area, formerly United States military housing, was released to Okinawa in 1987, but major development only began in the mid-1990s. Omoromachi Station is attached directly to an upscale shopping mall; another upscale shopping mall, "Naha Main Place", located a few hundred meters down the street, contains many upscale Western brand fashion boutiques, along with restaurants and other shops. Frequented by young people, the area boasts large stores such as Toys R Us and Best Denki (an electronics store), a co-op market, many restaurants and a movie theater. The Okinawa Prefectural Museum, containing sections devoted to the art, history, and natural history of the Ryukyus, opened in the area in November 2007, and sits in front of Shintoshin Park.

History[link]

According to the Irosetsuden, the name of Naha comes from its original name, Naba, which was the name of a certain large, mushroom-shaped stone in the city. Gradually, the stone wore away and became buried, and the name's pronunciation and its kanji gradually changed. (Oshiro, 1964).

In Naha, some archeological relics of the Stone Age were found. Also, from a Jōmon period kaizuka (shell mound), ancient Chinese coins were found. Pottery found by archaeologists indicates that the area was an active site of trade with the Japanese archipelago and Korean peninsula at least as early as the 11th century. Though it is not known just when the area first became organized as a functioning port city, it was active as such by the time of the unification of the Ryūkyū Kingdom in the early 15th century.^[2]

Though today Naha has grown to incorporate the former royal capital city of Shuri, center of Chinese learning Kumemura, and other towns and villages, in the period of the Ryūkyū Kingdom, it was a smaller city, prominent as a major port, but not as a political center.

Medieval Naha was located on a tiny island called Ukishima, connected to the mainland of Okinawa Island by a narrow causeway called Chōkōtei (長虹堤, lit. "long rainbow embankment"^?) which led on to Shuri. The main port area for international trade, Naha proper, was divided into the East (東, higashi) and West (西, nishi) districts, and was located on the southwestern portion of Ukishima. A large open air marketplace was active in front of the royal government trading center, or oyamise (親見世). A number of Japanese temples and shrines were located here, along with a　residence and embassy, known as the Tenshikan (天使館), for visiting Chinese officials. A pair of forts (Mie gusuku and Yarazamori gusuku) built atop embankments extending out across the entrance to the harbor defended the port, and a small island located within the harbor held a warehouse, Omono gusuku (御物グスク), used for storing trade goods.^[3]

Tomari (泊), on the mainland of Okinawa Island to the northeast of Ukishima, served as the chief port for trade within the Ryūkyū Islands. The administrators of Tomari were also responsible for collecting and managing the tribute paid to the kingdom by the Amami Islands, whose tribute ships made port here.^[3]

Kume-Ōdōri (久米大通り, "Kume Great Avenue"^?) ran across Ukishima from southeast to northwest, forming the center of the walled community of Kumemura, the center of classical Chinese learning in Ryūkyū for centuries.^[3] Kumemura is traditionally believed to have been founded by thirty-six Min families sent to Ryūkyū by the Ming Chinese Imperial Court, and to be inhabited primarily or solely by descendants of those settlers; historian Uezato Takashi points out, however, that due to Naha's prominence in international maritime trade networks, it is quite likely that many other Chinese, chiefly from Fujian and other maritime trading areas along the southern Chinese coast, would have settled here as well.^[4] Major sites within the community included the Tensonbyō Taoist temple near the northern end of Kume-Ōdōri and two shrines called Upper and Lower Tenpigū, dedicated to the Taoist goddess of the sea Tenpi, also known as Matsu.^[3] A Confucian temple, the gift of the Kangxi Emperor, was built in Kumemura in the 1670s; the Meirindō, a school of classic Confucian Chinese learning, was established in 1718.^[5] Following their destruction in World War II, the Meirindō, Confucian temple, and Tenpigū shrines were rebuilt on the site of the Tensonbyō in northern Kume, where they stand today as the Confucian temple Shiseibyō.

On the northwest side of Ukishima lay Wakasamachi (若狭町, "Wakasa town"^?), a community traditionally said to have been founded by Japanese settlers. It was organized around Wakasamachi-Ōdōri, an avenue which intersected with Kume-Ōdōri and ran across tidal mudflats to the east of Ukishima, connecting the community to the port of Tomari on the Okinawan mainland. A number of Japanese shrines and temples were located in Wakasamachi, including the Naminoue Shrine, the Zen temple Kōganji, and temples devoted to Ebisu and Jizō. The community also contained lodgings specifically set aside for traders and travelers from the Tokara Islands.^[3]

Another settlement, known as Izumizaki, lay on the mainland of Okinawa Island, just across the Kumoji River from Ukishima. Izumizaki had no notable or major port facilities, and is believed to have been simply an extension of the residential community of Naha proper, which thus spread onto the mainland as the population and according demand for land grew.^[3] At some point, the tidal mudflats and Kumoji River separating Ukishima, that is, Naha, from Okinawa Island were filled in. The neighborhoods of Kume, Wakasa, and Tomari can still be found in Naha today.

"Naha from Bamboo Village" looking towards the seashore. Artist: Wilhelm Heine (lithograph, 1856)

Commodore Matthew C. Perry's expeditionary squadron stopped in Naha en route to Tokyo in 1853; and the American ships visited several more times. The lithographs prepared from drawings made by the expedition's official artist would be widely circulated. These images would provide the basis for 19th century impressions of the geography and people of the Ryūkyū islands.

After the replacement of the Ryūkyū Kingdom with the Ryūkyū Domain in 1872, Naha became the capital city. The Ryūkyū Domain was abolished in 1879 and the former Ryūkyū Kingdom came to an end, fully annexed by Japan as Okinawa Prefecture, with Naha remaining as the capital city. Shuri and other neighboring municipalities were absorbed into the city in the decades following.

During the battle of Okinawa in World War II, Naha suffered extensive damage from the fighting. The entire centre of the city had to be rebuilt.

Kokusai Dori, International Main Street in Naha, 1950s

Climate[link]

Naha features a warm humid subtropical climate (Cfa), with hot and humid summers and warm "winters". Similar to most of Japan, the city features hot and humid summers with average high temperatures in July, the city warmest month, just exceeding 31 degrees Celsius. However unlike most of Japan, the city features warm "winters", with average high temperatures in the coolest months (January and February) hovering around 19 degrees Celsius and average lows around 14 degrees Celsius. Snowfall is extremely rare in Naha, but the city sees a substantial amount of rainfall, averaging in excess of 2,000 mm (79 in) of rain per year.

Martial arts[link]

Naha-te, (Naha-hand), called Nawate by Gichin Funakoshi, is a type of martial art developed in Naha.^[7] Together with the martial arts styles developed in Tomari and Shuri it formed the basis for Okinawa-te, which in turn is the origin of today's karate.^[8]

Economy[link]

Japan Transocean Air headquarters

Japan Transocean Air and Ryukyu Air Commuter, subsidiaries of Japan Airlines, are headquartered in Naha.^[9][10]

Education[link]

Four universities are located in the Naha area. Two are run by Okinawa Prefecture; two are private. The University of the Ryukyus, the sole national university in Okinawa Prefecture, was also in Naha, on the site of Shuri Castle. Prior to the restoration of the castle, the university moved to the town of Nishihara to the northeast of Naha.

Naha's public elementary and junior high schools are operated by the Naha City Board of Education.^[11] Naha's public high schools are operated by the Okinawa Prefectural Board of Education. Private schools include the Okinawa Actors' School.

Crime and safety[link]

Two designated yakuza groups, the Kyokuryu-kai and the Okinawa Kyokuryu-kai, are based in Naha.^[12] The Okinawa Kyokuryu-kai is the largest yakuza group in Okinawa Prefecture, followed by the Kyokuryu-kai.^[13]

Sights[link]

Walls of Shuri Castle in Naha

The restored and rebuilt Shuri Castle, the former royal palace of the Ryūkyū Kingdom, is one of the finest gusuku (Okinawan castle) and among the most important historical sites in Naha. The palace, and a series of tunnels underneath it, were used as a major command post by the Imperial Japanese military during World War II, and the castle was subsequently almost completely destroyed in 1945 by the US Marines, Army and Navy. After the war, the University of the Ryūkyūs was constructed on the site. Today Shuri Castle has been reconstructed, including the famous Shureimon, its main gate, and is registered, along with a number of other gusuku and other Okinawan historical and sacred sites, as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Lake Man, covered with mangrove woods on the boundary of the city of Tomigusuku, is listed on the Ramsar list of wetlands.

Festival[link]

Naha Festival in October 2008

Hara Hari, dragon style boat event

• Naha Hari in May 3 to 5 every year
• Naha Festival in October 9 to 11 every year, and attraction in big tsunahiki has certified by Guinness World Record^{[citation needed]}

Transport[link]

Naha Airport and Naha Port serve the city. Naha Airport is the hub of Okinawa Prefecture.

The Okinawa Monorail, also known as the Yui Rail (ゆいレール) carries passengers from Naha Airport Station to the center of Naha, Kokusai-dōri, Shintoshin, and to the terminal at Shuri Station, near Shuri Castle.

International relations[link]

Shureimon in Naha

Twin towns and sister cities[link]

Naha is twinned with:^[14]

Population as of May 29, 2011 is 315,765 according to the Statistics Bureau Japan.

Notable people[link]

Famous people with links to the city of Okinawa include

• Namie Amuro, singer, formerly from Super Monkey's
• Cocco, singer
• Gichin Funakoshi
• Kazuki Ganaha
• Ankō Itosu
• Kanryō Higaonna
• Sōkon Matsumura
• Yui Aragaki, singer, actress, model
• Orange Range, alternative rock band. All members are from Okinawa

Naha in popular media[link]

Portions of Naha have been faithfully recreated in 3D for Sega Ryu ga Gotoku 3, or Yakuza 3 in its North American localization, in a 2009 video game on PlayStation 3. This virtual version includes Kokusai-dōri, the covered Heiwa-dōri Shopping Arcade, Makishi Public Market and the Monorail's Kenchō-mae Station.

Shuri Castle during the American invasion was recreated in Call of Duty: World at War during the final stages of the game. The player must help capture the castle and it is the final level for the American portion of the story.

Naha City was prominently featured in the 1986 film The Karate Kid Part II

The name Naha was used in Microsoft's 2003 space simulation game Freelancer. The Gas Miner "Naha" is a station owned by the Gas Miners Guild (GMG) in the Sigma-13 system.

References[link]

External links[link]

Japan portal

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Naha, Okinawa

• Naha official website
• Naha official website (Japanese)
• Naha-te - explains origin of Naha-te, the martial art from Naha

v t e Okinawa Prefecture Cities Ginowan Ishigaki Itoman Miyakojima Nago Naha (capital) Nanjō Okinawa Tomigusuku Urasoe Uruma Districts Kunigami Miyako Nakagami Shimajiri Yaeyama

Zeenat Aman
Zeenat Aman at BIG Awards Jury Press Meet
Born	(1951-11-19) 19 November 1951 (age 60) Bombay
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1971–1989, 1999, 2003, 2006–present
Spouse	Mazhar Khan (1985–1998, his death)

Zeenat Aman (Hindi: ज़ीनत अमान, Urdu: زینت امان) (born 19 November 1951) is an Indian actress who has appeared in Hindi films, notably in the 1970s and 1980s. She was the second runner up in the Miss India Contest and went on to win the Miss Asia Pacific in 1970. Upon making her debut in Bollywood, Aman was credited with making a lasting impact on the image of its leading actresses by bringing the western heroine look to Hindi cinema, and throughout her career has been considered a sex symbol.^[1][2][3]

Early life[link]

Zeenat Aman was born in Mumbai (erstwhile Bombay) to a Muslim father, Amanullah Khan and a Hindu mother, Scinda. Her father was a script writer who was one of the writers for such movies as Mughal-e-Azam and Pakeezah. He died when Zeenat was 13. Her mother got re-married to a German, Mr. Heinz (was constantly referred to as Mrs. Heinz in all subsequent articles film magazines would carry on Zeenat). Zeenat's mother obtained German citizenship, and took her to Germany, where Zeenat was very unhappy, returning to India as soon as she turned 18.

Aman graduated from St. Xavier's College, Mumbai and went to University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California for further studies on student aid. Upon returning to India, she first took a job as a journalist for Femina and then later on moved on to modeling. One of the first few brands that she modeled for was Taj Mahal Tea and Television X Debut in 1966 exclusively. She was the second runner up in the Miss India Contest and went on to win the Miss Asia Pacific in 1970.

Film career[link]

The beginning[link]

After having studied in Los Angeles, winning the Miss Asia Pageant and a successful modeling career, Aman's film career began with a small role in O. P. Ralhan's Hulchul in 1971. A second role in Hungama (1971), starring singer Kishore Kumar, was also not successful.

Dev Anand offered Zaheeda (his second heroine in Prem Pujari) the role of sister in Hare Rama Hare Krishna (1972). Not realizing the importance of this secondary role, Zaheeda wanted the lead female part (eventually played by Mumtaz), and she opted out. Aman was chosen as a last-minute replacement.^[2]

In Hare Rama Hare Krishna, Aman, aided by R. D. Burman's song "Dum Maro Dum" (Take Another Toke), won over the heart's of audience as Janice. She earned a Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award^[4] and BFJA Award for Best Actress.^[5] Throughout the 1970s, the Dev-Zeenat pairing was seen in half a dozen films: Heera Panna (1973), Ishq Ishq Ishq (1974), Prem Shastra (1974), Warrant (1975), Darling Darling (1977) and Kalabaaz (1977). Of these, Warrant, was the biggest box-office success.

Her hip looks in Yaadon Ki Baaraat (1973) as the girl carrying a guitar, singing "churaliya hai tumne jo dil ko" (in Asha Bhonsle's voice) has won her more popularity and the hearts of millions of fans.^[2]

She appeared on every Hindi film magazine's cover during 1970s. In December 1974, Cine Blitz magazine was launched with Zeenat Aman on its cover, a testimony to her popularity at the time. However, she went on as the favourite cover girl of the popular magazine 'Stardust'.

The late 1970s[link]

Zeenat Aman, in her career, found success with other banners such as Dev Anand, B.R. Chopra, Raj Kapoor, Manmohan Desai, Feroz Khan, Nasir Hussain, Manoj Kumar, Prakash Mehra, Raj Khosla and Shakti Samanta.

In 1978, she starred in Raj Kapoor's massively publicised Satyam Shivam Sundaram (1978), however, the film was heavely criticized. The subject ironically dealt with the notion of the soul being more attractive than the body, but Kapoor chose to showcase Aman's sex-appeal. The actress was highly criticized for her exposure but somehow, later on the film had a great deal to do with Zeenat's fame and the movie itself was distinguished as a work of art. She also earned a Filmfare nomination as Best Actress for this film.^[2]

Zeenat Aman's entry into Hollywood also backfired when Krishna Shah's Shalimar (1978), co-starring Dharmendra and international names like Rex Harrison and Sylvia Miles, proved to be a failure in the USA and in India.^[2] Zeenat possessed a convent schoolgirl accent and a penchant for revealing dresses. She matched Sophia Loren & Gina Lollobrigida in the battle of oomph at Shalimar's launch. 1978 could have been a disaster year for her, because of the diminishing box office returns of Satyam Shivam Sundaram and Shalimar, but it was Don that came to the rescue and set her career soaring again. Ironically, her reasons for accepting the role in Don were altruistic, and she didn't even take any remuneration for it, because she wanted to help the producer, Nariman Irani, who died midway filming.^[6] Her role of a Westernized revenge-seeking action heroine contributed to the film's huge success, and her fans reconnected with her again. Westernised heroines like Parveen Babi and Tina Munim now followed in her footsteps, by the late 1970s. Aman continued to act in hits like Dharam Veer, Chhaila Babu and The Great Gambler.

The 1980s[link]

By the beginning of the 1980s multi-starrers films became a trend, and Zeenat Aman was increasingly asked to just provide sex appeal in hero-oriented, despite success in so many films. In contrast to this trend was her performance as a rape victim seeking justice in B. R. Chopra's Insaaf Ka Tarazu (1980) for which she received a Filmfare Best Actress nomination. This film was followed by success in the love triangle Qurbani, Ali Baba aur 40 Chor, Dostana (1980) and Lawaaris (1981).^[2]

Zeenat's popularity in Russia was so great after Alibaba Aur 40 Chor that she felt pressured into doing a supporting role in Sohni Mahiwal. The film was moderately successful but no credit went to Zeenat.^{[citation needed]}

Her last role as the female lead was in the movie Gawahi, a court room drama, in 1989.

The 1990s & 2000s[link]

Zeenat came back to the silver screen after a decade doing a cameo role in the film Bhopal Express, and she went on to do small roles in Boom (2003), Jaana... Let's Fall in Love (2006), Chaurahen (2007), Ugly Aur Pagli (2008), Geeta in Paradise (2009) and Dunno Y... Na Jaane Kyon (2010).

In 2004, she appeared as Mrs. Robinson in the play The Graduate staged at St Andrew's auditorium in Mumbai.

Aman had a TV show called In Conversation with Zeenat made by B4U TV, and also made an appearance along with Hema Malini in the popular show Koffee with Karan hosted by Karan Johar.

Aman received a Lifetime Achievement Award during the Zee Cine Awards function in 2008, as a recognition of her contribution to Hindi Cinema.

She also received An Outstanding Contribution to Indian Cinema award at IIFA awards 2010 held at Colombo, Sri Lanka. She dedicated this award to her mother.

Image[link]

Aman's sultry persona was a contrast to many of the more conservative stars of the era.^[2] At a time when heroines were obedient wives and lovers on screen, Aman was drawn to more unconventional roles—she was cast as the opportunist who deserts her jobless lover for a millionaire (Roti Kapda Aur Makaan), the ambitious girl who considers having an abortion in order to pursue a career (Ajnabee), the happy hooker (Manoranjan), the disenchanted hippie (Hare Rama Hare Krishna), the girl who falls in love with her mother's one-time lover (Prem Shastra), and a woman married to a caustic cripple but involved in an extramarital relationship (Dhund). She managed to balance these roles with acting in more conventional films such as Chori Mera Kaam, Chhaila Babu, Dostana and Lawaaris, which is considered by many to be a landmark in Indian Cinema. Encyclopædia Britannica's "Encyclopedia of Hindi Cinema" wrote, "Zeenat Aman had a definite impact on the characterization of the heroine in Hindi films. With films such as Hare Rama Hare Krishna and Yaadon Ki Baraat, she fashioned the image of the youthful and westernized woman in Hindi cinema."^[1]

Aman's persona was such that newcomers were, and still are compared to her. Parveen Babi was called "The poor man's Zeenat Aman", Sarika was christened "Zeenat Aman 2" and Padmini Kolhapure was named "Baby Zeenat".

Personal life[link]

In 1985, she got married to Mazhar Khan and had two sons Azaan and Zahaan.Her husband Mazhar used to beat her up often which ultimately led to their filing for divorce^[7]. Mazhar Khan died in September 1998 (renal failure).

Today, Aman lives with her two sons and makes many social appearances and film awards functions, she is rarely seen on screen.

Awards and recognitions[link]

• 1972 - Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award for Hare Rama Hare Krishna
• 1972 - BFJA Awards, Best Actress for Hare Rama Hare Krishna
• 1978 - Filmfare Nomination as Best Actress for Satyam Shivam Sundaram
• 1980 - Filmfare Nomination as Best Actress for Insaaf Ka Tarazu
• 2003 - Bollywood Awards 'Award for Lifetime Achievement'- Lifetime of Glamour.^[8]
• 2006 - "Outstanding Contribution to the Motion Picture Industry of India Awards" at the eighth annual Bollywood Movie Awards.^[9][10]
• 2008 - Zee Cine Award for Lifetime Achievement
• 2010 - "Outstanding Contribution to Indian cinema" at the 11th IIFA awards

Filmography[link]

Further reading[link]

• Dinesh Raheja. The A to Z of Zeenat Aman. Rediff.com, 26 September 2004. Retrieved on 14 November 2005.
• Vidya Sampat & Lavanya Varadrajan. Zeenat Aman: The Sensual^{[dead link]}. Despardes.com, 4 March 2005. Retrieved on 10 August 2005.
• Prateek Modi. Zeenat Aman: A Touch Of Class With Unlimited Oomph. Bollykings.com, 4 November 2011.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Zeenat Aman at the Internet Movie Database

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Zeenat Aman

• Celebrity Profile: Zeenat Aman^{[dead link]}. Buzz18.com
• Zeenat Aman^{[dead link]}. Yahoo! Movies
• Zeenat Aman article at Sunday Observer

Awards and titles for Zeenat Aman Awards and achievements Preceded by Seo Won-kyoung Miss Asia Pacific 1970 1970 Succeeded by Flora Baza Preceded by Tasneem Fakir Mohammed Femina Miss India 1970 Succeeded by Urmila Sanandan

v t e Miss India winners in the Grand Slam pageants Miss Universe Sushmita Sen (1994) · Lara Dutta (2000) Miss World Reita Faria (1966) · Aishwarya Rai (1994) · Diana Hayden (1997) · Yukta Mookhey (1999) · Priyanka Chopra (2000) Miss Asia Pacific Zeenat Aman (1970) · Tara Anne Fonseca (1973) · Dia Mirza (2000) Miss Earth Nicole Faria (2010) Miss International - Dominican Republic India Panamá Philippines Puerto Rico USA Venezuela

Vidal Sassoon
Sassoon in Barcelona, Spain, in 2006
Born	(1928-01-17)17 January 1928 Hammersmith, London, United Kingdom
Died	9 May 2012(2012-05-09) (aged 84) Los Angeles, California, United States
Cause of death	Leukaemia
Nationality	British
Occupation	Hairdresser, businessman
Title	CBE
Spouse	Elaine Wood (m. 1956-?, divorced) Beverly Adams (m. 1967-1980, divorced) Jeanette Hartford-Davis (divorced) Rhonda (m. 1992-2012, his death)
Children	Catya (1968–2002), Eden (b. 1973), Elan (b. 1970) and David
Parents	Nathan Sassoon Betty Sassoon
Website
sassoon.com

Vidal Sassoon, CBE (17 January 1928 – 9 May 2012) was a British hairdresser, credited with creating a simple geometric, "Bauhaus-inspired" hair style, also called the wedge bob. Due to the popularity of his styles, he was described as "a rock star, an artist, [and] a craftsman who 'changed the world with a pair of scissors.'"^[1]

His "wash and wear" philosophy liberated women from the "tyranny of the salon" and "revolutionised the art of hairstyling."^[1] Sassoon's styles became "emblematic of freedom and good health" and their popularity allowed him to open the first chain of worldwide hair styling salons, complemented by his hair-treatment products.^[2] He is also remembered for his television commercials in the 1980s. Vidal Sassoon: The Movie, a documentary film about his life, was released in 2010.^[1]

Early life[link]

Sassoon was born in Hammersmith, London,^[3] and lived in Shepherd's Bush. His parents were Sephardi Jews.^[4] His mother, Betty (Bellin),^[5] came from a family of immigrants from Spain,^[4] and his father, Jack Sassoon, was from Thessaloniki, Greece. Sassoon had a younger brother, Ivor, who died from a heart attack at the age of 46.^{[6][dead link]}

His father left his family when Vidal was three years old.^[7]

Due to poverty as a single parent, his mother placed Sassoon and his younger brother in a Jewish orphanage, where they stayed for seven years^[8] until he was 11 when his mother remarried.^[9] His mother was only allowed to visit them once a month and was never allowed to take them out. He attended Essendine Road Primary School, a Christian school, before being evacuated due to WWII to Holt, Wiltshire. After his return to London he left school at the age of 14^{[citation needed]} and worked as a messenger before starting a hairdressing apprenticeship. In his youth, he was also a football player.^[9]

At the age of 17, although having been too young to serve in World War II, he became the youngest member of the 43 Group, a Jewish veterans' underground organisation. It broke up what it considered Fascist meetings in East London.^[10][11] The Daily Telegraph calls him an "anti-fascist warrior-hairdresser" whose aim was to prevent Sir Oswald Mosley's movement from spreading "messages of hatred" in the period following World War II.^[10]

In 1948, at the age of 20, he joined the Haganah (which shortly afterwards became the Israeli Defence Forces) and fought in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, which began after Israel declared statehood.^[11][12] During an interview, he described the year he spent training with the Israelis as "the best year of my life," and recalled how he felt:

When you think of 2,000 years of being put down and suddenly you are a nation rising, it was a wonderful feeling. There were only 600,000 people defending the country against five armies, so everyone had something to do.^[8]

Career[link]

Sassoon trained under Raymond Bessone, in his salon in Mayfair.^[13] In 2010, Sassoon stated that "he really taught me how to cut hair...I'd never have achieved what I have without him."^[14] Sassoon opened his first salon in 1954 in London.^[15]

Sassoon stated his intentions in designing new, more efficient, hair styles: "If I was going to be in hairdressing, I wanted to change things. I wanted to eliminate the superfluous and get down to the basic angles of cut and shape."^[1]

Sassoon's works include the geometric perm and the "Nancy Kwan" hairstyles. 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 was a key force in the commercial direction of hair styling.^{[citation needed]} His Vidal Sassoon brand was applied to shampoos and conditioners sold worldwide, with a commercial campaign featuring the iconic slogan "If you don't look good, we don't look good." 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 the United States.^{[citation needed]}

After moving to the United States,^[16] Sassoon sold his US$113 million-a-year company in 1983 to Richardson-Vicks. The company was bought over by Procter & Gamble in 1985, whom he sued in 2003 for breach of contract and fraud^[17] in federal court for apparently neglecting the marketing of his brand name in favour of the company's other hair product lines such as Pantene.^[18] The two parties settled the matter the following year.^[17]

Sassoon Salon, Leeds

In 2002, the chain of Vidal Sassoon salons was sold to Regis Corporation. By 2004, it was reported that Sassoon was no longer associated with the brand that bears his name.^{[citation needed]} He also had a short-lived television series called Your New Day with Vidal Sassoon, which aired in 1980.^{[citation needed]}

Sassoon was twice a guest on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs, on 27 June 1970^[19] and 9 October 2011, when he was also Resident Thinker on the Nowhereisland art project.^[20]

Sassoon was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2009 Birthday Honours.^[21]

Personal life[link]

Sassoon married his first wife, Elaine Wood, in 1956; the marriage ended in 1958 when she left Sassoon for British water-skiing champion David Nations.^[22] In 1967, he married his second wife, actress Beverly Adams. They had four children: two daughters, Catya (1968–2002), an actress who died from a drug-induced heart attack, Eden (born 1973), and two sons, Elan (born 1970) and David.^[23][24] Sassoon and Adams divorced in 1980. His third wife was Jeanette Hartford-Davis, a dressage champion and former fashion model; they married in 1983 and divorced soon after.^[23] In 1992 he married Ronnie.^[16]

Sassoon was a lifelong fan of Premier League club Chelsea and was close friends with many of the players in the 1960s and 1970s.^{[25][better source needed]}

Philanthropy[link]

In 1982, Sassoon started the Vidal Sassoon International Center for the Study of Antisemitism, or SICSA, a research centre devoted to the non-political, interdisciplinary gathering of information about antisemitism.

After selling his company, he then worked towards philanthropic causes such as the Boys Clubs of America and the Performing Arts Council of the Music Center of Los Angeles via his Vidal Sassoon Foundation.^[26] He was also active in supporting relief efforts after Hurricane Katrina.^[16] It also funded educational pursuits on a need-basis in Israel and elsewhere.^[17] At the time of his death he had academies in England, the United States and Canada, while initiating plans to open new ones in Germany and China.^[16]

Illness and death[link]

In June 2011 it was reported that Sassoon had been diagnosed with leukaemia two years earlier, and was receiving treatment in Beverly Hills, Californa, U.S.A., and London, U.K.^[27] He died on 9 May 2012 at his home in Bel Air, Los Angeles.^[28] His death was originally reported to be a result of natural causes,^[29] and later reported to have been a result of his leukemia.^[30] He died in the presence of his family. Los Angeles Police Department spokesman Kevin Maiberger^[26] said that when the police went to his residence at Mulholland Drive^[16][31] he was found already deceased. A memorial service was planned for a later date.^[17] His family issued a statement that read:^[26]

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Vidal Sassoon CBE, who died this morning at his home in Los Angeles surrounded by loved ones. The 84-year-old hairdresser was born in 1928 and sadly lost his battle with leukaemia today. He became the most celebrated hairdresser in the world having begun his career as an apprentice during the Second World War, going on to revolutionise an industry through his iconic haircuts, salons, schools and product lines. He will be greatly missed by his wife of 20 years Ronnie, his children, grandchildren, family and friends.

Reactions to his death included Neil Cornelius, the incumbent owner of Sassoon's first solo venture, who said that his death was the loss of a "hairdressing legend. It is very, very sad because I grew up in the East End like Vidal and from the age of 11 I wanted to be a hairdresser like Vidal. I remember the first time I met him. I have washed the hair of Princess Diana, I have met Nelson Mandela, but meeting Vidal Sassoon topped all of those. I know it sounds crazy but I could not sleep [before] the first time I met him. He was a hairdressing legend."^[26] Other celebrity hairstylists also commented on his death. Lee Stafford said that "Sassoon revolutionised the way everybody wears their hair today, he also made British hairdressing the best in the world, he was my hero." While Oscar Blandi credited Sassoon for showing him the "true art of styling. He truly changed the world of hair and beauty. He was definitely the most innovative person ever to enter the industry. He led the way for the celebrity stylists of today" and Tabatha Coffey wrote on Twitter that "my great day turned into a devastating day. RIP Vidal Sassoon thank you for all you have done for our industry and for me."^[16]

Grace Coddington, Sassoon's former model and creative director of American Vogue, said that "he changed the way everyone looked at hair. Before Sassoon, it was all back-combing and lacquer; the whole thing was to make it high and artificial. Suddenly you could put your fingers through your hair! He didn’t create [Sassoon's five-point cut] for me; he created it on me. It was an extraordinary cut; no one has bettered it since. And it liberated everyone. You could just sort of drip-dry it and shake it." John Barrett of the John Barrett Salon at Bergdorf Goodman said that Sassoon "was the creator of sensual hair. This was somebody who changed our industry entirely, not just from the point of view of cutting hair but actually turning it into a business. He was one of the first who had a product line bought out by a major corporation".^[9]

Books and films[link]

Sassoon wrote three books: his autobiography Sorry I Kept You Waiting, Madam (1968); A Year of Beauty and Health (1979), with his second wife Beverly; and Cutting Hair the Vidal Sassoon Way (1984).^[16]

• Sassoon, Vidal; Sassoon, Beverly (1975). A Year of Beauty and Health. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-207-95751-7. 
• Sassoon, Vidal (2010). Vidal: The Autobiography. London: Macmillan. ISBN 978-0-230-74689-3. 

See also[link]

• Vidal Sassoon International Center for the Study of Antisemitism

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Vidal Sassoon

• Vidal Sassoon: The Movie - official trailer
• Voices on Antisemitism Interview with Vidal Sassoon from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum
• The secret life of Vidal Sassoon
• Vidal Sassoon: The Movie at the Internet Movie Database—a documentary