1 Inspiration
Soft Cubism Graphic by Avram
SOFT CUBISM 1979 – The Inspiration
Hair trends can be influenced by many things and art was influencing the innovative fashion designers, like Yves Saint Laurent in 1979. They, in turn, influenced shapes and proportions.
Vidal Sassoon’s Art Teams in New York, Beverly Hills, San Francisco, Chicago and were inspired by the graphics of cubism, constructivism, modernism, futurism.
These early 20th century schools of art used simplicity and functionalism as general aesthetic trends. The artists – Picasso, Braque, Kandinsky, Malevich – concerned with the paring down of objects their basic design elements – the circle, square, the triangle.
Vidal Sassoon’s Art Teams called their new line for The Eighties – Soft Cubism. The square and the triangle were all featured. But softened. There were no hard all corners and points were – Soft.
Soft Cubism graphic by Avram, Vidal Sassoon Art Director, NY, 1979
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © HELEN OPPENHEIM 2012
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2 Soft Cubism 1979 – Susie
Soft Cubism, Susie, by Graham Wren, Vidal Sassoon, NY 1979
SOFT CUBISM – Susie
Vidal Sassoon’s hair shapes for the ’80s were inspired by the graphics of cubism. This 1979 campaign was conceived as Soft Cubism, with no hard edges.
After the Vidal Sassoon Artistic Teams and I had worked for at least a month on this campaign, probably more, we finally got it.
The hair here was designed by Graham Wren, International Art Director, Vidal Sassoon, NY, in 1979, with a new slant. Asymmetric and symmetric. Also, versatile with bi-level, asymmetric fringes.
Graham explained: “A half longer fringe on one side is combed over a short finer fringe, which
slants asymmetrically from the opposite direction. Because it’s versatile, the cut can be worn
this way. Or that. With short or long hair. Wavy, curly, or straight.
Hair: Graham Wren, Vidal Sassoon, NY, 1979
Hair Care: Vidal Sassoon 3-step Hair Care Regimen – cleanse, moisturize, seal & protect
Makeup: Ted Nadel for Madeline Mono
WaveDress: Ken Hanneman
Brooch: Bonwillum
Model: Susie Kozak
Art: Avram
Photo: Lorraine Sylvestre
Concept/Produced by Helen Oppenheim
Anecdote: We all worked very hard to make this campaign happen; the planning was very detailed, and we also worked many nights in the salon perfecting the looks before we went to the studio. We photographed over a 3 day period. The first day, we started at 9 am and finished at 3 am. The second day we started at 9 am and finished at midnight. The third day, we started at 9 am and finished at 9 pm. It took me almost 3 months with approvals from corporate headquarters in LA, post-production work and writing/producing the press releases. Then, I did the PR. Which was impressive: WWD,”W, Vogue, Mademoiselle, US Magazine, GQ – 29 consumer magazines in all – and 98 newspapers, as well as hair magazines, often with full pages, around the world and there was lots of TV, with Vidal who went on a press tour with the campaign.
Note: there is different text under each photo and sometimes the best photos are last throughout the Archives.
All rights reserved © Helen Oppenheim 2012
Comment3 Soft Cubism 1979 – Susie
Soft Cubism, Susie, by Graham Wren, Vidal Sassoon, NY 1979
SOFT CUBISM – Susie
Vidal Sassoon’s hair shapes for The Eighties were inspired by the graphics of cubism – soft cubism.
This great version of Soft Cubism was by Graham Wren, International Art Director, Vidal
Sassoon, NY, in 1979.
Hair: Graham Wren, Vidal Sassoon, NY, 1979
Hair Care: Vidal Sassoon 3-step hair Care Regimen – cleanse, moisturize, seal & protect
Makeup: Ted Nadel for Madeline Mono
WaveDress: Ken Hanneman
Brooch: Bonwillum
Model: Susie Kozak
Photo: Lorraine Sylvestre
Concept by Helen Oppenheim/Produced by Helen Oppenheim with Art by Avram
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © HELEN OPPENHEIM 2012
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4 Soft Cubism 1979 – Susie
Soft Cubism, Susie, by Graham Wren, Vidal Sassoon, NY 1979
SOFT CUBISM – Susie
Soft Cubism, hair by Graham Wren, Vidal Sassoon, NY. Here, the hair is pulled back and the bi-level
fringes are softened.
Hair: Graham Wren, Vidal Sassoon, NY, 1979
Hair Care: Vidal Sassoon 3-step hair Care Regimen – cleanse, moisturize, seal & protect
Makeup: Ted Nadel for Madeline Mono
Earrings: Bonwillum
Model: Suzie Kozak
Art: Avram
Photo: Lorraine Sylvestre
Concept/Produced by Helen Oppenheim
Anecdote: This was my first campaign for Vidal Sassoon, I started in May, and was asked
to have a trend press release ready for a Vidal Sassoon press tour in September. It wasn’t easy!
I had to work with hairdressers in all 5 salons but I didn’t know any of them and most hadn’t
worked on creating a conceptual campaign before. Also I was Creative Director, a
non-hairdresser and trying to change things, to soften up the image, which was my
mandate because of the Sassoon products.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © HELEN OPPENHEIM 2012
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5 Soft Cubism 1979 – Susie
SOFT CUBISM – Susie
New wave asymmetric soft bob with versatile, bi-level asymmetric fringes by Graham Wren,
Vidal Sassoon, NY, 1979.
Color, by Edward Moore, was an interplay of shadows and hues in persimmon, peach and
mango on natural hazel-blonde hair.
Hair: Graham Wren, Vidal Sassoon, NY, 1979
Makeup: Ted Nadel for Madeline Mono
Wave Dress: Ken Hanneman
Jewelry: Bonwillum
Model: Suzie Kozak
Art: Avram
Photo: Lorraine Sylvestre
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © HELEN OPPENHEIM 2012
Comment6 Soft Cubism, 1979 – Susie
Soft Cubism, Susie, by Graham Wren, Vidal Sassoon, NY 1979
SOFT CUBISM – Susie
Straight version of the Soft Cubism bob with a versatile, bi-level asymmetric fringe, and graduation
with diffused edges, by Graham Wren, Vidal Sassoon, NY, in 1979.
Hair: Graham Wren, Vidal Sassoon, NY, 1979
Makeup: Ted Nadel for Madeline Mono
Wave Dress: Ken Hanneman
Model: Susie Kozak
Art: Avram
Photo: Lorraine Sylvestre
Concept/Produced by Helen Oppenheim
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © HELEN OPPENHEIM 2012
7 Soft Cubism 1979 – Susie
Soft Cubism, Susie, by Graham Wren, Vidal Sassoon, NY, 1979
SOFT CUBISM – Susie
A version of Vidal Sassoon’s Soft Bob. Versatile, bi-level asymmetric fringe and graduation with diffused edges.
Ted Nadel returns to a cupid bow-shaped mouth in this photo of the model, Suzie Kozak.
Hair: Graham Wren, Vidal Sassoon, NY 1979.
Makeup: Ted Nadel
Wave Dress: Ken Hanneman
Model: Suzie Kozak
Art: Avram
Photo: Lorraine Sylvestre
Concept/Produced by Helen Oppenheim
Anecdote: Susie had long hair – I have polaroids. All these Soft Cubism styles didn’t
just happen in the studio. They took weeks of planning, to make the looks work, to conceive a …campaign. With many variations on the theme, that would also work on everyday clients in the salons.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © HELEN OPPENHEIM 2012
Comment8 Soft Cubism 1979 – Marlene
Soft Cubism hair by Graham Wren, Vidal Sassoon, NY, 1979
SOFT CUBISM – Margaret
This Soft Cubism style was inspired by Marlene Dietrich in the 1931 movie, Dishonored.
The asymmetric symmetric straight soft bob with more volume on one side and new cut-in
waves, is graduated with diffused edges and has versatile bi-level asymmetric fringes.
The length of the bob at both sides is symmetric. We called it at the time
“the most complicated, glamorous, exciting Sassoon cut in years.”
It was designed by Graham Wren, Vidal Sassoon, NY in 1979, with a Spotlite Wave
Persauder (perm) by Allie Galizia and Edward Moore.
Hair: Graham Wren, Vidal Sassoon, NY, 1979
Makeup: Ted Nadel
Wave Dress: Ken Hanneman
Model: Margaret Cullen, Barbizon Agency
Art: Avram
Photo: Lorraine Sylvestre
Concept/Produced by Helen Oppenheim
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © HELEN OPPENHEIM 2012
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