Colorific Coco Gauff in Canada – 2022
Photos: Helen Oppenheim with Thanks to The Tennis Channel. Collage helenoppenheim.com
Coco Gauff must surely be the most colorific tennis player out there, in tournament after tournament. Not only that, but her braided hair is always interesting, with colorful headbands. No matchy matchy for Coco, but the colors always work, and dazzle. Here she is in action at the National Bank Open in Toronto, Canada, August 11, 2022, wearing her New Balance fab fashions, from top to toe, and that includes her new signature modern vintage shoe – and her ombré underwear. The 18 year old, who plays singles and doubles, a future champ for sure, signed with New Balance when she was 14 and it was a very smart move because they are helping her to coordinate her look, to take it where no other tennis player has been.
CommentSpectacular Extravanganza Big Hair – 2017
Photo: Peter Nguyen
Peter Gray Big Hair from the spectacular “post-apocalyptic” extravaganza show he and his team put on at the Contessa Awards 2017 in Toronto. The WorldGreat hairstylist said at the time the show was all about super humans that are futuristic – not alien – beautiful and a little extravagant.” To see more Big Rolled amazing hair, more spectacular hair, and all about this show, CLICK HERE
Hair Creative Direction: Peter Gray … Products: Moroccanoi … Makeup: Wendy Rorong, Christina Nguyen … Tattoos: Shirley Lang, James Chia Han Lee … Stylist: Amber Watkins with Benjamin Doig … Designer: Greta Constantine … Accessories: Armed Jewelry … Model: Sarah Barnes, Plutino … Photo: Peter Nguyen
CommentThe Toronto Cut – 1977
Photo: © Lorraine Sylvestre
This short ruffle-y cut, super soft, pretty, easy, was created by Jerome Pisonneault for the opening of La Coupe’s Salon in Toronto. In 1977. The back went up at the back, to fit in with the high ruffled and frilled collars so popular that season. The front fringe was cut asymmetrically, shorter over one eye, with wisps strategically cut into the hair all around the face. For more details and more Toronto Cuts, click HERE
Hair: Jerome Pinsonneault, La Coupe Toronto 1977 … Makeup: Electa & Corrado … Ruffles: Marilyn Brooks … Model: Mil Bastien … Background: CN Tower Toronto… Photo: Lorraine Sylvestre. Fashion Styling/Concept/Produced by Helen Oppenheim, who lived in Montreal at the time and spent six whole weeks in Toronto preparing for the opening. The Salon was on Yorkville, and we did take Toronto by storm, for a while. Anyone remember?
CommentPeter Gray Hair Art – 2016
Photos: © Anna Crooke. Collage by helenoppenheim.com
Hair Art directed by WorldGreat Peter Gray, collaborating with Lupe Voss (Hair Color Magic), Frank Rizzieri (Rizzieri Salon & Spa, co-inventor R Session Tools) – and a team of dedicated hairdressers at the 2016 Catwalk Show to benefit WaterAid. Fab fashions for Peter Gray by Marie Copps and 25 other designers. Models from Strutt Central, Elite, Plutino, Push, ILand. The event was sponsored by Civello, and took place in Toronto, May 1, 2016.
Hair: Directed by Peter Gray with Erika Fung, Lupe Voss, Frank Rizzieri and Teams … Event Hair: EasiHair Pro … Makeup: Directed by Kristian Hayden … Fashions: Marie Copps (Peter Gray) and 25 Designers … Photos © Anna Crooke for Fashion Savage. Collage by helenoppenheim.com
CommentREMEMBERING VIDAL SASSOON – 1980
Vidal Sassoon with his $Million Dollar Jeans, Toronto 1980
On the day of his Memorial in London, October 12, 2012, take a minute to look at this happy photo of Vidal Sassoon launching his $Million Dollar Jeans and products in Toronto, Canada, 1980. The name Vidal Sassoon was spelled out in De Beers diamonds. As PR and Creative Director for the Vidal Sassoon Salons USA at the time, I had 2 weeks of sleepless nights to come up with this idea! For more information on this, the Pinkerton Guard, go to HairThen Vidal Sassoon Canadian Launch on www.helenoppenheim.com
Hair: Helen Chudoba, Vidal Sassoon, Toronto, 1981 … Model: Paula Turnbull … Photo: Unknown
Comment1 Canadian Launch 1980
Vidal Sassoon with Million $ Jeans Model, Toronto, 1980
Vidal Sassoon and his Million $ Jeans Here’s Vidal with his Million $ Jeans model at the Toronto Press Event to launch his jeans and his hair care products in Canada.
This was the ultimate pair of jeans and this photo made not only the NY Post but also the NY Daily News and the United Press International Wire Service for world wide coverage, but also many papers in Canada as well as the US.
As PR director for the Vidal Sassoon Salons USA and Canada, I had spent two weeks of sleepless nights trying to come up with a newsworthy idea to launch yet another pair of jeans and one night a brainwave came. Why not have the Vidal Sassoon logo made of real diamonds and have a Pinkerton security guard standing by to protect what I called the Million $ Dollar Jeans. I had a contact with the Canadian PR for de Beers Diamonds, at Ayer Barker ABH International in Toronto, and I approached Heather. She liked the idea for De Beers, too, and had the signature made of De Beers diamonds, albeit not a Million $ worth, but I think we paid some $15,000 for the signature, which in 1981 was worth a lot more than it would be now. Yes, it was a gimmick, but a good one. I was surprised how many of the press thought they really were worth a million dollars but most knew and played along with the fun!
Jeans manufactured in Montreal by Skirt Togs for Vidal Sassoon Canada Ltd. There were hairstyle photos in the press release, but repeats of others in the Vidal Sassoon Archives so I show just some of the photos and sketches from the Canadian Launch.
Hair: Helen Chudoba, Vidal Sassoon, Toronto, 1980 …Model: Paula Turnbull, International Top Models … Photo: Unknown … Produced by Helen Oppenheim
(Photo was either United Press International or Canadian Press, but I am not 100% sure which or who took it. Will credit.)
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © COPYRIGHT HELEN OPPENHEIM 2012
Comment2 Canadian Launch 1980
Photo: Unknown
Million $ Jeans and Security Guard
Here’s the Million $ Jeans with a real Pinkerton security guard, complete with gun. We hired one in Toronto, shown here, and another in Montreal for the jeans fashion show and event we held there the previous day at Régine’s, which was followed the next day by the jeans at the Montreal Grand Prix where 50 hostesses and pit girls flashed and dashed about in Vidal Sassoon jeans and tops.
This was a major PR effort on my part, which I handled from my NY office with Norma Meneguzzi of Ayer Barker in Toronto and RPM Promotions in Montreal working with Lawrence Taylor of Vidal Sassoon in Century City in California.
The jeans were manufactured in Canada by Skirt Togs in Montreal for Vidal Sassoon of Canada Ltd.
Hair: Helen Chudoba, Vidal Sassoon, Toronto, 1980 … Model : Paula Turnbull, International Top Models … Photographer: Unknown.
REQUESTED ANECDOTE FROM PETER NIEDAN, THE SECURITY GUARD, 33 YEARS LATER AFTER HE MADE A COMMENT UNDER THIS PHOTO, SEE BELOW:
“it was long ago and I happened to keep a security newspaper called The Eye which was a Pinkerton issue..vol 28, no 4 december 1980. What I recall from that evening was that Mr. Vidal Sassoon was very welcoming to me when I arrived for my escort duty. Told me to stick to Paula’s side no matter what, even if pictures were being taken. When the picture was taken we were on stage in front of the crowd and when Paula put her hands on me she was shaking and hence the distortion of my mouth on the right side as I was talking to her to calm her down. If I remember correctly this was her first show where she was the prime model. A gentleman(?) made some comment about how hard my job was having to watch her butt all evening. At the end of the evening she and I went back to her hotel room and I waited outside for her to change and give me the pair of jeans which I then brought to the client and then since my duties were finished. Do not really remember to much else of the evening except that Paula behaved in a professional way and to my mind did a good job. Mr Peter Niedan”
Produced by Helen Oppenheim
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © COPYRIGHT HELEN OPPENHEIM 2012
Comment6 Canadian Launch 1980
Vidal Sassoon with product display designer, Peter Laurance, Toronto 1980
Vidal Sassoon, September 29th, 1980 at the Toronto launch of his haircare products (and designer
jeans) – see here with Peter Laurance who designed the display.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © COPYRIGHT HELEN OPPENHEIM 2012
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