"Vidal Sassoon: the Movie" Premiere

On Friday night, I was lucky enough to attend the world premiere of Vidal Sassoon: the Movie at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City. The inspiring documentary, which we previewed in our May issue (page 26), shows how the legendary hair guru rose from humble beginnings in a London orphanage to start a hair revolution and create one of the most recognizable brands in the world. I've never had the opportunity to meet Mr. Sassoon (he was recovering from pneumonia and unable to attend the premiere), so I loved getting this inside look into his history and his personality through interviews with former colleagues, family members and the man himself. Along with seeing his evolution as a hairstylist, I enjoyed learning about some lesser-known biographical points: his time in the Israeli army, his stint as a TV show host focusing on heath and fitness, his creation of Hairdressers Unlocking Hope and more.

After the screening, producer Michael Gordon (founder of Bumble and bumble) and director Craig Tepper answered questions from the packed audience, which included industry celebs like Tabatha Coffey (she loved it!), John Frieda, Rolando Beauchamp and more. Tepper said that the hours and hours of film they shot took nearly two years to edit, so while the original intention was to present the film as an 80th birthday present to Sassoon, they missed the mark. When asked why he wanted to create the film, Gordon said that he was inspired by Sassoon's journey and aimed to show people that life is all about the choices you make and what you do with the circumstances you're given. As I was leaving, I stopped to chat with Sassoon's son, Elan, who is now following in his dad's footsteps in the beauty industry. While he's not a hairdresser, he just launched a new haircare company, Sojourn, which currently has 15 products and a full educational curriculum.

While distribution for Vidal Sassoon: the Movie has not yet been set, make sure you check the film's website often to find out when it will be playing in your area. You definitely don't want to miss this inspiring look at the man who "changed the world with a pair of scissors."

One scene in the movie showed the media frenzy around Sassoon's famous cut for Mia Farrow in Rosemary's Baby