Vidal Sassoon, Hairstylist and Fashion Icon, Dies at 84

Renowned hair stylist and fashion icon Vidal Sassoon, known for creating the "bob" style and for a line of consumer products that bear his name, has died.

Sassoon passed away today from an unspecified illness at his home on Mulholland Drive in Hollywood. Family members were by his side. Vidal was 84.

He was reportedly diagnosed with leukemia in 2009. It's unclear what role the cancer played in Sassoon's death. His official cause of death is natural causes.

When Sassoon picked up his shears in the 1950s, styled hair was typically curled, teased, piled high and shellacked into place. Then came the 1960s.

Sassoon's creative cuts, which required little styling and fell into place perfectly every time, fit right in with the fledgling women's liberation movement.

Sassoon opened salons in England and expanded to the U.S. before also developing a line of shampoos and other styling products bearing his name.

The hairdresser also established global Vidal Sassoon Academies to teach aspiring stylists how to envision haircuts based on a client's bone structure.

The hair icon was married four times, most recently to Rhonda Sassoon, who stayed with him until his death. He is also survived by three children.

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