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SEARCHWhile at America's Beauty Show 2012, live at the Cosmetologists Chicago's BeautyBASH, MODERN's Alison Alhamed got the opportunity to chat with Margaret Vinci Heldt, who designed the world's first beehive hairstyle that debuted in February 1960 on the pages of MODERN SALON—formerly known as MODERN BEAUTY SHOP.
The woman credited for creating the famous Beehive hairstyle back in the 1960s, passed away peacefully on June 10, 2016 at age 98.
Margaret Vinci Heldt of Elmhurst, IL, was active with her professional association,Cosmetologists Chicago, for almost 80 years. She recently attended America’s Beauty Show in Chicago, to present the Margaret Vinci Heldt Creativity in Hairdressing Scholarship, and enjoyed every minute of the event, laughing and flirting with many of her dear friends.
While at America's Beauty Show 2012, at Cosmetologists Chicago's BeautyBASH, MODERN's Alison Alhamed got the opportunity to chat with Margaret Vinci Heldt, who designed the world's first beehive hair style that debuted in 1960 on the pages of MODERN SALON—formerly known as MODERN BEAUTY SHOP magazine. Above, hear the interview with Margaret, or, read her story transcribed from the interview below:
The original beehive, created by Margaret Vinci Heldt for MODERN BEAUTY SHOP magazine.
MARGARET VINCI HELDT'S BEEHIVE STORY: "In 1960, MODERN BEAUTY SHOP magazine called me and said, 'You know Margaret, something is happening to our profession—all we're seeing is The Pageboy, The Flip and the French Twist, but something is wrong—we need new ideas Margaret. You've always been creative, we want you to go home and think about what you'd like to do for our photo shoot. Really let yourself go.'
"I thought, 'What am I going to do that hasn't been done before?!' So I went home, took out my mannequin, and started playing. I remembered a little hat I owned, sort of a fez, which was really popular with Jackie O., and I really loved it. I'd always thought, 'Someday I'm going to invent a hair style that's going to fit right under that little hat.' Then, I realized, that's exactly what I should do for the photo shoot!
"Once I started working, I really liked what I saw—I realized I was doing something different, and I liked it! I went to the photographer, and MODERN had a model set up for me—she was a beautiful model with the perfect length of hair: when things are supposed to go right, everything just goes right! So, I started working, and things were really looking nice, and the editor who was writing up the story said 'Oh, Margaret, that's really coming along nicely.' And I sais, 'Yes but there's something missing!' So, I took a little ornament off the hat, made of black denim, I put it in the model's hair, and it looked just like a bee! The editor said, 'Margaret! That looks just like a beehive. Could we call it a beehive?' I said, 'You could call it whatever you want!' And so, the beehive was born. And, what a life is that! Now the style keeps coming back and coming back!"
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