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Allen Edwards

His shears went platinum overnight when he snipped Farrah Fawcett’s signature layers in the 1970s. Just as powerful but less known: He produced the first hair show to incorporate music, lighting and theatrical effects, along with innovate techniques, such as scrunching, blow curls and taper-shear cutting. The father of the modern hair show also developed one of the first in-house training programs that required year-long assisting, and added spa services before most salon owners ever heard of them.

by Web Editor
July 11, 2011
1 min to read


His Work:

His shears went platinum overnight when he snipped Farrah Fawcett's signature layers in the 1970s. Just as powerful but less known: He produced the first hair show to incorporate music, lighting and theatrical effects, along with innovate techniques, such as scrunching, blow curls and taper-shear cutting. The father of the modern hair show also developed one of the first in-house training programs that required year-long assisting, and added spa services before most salon owners ever heard of them.

Why He's Influential: He's coiffed Julianne Moore, Renée Zellweger, Lara Flynn Boyle, Donna Mills and Raquel Welch. He has also made more than 1,000 television appearances, including reality and makeover shows, and acted as spokesperson for Clairol, KMS, Sun Silk and Aveda. Want more? Snatch up his memoir, Shear Force.

Who Influences Him: "I was influenced most by my mentor Jon Peters.  Jon introduced me to techniques that helped me create the signature looks that have shaped my career. Another person who influenced me was Vidal Sassoon-not so much with technique, but with the geometric looks that stimulated my artistic side."

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