Good question, Scooter! When he opened his own salon, Kenneth had a colorist working for him. When he was tending to the Monroe tresses, I believe he was still the head hairdresser at Lily Dache's atelier, so I'm not sure. He is credited, though, with saving Marilyn's over treated, over dyed hair, which was breaking and falling out when she came to Kenneth in 1958, on the advice of couturier Norman Norell.
For all his success, Kenneth Battelle was a person of genuine modesty, playing down his fame and concentrating on the work, which was spectacular. A far cry from the Mr Egotists of today's hair world.
"It was a very pretty widow's peak, which divided her forehead neatly in half. But she detested it, despised it; it was her personal enemy. She hated it because, curiously, the roots of that hair, fluffy as the hair of a small child, didn't take the dye as well as the rest of her hair on her blond head."
I remember a long time ago seeing Mr. Kenneth Battelle on Phil Donahue show. It was from Him I heard him SLAY a myth about African/Black Hair - when someone (maybe Donahue), as what people had the 'best' hair. I was expecting him to say Asians - Without Hesitation, He said Black/African people hair is the Best hair because it's the Most Versatile - he said it's also the Most Fragile, needing Gentle Care. Next to James Brown, who Taught me to be "Black & Proud"(my parents didn't teach me that) - I LOVE Mr. Kenneth, I LOVE his honesty & he was Very Genuine. I Love that about him THEN & NOW! I was trying to find among Phil Donahue Archive show - The show about HAIR! Could you Help me? I just saw a segment of Tamron Hall Show - she showed a clip of a African American Athlete's hair braids being cut off by a caucasian female & him being humiliated in front of a crowd of people - the caucasian looked like kkk - they really did - it was very sad to see the Stockholm Syndrome BrainWashing effect.
I never knew the man behind the coiffe. Was he responsible for the color, too?
ReplyDeleteGood question, Scooter! When he opened his own salon, Kenneth had a colorist working for him. When he was tending to the Monroe tresses, I believe he was still the head hairdresser at Lily Dache's atelier, so I'm not sure. He is credited, though, with saving Marilyn's over treated, over dyed hair, which was breaking and falling out when she came to Kenneth in 1958, on the advice of couturier Norman Norell.
DeleteFor all his success, Kenneth Battelle was a person of genuine modesty, playing down his fame and concentrating
ReplyDeleteon the work, which was spectacular. A far cry from the Mr Egotists of today's hair world.
Suffice to say, I don't think Mr. Battelle would have a reality show on Bravo, which is an admirable thing.
Delete"It was a very pretty widow's peak, which divided her forehead neatly in half. But she detested it, despised it; it was her personal enemy. She hated it because, curiously, the roots of that hair, fluffy as the hair of a small child, didn't take the dye as well as the rest of her hair on her blond head."
ReplyDeleteSimone Signoret
La Nostalgie n'est plu ce qu'elle etait
I remember a long time ago seeing Mr. Kenneth Battelle on Phil Donahue show. It was from Him I heard him SLAY a myth about African/Black Hair - when someone (maybe Donahue), as what people had the 'best' hair. I was expecting him to say Asians - Without Hesitation, He said Black/African people hair is the Best hair because it's the Most Versatile - he said it's also the Most Fragile, needing Gentle Care. Next to James Brown, who Taught me to be "Black & Proud"(my parents didn't teach me that) - I LOVE Mr. Kenneth, I LOVE his honesty & he was Very Genuine. I Love that about him THEN & NOW! I was trying to find among Phil Donahue Archive show - The show about HAIR! Could you Help me? I just saw a segment of Tamron Hall Show - she showed a clip of a African American Athlete's
ReplyDeletehair braids being cut off by a caucasian female & him being humiliated in front of a crowd of people - the caucasian looked like kkk - they really did - it was very sad to see the Stockholm Syndrome BrainWashing effect.
What year was Mark Sinclair born and what year did he die?
ReplyDelete