Recently, rumours swirled in the hairdressing industry when the UK Daily Telegraph published an article titled Sassoon Academy Set To Go Into Administration and conversation on social media elevated the news further. Now, Sassoon has released a statement clarifying this news report, with information that the company was aided on May 6by private investors, immediately after it had entered administration.
“Contrary to various social media and news reports, the United Kingdom based operations of the Vidal Sassoon London Academy and our seven UK based Vidal Sassoon salons will continue to remain fully open for business,” confirmed Debbie Webster, Sassoon CEO. “Sassoon’s UK based operations were rescued by a private investor group after the appointment of an administrator and subsequent transaction on Thursday, 6 May 2021. This process has enabled our entire UK operations and locations to remain fully intact and has saved the jobs of every one of our 176 UK based employees.”
The salon group states that the reporters did not reach out to them for clarification of the allegations or seek any comment from the business or its leadership. They also point out misinformation in the article, which stated that Regis Corporation owns Sassoon, when the global Sassoon salon and education businesses (separately based in the US, UK and Germany) were acquired by private investors in December 2018.
“The COVID-19 pandemic was difficult for the entire haircare and beauty industry, and Sassoon suffered enormously as a result of the multiple government mandated lockdowns in the United Kingdom. Since the beginning of the lockdowns, Sassoon’s sole focus was to find a way to retain all of our team, and to reopen each and every one of our locations. The recent transaction has enabled us to achieve that goal,” Debbie added.
Sassoon’s International Creative Director, Mark Hayes, also provided a statement in a video message, confirming that Sassoon is fully open for clients and students with the appropriate health protocols in place to ensure everybody’s safety.
“The fact is that we haven’t just re-opened, we’re continuing to innovate and will be for many years to come,” Mark shared. “For example, during the pandemic we developed a new online platform, SASSOONONLINE, which has extended our ability to teach to any location in the world. This concept follows Vidal’s original vision, to raise the standards of our craft by making education accessible and affordable for everyone.”
Sassoon is an iconic global institution in hairdressing, and has been for 66 years. It will hearten the hair community to know that it will continue to go from strength to strength, despite the enormous difficulties brought on by the pandemic. This will be further elevated with live broadcasts and innovative online teaching tools within the new SASSOONONLINE.
“We remain inspired by Vidal Sasson’s example and are proud to be carrying forward his important legacy,” Debbie said. “We are grateful for the many positive messages we have received from all over world voicing concern about the future of Sassoon. With the recent transaction completed and the support of new investment, we are firmly committed to ensuring that our team’s creative work continues for years to come.”
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