About Richard Stein

RICHARD STEIN
photo by Jennifer Mirsky

RICHARD STEIN has built his remarkable career on a single tenet: that hair should be free to go its own way. His first book “Set Free, The Book About Hair” (Simon and Schuster, 1988) became an immediate best-seller. Free to swing straight or curl close, free from curlers and clips, sprays and gels. Free to be as nature intended. It is a credo learned at the hand of his mentor, Sixties icon Vidal Sassoon, and it has garnered for Richard Stein a clientele of the world’s most powerful people.

Richard’s natural approach to hair has guided him into researching and designing the materials needed for the purest hair care system in the U.S., FLEUREMEDY  BOTANICALS. These products were among the first to be made with flowers and herbs and helped pioneer the concept of healing with  botanicals. Color safe, paraben-free and fragrant fresh they continue to enjoy a wide audience. Richard continues to re-formulate and update the line regularly.

FLEUREMEDY PRODUCTS
NOW AVAILABLE IN THE RICHARD STEIN SHOP

An eighteen-year-old Richard Stein arrived in New York on the crest of a British wave that took New York by storm: the 1965 opening of the first Sassoon salon. Richard eagerly absorbed the energy and style of Manhattan, soon moving on to join fellow Sassoon-ite Paul Mitchell on The Beauty Floor at Henri Bendel, New York’s trendiest boutique. Here he became a favorite stylist for such legendary fashion photographers as Richard Avedon, Hiro and Francesco Scavullo. This on-camera experience led Richard to create his most memorable style, a multi-layered, wash-and-wear haircut dubbed ‘The Shag’. The new cut was adopted by women everywhere, becoming the quintessential haircut of the 1970s. and  continually adapted to the present time.

From there, it was a short skip to his own Madison and Lexington Avenue salons with an eclectic clientele of New York’s most high-profile people. {See Celebrity guest list} Today Richard Stein continues to evolve his hair-cutting skills, and some of his hair innovations, The Shag ‘Ribbon-Cutting’ and Scissor-Pointing. are destined, once again, to transform the fashion of hair. Some innovative video-ed haircuts are available on YouTube.

But while his work is what consumes most of his time, Richard continues to pursue a variety of other interests, including avocations as author and actor/musician. His first book, Set Free (Simon & Schuster, 1988), became an immediate beauty bestseller. He has also completed a second book, Split Ends. Both are available to read online at no charge.

His 2014 one man show, CUT+PASTE – A MUSICAL MEMOIR, at LaMama’s downtown experimental theater, with original incidental music written by Richard, was a sellout success. The show emphasized a life that he has tap-danced with the world of style since his early teens.

Richard’s newest literary pursuit is an insightful look into what makes a hairdresser clip. His newly published memoir Kinky Roots documents Richard’s Phoenix-like career and life in London’s swinging 60’s. A must-read for anyone who is interested in style, beauty and salon life.