I was born in 1928 and by 1931 the Depression was beginning to mount.

Hairdressers are a wonderful breed. You work one-on-one with another human being and the object is to make them feel so much better and to look at themselves with a twinkle in their eye.

We learned to put discipline in the haircuts by using actual geometry, actual architectural shapes and bone structure. The cut had to be perfect and layered beautifully, so that when a woman shook it, it just fell back in.

For nine years I worked to change what was hairdressing then into a geometric art form with color, perm without setting which had never been done before.

Realizing our society as it is, without theology dogmatically telling us how we should react to it, and being humane toward that society, that is all that we're sure of.

Hair excited me. As the old ways - backcombing, rollers and rigidity - went out of the window, I started to feel the possibilities in front of my eyes.

Hairdressing in general hasn't been given the kudos it deserves. It's not recognised by enough people as a worthy craft.