Mr. Kenneth facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mr. Kenneth
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Kenneth at work in 1962
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| Born |
Kenneth Everette Battelle
April 19, 1927 |
| Died | May 12, 2013 (aged 86) |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Hairdresser |
Kenneth Everette Battelle (born April 19, 1927 – died May 12, 2013) was a very famous American hairdresser. He was known as Mr. Kenneth and worked from the 1950s until he passed away. Many people called him the world's first celebrity hairdresser. Kenneth became internationally famous for creating the special "bouffant" hairstyle for Jacqueline Kennedy in 1961.
He styled hair for many well-known people. These included Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, and important American socialites like Brooke Astor. In 1961, he made history by becoming the first and only hairdresser to win a Coty Award. This was a major fashion award.
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Early Life and Education
Kenneth Everette Battelle was born in Syracuse, New York. He was the oldest child and had four younger sisters. His father was a shoe salesman. When Kenneth was 12, his parents divorced. Kenneth then helped support his family by working different jobs. He cooked, washed dishes, sold beer, and even worked as an elevator operator.
At 17, he joined the navy for about a year and a half. After that, he studied at Syracuse University for six months. This was all the government money he had for his education. When the money ran out, he left college. He then saw an ad for the Wanamaker Academy of Beauty in New York. It promised good jobs after graduation. He studied there for six months. To support himself, he worked at a restaurant and played piano in a bar. Later, he studied more at the Marinello Academy of Beauty Culture in Syracuse. After that, he found a job at the Starlet Beauty Bar salon.
Hairdressing Career Begins
Kenneth worked at the Starlet Beauty Bar for four years. There, he created a popular hairstyle called the 'club cut'. It was a new version of the bob cut inspired by the 1930s. In October 1949, he moved to Miami to work in a hotel salon.
On July 1, 1950, Kenneth moved to Manhattan, New York. He was offered a job by Elizabeth Arden, a famous beauty expert. But Kenneth decided to stay in New York. Instead, he went to work for Helena Rubinstein at her salon on 52nd Street. He worked there for the next five years.
Working with Helena Rubinstein
At Helena Rubinstein's salon, Kenneth styled hair for models and people from the media. Rubinstein wanted him to do their hair for free. In return, they would give her salon publicity and mention it in magazines.
Kenneth first met Jacqueline Kennedy in 1954. She was newly married and came to see her usual hairdresser. But he was sick that day. Kenneth stepped in to help. He suggested that Mrs. Kennedy grow out her short, curly "Italian cut" hairstyle. He thought it didn't suit her. This was the start of their successful partnership.
For Jacqueline Kennedy, he had special, extra-large hair rollers made. These helped to stretch and lengthen her hair. This gave her a softer look. It was very different from the stiff, heavily permed hairstyles many women had. Kenneth called those styles "washed-and-ironed." He wanted to give his clients soft, shiny, full hair that moved naturally. He also believed clients should be able to wash and style their own hair easily.
After working for Helena Rubinstein for five years, Kenneth moved to Lilly Daché's salon. Lilly Daché had a large building on 56th Street where she made hats.
Working with Lilly Daché
Lilly Daché was one of New York's top hat designers. She realized that hats were becoming less popular. So, she added a fancy pink-and-white salon to her building. She hoped to attract new customers. Kenneth was hired to lead this new salon. It quickly became a very important place for hairdressing in New York.
Many famous people came to Lilly Daché's salon for their hair. These included Lucille Ball, who even called Kenneth "God." The actress Kay Kendall also came to him in 1957. Kenneth helped fix her hair, which had been overdyed red. She said it made her "look like Danny Kaye in drag." He cut it short and colored it back to its original shade. This new style became very popular around the world. Many women waited in long lines outside the salon to get the same haircut.
The next year, in 1958, the fashion designer Norman Norell sent Marilyn Monroe to Kenneth. She was worried because too much bleaching and perming was making her hair fall out. Kenneth made Monroe's hair softer, smoother, and straighter. He became her favorite hairdresser while she lived in New York. He even traveled with her to Chicago for the Some Like It Hot movie premiere in March 1959. They became close friends.
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"Secretary of Grooming" for the Kennedys
One of Kenneth's regular clients was Karlys Daly Brown. She was the beauty editor for Glamour magazine. In 1961, she asked Kenneth to write articles about how women could care for their own hair. This was unusual for a hairdresser. He was even featured on Glamour's front cover. His colleagues thought he would hurt their business by teaching women to do their own hair.
Also, after John F. Kennedy became president on January 20, 1961, Kenneth became known as the "Secretary of Grooming" for the Kennedy family. This made him a household name. He was a recognizable celebrity, and his name on magazine covers helped sell more copies. His hairstyles were a key part of Jacqueline Kennedy's famous look. He used just enough hairspray to keep her hair in place. But he also allowed a few loose strands to make it look natural. Jacqueline's hairstyle was described as a "grown-up exaggeration of little girls' hair." Some even said Kenneth's styles helped make hats less popular. Kenneth was the one who cut and styled Kennedy's hair just before the assassination of John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963.
In 1963, Kenneth left Lilly Daché's salon. He then opened his very own salon at 19 East 54th Street.
Kenneth's Own Salon (1963-1990)
In 1962, Kenneth found a good business partner in the Glemby Company. They were a salon and beauty supply firm. They helped him get the lease for 19 East 54th Street. His salon, simply called Kenneth, officially opened on March 4, 1963.
The salon's inside was very fancy. It had flowered carpets and red-and-yellow paisley pattern fabrics. The famous interior decorator Billy Baldwin designed it. He was told to create a fun, circus-like atmosphere with lots of patterns. The salon was designed for maximum pampering. Clients sometimes waited up to three months for an appointment!
Inside, they would find many special services. There was a wig shop, cold storage for fur coats, and rooms for massages. They also had steam baths, waxing rooms, whirlpool spas, and a Pilates studio. Of course, there were special rooms for washing, drying, and styling hair. Besides these, clients could get manicures and pedicures while eating lunch or tea. A Mercedes car was even available to bring clients to the salon or take them home. Some women would just stop by for lunch or to read magazines. They enjoyed the relaxed, club-like feeling.
For a while, Kenneth enjoyed a celebrity lifestyle. He was considered as famous as an A-list movie star. However, he was always very private about his many celebrity clients. He never shared any secrets they might have told him. In a 2003 interview, Kenneth said he used to enjoy going to social events. But a newspaper headline in the mid-1960s upset him. It read, "Pickle Queen goes to Yacht Party With Hairdresser." After that, he decided to stop going out with his clients.
In 1974, he opened a second salon in Atlanta. Rosalynn Carter, the wife of President Jimmy Carter, was one of its clients.
In 1986, Thomas Morrissey, Kenneth's hair colorist, opened his own salon. He took many of Kenneth's staff members with him. Some of Kenneth's clients, including Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, also went with him. But other clients, like Grace Mirabella and Kitty D'Alessio from Chanel, stayed loyal to Kenneth.
Sadly, Kenneth's main New York salon was destroyed by a fire on May 16, 1990.
After the Fire (1990-2013)
After the fire, Kenneth hoped to rebuild his business. But his landlords used a fire clause in his lease to evict him. This meant he couldn't rebuild in the same spot. Also, his company was not set up in a way that would let him get insurance money easily. He would have had to pay a lot of taxes on it.
Kenneth then rented six chairs in a beauty parlor at the Helmsley Palace Hotel. About a third of his staff joined him there. After two years, he moved to the Waldorf-Astoria hotel. This new salon was much smaller than the original. But it still offered many of the pampering touches. Clients could get finger sandwiches and free bottles of nail polish with their manicures.
In 2002, Kenneth chose Kevin Lee to be his creative director. Lee had been a stylist there since 1987. Kenneth wanted Lee to help update the salon and attract younger clients. Lee continues Kenneth's tradition of creating hairstyles that clients can easily maintain themselves. While Lee managed the salon, Kenneth was still cutting hair in 2008.
Kenneth passed away on May 12, 2013, at his home in Wappingers Falls, New York. He was 86 years old.
