This is the story of a determined young man from Sologne. After earning his school certificate in 1945, Hubert (his real name) headed to Paris amid the post-war revival. Having learned the basics of hairdressing in his father's salon in Souesmes, Loir-et-Cher, he faced early setbacks—fired 12 times in one year from various salons. Yet these challenges forged his resilience without breeding bitterness.
Armed with scissors and comb, he persisted, eventually joining Louis Gervais, the stylish hairdresser to stars like Joséphine Baker. Freed from financial worries, Hubert—now Jacques Dessange—focused on innovation. He revolutionized women's hairstyles by "modernizing" the face through the coiffé-décoiffé technique: a dynamic cut that tousles hair for vitality, allowing it to move with the wearer. As he put it, the woman becomes "neither quite the same nor entirely another." This breakthrough transformed women's hair—and their presence.
The effortless care and styling made it an instant hit. Dessange became the go-to stylist for Dior, Chanel, and Carven models. In 1954, he opened his first salon at 37 Avenue Franklin-Roosevelt, near the Champs-Élysées. The next year, a second followed in Saint-Tropez. He styled Jean Seberg, Brigitte Bardot (including her signature sauerkraut bun and blonde locks for Roger Vadim's And God Created Woman), Sheila, Sylvie Vartan, Jeanne Moreau, and international icons like Liz Taylor, Marlene Dietrich, Ava Gardner, and Jane Fonda.
Leveraging his fame, Dessange became an entrepreneur. In 1955, he partnered with key collaborators to launch "Jacques Dessange" salons. By the mid-1970s, he embraced franchising for expansion—just as rival Jean-Louis David did in 1976. Undeterred, Dessange diversified: founding a training school in 1979, launching makeup in 1990, and partnering with L'Oréal in 1992. In the early 1980s, Catherine Ahnelle's ad campaign cemented the coiffé-décoiffé's popularity.
By 1996, Dessange International launched the Camille Albane network, combining hairdressing, coloring, and makeup in one spot, growing to over 250 salons worldwide. In 2002, it acquired Frédéric Moreno salons and relocated the flagship to a 1,000 m² space at 39 Avenue Franklin-Roosevelt. Dessange also originated Capi-Lustro, which evolved into Babyliss. Retiring to Sologne to paint, he built an empire spanning 43 countries with nearly 1,600 salons, including 370 in France. He leaves sons Cyril (born 1961) and Benjamin (1967). His passing, less than a year after Jean-Louis David's on April 3, 2019 at age 85, marks the end of an era. To both visionaries: thank you.
