Long before hairstylists were reality-TV stars and anyone with a YouTube channel or TikTok could affect how millions of women styled their hair in their own bathrooms, there were iconic, larger-than-life hair artists who influenced an entire generation through the celebrity and editorial looks they pioneered. In the 1950s, Paris had Alexandre and London had Vidal Sassoon, and New York had Kenneth Battelle. In Kenneth: Shear Elegance [October 28, 2020, Schiffer Books] by Giuseppe Longo, the fascinating life and career that left a lasting mark on Jackie O., Marilyn Monroe, Diana Vreeland and, subsequently, the world is revealed for the first time.

Through personal memories of those closest to him, including friends, clients, and former employees, the reader is transported to Kenneth’s iconic 54th Street Salon off 5th Avenue and lavishly decorated by famed interior designer Billy Baldwin. Kenneth’s world comes alive through stories of his work with photographers Richard Avedon and Milton Greene, models Jean Shrimpton and Cheryl Tiegs and other luminaries. Previously unpublished photographs, notes, clippings, and original Joe Eula illustrations richly exhibit both his myriad achievements and America's 20th-century high-fashion scene.