Hairdressing is one of the most vibrant professions around the world. Besides the basic education and training you need, people who have a knack in styling hair and making people look more beautiful are the ones who will most likely succeed in the world of hairdressing. Throughout history, there have been a lot of hairdressers who were able to stand out from the crowd.

Here’s what you might not have known, even in the 17th and 18th century, the way an individual styles his or her hair matters a lot. One would have to spend hours just to groom his or her hair. Duchesses, kings, countesses, queens, and other high-society people would hire an entourage of hairdressers to make sure that they would look prim and proper. Here are some outstanding personalities in the hairdressing niche during the seventeenth and eighteenth century that we would like you to meet!

Champagne

This man is considered to be the world’s first celebrity hairdresser. Well, he did not just style for ordinary folks; in fact, Champagne was hired by a lot of aristocrats because of his exceptional skills in hairdressing. He styled the hair of a lot of famous people, one of which is the Princess Marie de Gonzague. It has been said that these royal fellows showered Champagne with a lot of gifts just so that he would style their hair!

Madame Martin

As time zoomed towards the 18th Century, women started to sport big (and tall!) hairstyles. Such hairstyles were pretty trendy throughout the European world. The hair was curled and was sometimes adorned with ribbons, jewels, flowers and other accessories. A hairstyle that features height and elaborate elegance became known as “The Tower”. The person attributed for the popularization of this style is Madame Martin.

Legros de Rumigny

Another man who became a famous celebrity hairdresser is Legros de Rumigny. He was the official hairdresser in the court of France, the country where fashion is a very big deal as many of us would agree. Among the numerous high profile clients, Legros de Rumigny tended to Madame de Pompadour, the mistress of Louis XV. He was later able to write a book about hairstyling and was also able to open a hairdressing school.

Leonard

The coiffeur, or hairdresser, of Marie Antoinette is Leonard. Leonard excelled in extravagant hairstyles – ones that reach great heights (sometimes up to five feet high!) Marie Antoinette is known in the modern world for having very complicated hairstyles and she owed her looks to Leonard. Of course, the hairstyles which were sported by Marie Antoinette were the same styles which became popular among women during that time.

Marie Laveau

Another hairdresser worthy of mention is Marie Laveu. Just a lesser known fact, she was claimed to be a practitioner of Voodoo in New Orleans during the late nineteenth century – well, that claim was never established as a fact. But what we do know is that she offered her services to the wealthy women of New Orleans. She was also known for being extremely generous since she gave food, money, and other gifts to women who needed them.

Well, after a walk down the hall of fame in the hairdressing world, one could say that these people were pretty much the pioneers of hairdressing. Today, hairdressing is considered to be an interesting and challenging profession. A lot of people are enrolling in hairstyling and beauty schools so that they could become part of the wonderful world of hairdressing – are you ready in taking the first step?