Kenneth: Shear Elegance

The extraordinary life and career of Kenneth Battelle, pioneering hairstylist to the stars in the 1950's and beyond.

Kenneth Battelle, known simply as “Kenneth,” was a pioneering hairstylist who obliterated the once-omnipresent hat and transformed the fashion industry through his A-list clients at his iconic 54th Street Salon. His 50-year career started in the early 1950s in New York City. The loyal client list he built, which included Jacqueline Kennedy, Marilyn Monroe, Judy Garland, Countess Consuelo Crespi, Diana Vreeland, Lucille Ball, and Gloria Vanderbilt, swore by his skills.

Kenneth: Shear Elegance is a biography that not only celebrates Kenneth's extraordinary talent but examines his behind-the-scenes life and career struggles, including the disastrous fire that destroyed his salon, and his perseverance moving forward. Through personal memories of those closest to him, including friends, clients, and former employees, the man who created a cult of classic, timeless women comes to life.

Previously unpublished photographs, notes, clippings, and original Joe Eula illustrations richly exhibit both his myriad achievements and America's 20th-century high-fashion scene.

Giuseppe Longo spent nearly 10 years at the Kenneth Salon in New York City—formerly at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel on Park Avenue—where he was introduced to clients, employees, and Kenneth’s fabled history.