Tassos succeeded in creating a model professional career. Day by day from one year to the next, sharing out his time between his salons, Tassos managed to be more or less simultaneously at the four corners of the earth, sacrificing without hesitation his personal and family life, in spite of the paramount place these occupied in his heart. This did not prevent him from fighting passionately against time as it rolled on. He managed to attain the highest positions in the hierarchy of his profession, not to advance his individual fame or for reasons of personal ambition, but because he was worth it. With great modesty, he has always taken as his guide a desire to hand on the knowledge which he has acquired with the most distinguished hairdressers, one of whom he would himself become, sacrificing his time and money. In 1981, Tassos Korossis became artistic director of the Greek Federation of Hairdressers. In 1984, he was admitted to the Greek section of Intercoiffure and the following year he undertook the presentation of the latest trends in hairdressing with four of his Greek colleagues at an international show at the Cirque d’Hiver in Paris, and to attend the reception which followed in Monte Carlo under the aegis of Princess Caroline of Monaco. Of these events, at which he and his colleagues were received by the then Mayor of Paris, Jacques Chirac, Tassos has the happiest memories. In 1985, François Magnien, President of the World Hairdressing Confederation, asked him to re-organise the Greek section of the Circle of Arts and Techniques. In 1987, he also became artistic director and prepared the presentation his section would give the next year at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes, under the title ‘Olympiads’. Again, this was a huge success both for Tassos and for Greece. In 1990, in Osaka, Japan, he won the ‘Oscar’ prize and his show was greeted with the greatest enthusiasm. More tours followed with Intercoiffure and CAT in which he demonstrated his striking talent and passion: Cannes, again, Warsaw, where he had been invited back, Berlin, Amman, Brussels, Istanbul, New York and Paris, where he was invited twice a year to take part in the Haute Coiffure together with the most distinguished of his colleagues. In 1992, as a mark of regard and recognition, he again became the new artistic director of Intercoiffure of Greece, and in that capacity organised tours throughout the country. He was invited back to Paris by the new President, Maurice Franck, to create one of the five styles which would form the ‘Mode de l’ Année 1994′. Together with the artistic directors of Intercoiffure from the USA, the Netherlands, Iceland, Denmark, Germany and France, he undertook the presentation of these to the world press and colleagues from 24 vountries at the Hotel Georges V in Paris.
International contests
Reward is the end of all effort made and expenditure endlessly invested. A reward is not merely cups and medals, but also applause, honors, photos in the press and magazines, posters of our hairstyles admired and reproduced in other salons. And above all, it’s the moment we see the flag of our country rising, it’s the quiver and the tears of joy and the deep emotion that we feel. ”I’ve had the good fortune to experience these great honorific distinctions, far from my country, at the OSAKA, in New York, Paris, London, Cannes, Warsaw… In sport, in athletics, there are the Olympiads. I wish there were also Olympiads of Sciences and Techniques. I have heard about the Universal Exhibition of Arts and Techniques held at the Palais de Chaillot, in Paris. It was in 1937, during this event, when the Circle of Hairdressing Arts and Techniques was created, a dynamic movement which would become the heart of international hairdressing, a fabulous organisation, unique of its kind, based on professional brotherhood among all the countries of the world. Since then, each country has organised its own national and international meetings, where all sorts of talents and ideas interact: Paris, Cannes, Berlin, New York, Tokyo, Madrid, Brussels, Rome, Vienna, Dusseldorf, Warsaw, Sydney and London have each become in turn fashion capitals in hairdressing. It is there that the heart of hairdressing beats, under the auspices of the CAI or the OAI. The hairdressers who take part in such events, hundreds of thousands of them from all over the world, are all professionals with a distinct passion for their work.”
A true envoy of Hairdressing World Masters Show – New York
Additional recognition came in 1995. Tassos was invited to a show in New York, and this was mainly to receive the much sought-after title of ‘World Master of the Craft’, awarded each year by the A&FG (Art and Fashion Group International). This important international hairdressers’ meeting, the equivalent of the award of Oscars in the cinema or Grammies in music, is held by the Fashion Institute of Technology of New York and all its seminars exert an influence world-wide on fashion and the technique of hairdressing. Apart from this, they asked him immediately to come back again in 1996 in order to present another hairdressing show. Such an invitation had never before been made in the annals of fashion, which such an honour goes only to the crème de la crème … At that point Tassos proposed a programme which included all the techniques, a true anthology of all the trends in commercial styling particularly, as was the wish of Jojo Marengo, the inspirer and creator of this event, which attracts each year the most famous and established hairdressers and creative artists from all over the world. Among the big names invited to this vast occasion have been Vidal Sassoon, USA, Luis Llongueras, Spain, Elsa Haraldottir, Iceland, Rob Peetoom, Netherlands, Don Shaw, USA, Dwight Miller, USA, Gianni Lovato and Steven Thomas, Italy, Jean-Louis Déforges, France – and Tassos Korossis, Greece. Thus Tassos Korossis became a part of this world legend. ”Travelling took me forward and each of my journeys was a hard confrontation with the world of international fashion. I could have followed this fashion from my armchair, contenting myself with leafing through the magazines. This is what some people do, people who think that the world will come to them, whereas it is they who should be on the move if they want to see new things and accept that they have to make the necessary sacrifices. I have been at the centre of fashion. There is nothing that escaped my notice. I have personally taken part in hundreds of presentations on all the stages of the world, as an actor. What I have learnt, I’ve wished to pass on. Yes, indeed, I’ve learnt and I’ve given a lot…”
CHRONICLE
Tassos Korossis
Tassos draws his inspiration from the study of the arts, which he adapts to the harmony and beauty of our age. After his marriage to Mado Mavroidi and the birth of his two children, Athena-Janet and Sotiris, he has devoted himself to hairdressing, in a family atmosphere, and fights for the recognition of Greek hairdressing at an international level.
People talk about him with admiration, and key figures in art and high society have the greatest respect for him. The numerous prizes he has won, both in Greece and abroad, have established his reputation and the National Council of Greek Women awarded him the 1st prize for his work in hairdressing as a whole.
The national press constantly features his creations and Tassos Korossis has become one of the hairdressers most spoken of in Greece. Let us take a closer look at his career:
1964: He takes part in the Panhellenic Contest of the Artistic Union of Greek Hairdressers and is selected for the national team with which he takes part in the World Hairdressing Championship in Basel, Switzerland. When he returns to Greece, he presents, at the Hilton Hotel, and for the first time, the new trends in hairdressing, to more than a thousand hairdressers.
1965: He takes part, as a member of the national team, in the Pan-European Championship, at the Palace of Sports in Budapest, Hungary; he returns laden with distinctions and honours.
1966: He takes part in the Panhellenic Contest of the Artistic Union of Greek Hairdressers and wins the ‘Silver Cup of the City of Athens’. He is selected as a member of the national team for the World Cup held in Milan.
1967: He wins the Grand Prix Artistic in the Panhellenic Contest. In March, he wins the first prize at the ‘Bal des Têtes’, dedicated to opposing racism, for his hairstyle ‘Symphony of Megara’. The same year, he takes part in the World Hairdressing Festival in Paris.
1968: He takes part in the World Hairdressers’ Cup in Vienna, as a member of the national team. 1969: He again wins the first prize at the ‘Bal des Têtes’ for the most original hairstyle. The panel of judges is made up of key figures in letters and arts: Vassiliou, Alexandris, Dimitriadis, Paridis, Lameras and Mouillos. In September, he takes part in the European Championship in Madrid. 1970: In May, he presents the Nouvelle Ligne by the side of the President of French Haute Couture, Robert Garreau.
1971: At the King George Hotel, in Athens, at another ‘Bal des Têtes’, he presents his creation ‘Visitor from Space’ and wins the gold medal. He also takes part in the European Cup at the Hilton Hotel.
1972: Once more, he wins the 1st prize at the ‘Bal des Têtes’ for his hairstyle ‘Olympic Flame’, a success much appreciated by the press. 1973: At the ‘Bal des Têtes’, another hairstyle entitled ‘Fireworks in Rio’. The same year, he is invited to London
to style the hair of a lady very much in the public eye, Mrs Clemence Metrebian, who becomes his ‘good fairy’, always bringing him luck. High society from all over the world attends the reception.
1974-75: He takes part in Haute Coiffure Française and collaborates with the Parisian Haute Couture, and especially Christian Dior. 1976: He presents the ‘Liberty’ line at the Caravel Hotel. 1977: Tassos styles the hair of the models for the presentation of the Greek Haute Couture at the Hilton Hotel.
1978: He is a judge in various contests of the Artistic Union of Greek Hairdressers for the championships and takes part in numerous artistic events. 1979: He presents a show where he creates hairstyles for children, which the press publishes with enthusiasm. 1980: World Cup in Paris, fashion photography, takes parts in Haute Couture Parisienne shows.
1982: Presentation of the ‘Garçon 82′ line to the Union’s hairdressers at the Caravel Hotel. Acts as a judge in the National Competition. In Paris, he becomes a member of the panel of judges at the World Festival.
1984-85: Invited to Paris and Milan by Haute Couture. On his return to Athens, he holds seminars at the Park Hotel in order to demonstrate the latest trends in fashion and hairdressing.
Travels to Saint Tropez, where the Duchesse d’ Orléans is the official guest of Intercoiffure under the Presidency of Alexandre de Paris. Intercoiffure, celebrating 60 years of its foundation, organises an International Comference, in which Tassos Korossis participates with five hair stylists from Greece. In Paris, he is accepted by the Mayor of the city Mr Jacques Chirac. In Monaco, he is accepted by Princess Caroline of Monaco during the Official Dinner hosted by the President of Intercoiffure Alexandre de Paris. 1986-87: Travels to Paris and Bangkok to present new styles and new styling products.
1988 In Hamburg, he attends the World Congress of Intercoiffure. In October, he visits Cannes for the World Hairdressing Festival. As artistic director and choreographer, he presents ‘Olympiad 1896-1996′ and, together with his other four hairdressers, wins the 1st prize. He is congratulated by Mme Dupuis, Mayor of Cannes, and by the President, François Magnien.
1989: He takes part in the Cannes International Festival. 1990: Brief trips to Paris, Cannes, OSAKA, where he presents his ‘Traditional Brides’ and wins the Oscar Award. 1994: Presents the Mode of Intercoiffure Mondial. The greatest success in the press world comes to Tassos Korossis from his new style, a creation which is both modern and commercially viable.
1995: Takes part for the first time in the World Congress of Masters in New York. 1996-2002: He continues the presentations in workshops and fashion shows in Paris, Brussels, London, New York.
Being everywhere at once…
If there are many ways to be a professional, there are even more ways to be a hairdresser and Tassos is a professional different from the others. He manages his family business with the utmost conscientiousness and represents his profession in trade unions and artistic organisations, his art in well-known brands of products and his know-how at major artistic events on world tours. How does he manage to be at the same time in Athens, at the ‘Palais des Festivals’ in Cannes or the OSAKA, in Paris for the collections, in Brussels to advise on the ‘extensions’ of Pierre Balmain?
For this kind of man, there is no rational answer: he shares out his time among all his obligations, and he sometimes delegates marketing to his son, Sotiris, puts his daughter, Athena-Janet, in charge of his salon clients and gives his hairdressers complete freedom of action.
