edward beale

The edward beale Story

edward’s career in hairdressing began in 1957 when at the age of 14 years he trained to become a qualified hairdresser at the accredited Hairdressing Academy. After graduating at the age of 15 years edward worked as a qualified hairdresser at the then leading department store called Hicks Atkinson in Collin Street, Melbourne. By the age of 17 years he became Australia’s youngest salon manager.

Not long after, edward decided to further his hairdressing career by joining a team of top hairdressers in a leading salon known as the Regency Room ,the most noted being an English born hairdresser Bob Leopold. In partnership they opened the first ultra modern salon, the likes of which had never been seen in Australia before. Still only 21 edward worked and managed this very successful salon known as the Leopold Salon.

Much of the success of the Leopold Salon was due to edward and Leopold’s London inspired hairdressing. Whilst the rest of the Australian hairdressers were still concentrating on the European trends, edward was looking to Vidal Sassoon whose new innovative styles had taken the hairdressing world into a fashion evolution. edward’s association with Sassoon dates back to early sixties when Vidal had opened his first salon in New Bond Street and this strong association continue to this day.

In 1968 edward branched out on his own to open the first edward beale salon, within five years a chain of edward beale salons had opened across Australia. The standard of hairdressing was ‘world class’ achieved via a continuous training program in London and the U.S.A edward beale employees were sent to London and L.A. to attend the Vidal Sassoon Academy. This inspired edward to open his own training salon in Melbourne which in turn trained not only edward’s own staff but literally thousands of Australian hairdressers, many who now make up the infrastructure of Australian  hairdressing.