Brand History

1975

The Burlingtons story begins with the vision of one man - Clive Colman. At just 12 years old Clive headed to London's notorious Brick Lane and got his first Saturday job in a salon. "It was a very different time then and this salon was very old-fashioned, but it gave me a taste for hairdressing and was a great start for learning all the traditional techniques," he says. Pic of clive at 12

Like many hairdressers of his generation, he was influenced by the hairdressing legend Vidal Sassoon. At just 14 years old Clive had a chance meeting with Vidal, and his passion for hairdressing was ignited.

By the age of 17 Clive was a fully qualified hairdresser and was completely dedicated to his career. He worked out of Sassoon 's at 171 New Bond Street, where he built a reputation as being one of the most dedicated and creative young faces in hairdressing.

Clive moved to London's Grosvenor House Hotel branch where he became Vidal Sassoon's youngest ever manager at just 19.

Having successfully led the team at Grosvenor House, Clive relocated to Dusseldorf to manage its Vidal Sassoon salon. He became greatly involved in presenting shows and seminars around the globe and travelled extensively representing the Sassoon brand.

Ready for a fresh challenge, Clive left the Sassoon group and moved to Maastricht in Holland to open a salon called The Hair Club.

Clive returned to the UK to embark on a new venture and opened the first Burlingtons salon in London. It was also the first year Burlingtons participated at the Alternative Hair Show - an annual event which they still support today.

Whilst the salon was steadily growing, Clive became increasingly interested in martial arts. He began studying yoga, feng shui & pilates - which are still a fundamental part of his life today. "I truly believe that a fit body is a fit mind. Martial arts have helped me in every aspect of my life," he says.

Clive took his team to Chicago to participate in the Alternative Hair Show and met Kelly, who would later become his wife, on the plane!

Kelly and Clive joined forces to launch the first New ID Studio, which is now the UK's leading makeover company. Every Burlingtons salon has a New ID Studio attached and 50,000 women experience their makeovers every year.