Woman of Real Style

Madame Josephine’s, the hairdressing salon, has styled four generations of Adelaideans. Started in 1949 by Italian beautician Josephine Piazza, the salon originally was in the Theatre Royal on Hindley St.

It was renamed for its famous owner, relocated to Gilbert Pl and now Madame Jose-phine Hairdressers and Beauty Therapists is run by Josephine’s son George Piazza.

He says the word that best described his mother was “dynamic”.

“There’s a picture of her with Marlene Dietrich. From one doyen to another, (Marlene) respected Josephine,” he says. “There were two great ladies,”

He says the secret to her success was her “love of people and her craft”.

Josephine died in 1988, aged 77.

A bust of her is kept in the Mortlock library.

The Advertiser – Saturday, July 8, 2006

Resting Place

City-based hairdresser George Piazza has happily closed a chapter in his life by contributing his mother’s memorabilia to the Mortlock Library.

“I feel I can move forward now,” he says.

His mother, Josephine, a hairdressing icon in Adelaide, died 18 years ago.

Her first salon was in the Theatre Royal building in Hindley St and then she opened a space across the road. In 1972 she established a salon in Gilbert Pl. called Madame Josephines, which George still operates today.

In its heyday, the salon’s Saturday morning crowd used to have to line up down the street awaiting an appointment.

Josephine was the first woman director of IHS Australia and was a founding member of the SA Hair Fashion Council.

As well as newspaper clippings, documents and medals, George’s collection included a bust which had been made of his mother. He says he felt the collection was an important part of the state’s cultural history and was relieved that it had been preserved by the Mortlock Library.

See more via the Mortlock Libray website here

Adelaide Matters