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Beehive hairstyle inventor dies, aged 98

June 14, 2016

You may not have heard of Margaret Vinci Heldt, but her famous beehive hairstyle has been worn by stars from Audrey Hepburn to Amy Winehouse. Heldt has passed away at the age of 98.

https://p.dw.com/p/1J6Au
Margaret Vinci Heldt, Copyright: picture-alliance/AP Photo/C. Rousseau
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/C. Rousseau

Margaret Vinci Heldt first fashioned a cone-shaped coif for a magazine cover in February 1960. Due to its shape, the do was quickly dubbed "beehive." The style would become inseparably associated with 1960s fashion, donning the heads of First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy and countless Hollywood stars.

Heldt's death, which occurred last Friday, was confirmed Monday (13.06.2016) by the funeral home in Elmhurst, Illinois, that is organizing her burial.

Amy Winehouse, Copyright: Getty Images/G. Cattermole
Amy Winehouse's hair was one of her trademarksImage: Getty Images/G. Cattermole

"She had a zest for life, the most positive attitude," said Heldt's daughter Carlene Ziegler. "She was the life of the party right up to her last days."

Even beyond the 1960s, the beehive continued to shape pop culture, standing for timeless elegance - even on cartoon figures such as Marge Simpson.

Heldt grew up in Chicago and opened her own salon in 1950. She said her inspiration for the beehive came from a small black velvet fez hat. The mannequin she used to create the style can be seen by visitors at the Chicago History Museum.

kbm/eg (AP, Reuters)