David Bowie | A lock of his hair accompanied by an autograph note

David Bowie

A lock of Bowie's hair, accompanied by an autograph note

Lock of hair (approx. 4 inches) within a plastic bag, with a note in purple ink in David Bowie's hand reading "Hairs to you - | Love | David," both of which mounted on a leaf of paper (279 x 215 mm).

"Hey babe, your hair's alright..." — A memento from David Bowie, presented to a fan.

The rock scene of the 1970s was a flurry of flared suits and glittering tops, of elaborate makeup and, in the case of David bowie, extraterrestrial personas. From his Ziggy Stardust jumpsuits to the Union Jack coat (made by a then-relatively unknown Alexander McQueen) that graced the cover of Earthing, Bowie evolved over the decades and earned his place as an icon of both music and style. A cultural chameleon, his changing hairstyles were an essential part of this legacy.

At the start of his career, Bowie had embraced the short, mod haircut that typified the period. By 1972, however, Bowie was courting more drastic changes that notably included hair dye, which would become a signature feature of his look for decades to come. The "Ziggy Cut" was the work of Suzi Ronson (née Fussey), a London-based hairdresser who regularly styled one Peggy Jones, Bowie's mother, who frequently spoke of her son David who "sang in a band." (Suzi married Mick Ronson, who worked with Bowie as the guitarist of the Spiders from Mars.) After being introduced to Suzi, Bowie requested a style he'd seen on a model for fashion designer Kansai Yamamoto in a 1971 copy of Honey magazine. At the time, Bowie's hair was long and blond, and Ronson's short, layered cut, proved to be a literal flop. She had to add an anti-dandruff treatment called Gard to Bowie's flaming red hair to help stiffen it properly into place.

A first class relic of The Starman.

(Also, the perfect gift for the girl with the mousy hair.)