page_title: Perm (hairstyle)
section_title: Eugene Suter and Isidoro Calvete
hierarchical_section_title: Perm (hairstyle) / History / Eugene Suter and Isidoro Calvete
caption_attribution_description: This picture shows a 1923 permanent-waving machine built by Icall for sale by Eugene Suter under the name "Eugene". The 22 tubular heaters, designed in 1917 by Isidoro Calvete and patented by Suter in 1920, hung from the 'chandelier' by their wires, which also served to take the weight of the heaters. This type of heater could only be used for 'root-winding' of the hair.
context_page_description: A permanent hairstyle, commonly called a perm or "permanent", is a hairstyle consisting of styles set into the hair. The hairstyle, although not truly permanent, may last for several months.
  Perms may be applied using thermal or chemical means. In the latter method, chemicals are applied to the hair, which is then wrapped around forms to produce hairstyles. The same process is used for chemical straightening or relaxing, with the hair being flattened instead of curled during the chemical reaction.
context_section_description: Eugene Suter was a Swiss immigrant who set up a fashionable ladies' salon in London's West End. He claimed to have come from Paris, which in those days was the center of fashion and style. He became aware of the possibilities of electrical permanent waving particularly when shorter hair allowed the design of smaller equipment. The system had two parts; one was the electric heater and the other was the system of winding and holding the hair on a form which was inserted into a heater. Sutter tried to design a heater, but was unsuccessful.
  Isidoro Calvete was a Spanish immigrant who set up a workshop for the repair and manufacture of electrical equipment in the same area of London in 1917. This equipment was just coming into use for the hairdressing and medical professions. Sutter consulted him on the heater and Calvete designed a practical model consisting of two windings inserted into an aluminium tube. This ensured that when inserted over a root winding, the thicker hair nearer to the root became hotter than the thinner hair at the end. Sutter patented the design in his own name and for the next 12 years ordered all his hairdressing equipment from Calvete but marketed under his commercial name, Eugene Ltd, which became synonymous with permanent waving throughout the world. At the same time, Calvete developed his own products which he manufactured under the name Icall, Ltd. The simultaneous manufacture of two competing lines would inevitably result in conflict.
  From the onset, Eugene realised the importance of the United States market and made great inroads, challenging Nessler who had started up there. The former also sued the latter for infringing the patent which he had taken out based on Calvete's design, and won his case. Nessler was to retaliate some years later suing Eugene in the United Kingdom, over some curlers designed by Calvete which were similar to the Nessler ones.
caption: Machine made in 1923 by Icall for Eugene
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