John Frieda, the British celebrity hairstylist whose clients ranged from Jackie Kennedy and Princess Diana to Twiggy, Mick Jagger, Nicole Kidman and Madonna, has died at 75. His salon announced the death on Tuesday, November 3, saying he had passed away peacefully surrounded by family.
In a statement posted on Instagram, the John Frieda salon described him as more than a mentor and a true icon of the hair industry. It said he had taught its staff, believed in them and helped them improve. Cetera Lamb, the salon's creative director, called him a true legend and a real maverick in hairdressing.
Born in 1951, Frieda came from a family of hairdressers and trained at the House of Leonard salon in London. During the 1970s he built a reputation as a stylist for celebrities and high-fashion magazines. He later opened his own salons, which expanded into an international haircare business.
His product brand, John Frieda Professional Hair Care, was known for the Frizz-Ease line. The brand was sold to the Japanese cosmetics group Kao in 2002. Frieda was married twice and had four children.
The tributes highlighted both his salon career and the reach of his product line, which carried his name into consumer haircare.