John Frieda, the British celebrity hairstylist and beauty-industry figure whose clients included Jackie Kennedy and Princess Diana, has died at 75, his salon announced on Tuesday, November 3.
The John Frieda salon said in an Instagram post that Frieda died peacefully surrounded by his family. It described him as a mentor and a central figure in the hair industry, saying he taught, supported and improved those who worked with him. The salon said he was more than a mentor to its staff and a true icon of the hair industry.
Born in 1951, Frieda came from a family of hairdressers and trained at the House of Leonard salon in London. In the 1970s he built a reputation as a hairstylist to stars and high-fashion magazines before opening his own salons, which expanded into an international haircare business.
Over his career he worked with celebrities including Twiggy, Mick Jagger, Nicole Kidman and Madonna. His hair-product brand, John Frieda Professional Hair Care, became known for the cult Frizz-Ease line and was sold to the Japanese cosmetics group Kao in 2002.
Frieda married twice and had four children. Cetera Lamb, creative director at his salon, said the industry had lost a true legend and a real maverick in hairdressing.