John Frieda, the British celebrity hairstylist whose clients ranged from Jackie Kennedy and Princess Diana to Twiggy and Madonna, has died at 75. His salon announced the death on Tuesday, November 3, saying he passed away peacefully surrounded by his family.
The salon shared the news on its Instagram account. In the statement, it described him as more than a mentor and a true icon of the hair industry, crediting him with teaching its team, believing in them and helping them improve.
Frieda was born in 1951 into a family of hairdressers and trained at the House of Leonard salon in London. By the 1970s he had become a hairstylist for celebrities and high-fashion magazines. He later opened his own salons, which expanded into an international haircare business.
His clients over the years included Kennedy, Diana, Twiggy, Mick Jagger, Nicole Kidman and Madonna. He also built a product business, John Frieda Professional Hair Care, whose Frizz-Ease line became well known. The brand was sold to Japanese cosmetics group Kao in 2002.
Frieda was 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.