John Frieda, the British celebrity hairstylist, beauty industry stalwart and haircare entrepreneur, has died at 75, his salon announced on Tuesday, Nov. 3. In a statement posted on Instagram, the John Frieda salon said he passed away peacefully surrounded by his family.
The salon described Frieda as more than a mentor and as a defining figure in the hair industry, saying he had taught its team, believed in them and helped them improve. Cetera Lamb, creative director at the salon, said the industry had lost a legend and a maverick in hairdressing.
Born in 1951, Frieda came from a family of hairdressers and trained at the House of Leonard salon in London. By the 1970s he had established himself as a hairstylist to stars and high-fashion magazines before opening his own salons, which grew into an international haircare empire.
His clients over the years included Jackie Kennedy, Princess Diana, Twiggy, Mick Jagger, Nicole Kidman and Madonna. He also built a product business: John Frieda Professional Hair Care, the brand behind the cult Frizz-Ease line, was sold to Japanese cosmetics group Kao in 2002.
Frieda was married twice and had four children. No cause of death was disclosed in the statement.