John Frieda, the British celebrity hairstylist who styled hair for Jackie Kennedy, Princess Diana and a long list of entertainment figures and whose salon and haircare brand grew into an international business, has died at 75. His salon announced the death in an Instagram post, saying he passed away peacefully surrounded by his family.
The salon described Frieda as more than a mentor and as a true icon of the hair industry, adding that he taught its team, believed in them and made them better. Cetera Lamb, creative director at the salon, said the industry had lost 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. In the 1970s he established himself as a hairstylist to stars and high-fashion magazines before opening his own salons, which grew into an international haircare empire.
Over his career he styled hair for figures including Twiggy, Mick Jagger, Nicole Kidman and Madonna, in addition to Jackie Kennedy and Princess Diana. His hair product brand, John Frieda Professional Hair Care, was behind the Frizz-Ease line and was sold to the Japanese cosmetics conglomerate Kao in 2002.
Frieda married twice and had four children. His career spanned salon work, celebrity styling and consumer haircare products.