John Frieda, the British hairstylist whose clients ranged from Jackie Kennedy and Princess Diana to Twiggy and Madonna, has died at 75, his salon said. The salon announced the death on Tuesday, November 3, describing it as peaceful and surrounded by family.
In a statement posted on Instagram, the John Frieda salon said John had been more than a mentor: it called him a defining figure in the hair industry who taught its team, backed them and pushed them to improve. Cetera Lamb, creative director at the salon, called him a true legend and a real maverick in hairdressing.
Born in 1951, Frieda came from a family of hairdressers and trained at London's House of Leonard salon. By the 1970s he had built a reputation as a hairstylist for celebrities and high-fashion magazines before opening salons that expanded into an international haircare business.
His roster of 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 Frizz-Ease line, was sold to Japanese cosmetics group Kao in 2002.
Frieda married twice and had four children. The salon's announcement focused on his influence on the people who worked with him, with Lamb describing the loss as one for the wider industry as well as for the team.