John Frieda, the British celebrity hairstylist who built an international salon and haircare business, has died at 75, his salon announced on Tuesday, November 3. The John Frieda salon said on Instagram that he had passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family.
The salon described Frieda as more than a mentor and called him a true icon of the hair industry, saying he had 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.
From London training to celebrity clientele
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, according to the salon’s account, before opening his own salons, which grew into an international haircare empire.
Over his career, he looked after the hair of celebrities including Jackie Kennedy, Princess Diana, Twiggy, Mick Jagger, Nicole Kidman and Madonna. The salon’s announcement places his work across fashion, entertainment and public life, with a client list that spans British royalty, Hollywood and music. The list reflects a career that moved between salon work, editorial styling and public visibility.
His London training and his family’s trade gave him a foundation in salon hairdressing before his name became associated with magazine shoots and celebrity styling. The salons he opened turned that work into a business with international reach, the announcement said.
A product brand and a sale to Kao
Frieda’s hair product brand, John Frieda Professional Hair Care, was behind the cult Frizz-Ease line. The brand was sold to the Japanese cosmetics conglomerate Kao in 2002, placing the product business under a larger international owner.
The Frizz-Ease line gave the brand a consumer-facing identity, while his salon work kept him connected to styling clients and magazine assignments. Frieda was married twice and had four children, the salon said. The post did not give a cause of death.
Industry reaction
The announcement framed Frieda’s death as a loss for hairdressing as well as for the salon he founded. Its tribute emphasized his role as a teacher and figurehead, noting that he was the person who taught the team everything and made them better.
Frieda’s career connected the craft of salon hairdressing with magazine work, celebrity styling and consumer products. The details released by his salon trace that path from a London apprenticeship and family trade to salons and a haircare brand with international reach.