LONDON: British celebrity hairstylist and beauty entrepreneur John Frieda, whose scissors helped shape the looks of some of the world’s most recognisable stars, has died aged 75.
His death was announced by his salon in an Instagram statement on Tuesday, saying he had passed away peacefully surrounded by his family.
“It is with heavy hearts that we share the news that our dear John passed away peacefully … surrounded by his family,” the statement said.
“John was more than a mentor to us; he was a true icon of the hair industry. He was the person who taught us everything, believed in us, and made us better.”
Frieda became one of Britain’s most sought-after hairstylists during the 1960s and 1970s, working with an extraordinary list of celebrity clients, including model Twiggy, former US First Lady Jackie Kennedy, Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger, Diana, Princess of Wales, Madonna, Nicole Kidman and Scarlett Johansson.
He was also responsible for one of the era’s most recognisable hairstyles: the distinctive bowl cut he created for British actor Joanna Lumley in 1976. The style became known as the “Purdey cut”, after Lumley’s character in the television series The New Avengers.
From Salon to Stardom
Born Alan Howard Frieda in London in 1951, he came from a family of hairdressers. His father owned a salon in Ealing, west London, while his grandfather had worked as a Fleet Street barber.
Frieda followed the family trade and later joined Leonard Lewis’s celebrated House of Leonard salon, where he worked as an assistant. The salon was known for creating Twiggy’s iconic short haircut.
He went on to work with leading fashion publications, including British Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar, before opening his own central London salon in 1976.
The business quickly became a favourite among celebrities and fashion figures, with appointments reportedly booked months in advance. Frieda later expanded internationally, opening salons in destinations including Barbados, Ibiza and Los Angeles.
Building a Beauty Empire
In the late 1980s, Frieda began shifting his focus from salon work to haircare products.
One of his biggest successes was Frizz-Ease, a hair serum launched in 1988 that became a globally recognised product, helping establish his name beyond the world of celebrity hairstyling.
His business expanded rapidly in the 1990s as the brand entered international markets, particularly the United States.
In 2002, Frieda and his business partner Gail Federici sold the company to Japanese cosmetics group Kao for $450 million (£334 million).
Despite stepping back from cutting hair, he remained closely associated with the industry and continued to offer advice to younger professionals.
Speaking to the British Beauty Council in June, he said aspiring hairdressers should concentrate on the quality of their work rather than financial rewards.
“If you have a client in front of you, rather than thinking about the money or what you’re getting from cutting their hair, just think about the action,” he said.
“The reward is giving her the best haircut she’s ever had. That is your reward.”
Tributes Pour In
Tributes followed news of his death, with colleagues and figures from the beauty industry remembering him as an influential stylist and mentor.
Cetera Lamb, creative director at Frieda’s London salon, described him as “a true legend, a real maverick in hairdressing”.
“For 50 years, he led our wonderful salon, leaving behind an incredible legacy of passion, creativity, vision and outstanding hairdressing,” Lamb said.
Model and television personality Jo Wood also paid tribute, recalling that Frieda had styled her hair when he was working as an assistant at Leonard’s.
“When I was 16, and John worked as an assistant at Leonard’s, he would do my hair,” she said. “He was so great…”
Frieda’s stepdaughter, Asia Agnelli Lagrange, shared photographs of them on Instagram, writing: “Today we lost the best man to ever exist.”
Frieda was married to Scottish singer Lulu from 1977 to 1990, and they had a son, Jordan Frieda, who later became an actor and food entrepreneur.
He subsequently married Avery Agnelli, with whom he had two children and a stepdaughter.
His legacy spans several decades of celebrity hairstyling, fashion and the global beauty business — from the iconic Purdey cut to a haircare brand recognised around the world.
