John Frieda, the famous British hairstylist who founded a popular line of hair care products, has died at the age of 75, according to an announcement posted on the Instagram account of his London salon. The announcement, made on Wednesday, specified that he died “peacefully” and was “surrounded by family,” describing him as “a true icon of the hair industry.” The cause of death was not specified, either in the official statement or in a post by his step-niece, Agnelli Lagrange, who described her stepfather as “the best man who ever lived.” [1] [2]

Born Alan Howard Frieda in London in 1951, into a family of barbers (his father was a barber and his grandfather a butler), he changed his name to John in his youth because another employee at the House of Leonard salon already bore the first name Alan. Starting in the late 1960s, at the age of 16, he worked as an assistant to owner Leonard Lewis, styling top figures of the era such as Mick Jagger, Twiggy, and Jackie Kennedy Onassis. At age 25, in 1976, he opened his own salon in London’s West End, where he created the iconic “Purdey” haircut for actress Joanna Lumley in the TV series “The New Avengers.” Later, in 1980, he styled Lady Di Spencer’s famous pixie cut, before she announced her engagement to Prince Charles. [1] [2]

In the 1980s, his celebrity clientele expanded to include names such as Paul McCartney, Madonna, and Queen Diana, and commercially, he decided to move into hair care product manufacturing. In 1989, together with entrepreneur Gail Federici, he launched the John Frieda Professional Hair Care line, debuting with its flagship product, Frizz Ease. The anti-frizz serum, designed for application on wet hair after washing, became an immediate commercial phenomenon, opening up a new category in the market. Building on this success, the brand later launched color-specific lines, such as Sheer Blonde, in 1998. [1] [2]

In 1990, Frieda moved to the United States, opening his first salon in New York and later locations in Los Angeles, Barbados, and Ibiza, becoming a central figure in the Western beauty scene. In 2002, together with Federici, he sold the company to the Japanese cosmetics corporation Kao Corporation for $450 million. Latest financial estimates placed Frieda among the richest people in the United Kingdom, with an estimated net worth of £150 million. He was married twice: first to the Scottish singer Lulu (with whom he had one son, actor Jordan Frieda), and second to Avery Agnelli, the widow of Fiat heir Giovanni Agnelli, with whom he had two children and remained until the end of his life. [1] [2]

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  1. CNN John Frieda, celebrity hairstylist and haircare mogul, dead at 75
  2. thecut.com John Frieda Has Died at 75