John Frieda, the celebrity hairstylist and beauty entrepreneur behind the popular Frizz Ease hair care line who worked with stars including Princess Diana and Madonna, has died. He was 75.
The British businessman's death was confirmed on his Instagram page on Nov. 3, revealing that he died "peacefully" and "surrounded by his family."
"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," the post's caption reads. "His talent and passion touched so many, and his legacy will live on in every single one of us. We will continue to do him proud."
Frieda's stepdaughter, Asia Agnelli Lagrange, also confirmed his death in an Instagram tribute featuring
several photos of them together. "Sadly, my J has passed away. Today we lost the best man to ever exist," she wrote. "I share this because I know he touched the lives of so many."
Lagrange also reposted Instagram Stories including one from her half-brother, Jackson, 19, who was Frieda’s youngest son.
How John Frieda became a celebrity hairstylist
Among the celebrities Frieda has styled are Scarlett Johansson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Naomi Watts and Nicole Kidman
Born Alan Howard Frieda on July 9, 1951, in Kenton, Middlesex, England, he came from a family of hair professionals. His father owned a salon, while his grandfather worked as a barber.
Frieda began his career at London's House of Leonard salon, where he became an assistant to renowned hairstylist Lewis Leonard. He adopted the name John, which his father also used, because another stylist at the salon was already named Alan.
"In the salon, you go by your first name. There was another Alan. You can’t have two hairdressers going by the same name," he told The Times in a piece published in June.
He eventually found himself working for fashion outlets like British Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar as well as multiple of Leonard’s A-list clients like Jackie Onassis and Mick Jagger, The Times reported.
Among his contributions to the style world was the "Purdey" bowl cut he created in 1976 when he was 25. He founded his own salon that same year.
"I get bored quickly," he told The Independent in 1999. "I was thinking of giving up hairdressing. I needed a new challenge."
John Frieda's marriage to Lulu and rise as a beauty mogul
Frieda married Scottish singer Lulu in 1976 in a star-studded ceremony attended by Tom Jones, Ringo Starr and Elton John.
He later expanded into the beauty business, teaming with American hair care executive Gail Federici to launch Frizz Ease in 1988. The line debuted in the United States in 1990, and the pair introduced Sheer Blonde in 1998.
Frieda moved to the United States in 1990 to focus on his growing hair care brand. His relocation contributed to the end of his marriage to Lulu, with whom he shared a son, Jordan.
He met his second wife, Frances Avery Agnelli, in 2002, and the couple married in 2019. They shared two children, daughter Leyla Luna, 21, and son Jackson, 19. Frieda was also stepfather to Agnelli's daughter, Asia, from her previous marriage to the late Fiat heir Giovanni Alberto Agnelli.
In 2002, Frieda sold his hair care company to Japanese conglomerate Kao in a deal valued at $450 million. He retained ownership of five salons: two in London, two in New York and one in Los Angeles.
Frieda is survived by his wife, four children and two grandchildren, Isabella and Edward.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: John Frieda, celebrity hairstylist behind Frizz Ease, dies at 75
