John Frieda, 1951-2026

Celebrity hairdresser John Frieda has passed away, aged 75, it has been announced.

John Frieda was a third generation hair professional, following his grandfather and father into the business. He worked as assistant to Leonard Lewis, at House of Leonard, who fashioned Twiggy's iconic 1960s crop. 

In 1976 he created the bowl cut, worn by Joanna Lumley's character Purdy in The New Avengers.

In the same year, he opened his own salon in central London. Subsequent branches would be established across the world, including New York, Los Angeles and Ibiza.

Across the decades, John Frieda styled the hair of some of the biggest names in fashion, music and culture, including Mick Jagger, Twiggy, Madonna and Diana, Princess of Wales.  

In 1988, he developed the Frizz-Ease hair serum and Sheer Blonde line in 1998 alongside Gail Federici. The business partners sold the company to Japanese conglomerate Kao in 2002.

John Frieda is survived by his wife Avery Agnelli, three children and a step-daughter.