John Frieda, the celebrity hairstylist behind Frizz Ease and Sheer Blonde, has died at 75 following a long illness. His salon confirmed his death in an Instagram post, saying he passed away peacefully surrounded by his family. The illness was not disclosed.
Frieda built a career across London, New York and Los Angeles, opening high-end salons and co-founding John Frieda Professional Hair Care with Gail Federici in 1989. Kao Corp. bought the company in 2002 for $450 million. Frieda continued to oversee the salons after the sale.
The company’s first major hit was Frizz Ease, launched in the U.K. at Boots before reaching the U.S. mass market in 1990. It later developed products for color-treated hair, including Sheer Blonde, which launched in 1998.
Born in London in 1951, Frieda was a third-generation hairstylist. His father ran a salon in Ealing, while his grandfather worked as a Fleet Street barber. After working for his father, Frieda joined London salon House of Leonard and assisted its founder, Leonard Lewis, before opening his own salon in 1976.
That year, Frieda created Joanna Lumley’s “Purdey” bowl cut for her role in “The New Avengers.” He later became a familiar face in television advertisements for his hair-care products and promoted them on talk shows in the company’s early years.
The salon’s tribute described Frieda as an industry icon and credited him with mentoring its team. He is survived by his wife, Avery Agnelli, four children, two grandchildren and younger brother Nigel Frieda.
Sources: WWD.