Hairstylist and beauty entrepreneur John Frieda dies aged 75

British celebrity hairstylist and beauty entrepreneur John Frieda has died aged 75, his salon announced in a statement shared on Instagram on Tuesday.

The salon said Frieda had died peacefully, surrounded by his family, and called him “a true icon of the hair industry”.

Born Alan Howard Frieda in London in 1951, he followed his father and grandfather into hairdressing. He worked at the House of Leonard salon and for British Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar before opening his own central London salon in 1976.

Frieda became known for styling celebrities including Twiggy, Jackie Kennedy, Mick Jagger, Diana, Princess of Wales and Madonna. In 1976, he created the bowl-shaped “Purdey” cut for actor Joanna Lumley, who wore it in *The New Avengers*.

He later turned his attention to hair products, including Frizz-Ease serum, which he created in 1988. Frieda and business partner Gail Federici sold the company to Japan’s Kao Corporation in 2002 for $450m (£334m).

Frieda was married to singer Lulu from 1977 to 1990; they had a son, Jordan. He later married Avery Agnelli, with whom he had two children and a stepdaughter.

His stepdaughter, Asia Agnelli Lagrange, paid tribute on Instagram, writing: “Today we lost the best man to ever exist.” Jo Wood, who said Frieda had styled her hair when he was a young assistant, described his death as “so sad”.