Brad Johns, the New York colorist whose clients included ’90s icons like Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, Kate Moss, and Johnny Depp has passed away aged 70 at his home in California, following a battle with prostate cancer.
The influential colorist was best known for his buttery blondes and creating the ‘chunking’ technique, mimicking a natural sun-kissed look by using large, strategically placed sections of lighter hair, a style he debuted on supermodel Christy Turlington.
“Brad was a once-in-a-lifetime kind of talent and friend. Hair was his medium. Brad was the blueprint,” said celebrity makeup artist Billy B.
Those who knew Brad said he lived a life defined by beauty, creativity, humor, generosity, and an unmistakable point of view. Whether through his work or his art he left an impression on everyone who knew him.
“He will truly be missed,” said artist and long-time friend Cindy Sherman, in a statement. “His smile, his sense of humor, his wisdom and grace. Oh, it’s such sad news.”
Born in Pittsburgh in 1955, Brad spent more than four decades working in the beauty industry, determined to become one of the best hair colorists in the world. He honed his craft at some of the finest salons in Manhattan, including Cinandre, Jean Louis David, Clive Summers, and Bruno Dessange.
During his time collaborating with Oribe Canales at Elizabeth Arden, Brad developed his chunking technique, placing lighter hair in big chunks around the face so it resembled “the way a child’s hair looked after a summer at the beach,” according to his memoir.
Brad went on to open his own salon on Fifth Avenue, Manhattan, in 1996, and later worked with Avon and Saks Fifth Avenue.
A gifted painter, and having studied gold and silversmithing, after retiring from the beauty industry in 2019, Brad redirected his creative energy to his art, working with glass to translate his signature techniques into his approach with glasswork to create bold, dynamic pieces.
“Brad was a proper Renaissance man. His creativity never stayed in one lane,” said stylist Jimmy Paul, a fellow Pittsburgh native who worked with Brad at Oribe.
“He made something happen—and the beauty world was never quite the same.”
Donations in his name can be made to the Pasadena Humane Society.
Photo Credit: David Stanko