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J.Lo & Other Celebrities Remember Legendary Hairstylist Oribe Canales

Thatiana Diaz
December 17, 2018, 7:00 PM
Photo: David McNew/Getty Images.
Jennifer Lopez at the 2001 Academy Awards with hair by Oribe
Today, the beauty industry is mourning one of its greats: Oribe Canales, the Cuban-American hairstylist who shot to fame working with celebrities and models over the last four decades, has died at 62. "We can confirm that this sad news is true. Oribe was an amazing hairdresser and friend and will be missed," Oribe's team confirmed to Refinery29.
Canales, who dreamed up some of the most iconic editorial and fashion show looks of the '80s and '90s, also founded his eponymous global haircare brand with award-winning products like the cult-favorite Dry Texturizing Spray. And although he had an esteemed résumé — that included working with many notable celebrities and supermodels, including Cher, Naomi Campbell, and Kate Moss — perhaps his most famous relationship was with Jennifer Lopez, who met him on the cover shoot for her first album in 1999.
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This afternoon, Lopez remembered the hairstylist by sharing a montage of photos of the two of them together on set, including a backstage shot from her "Jenny From the Block" music video. "We fell in love with each other. We traveled the world together. And along with Scott Barnes they helped me blossom into JLO," she wrote on Instagram, "He was a true artist.
He made me feel special and beautiful for so long. I could go on and on but I will just say with a heavy heart... Thank you sweet, beautiful man... I will miss you. I love you Oribe... so much.."
View this post on Instagram

When I was 16 I was fascinated with Vogue magazine I would ride on the train and look at all the images of the supermodels and I was obsessed with the hair!! When I saw an image I loved I would check who did it and it was always someone named Oribe... Wow... he’s amazing I would think!! Cut to years later I was making my first album. I started working with Benny Medina and he said to me we have to do an album cover shoot who do you want for hair and makeup... honestly I was so new to the industry I knew no one and remembered my time flipping thru those magazines on the 6 and said ummm Oribe and Kevin Aucoin... Benny laughed and said oh OK! The next 10 years I would spend with Oribe by my side in every waking and working moment. We fell in love with each other. We traveled the world together. And along with Scott Barnes they helped me blossom into JLO. It was a magical and exhausting time...And when I was tired he would say to me... “You are gonna get up and go out there and be beautiful and fabulous bc that your job!!” We’d laugh bc that sounded crazy and then we would get to the business of doing our “job” !! He made me love the glam part of things. Bc he loved it so much and saw it as a powerful tool to empower women. He loved beauty and wanted women to feel beautiful and sexy. He loved the messiness and the imperfection and saw how interesting that was. He was a true artist. He made me feel special and beautiful for so long. I could go on and on but I will just say with a heavy heart... Thank you sweet, beautiful man... I will miss you. I love you Oribe... so much... ?#latinolegend #artistextraordinaire #hairgod #familia

A post shared by Jennifer Lopez (@jlo) on

Lopez joins dozens of celebrities who are also taking to Instagram and Twitter to share a massive outpouring of love for the late hairstylist. "I’d do anything to tell you one more time how beautiful you make me feel .... I love you Oribe. & I Always will," Miley Cyrus wrote. "Tell me this is not true," wrote Naomi Campbell. "Broken beyond words. Beautiful SOUL, there will never be another." Heidi Klum, Cindy Crawford, Debra Messing, and Debi Mazar also posted tributes.
Industry professionals and friends of the hairdresser, like Daniel Martin, Elle, and Molly Roncal, are also expressing their condolences. Longtime friend and celebrity makeup artist Mary Greenwell posted a photo with the heartfelt caption: "I am devastated to hear that my darling friend and work companion has past away. ORIBE is one of the great ‘original’ hairdressers whose iconic status grew alongside the supermodels of the 80’ and 90’. He was a brilliant hairdresser and simply adored by all."
Most recently, Oribe celebrated the 10th anniversary of the brand's Dry Texturizing Spray, the best-selling product that is currently sold once every minute around the world. “I’m so proud of the products we’ve created. I think we have changed the lives of hairdressers," he told Forbes. Clearly, he changed the lives of a lot more people than that.
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