Stylist Peter Lamas recalls his decades working with high-society icons, including a relationship with Jacqueline Kennedy that spanned from New York salons to her 1968 wedding in Greece, in a newly released book detailing intimate conversations about history, grief, and celebrity culture.
Few figures in the beauty industry can claim a client list as storied as the one Peter Lamas details in his new book, Jackie Kennedy’s Stylist. Over a career spanning decades, the Cuban-born immigrant who arrived in New York as a teen worked alongside legends of the craft, including Vidal Sassoon and Paul Mitchell on Madison Avenue. Those early mentorships laid the groundwork for a trajectory that eventually brought him into the inner circle of high society at Kenneth Battelle’s salon.
From Madison Avenue Apprenticeships to the Kenneth Salon Mecca
Lamas cut his teeth under the watchful eyes of industry pioneers who tested his early talent. They saw my talent and appreciated what I had to offer
, he notes of his time training alongside Sassoon and Mitchell. When he subsequently joined Kenneth Battelle’s salon, he stepped into what he describes as the mecca for high society
, a buzzing hub frequented by models, musicians, and the era’s elite cultural figures.
That salon pedigree opened the door to his most famous partnership. When Battelle was unavailable to style the former first lady’s signature bouffant, he tapped Lamas to fill in. He said, ‘I’m not going to be around tomorrow. You’ll be doing Jacqueline Kennedy’s hair,’
Lamas recalls, admitting that the prospect left him shaken. Soon, Lamas became the go-to stylist whenever Battelle was occupied, eventually transitioning to house calls as aggressive paparazzi made public salon visits increasingly difficult for Jackie during the late 1960s.
Journey to Skorpios and the Two Faces of Jackie
Operating as a trusted stylist who traveled with his scissors, Lamas found himself on the private Greek island of Skorpios in 1968, tending to Jackie’s hair for her intimate wedding to Aristotle Onassis. The celebration offered a rare vantage point on a family navigating intense public scrutiny. Throughout the celebrations, I noticed the complex emotions on display—the Kennedy family’s polite but reserved smiles, Lee’s somewhat forced enthusiasm, and Jackie’s expression that was serene but not quite ecstatic
, he writes in the book.
Lamas observed a distinct evolution in his client over the years, noting that he came to know two distinct personas. There was the dignified, guarded widow of President John F. Kennedy, acutely aware that the entire country watched her every move. Then came the transition into Jackie O following her marriage to Onassis—a shift in style and presence rather than status, marked by an enduring intelligence and confidence.
Candid Revelations on History and Tragedy
The deep trust forged over years of appointments occasionally unlocked private reflections on national tragedies. Years after the wedding in Greece, while preparing Jackie’s hair for an event at Lincoln Center celebrating the legacy of President Kennedy, the conversation turned to the assassination.
Lamas also recounts that Jackie believed movie icon Marilyn Monroe had been murdered by the same people who killed my husband
, expressing absolute conviction that Monroe did not die by suicide.
A Career Shaped by Icons and Wake-Side Tributes
Beyond his years with the former first lady, Lamas’s scissors touched a remarkable cross-section of mid-century royalty, including Grace Kelly, Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn, and Diana Ross. He helped shape Mia Farrow’s iconic pixie cut for Rosemary’s Baby—though he issues a pragmatic warning about the style today: Pixie cuts, you have to be careful with. That’s a very daring, youthful look, and it doesn’t work on everyone. If you happen to be having a large frame or a round face, I don’t recommend it because a pixie cut pronounces the features.
Perhaps the most poignant testament to his discretion and artistry came when Judy Garland passed away. Her daughter Liza approached him with a final, heartbreaking request: Peter, will you make my mother beautiful one last time?
Reflecting on a lifetime of serving as both beauty professional and confidential ear, Lamas simply thought, How could I refuse?
