Passing the Baton

Pin Antonio shares her brilliance through her genes by being not the sole Antonio who’s working towards the ascent of the hairstyling industry as Salon De Manila and Antonio Hairdressing’s very own Adlai Peter Antonio crashes into the limelight.

Adlai was given another chance to showcase his talent for the second time as he was recently chosen to represent the Philippines as one of the best hairstylists in Asia for “BEST OF ASIA BY WORLD TOUR” conducted by a world famous brand in hairstyling held in Macau last May 18-21, 2009. MATRIX is the no. 1 in American Salons collaborating with various professional hair products such as Biolage, Matrix Essentials, Matrix Men and Vavoom for haircare and styling. Being one of the nation’s most sought after precision haircutters and creative colorists, Adlai is surely making his own reputation resound as a way of solidifying the Antonios place in the hair industry. He also has been launched as one of the interpreters of the Davines Matinee Collection at the Davines World Style Contest last year where he represented Salon de Manila. It was his chance to unveil his talent and his first break to display his own expertise, creative ideas and his acquired knowledge from his mentors, her mother and Salon de Manila’s head colorist, Lilia Lacbayen.

Adlai has the clientele not all 23 year-old budding stylists have. Among the long list of clients are Claudine Baretto-Santiago, Kyla and Carmina Villaroel.

The young International School of Culinary Arts graduate hopes to someday be known more than Adlai the son of the “Queen of Styles”. He wishes that one day, he would be recognized as one of the world’s best hairstylists. As Adlai puts it, people expect a lot from him being the son of Pin Antonio, the “Hairdresser to the Stars.” But the proud mother said she is thrilled for her son and she is proud of him because he is passionate with his craft so at the outset of the chic lad’s hairstyling career, she sent him to Malaysia and Singapore for training on hair coloring. “I learned from my mom and I improved through the trainings,” Adlai enthuses. Naturally the stylish Adlai has his own compartment of ideas that is uniquely his own and that makes him wow his customers more by making them feel happy about themselves after he does his magic.

His background in culinary arts helped stir his passion for satisfying the taste of the client. “I realized that precision haircutting and creative coloring is similar to cooking... the clients choose their dish; make it superb with the right mix and match the ingredients to suit their taste and sooner than you know, they'll just keep on coming back to you for more,” equips Adlai. This young and fine-looking stylist shares he likes chilling out with friends and travelling aside from his interest in cooking and hairstyling.

Adlai’s interest in hairstyling though came with a little delay as he really didn’t expect to be in the hair industry albeit his lineage being famous in their craft. “Since my mom is in it, I tried to give it a shot. I tried it and I felt it in my veins that I would excel on this field,” he shares. That certain loving feeling got his mind set to making his mama proud and he is certainly is making the mother of hairstyling creativity so thrilled and pleased by his evolution as an artist.

After more than 20 years of pegging the name Antonio to the hair industry, come another generation of Antonio hairdressers. Two more younger Antonios are also into some serious beauty business. Malkha Marist Antonio is expert on doing hair extensions. Malkha who studies Liberal Arts in the UP Open University doesn’t want to let fear and young age hinder her from materializing God’s plan for her. “Sharing my skills with my clients and being able to feel fulfilled hearts both ways is what I love most about my profession,” Malkha says. Angel Locsin entrusts her extensions to Malkha. While Malkha and Adlai work wonders on people’s hair, Scion Raphaella Antonio-Mangundayao is a genuine artist on people’s faces as she is the head make-up artist of Salon de Manila. “It doesn't feel very different from painting. The only difference is I'm "painting" on a person's face, not on canvas. I like the idea of bringing out a person's (particularly a woman's) best features and enhancing one's beauty through make up and skin care... Plus, I have a fetish with colors and brushes,” shares Scion, who’s a UST Fine Arts and Design graduate. Her clients include famous artists. Scion steadfastly articulates she’s not aiming for popularity or being "the best" or "the greatest". Anyone can be "THE best" or "THE greatest" and she would rather be recognized as a different kind of artist with her own sense of art and style. “I just want to enjoy and excel in my work,” says Scion.

Taking after the senior Antonios (Pin and Ruby Tubig) who pioneered Salon de Manila in 1983, the business is believed to be shared and passed on to equally talented and passionate younger generation that is a wise way to keep the corporation’s mission and vision true to the last strand of hair. The Antonios were set to beautify Manila back then. Expanded and took on a larger territory they revamped faces and confidence outside the city. Salon de Manila stretched out and took on an even larger field by putting up more branches and increasing clientele. They improve inside out. They get better externally and internally. They pass on their legacy.

Adlai, Scion and Malkha are living up to Antonio sisters’ legacy. They live on the zeal and fascination to beauty by supplementing their seniors’ brilliance with their own genius as they continue to wow not only the country but the whole Asia by their style and elegance.