Suyen Salazar is ready to embark on a new chapter with new hair, a new perspective, and a new space for everyone—including muse Kim Jones— to call their home
This is an excerpt from MEGA April 2024 Artist Confidential story.
On a bright and balmy morning on the twentieth floor of a high-rise building, vibrant energies fill a soulful studio. A few feet away from the entrance is Kim Jones, who is in the process of receiving a braver and shorter hair edit. With her, of course, is Suyen Salazar, at her utmost nature: a sharp pair of scissors in one hand, a finger comb in the other, all while wearing a set of massive velcro rollers. “We are just cutting a few inches of her hair before we start,” she greets MEGA, inviting us to look around her space.
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Every detail demands attention: the curved dark wood wall, the out-of-the-ordinary reception, the wiggle side chair, with each corner appointed with natural sunlight. “I definitely love my mirror the most,” Salazar says, smiling when asked about her favorite element in her studio. “It has to be since it would be one of the only things I would be looking at all day. We positioned it in a way where the focus is just on me and my client. In a way, I want them to feel like they are the only ones in the room.”
On a deeper level, however, her new space is conceived to be more than just a salon—in her words, it’s a “hair home.” Suyen explains further, “I really wanted this space to look more like a showroom, a place for my clients to be comfortable in, and to enjoy more hair services since that’s what my clients have been requesting for throughout the years. Not having my own space definitely limited me. I wanted to continue to grow with my current clients and welcome future clients so that even if they didn’t come in for a haircut, they would still be able to enjoy treatments and other services.”
And that, somehow, explains the reason behind her success: She cares for her clients the same way she cares for hair—with genuine love, care, and sincerity.
On manifesting her career and making it happen
Salazar, who is known for her mastery of minimal, effortless, and understated styles, had an early manifestation of her career. “Hair has always been a part of my life for as long as I can remember,” she recalls. “At thirteen, I would spend most of my time flipping through magazines and ripping out pages where the beauty credits were printed.”
Today, she is one of the most in-demand hairstylists in the Philippines, and has been earning approvals from personalities like Kelsey Merrit, Jess Wilson, Sarah Lahbati, and Kim Jones. “When you’re passionate about something, you never really stop doing it despite what isn’t going right in your career or life,” she contemplates. “Just be patient, and everything will eventually fall into place. Every encounter will lead to another opportunity. There’s so much more to learn, do, and grow. Styles evolve.”
On what is next for the hair artist
Salazar has managed to be exactly where she is meant to be now: in her own hair home, surrounded by the muses she admires the most. Like any thriving creative, her passion, fearlessness, and hard work cemented her success. But then, of course, it’s more than that. Talking about her beauty story allows one to understand why she has reached her coveted status: Suyen Salazar knows exactly how to make her client feel seen and empowered—anyone who sat across her round mirror can testify to that.
And while the future looks bright for the hairstylist, Salazar is not shy to admit that her roots are still growing. “I feel like I’m just getting started,” she says. “I am currently cultivating an amazing team under me, and creating more hair experiences for girls is what I want to focus on next. I strongly believe that listening to my clients and their needs is going to shape the next chapter in my career.”
Read more about how Suyen Salazar became one of the most-in-demand celebrity hairstylists in the country in MEGA’s April 2024 issue, now available on Readly, Magzter, Press Reader and Zinio.
Photographed by JHARWIN CASTANEDA. Art Direction BRIE VENTURA. Fashion Direction RYUJI SHIOMITSU. Styling BITHIA REYES. Sittings Editor AGOO AZCUNA-BENGZON. Makeup KIM ROY OPOG. Fashion H&M PHILIPPINES.
