Jing Monis: A HAIROGRAPHY


With three Jing Monis Salon, two Hair Philosophie Salon by Jing Monis, Salon Privat by Jing Monis, J/Monis Hairzine, Jing Monis Academy, ON FLEEK show on TV100 app, and now his fourth Jing Monis Salon branch and the newest addition to his family, M Barbers, you could say Jing Monis is definitely at top of his game.

In a career that has thrived for 25 years, Jing Monis’ hairstyling and makeup artistry have never ceased to be in demand by the country’s top photographers, fashion designers, fashion and beauty editors, advertising creative directors, models, celebrity endorsers and a loyal regular clientele ranging from career women to socialites, making him the most versatile and well-rounded player in his field today.

The Birth of the Hair Legend

Starting his career during the local glossy fashion magazine explosion in the, Jing has helped create some of the most groundbreaking images in both magazine editorials and ad campaigns and has been a key force in elevating the art of hairstyling and makeup to a whole new level since then. Since his first editorial shoot for Mega in 1994,and his first cover—a fresh, unforgettable image featuring supermodel Tweetie de Leon that launched Preview in 1995, Jing went on to collaborate with top photographers and stylists on images for countless editorials and covers as well for Cosmopolitan, Metro, Seventeen, Candy, Bride & Home, and Marie Claire. His work would become staple content for top fashion magazines for the next two decades.



His impressive editorial portfolio inevitably sent ad agencies knocking on his door. To date, Jing has worked on print and TV campaigns of top advertisers such as TRESemme, Pantene, Sunsilk, the Nestle series, Myra, Tropicana, Sun Cellular, For Me, Pepsi, Jag, Bench, Jollibee, Bench, Human, Belo, Talk n Text, Eskinol, and Sony Ericsson, just to name a few.

And while photographers and stylists have come and gone in the fast-paced, “one day you’re in, the next day you’re out” fashion world, Jing is still always top of mind. His accomplishments and expertise notwithstanding, industry insiders are lavish in their praise for Jing’s amiable working style and attitude.  “He’s one of the best,” says top fashion photographer Mark Nicdao. “His level of professionalism is on another level—he has taken his craft to a level where everyone looks up to him. Whether in makeup or hairstyling, he has mastered [the art of enhancing] people’s faces. At the same time, he’s fun to work with!” he adds. “He has the eye,” says celebrity stylist and Preview fashion editor Liz Uy. “He knows what’s best for each talent. And he knows what’s ‘now’ and what’s not.”

The Constant Innovator

In spite of all the accolades he has received for his artistry, Jing has made it his mandate to never stop learning. A believer in constantly updating one’s skills and expertise, throughout his career, Jing has never stopped supplementing his work experience with further education, investing in training in the intricacies of hair cutting, coloring and perming techniques as well as in print, runway, bridal, air brush, stage makeup in the world’s best salons and schools, namely: Jacques Dessange in New York; L’Oreal Paris; The Powder Group Academy in New York; the Toni & Guy salons in Sydney, Australia and Singapore; and Le Salon Orient in Hongkong. In 2012 he took courses in Hairdressing and Salon Management at the Schwarzkopf Professional ASK Global Academy in London and attained the honor of being the first Filipino to pass the school’s intensive Master Class exams, said to be the most technical and exacting of its kind. In 2013, he continued his studies at the Toni & Guy, Vidal Sassoon and Hob academies, also in London. He has also freelanced as a hair and make-up artist in these cities, as well as in Kuala Lumpur, Toronto and Brunei. Jing’s dream is “to place the Philippines’ hairdressing industry on the next level, making it more professional.” He encourages his industry fellows to follow his lead to further their learning in order to share their craft with the world.

His A-List Clientele

Not only has Jing has revolutionized and reinvented the images of countless celebrities and created their most unforgettable looks, he has also helped launch some of the country’s most beautiful faces into stardom. In 2011, he handpicked pretty friends Anne Curtis, Solenn Heusaff, Georgina Wilson, Liz Uy, and Bea Soriano to star in his Jing Monis Salon ad campaign, cementing their It Girl group status and catapulting them into collective fame. In 2014, he launched his Pretty Young Things campaign for the salon featuring the freshest new faces in the biz: Jasmine Curtis-Smith, Valerie Weigmann, Catriona Gray, Olivia Medina, Mica Javier, Sam Sadhwani, Andi Eigenmann, and Kylie Padilla, together with Anne Curtis.

Jing’s loyal star-studded clientele includes Judy Ann Santos-Agoncillo, Martin Nievera, Robin Padilla, Janice de Belen, sisters Anne and Jasmine Curtis-Smith, Kathryn Bernardo, Julia Montes, Kylie Padilla and Janine Gutierrez. Fashion plates like Tweetie de Leon, Olen Lim and Joey Mead are also self-confessed Jing Monis addicts. What keeps them coming back to Jing? “According to my clients, even months after I cut their hair, it still looks good and is still manageable,” he says, adding, “But I guess they can tell that I always give my best, I’m always updated when it comes to style and trends, and I always give 100% towards my clients’ satisfaction.” And even when he’s not around in his many salons, he makes sure to maintain “the highest quality of service, professionalism, training and hospitality” in every branch that carries his name. He must be doing something right—Jing Monis Salon was recently named the No.1 Hair Salon by premier lifestyle and city guide Spot.ph in its Top 10 list for 2014.


A Passion for Beauty

Despite the long hours and all the hard work, what he does comes easy for Jing, who is only too thankful for a job that allows him the freedom of creative expression, something most people do not have the luxury of. “I’m passionate about what I do,” he says, “I enjoy it so much, being hands-on about everything, always wanting to keep learning, always keeping updated with the latest trends, and educating my stylists—sharing my knowledge not only with my staff but also with other people who want to learn the craft and be in this industry.” Since 2010, he has made it his mission to give back through educational outreach programs called “Beauty for a Cause” in places like Iriga, Cagayan de Oro, Surigao City, Compostella Valley and in cooperation with TESDA, Eastern Visayas.

In the end, his mission is simple: “To bring out the true beauty that lies within each woman through my craft.” This, he achieves “by giving each woman an individual look that personifies their lifestyle. The right haircut always makes a person stand out from the rest,” he believes. “And when I see my clients happy and confident each time they step out of my salon, that’s the biggest fulfillment for me.”

JL Santiago Aquino

A millennial lifestyle blogger from Caloocan City who adores trying new things. ✨ Email: blog.ph7@gmail.com. Follow @JayL_Aquino on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok & Facebook.

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