A whole you world

After last season’s holidaze splurge, it’s time to focus on YOU.

Empty out last year’s toxins because it’s time for a refill — the pitcher is ready, and if you allow the glass to be full, it will be.

Empty your inbox, start with a clean slate, a blank canvass and allow yourself to indulge in some ME time.

I always have this mindset whenever I enter the realm of Henri Calayag’s hair lair, wherever it may be.  This time, Mother H — as all of us her anaks call Mother Henri — was home for the holidays.  A spanking new home at that, located at the ground level of The Residences at Greenbelt, one befitting a true master of his field. Henri Calayag is home, at last.

After the club and the gym, the salon is my most important personal sanctuary (okay, not discounting the church and your parent’s house) for improvement.  Apparently I am not alone as Henri followers have all followed suit — us Henri disciples have this constant craving for Mother H’s morsels of motherly wisdom — bits and pieces, or shall I say oodles and strands of it.

If there’s one thing that my momma taught me, it’s about not being afraid of change.  Henri is one mighty survivor of change — and each evolution makes him a much better artist, able to mold not just hairstyles, but lives.  In the private confines of any of the booths of his salons, I have been guided, mentored and advised about the subtleties in this fickle industry and beyond.  Yes, this industry can be more volatile than today’s hairstyles.

Entering the Henri Calayag salon, you notice the ultra high ceilings that give a sense of space.  Wooden panels that serve as doors to private rooms give solace to the city’s most discriminating set (who says only clubs have VVIP areas?), all of whom are fans of Henri’s magical hands.  Why magic?  Because with the way Henri cuts, unlike other hairstylists, his cuts grow better, feel better and look even better as each day goes by. Okay, I sound like a shampoo commercial already, but I can’t help but gush whenever I talk about Henri and hair. There’s a certain joie de vivre that gets passed onto you (through your scalp) every time the artist is at work — you just feel this electricity, and after each visit to his salon, you just feel brand new.  And that, ladies and gents, is something beyond price.

Look around and you’ll see very Henri touches.  Zen-like floral arrangements, cute statement tees worn by his staff (Henri’s dream team) and some bolts of exciting color that add pizzazz into a very relaxed atmosphere — all so Henri.  All the reading materials are current (don’t you HATE it when you go to salons where the magazines are at LEAST two years old?) and Henri’s staff is constantly being trained by the master to give only the best service and the cutting edge in cutting.

Theodore’s is my closet

Talking about cutting edge, there’s this new store in Boni High Street which gives me my fashion high.  Last month, Theodore’s doors swung open and fashion lovers this side of the fence all jumped with joy and screamed yay!

Finally something fresh and current as 2008!  The store features over 70 independent brands from Europe to the heart of New York City. And in this market saturated with cookie cutter design, Theodore’s strikes out on its own, teeming with individuality.

Now if there’s one closet I’d like to raid aside from mine, it’s Theodore’s.  Inside, I can get lost and try on everything like the kids in Narnia.  It can transport me to different worlds of wonder where the designer’s creativity reigns Supreme.  Theodore’s is a closet I don’t want to get out of.  With cuts and washes from jeans brands such as Habitual, Sass and Bide, DVB, Rich and Skinny (just the name alone makes me say, “I like!”) and Cheap Mondays, one can truly indulge in a fashion feast.  “No two pairs in each size are alike,” says Pam Gonzales, the creative director behind the new concept store that reminds me of Collette in Paris.  And to kick start our 2008, we all need to get our fashion fuel.  Theodore’s is THE new filling station.

At the store’s private launch, funky cored fashionistas drove in and horded stocks for the coming 2008 party season (that’s all year round).  So expect more Kid Robot hoodies, De Puta Madre ensembles, metallic sneaks from Puma, elite kicks from Superga and Common Projects for our more well-heeled men, and little black dresses for her from Morphine Generation.  This store also carries fashion favorites from Surface to Air to Gsus Industries to the higher end pieces of Miss Sixty.  For those sick of the usual name droppable brand bag, go for the more obscure anti-it it  bags from Leyla, Botkier, Alison Burns and Orla Keily to provide handbag stimulation.

Each nook and cranny of this store provides customers a surprise, giving jaded fashion watchers something to look forward to.

This is the year for change.  The cycle is moving.  The influx of stores, brands, designers and artists signal a certain maturity in terms of taste and buying habits, which can only mean that we are, in one way or another, reaching new heights.  May 2008 be about hair-raising surprises and new ‘dos — don’t be left out.