Vogue Profiles: Rej Hidalgo Makes Room for Experimentation

The hair colorist and Magpatina founder on creative instinct and the family stories that continue to shape her.

If you see someone sporting an unusual haircut, there’s a good chance that Rej Hidalgo made that look happen. A self-taught hair colorist and beautician, she founded the creative hair studio and salon Magpatina, known for its dye-cuts, punk styling, and textured cuts.

From 2011 to 2020, Hidalgo learned by constantly experimenting on herself, even practicing haircuts on her high school classmates. Around 2013, she began giving informal hair services to friends, and during the pandemic, she stepped away from pursuing an art degree to focus on hair experimentation. After she began posting her work online, her haircuts caught the attention of Manila’s punk and alternative community. Of her expansive roster of clients, some are familiar muses: Ena Mori, Raymund Marasigan, Naia, Shanne Dandan, Geloy Concepcion, to name a few

In the interview series Vogue Profiles, we speak with Filipino creatives and cultural voices about their taste, worldview, and inner life, and learn about what informs their creative choices. Below, Hidalgo shares the inner workings of her creativity.

Vogue Philippines: What’s capturing your attention these days?

Rej Hidalgo: One would be my lola, who was a manghihilot (faith healer). I think about her a lot and ask my relatives about her when I get the chance. Nasasayang ako kasi di niya napasa to any of us yung knowledge bago siya pumanaw. Gusto ko kasi sanang matuto (laughs). Pero amazed ako dahil nagmamanifest naturally yung healing tendencies namin from anak nya to apo to apo sa tuhod, kahit iba-iba kami ng field (for example, caregiving, cooks, healing massage, and hairdressing).

What has shaped your creative eye the most?

I believe it’s from my parents’ resourcefulness, my natural urge to play outside my comfort zone, and my father’s made-up story to me when I was little: I asked him about Felix R. Hidalgo, a name I read in our history book; he told me that he was my great-great-great-grandfather. So I thought then that “wow, artistry runs through my veins.” (Laughs) That lie brought me here.

How would you describe your aesthetic—not just in your work, but in the way you live?

Makulit siguro. May pagka-strict pero sobrang unserious.

What do you think people misunderstand about creativity?

Na creativity = visual / performing arts lang. Hindi porket nasa visual arts field ay automatic creative. At saka kahit anong industriya pa yan, kaya maging creative at innovative. 

When do you feel most like yourself?

I try my best to be my honest self regardless of who I’m with.

Is there a ritual or habit you return to whenever you need clarity or inspiration?

Inspiration is easy; it’s everywhere and in our minds, so I don’t really have a ritual for it. In fact, I am overwhelmed by it sometimes, so I make sure to put it on paper so it doesn’t just stay in my head.

Clarity is different. I have to make a conscious effort to pause & reflect for me to get it. Most of the time, doing errands like cleaning the room, doing dishes, or doing laundry gets my mind clearer.

What are you saying through your work that words alone can’t express?

I cannot express it through words either!

Has success changed the way you create—or the way you define success itself?

Who says I’m successful? Basta masaya ako, masaya ka-work ko, isang successful work na ‘yon. Dati pa naman, hanggang ngayon, ganoon pa rin ako mag-isip.

What are you learning to let go of?

People-pleasing.

What kind of legacy do you hope your work leaves behind?

Di ko muna iniisip ito. Feeling ko kasi mawawala yung authenticity if iniisip ko agad yung mga ganitong bagay. Saka na siguro kapag malapit na ma-tegi.