Asian Journal- The Filipino-American Community Newspaper

It must be an innate quality for people in the beauty business. After all, one is most beautiful in a relaxed and leisurely environment.

Exuding an aura of both cheer and calmness despite his hectic schedule, Monet decided to steer clear of his workplace (his salon on Beverly Boulevard) and drove to a quaint coffee place in Larchmont instead for an up close and personal chat with the Asian Journal.

Relaying his life’s tale over cups of brewed coffee, I found out that Monet’s calm demeanor was a stark contrast to the struggles he went through before getting to where he’s at -- an extraordinary beauty expert and a prominent and inspiring social civic figure for the Fil-Am community here in Southern California.

In Monet Salon’s website, Monet is described as “a celebrated cultural figure in the Filipino-American community for many years. His leadership, vision, talent and innovation built his versatile image as beauty queen maker, stylist impresario, events maestro, successful entrepreneur, and one of the Filipino-American community’s most outstanding citizens.”

“As a hairstylist, makeup artist and designer, Monet’s first love is beauty advocacy. He believes that when people feel good about their appearance, they are more apt to move with confidence and put 100 percent in all they do,” the website further elaborates.

With a clientele of Filipino celebrities like Donita Rose, Annabelle Rama and Ruffa Gutierrez and even some big names in Hollywood (like Zsa Zsa Gabor), there is no doubt that Monet Lu’s talent is truly remarkable and exemplary.

Most noteworthy is Monet’s biggest feat, the most prestigious Filipino-American Awards and Fashion Show -- the  Reflections Awards. The Reflections Awards ran for 20 years before giving its final hurrah on November 22, 2008.

Who would’ve thought that Monet’s fate was already written in the stars at a young age? He recounted the innocent time when his vision in life first unraveled.  As a kid, he would make cardboard cutouts of trophies and wrap them in aluminum foil. He would then play pretend with his friends and playmates, giving them his foil-wrapped trophies as awards.

At age seventeen, Monet became prodigious. He started a career in dressmaking and designing. He designed gowns for Santacruzans, prom dresses for his friends, even wedding gowns for the daughters of mayors in the Philippines.

But being young and carefree, Monet didn’t have long-term goals for himself. He even decided to stop schooling, a fact that chagrined his very strict Chinese father and made him decide to leave his son to fend for himself.