Mari de Monte is a seasoned men’s hairstylist whose point of view is at the intersection of art, music, and grooming. As the daughter of an art history professor and a mechanic who once worked as a roadie for Donna Summer, Elton John, and Ringo Starr, her mother and father (respectively) shaped her perspective from an early age.

Mari has been cutting hair for over 10 years and has worked for some of the world’s premier men’s salons including Martial Vivot Salon Pour Hommes and Fleischman, A Men’s Salon, where she honed her skilled handwork. In 2017, Mari opened her own studio in Chelsea, New York City, where her clients range from businessmen to musicians. Mari’s approach to haircutting is about accessible luxury: a highly personalized experience where her clients’ lifestyles are taken into consideration—as are their opinions—without the traditional salon prices.

Some of her most notable clients have included members of rock bands U2, The Tubes, and Blue Öyster Cult, along with actor Luke Evans. Mari and her work have been featured in BlackBook magazine, a shoot for Nike, and she styled the hair for menswear designer Michael Bastian’s SS ’12 show during New York Fashion Week.

Tell us about the moment you knew that one day you would be a hair stylist?

I had recently gotten “kicked out” of college (I hated college and skipped all my classes to get lost in the woods most of the time.) where I was studying acting and I returned home lost and wildly wildly depressed. I felt I had no goals or structure in my life. I felt that because I didn’t want to do the traditional “college thing” that I must have been a failure. In the lifestyle that I was raised in, you followed those rules. Work hard in high school, get good test results, go to college. I couldn’t understand why that narrative worked for all of my friends but it didn’t work for me. I begain to think unhealthy thoughts and wanted to hurt myself.

I knew I couldn’t live my life feeling this way and I finally told my parents how depressed I truly was. They were beyond supportive and started to get proactive with my mental state. After some therapy and medication I still didn’t know what I was going to do with the rest of my life. My mother was the one who suggested I give cosmotology a try. It was creative, it involved using my hands and kept me social and active… all things that i so desperately needed at the time. On the first day of school I knew that this was my calling and it honestly saved my life. Cutting hair, making people feel good about them selves… there is nothing more fullfilling than seeing you’re craft is worth something and people appreciate it. I never looked back after that. A year later I was in New York City and working next to some of the best men’s stylists in the world. The rest is history.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

I see myself in my own studio with a record player, traveling the world to teach the art of men’s grooming and qualifying for the Boston marathon. Hopefully I’ll have that husky I’ve always wanted.

A product you would pay (gasp) retail for…

dpHue apple cider vinegar hair rinse!!!! Yes yes yes yes yesssss

What’s one thing you would have told yourself on the first day of cosmetology school knowing what you know now?

Go to bed earlier. Never listen to those who demand respect, only those that deserve it.

You’ve ran a TON of races/marathons, what’s been your best running memory to date?

I would say this past New York City marathon. In 2016 I fell pretty hard during the marathon and couldn’t finish the race. I was so frustrated with myself and depressed by the outcome. I felt ashamed and lost. You spend up to 6 months training for this one big race… and I couldn’t even finish. I remember there was an after party for all my running colleagues who ran, all of them wearing their medals with pride and I felt so ashamed. I didn’t want to go. I mentally decided that I was done running New York City marathon and that maybe it wasn’t the race for me. A year later just week after I ran the Berlin marathon, my coach (@firstrun) told me “I think you should run New York.” I was skeptical and had just finished my fastest marathon in Europe. What was the point in bringing up all that bad energy from the New York marathon again? He told me to trust him. He said “look at it like a parade for you.”

This idea of “Mari’s redemption NYC marathon” got so big that Nike made an ad for it. Which only built up more excitement about the big day.

I can’t even begin to tell you how much Joy and graditute I felt as I ran through the New York streets. I told myself that I was really going to enjoy every moment of that race. Redemption NYC 2017. I stopped and hugged every friend that was out there cheering, I high fived every kid on that 26 mile course. I had so much fun just celebrating running that I fell in love with the city all over again. When I crossed the finish line I had the overwhelming emotion of pride and love that I broke down in tears. Which of course a friend who is a photographer (@notafraid2fail) captured (ugly crying. Not cute crying) but I love that photo so much. I loved that day so much. It taught me that you have the control to change the story.

What do you think the biggest struggle stylists are experiencing in the industry today?

I never know if social media has more helped or hindered the industry… I fall into its trap myself. I’ve been doing high end men’s hair for close to 14 years in the most luxury based men salons in the country… but I still struggle with how much weight social media holds inside the industry. Its not enough anymore to just be a great stylist. You have to be a great photographer, a great story teller, geat at networking… it’s a lot of hats to wear and I worry sometimes that a lot of us concentrate on one and not others. Finding balance in all aspects of being behind the chair while having a strong presence online is difficult. It wasn’t anything that existed 10 years ago when I was working on magazines or fashion week runways. It wasn’t something that was taught in beauty school. It’s something you have to teach yourself. I’m still learning the delicate balance.

Something most people don’t know about you.

I’m named after my grandmother who was born in Burma (now called Myanmar) my aunt also was born there before they fled to England. I feel a strong connection with that side of my blood line and love to make Burmese food. I once even spent two weeks in Myanmar and took a cooking class. My favorite food/meal to eat/make for friends is golden egg curry. It’s supposed to bring you good luck and is a meal to make before a job interview or any other event where you might need a little extra luck.

What traumatic hairstyle have you been guilty of rocking?

Whatever this is. (Sick parrot? Happy emo?)

Where does your love of country music come from? Is that how you got into DJ-ing?

My mother was originally the one who got me into Willie Nelson… and for whatever reason growing up I always was drawn to cowboy boots and snap button ups and hats. The love for vinyl in general came from my father who was born in Liverpool England and loves all things original punk. I remember him listening to the specials, the clash and the ramones on the old Sony turntable we had growing up. He still has that turntable and he stills collects records. They both have gotten into blues though lately.

DJ-ing was something I always daydreamed about. I set up a little mixer with two turntables in my apartment and used to have friends come over and just hang out, spin for each other. Soon it got pretty big and crowded in my apartment. So my two friends decided to make it public. Now we dj together once a month in a bar in Brooklyn.

Words you live by

Always move forward.

In art, in your career, in running. You will fall, you will get let go, you will make mistakes but you have to keep moving forward whether it’s running, walking or crawling. You have to keep moving forward.

I knew I was a Hair Nerd when…

I had finished 60 clients in 4 days and was still watching YouTube videos of different artists’ fading techniques on the train home (exhausted and covered in sweat and hair). I remember coming home and my boyfriend pointed at me and said “you brought work home again” because I had hair all over my face. I knew then I couldn’t mask my nerdiness

Where can people stalk you?

You can find me at @mdm_grooming on instagram and my website at mdmgrooming.com for all things professional and hair related. @whiskeyandgoatsmilkfor all things running and personal related. And you can see me spin records with my two friends and team mates, jeggi (@paavozatopek) and knox (@firstrun) (together we are Personal Records) every third Sunday at a bar called Lovers Rock in Brooklyn.