This is an excerpt from MEGA April 2025 Artist Confidential
Athena Alberto knows two things to be true about influence. First: its power should not be under- estimated. “Influence, to me, is the ability to impact someone’s day to day life. Whether that’s through opinions you can help them form with your platform or with a product that you are sell- ing them,” she tells MEGA. “It is a form of power and today, more than ever, it is such a valuable form of currency in our society.”
Second: It is not a merit to be above others but a responsibility to do good. “And that is an emphasis on what influence is in the beauty landscape,” she continues. “Creating a more inclusive conversation can help shape a more positive beauty perspective towards ourselves and others. And that is why I want to see the industry celebrate women of all different body types, skin tones, and backgrounds.” That is to say that this hair artist has always been an advocate for beauty inclusivity.
RELATED: Julia Dang and Maya Nilsen Talks Friendship, Growth, and the Return of The LineUp
Athena Alberto, whose clients include NIKI, Jhené Aiko, Paige Desorbo, and Sofia Richie-Grainge, takes pride in her practice. “You will find on my pages women of all differ- ent backgrounds, body, and hair type, and it will always be that way,” she emphasizes. “Inclusivity is the future and everyone is beautiful in their own way.”
On finding her beauty beat
Her mindset, of course, is grounded by her love and passion for her artistry. “Since I started hairstyling ten years ago, I’ve made so many bonds with so many different people. I consider them all my muses because everyone has different hair (which is my canvas), likes, dislikes, and most importantly stories,” she reminisces. “Touching someone’s hair connects you to someone in a way that’s hard to ex- plain. It’s really intimate and when you do it over and over again you create a certain kind of bond with someone and you’re part of each other’s story.” She begins, sweetly looking back at her childhood memories. “I immigrated to America as a child at the age of three. One of my lolas was a professor, and the other one owned a sari-sari store in Isabela. My family always prided themselves on focusing on education and taking the traditional routes to success.”
She adds, “My mom always told me I was maarte even though I had three older brothers. Growing up doing hair and beauty became my outlet and there wasn’t really a specific moment that I fell in love with it, I think it was just always a part of my life.” Soon enough, the artist found herself doing her friends’ hair for events like birthday parties and dances —a scenario that her mom saw so much potential in. “My mom was actually the first one to give me the idea to pursue hair as a career,” she smiles. “She believed in my talent and knew that the traditional route wasn’t really for me. I guess you could say I owe it all to my mom!”
On working with NIKI
“I first met NIKI when she came over and hung out over my kitchen counter in 2020, right before the pan- demic. Since then, we have established a big and little sister relationship, as I am a few years older than her, and we are both serious professionals always striving for the absolute best,” she says. “I’ve been working with her since her first album and seen her grow so much. What I love about our relationship is that as we both continue to grow and reach new levels of success, we grow even closer.”
Athena has been traveling with the singer for the Buzz World Tour, to which she admits gave her the opportunity to unleash her unbridled creativity. “Each show on the tour had a theme which helped,” she describes. “My goal at the end of the day though is always to help Niki stay true to who she is at her core, and of course to make sure that the look holds itself together when she is being a total rock star.”
When asked about what is the best thing about working with a muse-turned-friend, she answers “One of the things I admire so much about her is that she proves that no matter how successful or famous you might become, it’s still possible to remain true to yourself, your values, and those around you who got you to that point. She is so humble and genuine, and I know she will always be that way. The same girl you see on screen or on stage playing arenas, is the same cool girl that I go to karaoke with when it’s just us and our friends.”
On making her next move
“I want to travel back home a lot more, take clients there, and make an impact on the beauty and entertainment industries in the Philippines,” she elaborates. “My goal is to bring my knowledge and style back home, teach what I know to hairdressers there, and to build a clientele so that I can become even more connected to my home, and so that I have another reason to be there even more than I am now.”
It’s inspiring to hear from someone as well-established as the artist to give back — an honorable example on how one can use their influence for good. In our conversation, she also brought light to her non-profit organization called, Start Here Empowerment. “I was so young when my parents decided to take the leap of faith of immigrating to America. If it wasn’t for them making that decision, which took so much courage, hard work, and perseverance, I wouldn’t have come to understand the value of those things and I also wouldn’t have been exposed to all the possibilities available to me,” she says.
Read more about how Athena Alberto is transforming her passion and influence into an inspiring mission in MEGA’s April 2025 issue, now available on Readly, Magzter, Press Reader and Zinio.
Images From: ATHENA ALBERTO and LAUREN TEMORI
