Ancient art. Contemporary expression.
Braids, curls and sculptural headpieces, built around your hair rather than a catalogue. Every appointment starts with a conversation, not a price list.
Protective work, done without heat and without tension on your edges.
Four ways to wear it
Each one is quoted after a short conversation about your hair, your length and how long you want it to last. Nothing here is priced off a list.
01
Braids
Box, knotless, cornrows and feed-ins. Protective styles set to hold their shape for weeks.
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02
Curls
Shaping, definition and cuts for textured hair. No heat, no chemical straightening, ever.
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03
Sculptural
Headpieces and statement forms. Hair treated as an object, made for one person and one night.
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04
Editorial
Shoots, campaigns, runway and backstage. Call sheets and rates handled directly.
EnquireBraiding elevated to contemporary art
The full archive lives on Instagram, updated after most appointments.
See the archiveHi. We are a braiding, headpiece and styling studio for hair.
Founded by Sohila Mongy, who spent five years braiding at Cairo's largest braiding studio and has worked with some of Egypt's most exciting artists. Over the last few years headpieces have become the centre of the practice, and her designs have already been worn by artists across the Middle East.
- Experience
- Five years at Cairo's largest braiding studio
- Based
- Alexandria, working across Egypt
- Worked with
- Artists across Egypt and the Middle East
I love everything about braiding.
Sohila Mongy, founder
Open to collaborating on fashion, design and shoots
Of many kinds. Bring the concept in early and the hair gets designed into it, rather than solved on the morning of the shoot. Headpieces can be made to a brief.
Serving looks without frying your hair
Most damage from braiding is avoidable. It comes from tension, weight and leaving a style in too long. All three are decisions made in the chair, so they get made carefully.
- Tension
Checked at the hairline as she works. If a section pulls, it comes out and gets redone.
- Weight
Extension length and density matched to what your own hair can carry, not to the reference photo.
- No heat
No blow-dryers on high, no flat irons, no chemical straightening as prep.
- Take-down
You leave with a date to take it out and instructions for the weeks in between.
Three messages, then a date
There is no booking system to fight with and no deposit taken on this page. It happens on WhatsApp, with a person.
Send a reference
A photo of the look you want, plus your hair length and texture. The form below writes the message for you.
Get an honest read
Whether it suits your hair, how long it will take, what it will cost, and what to prep before you arrive. If it is a bad idea for your hair, she will say so.
Confirm the date
Your slot is held once you confirm. The address is sent to you then, not before.
Braiding is not a trend. It is an African and Afro-diasporic practice thousands of years old, carrying language, status and belonging long before it carried fashion.
gyal.do takes its name from Caribbean patois. The work is offered with that lineage named rather than borrowed quietly, and every client is told where the style they are asking for comes from.
The questions that come up most
Where are you based?
Egypt, with clients across the country. The studio address is shared once your appointment is confirmed rather than published here.
Why are there no prices on the site?
Because the same style costs differently depending on your hair length, density and how much extension it needs. A list would either overcharge you or undercharge her. You get a firm number on WhatsApp before you commit to anything.
Do I bring my own hair or extensions?
Tell her the look you are after and she will confirm exactly what to bring, in what colour and how many packs, before your appointment. Never buy anything before that message.
How long does an appointment take?
Anywhere from a couple of hours to a full day depending on the style and your hair. You will get an estimate in writing before you confirm, so you can plan the day around it.
Will braids damage my hair?
Badly installed ones will. Tension at the hairline, too much weight and leaving a style in past its date are the three causes, and all three are managed here. If your hair or edges are not in a state to carry the style you want, she will tell you and suggest something that works instead.
Do you work with all hair types?
Yes. Coily, curly, wavy and loose textures all sit in the portfolio. The technique changes with the texture, which is exactly why the style gets discussed before it gets booked.
Do you take shoots and events?
Yes, for editorial, campaigns, runway and bridal. Message with your dates, location and call time and she will come back on availability and rates.
Write your first message
Fill this in and it opens WhatsApp with the message already written. Nothing is sent from this page and nothing is stored.
Messages are usually answered within a day. Egypt now, the wider region in time.