DUBAI: Lebanese celebrity hairstylist Tony El-Mendelek this week posted a video on Instagram showing himself giving US diplomat Morgan Ortagus a glamorous new hairdo.
In the video, El-Mendelek begins by trimming Ortagus’s hair, focusing on shaping her bangs and the ends with clean, precise cuts. He then proceeds to blow-dry her hair into large, voluminous curls.
“The woman you’ve been all waiting for,” he captioned the video of the Deputy United States Special Envoy to the Middle East.
The post quickly drew praise from fans and industry peers alike. Celebrity makeup artist Bassam Fattouh commented with fire emojis, while others left heart-eyed emojis and messages such as “the best,” “the king,” and “when the magic hands meet the big boss, perfection happens.”
El-Mendelek is known across the Arab world for his decades-long career in hairstyling. Based between Lebanon and Dubai, he has worked on magazine shoots, television programs and runway shows, and was previously the exclusive hairstylist for the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation (LBC).
His salon in Beirut attracts celebrity and bridal clientele, and he is frequently tapped for styling public figures across the Middle East, including Egyptian singer Sherine, Yemeni Emirati singer Balqees, Egyptian singer Amal Maher and Lebanese actress Aimee Sayah, Lebanese singer Nawal El-Zoghbi, Egyptian star Angham and Lebanese music sensation Yara, to name a few.
His portfolio also includes red carpet appearances, weddings and television productions, earning him recognition as one of the region’s most sought-after stylists.
Morgan Ortagus is an American political advisor, diplomat and former television commentator.
Born in Florida, she served as spokesperson for the US State Department from 2019 to 2021. She currently holds the role of Deputy Special Presidential Envoy to the Middle East.
Ortagus began her government career with USAID in Baghdad and later served as an intelligence analyst at the US Department of the Treasury. She also worked in Riyadh as Deputy Treasury Attaché. Outside government, she held private sector positions with Standard Chartered Bank and Ernst & Young.