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You’ve seen their work everywhere–on magazine covers, the runways, and your favorite pop star. Hairstylist Evanie Frausto and makeup artist Marcelo Gutierrez are two of the most sought-after celebrity beauty artists, known for their work on Sandy Liang’s shows and with A-listers like Dua Lipa. With a partnership akin to this generation’s Guido Palau and Diane Kendal, another legendary makeup-and-hairstylist team known for collaborating on everything from Prada runways to editorial photoshoots, this new duo represents the future of fashion and changing beauty standards. “We came from a place of rejecting the intense perfection and homogeneity of what fashion used to be, and having an interest in authenticity and humanity,” Gutierrez says.
As they were coming up in their careers, and the industry underwent major shifts, their friendship and working partnership became essential. “It was a really interesting time in New York and in fashion,” says Gutierrez, looking back at the early 2000s. “Things transitioned from the status quo of [being] very traditional, very Eurocentric. In the early 2010s, when supermodels like Paloma started getting their space, teams started shifting and fashion started to change.”
From there, the collaborations continued. “We’re best friends. Like, Evanie is literally my sister. People walk into an environment that’s very chill. It’s super comfortable,” Gutierrez says about the pair’s energy. “It’s like we have a job where we get to travel the world and do it with a best friend,” says Frausto, the day after styling Sabrina Carpenter for the VMAs.
That authenticity is impossible to miss, and it’s evident in their work, and most obviously, in the clients who come back again and again. Below, they explore how they got to their position in the industry, beauty philosophies, and how it feels to have another Latinx artist in the room.
Marcelo Gutierrez
Evanie Frausto
How did you two meet?
Evanie Frausto: We were both booked to do an editorial for Opening Ceremony with Gabbriette in 2017. It was the first photoshoot for both of us. It was such a funny coincidence, and also an iconic one.
Marcelo Gutierrez: Evanie and I always find ourselves in situations where we’re like, “Oh my God, look what we’re doing now, and look how far we’ve come.” Our story is also so intrinsically tied to the story of New York in the last 10 years. Opening Ceremony doesn’t exist anymore. So many incredible artists and creatives who are now in strong positions also came up through similar channels.
What do you think are your most iconic moments?
Gutierrez: You don’t really appreciate work, art, and things that have been created until enough time has gone by where you can see where they land in the grand scheme of things. Evanie and I were working very, very honestly, constantly, and authentically, and busting our asses and having an amazing time. We were doing things that you now see a TikToker recreate. It’s really strange.
Frausto: As artists, you’re just in the moment. Your head is focused on what you’re doing now. [It’s only] later, [that] you’re like, Oh wait, like that kind of was iconic. Sandy [Liang] for sure, like the hair. It’s been really cool to see so many people recreate it. When I just worked with Gaga, she was like, “I want people to be me for Halloween.” I [also] had a little run with Lil Nas X. All the people who were him for Halloween that year wore the long red braids, recreating all the crazy wigs that I had made on him. That was really cool.
Lady Gaga, hair by Evanie Frausto
Sandy Liang autumn/winter 2023, hair by Evanie Frausto, makeup by Marcelo Gutierrez
Gutierrez: The most iconic thing we’ve done is this pairing, and the consistent, creative collaboration that is so trusted. Evanie and I did a cover [for Vogue] with Dua Lipa. I remember Dua came in and was like, “You guys are apparently the best thing in town.” This collaboration between Evanie and I speaks volumes. We’ve moved through spaces from high fashion to pop stars to rap stars, like Evanie with Gaga, and me with Madonna. We’ve basically done every cover. It speaks to our ability to be chameleons in multiple spaces.
Why do you think you work so well together?
Frausto: We just have such an incredible bond. We’re naturally really good friends. We make the environment feel positive and good. We really trust each other. We know how take a brief, dissect it, and understand the assignment at hand. We’re okay to be the supporting character for each other. In image-making, there has to be harmony, and we’re good at getting that.
Gutierrez: The real work is in the silent language that Evanie and I have. We low-key read each other’s mind after [a client] describes the brief. We don’t even really discuss it much anymore. Now, we just start working. Many times, people don’t even tell us what to do. They’re just like, Go and we’re like, Period.
We have a mutual goal of creating a beautiful image and not ruining it with either of us trying to be the main character. We know when it’s a hair/makeup moment, or styling moment. At the end of the day, we have a lot of respect for each other and each other’s work. There’s no ego in the way. Fashion can be very political, but between Evanie and me, there’s literally no politics. Nobody has to be uncomfortable around us.
Paloma Spain spring/summer 2025, makeup by Marcelo Gutierrez
How did you both get started in the industry?
Frausto: My background is assisting. I was Jimmy Paul’s first assistant, and then before that, I worked with Laurent Philippon as his first for half a year. I was with [Jimmy] for three years, and he really taught me a lot about the business. I met a lot of people through him. I met Bella [Hadid] when I was assisting, and that’s how I got my foot in the door.
Gutierrez: I was born in Colombia, and then I immigrated to the United States with my family when I was seven. My background is in painting and performance art. I was clubbing and hustling literally nonstop every night in New York. When I decided that I wanted to pursue makeup as a career, I wasn’t sure how to go about it. Then suddenly, Pat McGrath found me on Instagram. She flew me out to LA for a weekend. She sat me down and encouraged me to ask her any questions and to take this very seriously, because I wasn’t, really. Then once I started–after McGrath convinced me to–I really took it on aggressively and went for it, and it worked out. To this day when I see her, she’ll give me a really big hug and tell me how she’s really proud of how how far I’ve come.
Luar spring/summer 2025, hair by Evanie Frausto
Sandy Liang fall/winter 2023, makeup by Marcelo Gutierrez
How do you feel like the industry has changed since the early 2000s?
Frausto: We came into the industry when there was a shift and things started to [become] a lot more diverse. When we came in, other than Yadim, we were the only Latinx, queer people in the industry.
Gutierrez: We were the only Latinx, queer-identifying artists, working at the level at which we were working.
Frausto: When I wasn’t [working] with Marcelo, there were many times in the beginning when I was like, Whoa, I’m the only one. It was really special to be able to be on this come-up journey with Marcelo. It felt like a safe space. Things have come a long way, and they could go further. But there has been a big shift and focus on diversity amongst casting and talent, and we were at the very beginning of it.
Gutierrez: We were a combination that proved to be really fresh and modern, and didn’t feel like a regurgitation of what had already been seen. Evanie and I have never subscribed to traditional ideas of beauty. [Our art] was playful, but it was still beautiful. We work with artists, musicians, photographers who also like to push the envelope and needle forward. We’re lucky to have the support of so many artists who have been changing the way things work as well.
Jelly Zine, hair by Evanie Frausto, makeup by Marcelo Gutierrez
What do you hope for the next generation of artists?
Frausto: My hope is to inspire kids: brown kids, kids of color, kids who are immigrants in this country, or are from a family of immigrants. There is a way in which you can make your own American dream come true. Growing up in this country, you’re [often] taught a traditional formula. For me and Marcelo, we couldn’t have a big college experience, because we didn’t come from households that could financially back us. It’s important to continue to inspire kids to see that there are alternative ways of making your own American dream come true. If you dedicate yourself to whatever craft that you pursue, there are other other ways.
Gutierrez: We’ve approached our lives, work, and personal selves in alternative ways. We’ve gone about our careers in very independent, unique, and personal ways. That’s also been the strength in both Evanie’s and my work. What has been our strength, and why people are drawn to us as a duo and individually, is that our work is very honest to us. It’s very honest to our friends, our community, and to current times, really. What I love about fashion is that it’s constantly obsessed with the new and and with reinventing itself. It gives artists like Evanie and I the agency to try and restructure what already existed.
What are your personal beauty philosophies?
Gutierrez: I’m a makeup artist, but I’m not the kind of makeup artist where I’m a fan of makeup itself. I don’t necessarily want you to look at the photo and see only makeup. I just don’t creatively think like that. I prefer to build on an image versus just my own look. I’m a fan of really gorgeous, luxurious, beautiful skin.
Frausto: I love to continue to push the boundary. I love highlighting space for things that are not traditionally beautiful, but can become beautiful. If I could ever have a say in casting, it would always be more diverse. What keeps me satisfied me is having the range. [I can do] Sabrina [Carpenter]’s gorgeous, hot, Hollywood hair; a Luar sculpture; a very eccentric, camp character with Gaga; and [then] all the polished hair in between.
Sabrina Carpenter at the VMAs
What’s it been like working with Sabrina?
Frausto: Her hair is so satisfying for me to do, because it requires so much technique. You have to do an old-school blowout set with rollers, a perfect curling iron set, tease and apply extensions, and then brush it out. It’s just amazing to see her get her flowers and to be at the VMAs with her. My background is really more fashion, and with Sabrina, we have to really make sure that [the hair is] extra secure. I can have the darkest thoughts like, The wig is gonna fall off, the wig is gonna fall off. [But] it never does.
What’s next for you both? Evanie, are you going on the Short n’ Sweet tour?
Frausto: No, I’m just going to do her opening day. I was actually with Sabrina yesterday. We were doing something special. There’s also more to come on Hair by Evanie. Since the beginning of my career, I’m been very specific with the hair pieces that I use. It has to be quality hair and laced and constructed a [special] way. I partnered with a factory and just developed the products without even realizing it. It’s a combination of wigs, extension, and ponies. It’s a very, very small business of just me, but it’s really fun to be able to share what I do with more people, especially [those who] aren’t necessarily in our industry.
Gutierrez: Selfish plug: I’m coming out with my first book in November. It’s called Nothing Precious and shot by Renell Medrano and Aidan Zamiri. Zamiri did all of Charli’s Brat videos. It’s a whole new body of work, creative directed by me, [with] obviously makeup by me. It really shows the scope, from beautiful skin moments to fully abstracted body moments. It features Joan Smalls, Lola, Raul [Lopez], Paloma [Elsesser], [with a] forward by Lily-Rose [Depp]. Evanie has a double-page spread debut. It’s a love letter to the last decade in New York, and everyone [who] has been so integral to this era. We’re celebrating it and also creating a space for 20 years down the line. We will be able to look back at this time and be like, “Do you remember this?”
ELLE June 2023, hair by Evanie Frausto
ELLE April 2023, makeup by by Marcelo Gutierrez
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Tatjana Freund is Hearst’s Fashion & Luxury Commerce Editor, covering beauty, fashion and more across multiple brands. Previously, she worked at ELLE.com and Marie Claire. She’s a fan of whiskey neat, podcasts that give her nightmares, and one time Zoë Kravitz laughed at a joke she made.