Lourdes Leon is one of the stars featured in the latest beauty book by Colombian-born makeup artist Marcelo Gutierrez. The model and singer is part of a group of New York City celebrities that are celebrated in the 60-page project, which includes Joan Smalls, Gabriette, and many more.
Marcelo, who has created beauty looks for Madonna, Ayo Edebiri, Emily Ratajkowski, and Lila Moss, among others, decided to create 'Nothing Precious' to highlight the talent and beauty while staying true to his aesthetic and using his background as an artist to put together the selection of photos.
“The real value is in the moment of capture, the encapsulation of a moment in time in New York, and the beauty of subversive popular culture," the artist revealed to W magazine. “I felt a desire to celebrate the talent in New York City, the tribe I belong to," he shared.
“Similarly to how some actors do all their prep before shooting and then have to let go and trust the process on set—this is that,” he said about the book. “Sometimes I feel that books, fashion, and image-making get stuck in a space of over-intellectualism,” he explained to the publication. “The academic aspect of it all can, at times, hinder expression, beauty, and fun.”
Photographed by Renell Medrano and Aidan Zamiri, Lourdes can be seen in the book wearing a sheer black dress and rocking a soft glam makeup look including a glossy pink lip.
"New York gives you what you put in,” he said to Dazed magazine. “That’s why I wanted to make 'Nothing Precious,' because it’s given me a family, a community, a narrative, and I wanted to create something tangible to celebrate the scope and range of personalities, beauty, and cultures that are so unique to New York," he added.