María Zardoya’s beauty and fashion are as cinematic and cool as her music: 'I felt so chic'

When María Zardoya takes the stage, she doesn’t adopt a persona, instead, she amplifies who she already is. The frontwoman of The Marías is known for her hypnotic voice and lush, dream-pop sound, but her visual world is just as defining, vintage, sensual, and with a distinct cinematic vibe.

“There’s not much difference between performance María and normal María,” she told Vogue in a recent interview. “I use the same makeup on and off the stage. Just try to keep things natural, fresh, and sometimes a little grungy.”

© Arturo Holmes

When it comes to her glam, she likes to keep it effortlessly cool. “I always loved visiting my brother and sister-in-law in New York because they had the nicest things,” she explained. “When I stayed in their apartment in Manhattan, I felt so chic and cool. And she’d let me use her makeup, like this gold wand that was a highlighter and concealer duo. It was magic.” 

That sense of self-expression carries over into how she dresses, both on and off the stage. Zardoya’s fashion roots trace back to childhood. “My mom tells this story all the time,” she told Coveteur. “She says that when I was one… she’d go into the closet and just swipe through the clothes and I’d be like, ‘No, no, si, no, no, si.’”

© Dana Jacobs

Later, it was Selena who lit the spark. “I was just obsessed with her style and these bustiers and the bedazzled bras,” she shared. “I remember I was too young to wear a bra, but I made my mom go to the store and buy me a bra and sew little beads on it… then I would put it on and dance in front of the mirror.” 

© Mauricio Santana

As a teen, pop icons like Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Lauryn Hill, and TLC were among her biggest influences. “That was the media I was consuming, so I thought that was the coolest,” she said. Even today, her love of visual storytelling defines The Marías’ aesthetic. 

“The visual world, in general, is something that I’ve always loved and gravitated towards,” Zardoya said. A film major in college, she credits Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar as a key inspiration. “His use of color and use of red in his films… that attention to detail was also really inspiring for me,” she said. “Then I was like, ‘How can this work for The Marías?’” 

© Natasha Moustache

Vintage clothing is a constant in her wardrobe, as is collaboration. For tours and shoots, she often works with stylist and close friend Courtney Trop. “A lot of the time, we’ll just go into her closet because she has really amazing pieces,” she explained. 

© Mariano Regidor

“I think when artists work with stylists, they gravitate towards people who have a similar style… but it’s also a very collaborative effort. It’s not like the stylist being like, ‘Here, wear this.’” 

And while she’s always aware of aesthetic impact, comfort is non-negotiable. “Especially for the stage, I approach that a little bit differently than a shoot or an editorial,” she noted. “I want to feel 100 percent comfortable… I also like to crowdsurf, so I’m really cognizant of what I’m wearing.”