When Puerto Rican urban exponent Bad Bunny made his debut at the 2022 MET Gala in New York in May, he drew international media attention.
The bad bunny once again asserted his style by walking down the catwalk in an exclusive Burberry cream outfit and a bow on his head. Many might think that Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio’s total “look,” as the artist is called, was a concept developed over months by a large group of fashion and beauty experts. Know that the hair arrangement was decided within minutes of the event and was guided by a Dominican beauty professional who knows the most listened to Latin artist very well.
This is Ybelka Hurtado, a Dominican makeup artist and stylist who has lived in Puerto Rico for 35 years. She boarded a plane 24 hours before the event to fix Bad Bunny for the prestigious appointment and even walked him to the red carpet, the concept of which was “gilded glamour,” a nod to a time in United States history in the The fashion of the upper echelons of American society was opulent. The theme of the gala was “In America: An Anthology of Fashion”.
stolen is a beauty veteran who has distinguished herself for decades through her work in the local film industry, audiovisual projects, television and music scene. A large number of local and international actresses, actors and singers have passed through her hands entrusting her make-up and hair, be it for a film, documentary, video or television project. The professional is an artist when it comes to changing a person.
Here’s how he twisted Bad Bunny’s naturally curly hair into a bun that looked stunning with the Burberry skirt suit.
His friendship with Benedict
The relationship between Hurtado and Bad Bunny It was created about three years ago by the producer Cifredo Villaflores.
Hurtado doesn’t remember the first specific project they worked on, but it was some photos of the artist for a promotion in Europe. Then several months passed and she had the opportunity to fix it another time until she was called again at the beginning of the pandemic and it was Bad Bunny who recognized her by saying: “I worked with you because I remember your looks well.” For special occasions, the beauty professional is contacted because the artist has his own barber.
The memory of the call to take care of Bad Bunny at the MET shakes her.
Bad Bunny arriving at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Gala. (Evan Agostini)“I was shooting Fantasy Island and I see the phone with Cifredo on it and I start shaking because I know it’s Bad Bunny and I’m like, ‘How do I ask permission to film?’ He called me on a Thursday and said Benito was going to the MET Gala and you had to go. In my head I didn’t register it right away and it’s him telling me again that Ybelka is the MET Gala. At that moment I start crying and say give me a few minutes and I called my son in tears. I am very confident and my stress is that no job is more or less for me. I couldn’t evade my responsibility in the production. All jobs are the same and I didn’t want to look bad on the shoot and I told my son. It’s him who said to me, ‘Mom, get on a plane to New York, you know what the MET Gala is. You’ve been here for 20 years and you’ve worked hard. This is a gift’. I tell it and get emotional because the person I had to sacrifice to be able to work is the one that drives me to do it,” the stylist said.
Hurtado traveled to New York on Sunday evening. On his own, he searched for references to the MET Gala theme and “picked up two suitcases with everything you can think of because I don’t know what the concept of Bad Bunny is.” The event took place on Monday, March 3rd.
“The same Monday I see Bad Bunny and we met at 11:00 It was an incredible experience because the Vogue crew was there too. Originally they had thought of a hat and Benito wasn’t convinced. I told him you have beautiful hair, we can do something with your hair. Benito is very aware of what he wants and we started talking and I showed him some things I was looking for but there wasn’t much time to improvise. We started to flow and I would tell you that there was no plan as to what we want but it all flowed. We went horseback riding and horseback riding and we were two hours. Another girl worked on his skin. All that hair is him. I dried her hair and then everything was spontaneous. The best thing about this job at Bad Bunny is that I fly with him. At the gold piece level, he chose the simplest ones,” said Hurtado, who had worked with the Ragman for the cover of Allure magazine before the Big Apple event.
Benito also invited her to ride with him to the red carpet, where Hollywood stars, singers and entertainment personalities were in attendance.
“It was a unique and incredible experience as a Latina, Hispanic and Dominican-Puerto Rican having lived a life here. This boy (Bad Bunny) came to teach us a lot. He’s a visionary, brave, forward-thinking, he’s a genius and he’s only 27 years old. I come from a working-class family. My mom took a Yola to get to work in Puerto Rico, and Bad Bunny proves once again that hard work pays off. That’s what Bad Bunny achieved and showed that things come through hard work,” he said.
during the shooting
the stylist cHe began studying medicine at the University of Puerto Rico, then decided to major in cosmetology when she discovered that fixing her friends made her happy. His first opportunity came 21 years ago. She was hired to fix the makeup and hair of the cast of a film being shot in Puerto Rico. She shared that she was hired by someone who couldn’t walk and since then opportunities started to come.
“I was fortunate to start in this area of cinema with very professional people who showed me a world that other colleagues don’t enter. Here in Puerto Rico there is a team of film technicians who have been in this industry for more than 30 years. It’s a tough job because the shooting is extensive, but I fell in love with the industry and I always defend it,” said the stylist, who has worked on videos and musical presentations.
The difference of his working in a film, whether for a feature film or a TV series like that one recently filmed “Fantasy Island” by actress Roselyn Sánchez, is that it starts with meetings with the production manager to learn more about the concept. Then talk to the actors to see how they view the character.
“I enjoy listening to the actor. For me, the most important thing for the person sitting in my chair is that they feel safe and happy. CI cultivate that a lot, beyond the experience I have, I consider what that person wants, how they see it and how they’re comfortable.” concluded the hairdresser who has worked with Pedro Capó, Daddy Yankee and with the cast of the films Perfume de Gardenias and Picando Alante, to name a few.