From international runways to the beauty lab, Marianne Fonseca has spent her career looking at beauty from a close-up perspective. The Brazilian-born former model, who worked with luxury houses including Dior and Versace, noticed a curious imbalance in the industry: while facial skin care was increasingly sophisticated, the body was still largely being treated to little more than lotion.
That observation became the starting point for Gente Beauty, the body care brand Marianne founded to bring together Brazilian beauty rituals, modern cosmetic science and a more intentional approach to caring for the skin from head to toe. Now stocked in Nordstrom stores nationwide, Gente has carved out a space in a rapidly evolving category, with products spanning lymphatic drainage-inspired rituals, body firmness and fragrance.
With the recent launch of Belly Firm and a fragrance collaboration with her husband, The Chainsmokers’ Drew Taggart, Marianne is continuing to build on that original idea while challenging some of the beauty industry’s long-held assumptions about body care and confidence. Here, she talks about making the leap from modelling to entrepreneurship, the Brazilian rituals that shaped her approach to beauty, and why the future of body care could be far more sophisticated than the humble bottle of body lotion.
1. You’ve gone from walking for luxury fashion houses like Dior and Versace to building your own beauty brand. What sparked that shift from model to entrepreneur?
Modeling gave me a front-row seat to the beauty industry. I worked with some of the world’s best makeup artists, photographers, and skincare experts, but one thing always stood out to me: so much attention was given to the face, while the body was almost an afterthought.
Growing up in Brazil, body care wasn’t separate from beauty, it was beauty. Lymphatic drainage, body massage, nourishing oils, and taking care of your skin from head to toe were simply part of our culture. As I traveled the world, I realized that philosophy barely existed internationally.
I didn’t set out to become an entrepreneur. I simply wanted to bring something I genuinely believed people were missing. Gente was born from that desire to share a piece of Brazilian beauty culture with the rest of the world.
2. As someone who spent years in the beauty and fashion world, what gap did you see in the market that inspired you to launch Gente Beauty?
I saw two major gaps.
The first was that body care had become incredibly functional, it was mostly about moisturizing, but it wasn’t delivering meaningful results or innovation.
The second was that Brazilian beauty had become known mostly for one category, when, in reality, our beauty culture is incredibly rich. Brazil has generations of rituals, botanical ingredients, and wellness practices that deserved a bigger platform.
I wanted Gente to bridge those worlds by combining Brazilian traditions with modern cosmetic science to create products that actually transform the skin while making people enjoy taking care of themselves.
3. You’ve said body care has long been treated as an afterthought compared to facial skincare. Why do you think the beauty industry overlooked this category for so long?
I think consumers were taught to believe that the face deserved investment, while the body simply needed lotion.
Meanwhile, we expose the skin on our bodies to the same sun, environmental stress, aging, hormonal changes, and collagen loss.
For years, innovation focused almost exclusively on facial skincare. Today, consumers are becoming much more educated, and they’re asking a simple question: If we invest in our face, why wouldn’t we invest in the rest of our skin too?
I think we’re witnessing the beginning of a completely new era in body care.
4. Gente is deeply rooted in Brazilian wellness rituals, especially lymphatic drainage. Can you explain why this practice is so central to Brazilian beauty culture?
In Brazil, lymphatic drainage isn’t viewed as a luxury treatment, it’s simply part of self-care.
Women often start receiving treatments at a young age, whether before special occasions, after pregnancy, or simply as part of their regular wellness routine.
It’s not just about aesthetics. It helps reduce fluid retention, supports circulation, and makes you feel lighter and more connected to your body.
Growing up, these rituals were completely normal to me. Later, I realized they were almost unknown in many parts of the world. Gente became my way of introducing that Brazilian philosophy to a global audience.
5. Many women are now embracing beauty rituals that feel intentional rather than performative. How does Gente fit into that shift toward wellness-driven beauty?
I love seeing that shift because beauty is becoming less about perfection and more about how you feel.
Our products encourage people to slow down for a few minutes every day, massage their skin, reconnect with their bodies, and create rituals they actually enjoy.
Of course, we formulate products to deliver visible results, but we also want those moments of self-care to feel grounding rather than stressful.
For me, confidence starts with taking care of yourself, not trying to meet someone else’s standards.
6. Gente is one of the first brands to use Drosera ramentacea. What excited you about this ingredient, and what makes it different?
We’re always searching for ingredients that aren’t simply trending but actually offer something new.
Drosera ramentacea immediately caught my attention because of its remarkable ability to help improve skin firmness and elasticity. It’s a fascinating botanical with incredible potential, yet very few brands had explored it in body care.
What excites me most is combining ingredients like this with clinically supported actives, so we’re delivering innovation that’s backed by science rather than marketing.
7. Building a brand from scratch is never easy. What has been the toughest lesson in scaling from startup to landing in Nordstrom stores nationwide?
Patience.
People often see the exciting milestones, but they don’t see the years of uncertainty behind them.
Building a beauty brand requires resilience because you’re constantly solving new problems, from formulation and manufacturing to fundraising and retail partnerships.
Landing in Nordstrom was an incredible milestone, but it wasn’t one big moment. It was the result of thousands of small decisions made consistently over many years.
8. As a founder, how do you balance creativity, product innovation, and the commercial realities of running a fast-growth business?
I think creativity has to solve real problems.
It’s easy to create beautiful packaging or exciting marketing, but if the product doesn’t perform, none of that matters.
Whenever we’re developing something new, we start by asking: What problem are we solving, and can we solve it better than what’s already out there?
When creativity and science work together, that’s where the strongest brands are built.
9. Your latest product, Belly Firm, targets stretch marks and body contouring—areas many women care about but often feel uncomfortable discussing. Why was it important to address this?
Because these are incredibly normal experiences.
Bloating, changes after pregnancy, weight fluctuations, and skin losing firmness happen to almost everyone at some point.
I never wanted to create products that suggest these things need to be hidden or “fixed.” Instead, I wanted to give people options if improving the appearance of their skin makes them feel more confident.
There’s a big difference between shame and choice. Gente is about giving people choices, never pressure.
10. You collaborated with your husband, Drew Taggart, on fragrance #2. What was it like blending business, creativity, and partnership in that process?
It was a really fun experience because fragrance is incredibly emotional.
Drew has an amazing sense of music and emotion, and I think fragrance works in a similar way, it creates memories and feelings.
We approached it with a lot of curiosity from both sides. We tested, debated, changed directions, and ultimately landed on something that felt authentic to both of us.
Working together reminded us that creativity is often strongest when different perspectives come together.
11. Social media often promotes impossible beauty standards. How do you want Gente to reshape the conversation around body confidence?
I’ve spent most of my career in front of cameras, so I understand how powerful imagery can be.
At Gente, we don’t believe confidence comes from chasing perfection.
Our goal is to help people feel more connected to their bodies rather than more critical of them.
Brazil being one of the most mixed and diverse country in the world, we tend to celebrate individual beauty, healthy skin, consistent rituals, and taking care of yourself because you value your body, not because you’re trying to earn confidence from someone/somewhere else.
12. You’ve built a brand that blends heritage, science, and aspiration. What legacy do you hope to create—not just as a founder, but as a woman inspiring others to take bold risks?
I hope Gente helps redefine what body care can become, but personally, I hope my story encourages people to trust themselves.
I left Brazil as a teenager without speaking English, built a career in an industry I knew nothing about, and later started a company in an entirely different field where I also had no formal business background.
None of that happened because I had all the answers. It happened because I was willing to keep learning.
If someone reads my story and feels inspired to take the first step toward something they’ve been afraid to pursue, that would probably mean more to me than any business milestone.
Rapid Fire
Best Brazilian beauty secret?
Brazilian lymphatic drainage is one of the simplest rituals that can make you feel lighter, more sculpted, and more connected to your body.
Product you never travel without?
Our LD Oils are my fav at the moment. We have travel size as well. Traveling can leave me feeling puffy, and it’s become part of my daily ritual wherever I am.
Morning ritual or evening ritual?
Evening. It’s when I slow down, take care of my skin, and reset after the day.
One word that defines confidence?
Authenticity.
