Cervando Maldonado chose to attend beauty school instead of a traditional high school. In college, he pursued fashion design but turned to hairstyling to earn money. He apprenticed with celebrity hairstylists before going out on his own. He works with a roster of A-list celebrity clients including Miley Cyrus, Sofia Coppola, Reese Witherspoon, Kirsten Dunst, and Rosie Huntington Whiteley. He is known for creating undone, messy styles that have a retro vibe.