Pat McGrath's prominent catwalk makeup looks from past to present
We examine Pat McGrath's prominent make-up looks from past to present, offering a close look at beauty looks as a work of art.
For fashion and makeup lovers, we know Pat McGrath needs no introduction. Known for her reputation for breaking boundaries in the beauty industry throughout her 30-year career, Pat McGrath is undoubtedly one of the world's most influential and legendary makeup artists. In the fashion world, the artist, who directs the make-up trends on the catwalks of brands such as Prada, Dior, Alexander McQueen, Givenchy, Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs, Saint Laurent, Valentino, Tom Ford and Versace, is the world's most effective make-up artist with her theatrical, experimental and inclusive approach that exceeds the boundaries in make-up art. She is described as an artist.
Of course, there are more than one reason why Pat McGrath is considered the most influential makeup artist in the world. She's been pushing boundaries in the makeup world for years, starting trends with the single swipe of a mascara brush and going viral with the insertion of a Swarovski crystal. The looks that McGrath presented on the catwalk ten or even twenty years ago still hold a special place in the hearts of some fashionistas. If you see a unique makeup trend on Instagram or TikTok , it's likely inspired by McGrath.
We have compiled some of the biggest and most influential Pat McGrath looks over the years for you.
Christian Dior SS04 collection was created with a dream world covered in gold, inspired by John Galliano's travels around Egypt. The detail that strengthened the couture designs was Pat's exaggerated Cleopatra style and Tutankhamun- inspired make-up - it is worth noting that the Pharaohs were re-imagined as drag queens. The gold or blue glitter covering the eyelids of the models extended to the thick, black eyebrows, while the eyelashes and lips were among the details that stood out with their golden color and exaggerated size. While the jewelled accessories adorning the models' ears, hair, and sometimes their chins or under their eyes were among the prominent details of the fashion show, the cheerful but exaggerated portrayal of ancient beauty was among Pat McGrath's prominent make-up looks.
The show, which takes place on the streets of Paris Pigalle, can be explained as a depiction of a decadent and romantic weave consisting of Parisian street characters of the 20s, with flounces, velvet, lace and chiffon fabrics. In her beauty looks, Pat combined violet tones on the lips, subtle bow-like curls on the eyebrows, and vibrant pops of sunset yellow with cool violets on the eyes. Because of the watercolour-like application of pinks and oranges, the make-up fully reflected the romantic trend of the 20s.
For the Alexander McQueen Autumn/Winter 2014 show, Pat created a seductive dark Pagan cult and gothic warrior ravens. Going for a mystical vibe for her beauty look, Pat opted for maxi-length eyebrows that were either bleached or dyed black, while her eyes were defined with white mascara or achieved a raven-like look with feather lashes. With gold highlights highlighting the lips and inner corners of the eyes, it's no surprise that McGrath created a wild beauty look that's never been seen before.
Long before McGrath covered Doja Cat with 30,000 Swarovski crystals at Schiaparelli's Spring 2023 Haute Couture presentation, he used a similar technique at Tisci's Spring/Summer 2014 Givenchy show. McGrath has always experienced make-up as an accessory, embellishing eyes and lips with crystals, lace and sequins. However, we can say that McGrath and her team took this concept to the next level by covering the faces of eight models with masks detailed with Swarovski crystals and tulle to create futuristic, techno and African masks at Givenchy's Spring 2014 fashion show. Among the striking details of the fashion show is that there are up to 1,500 crystals in more than five colours on each model's face.
For Givenchy 's Autumn/Winter 2015 collection, which Riccardo Tisci described as a "Victorian girl", models walked the runway with ostentatious jewels and diamond-studded piercings adorning their luminous faces, including their ears and septums. Pat created a theatrical look with prosthetics and plastic make-up adhesives to ensure that the heavy pearl and crystal pieces remained on the face.
Dreamy, light, delicate and feminine… One of the most striking looks in recent years was at the Valentino Couture fashion show in January 2019. The make-up artist completed Pierpaolo Piccioli 's flower-themed collection with eyelashes decorated with flying feathers. Each elegant lash was carefully placed on the lash lines with tweezers to give the effect of colorful feathers gently fluttering with every blink and step on the catwalk. Another thing that draws attention is that the flowers painted directly on the models' faces create an effect that is compatible with the collection.
John Galliano 's Artisanal show for Maison Margiela was welcomed as the savior of Couture and had a viral effect. But it wasn't just the clothes that brought Galliano 's "Belle Epoque" -inspired collection to life under the Pont Alexandre III bridge, it was also, of course, the makeup. The show's makeup looks were a perfect extravagance between the textural drama of an oil painting and the still-viral glass skin trend. The early 20th Century theatrical look was something McGrath had previously explored with Galliano . But she shared that she applied a mixture of makeup with an airbrush to make each model's face look like a porcelain doll glowing under the moonlight and to actually reflect the light. On the other hand, vaudeville-style thin eyebrows are also among the techniques used to emphasize the theme.
