Pat McGrath: the interview with the makeup legend
Backstage legend since the 90s, Steven Meisel's makeup artist of choice, with the tutorials to obtain porcelain skin from the latest Maison Margiela show she has totalled 50 million views on TikTok.
If for professionals, from Isamaya Ffrench to the new Chanel makeup creatives, she is "the" makeup artist by definition, to the point that Allure, the American reference magazine in the sector, dedicated a cover to her in January 2021, she has become a Gen Z idol with the latest Maison Margiela show, when her tutorials and live TikTok masterclass on how to achieve the show's glass-reflective porcelain-doll skin totalled 50 million views. A particularly complex process, which Pat McGrath had been thinking about for five years, tested in over two weeks of attempts, which includes the use of four different peel off masks, and eight layered applications of a wax effect finish sprayed with an airbrush and dried with the hairdryer between one application and another.
English of Jamaican origins, educated in London of Punk and New Wave, Pat McGrath is a backstage legend. For his inexhaustible creativity at least as much as for the dozens of suitcases full of books with which she travelled until the advent of the digital image. From Chinese opera to the history of cabaret and Hitchcock 's films, passing through the black and white shots of Cecil Beaton and Lartigue, everything can become a source of inspiration for her. The models she transforms into silent film stars, more or less forgotten icons of the 1960s, punk heroines, flappers and courtesans of the Sun King derive from an extraordinary culture of image that underlies his work. To realize this, just dive into his Instagram account. There are photographers, Chris Von Wangenheim, Guy Bourdin , Irving Penn, Man Ray, Avedon and Sarah Moon, music stars, from the Supremes to Debbie Harry, Cher, Donna Summer, Grace Jones and Taylor Swift, for whom she created ultra makeup viral “Bejeweled”. There are icons of the screen, Monroe, Liz Taylor, Hedy Lamarr, Sean Young and Daryl Hannah in “Blade Runner”, Kirsten Dunst in “Marie Antoinette” , the sublime mannequins of the 60s and 70s, Twiggy , Jean Shrimpton, Marisa Berenson, Veruschka, Capucine; and again it girls, Edie Sedgwick, Margaux Hemingway, the imaginative looks of Thierry Mugler and Serge Lutens, the paintings of Tamara de Lempicka and frames from films such as "The Forbidden City" by Zhang Yimou with Gong Li wearing gold make-up.
Her very long complicity with Steven Meisel gave us some of the most beautiful photo shoots published by the Italian and American editions of Vogue, and her works with Edward Enninful on i_D and British Vogue are equally memorable. But its legend is marked above all by the fashion shows, in the periods of greatest hype almost one hundred per year, fifty-two (among the largest, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Loewe, Dolce & Gabbana, YSL, Schiaparelli, Valentino, Miu Miu, Versace) in '23. There are countless looks created for the catwalks that have entered the collective imagination of fashion addicts, from the Egyptian glittering look of Dior's Spring 2004 Couture to the recurring reference to 1920s makeup with Cupid's bow lips and redesigned eyebrows created for Galliano F/W 2007 and proposed again, again for John Galliano, in S/S 2011, from the geishas in acrylic colours of the Couture Dior S/S 2007 to the masks of Swarovski crystals glued on the faces of the S/S 14 by Givenchy, a trick that McGrath reused (and expanded to the whole body) for Doja Cat in the front row at the Schiaparelli couture show last year, from the Goth feathers applied on the eyebrows of faces livid with paleness in McQueen's F/W 14 to the colourful feathers that surrounded like flower petals in the eyes of the models at Valentino's Spring 19 Couture, from the black lacquered geometric masks, between futuristic and tribal, of McQueen's Spring 2015 to the collages of crystals, lace, pearls and beads applied on the faces of the Spring 2016 show by Givenchy, right down to the jewel-encrusted eyes and gold glitter on the otherwise bare face from Valentino's S/S 20 show.
A passion for glitter, metallic, used for the "metalmorphosis" of the face, translucent, hyper pigmented and ultra-matte that McGrath introduced in her makeup line, PAT McGRATH LABS, launched in 2015. She had previously collaborated - not openly but notoriously for those in the sector - in the creation of foundations for the breakthrough era of Armani and Dolce & Gabbana, it is in her line that she managed to engineer her technique, see for example Matte Trance Lipstick, invented to speed up the time on Meisel's set, because «previously, ten minutes and seven products were needed for a perfectly matte mouth». Not just over-the-top makeup: Pat McGrath is equally known (and loved by celebs) for her ability to sublimate a face to perfection, with flawless skin and eyes and lips highlighted in an edgy or classically glamorous way, as in the latest fashion show by Versace, with an elongated look of black wet ink, both punk and glamorous, radiantly sexy skin and nude lips. «You couldn't find anyone more obsessed with makeup than me, I will never stop experimenting, pushing the boundaries of beauty, questioning the status quo» , she declares.
L'OFFICIEL: Of all the memorable shows you've done, the ones with Galliano are among the craziest. How do you work together? And which shows done with him were most interesting from your point of view?
Pat McGrath: From our initial briefing, John walked me through an extraordinary mix of cinematic, historical and futuristic elements, setting the scene for the look. The last show took me back to some important moments we experienced together backstage over the years, such as John's collections for Christian Dior in the 90s, where I introduced crystal-covered lips for the first time, a signature look that we then revisited in the 2000s and that inspired my Pat McGrath Labs Crystal Lip Kit. And her Haute Couture S/S 04 collection, where I created a three-dimensional look with intricate paper eyebrows, custom chain appliqués, metal lashes and glitter of various colors.
LO: How do you explain the enormous resonance that your latest collaboration with him for Margiela had? Did you expect that glazed look to go so viral?
PMG : I think everyone who worked on the show had an inkling that it was something really special. The energy backstage and during rehearsals was palpable and when I saw the hyper-reflective leather paired with John Galliano's designs I had a feeling it would capture the imagination of fashion and beauty lovers. But the response has been mind-blowing… It's been incredible to see people connect passionately with such artistic, transformative and otherworldly makeup. I couldn't be happier.
LO: How do you work with other designers?
PMG : Each designer has a unique identity and my approach is to immerse myself in their world, translating their vision into a beauty narrative that complements and elevates their creations. I always try to stay true to their vision, while bringing my own perspective and creativity. I spend a lot of time digging into archives, drawing inspiration from everything around me and experimenting with different textures, colors and techniques until I can capture the essence of the collection through makeup.
LO: Your Instagram is particularly intriguing for the plurality of references and inspirations, never literal but always reworked, contaminated, from the great fashion photography of the 60s to the fascination for cinema, sci fi, AI. What are your latest obsessions?
PMG : My instagram is basically a live mood board. My inspirations are a kaleidoscopic journey through time and art, and through the natural and digital worlds. I am currently fascinated by the intersection between technology and beauty, the influence of the digital world on aesthetics and how artificial intelligence will reinterpret the world of beauty. At the same time, I am also obsessed with the magnificent hues and textural textures that can be found in a garden, from a rose to lilac to evergreens.
LO: In your Instagram there are images of Serge Lutens. Are there other make-up artists that you admire and who have represented points of reference for you?
PMG : Serge Lutens is not only an icon, but he embodies a revolution in beauty and his pioneering spirit is something I feel deeply in tune with. Another makeup artist I admire is Bernadine Anderson. The first African-American makeup artist in Hollywood, she was a trailblazer. His work with Jane Fonda on such timeless films as “The China Syndrome,” “9 to 5,” and “What's Love Got to Do with It” is a testament to his profound impact. Both Lutens and Anderson inspired me to relentlessly pursue innovation in the art of makeup and reminded me that our job is not just to create looks, but also to make history and break barriers.
LO: Your runway looks or certain particularly impactful shootings with Steven Meisel have given rise to lasting trends that have concretely translated into new products, yours and your competitors', from the revival of glitter in eye shadows to the explosion of matte lipstick. Among your products, which do you consider to be the most revolutionary/innovative/performing?
PMG: Everyone! I don't launch a product unless I feel it combines true innovation with high-quality ingredients and exceptional performance. My philosophy has always been that if I want a product and can't find it, I create it, and when I launched PAT McGRATH LABS my goal was to create products that push the boundaries of beauty. Take for example Skin Fetish: Highlighter + Balm Duo. It was one of my first products and perfectly embodies the brand's ethos: innovation, performance and luxury. Its ability to transform skin into a luminous canvas remains unmatched. My Skin Fetish: Sublime Perfection Foundation is another example of this, as it is a one-of-a-kind formula. This lightweight, serum-like foundation offers hydration and customizable coverage, while remaining undetectable on the skin. It also features our Diamond Core Technology that collects and diffuses light, creating a soft-focus filter for skin tone. I developed it over many years of working backstage and on photo shoots, testing it on thousands of different faces and then perfecting it in the laboratory. It is a true combination of technological innovation and inspired artistry.
LO: Why did you choose the rose among the symbols of your makeup?
PMG: My “Divine Rose” symbolizes beauty, regeneration and love. It is the heart of PAT McGRATH LABS, not only for its timeless beauty but also for its skin-soothing properties. It is the natural embodiment of what I wish to instill in all my creations: an idea of beauty that transmits a sensation as sublime as the appearance it creates. A perfect example is my Divine Skin: Rose 001™ The Essence, which includes a powerful rose biotic complex that helps calm and balance the skin, and floral antioxidants that help protect it from negative environmental factors.