Pat McGrath - Iconic Runway Creations to a Makeup Revolution

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Pat McGrath has been creating jaw-dropping beauty for the biggest names in fashion for over a decade. Each season she works on makeup direction for dozens of fashion shows: Christian Dior, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Versace, Dolce & Gabbana are just some of the names where she elevated the concept of catwalk beauty.

Pat McGrath is the first make-up artist ever to receive the CFDA’s Founder’s Award, and that made her undeniably one of the most influential creatives in the industry.

She is known for perfectionism and preparedness. Drawing inspiration from various sources, you will also often find art and fashion reference books backstage with her team. She loves to experiment(her mediums include rubber, vinyl, feathers, you name it) and encourages playing with makeup colors, especially color blocking. McGrath’s particular magic lies in how she treats the skin. She draws out incandescence, even when the colors and textures of the rest of the makeup are theatrical. She prefers fingers over brushes anytime and also never puts too much foundation. And every makeup artist will tell you that is an art to keep the texture of the skin naturally. Working the highlight like a Dutch painter, she is, again, a skilled Artist we can learn much about sophistication and beauty.

Her knowledge and experience are now materialized in her makeup brand Pat McGrath Labs. A few times a year she has new limited edition makeup kits, that are really worth the price. Furthermore, she owns the developing process, always searching for the perfect color and texture that can’t be found on the market.

Her makeup brand tagline is: “Where unadulterated experimentation meets raw glamor. If you want to see more from Pat McGrath Labs’ inspiration, then check out her secret stash of conceptual brand videos on Vimeo.

The latest launch is irresistible matte lipsticks, launching on the 12th of July.

Here, we look back at some of her most mesmerizing catwalk creations throughout the years.,

She is the most influential and sought-after makeup artist in the world! In addition, she is a true inspiration for our generation, and for more than 20 years she has been developing luxury cosmetics brands and countless runway shows.

Vogue’s Anna Wintour, The queen of American fashion, proclaimed her “the most influential makeup artist in the world”. Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II made her a Member of the Order of the British Empire for services to the fashion and beauty industry.

Pat McGrath’s Life Story

British makeup artist Pat McGrath was born in 1970 and raised in Northampton by her mother Jean McGrath, a Jamaican immigrant.

Pat McGrath has associated her creativity with her mother, a devoted Jehovah’s Witness who was an ardent fan of fashion and would quiz the young Pat on the different shades of eye shadow.

“She trained me, basically, to do the shows, right there… look at the pattern, check the fabrics, look for the makeup – and begin,” she told Sarah Mower in Vogue in 2007. “She was always mixing up colors because there wasn’t anything out there for black skin,” added McGrath in an interview with TIME magazine in 2003.

After leaving school, McGrath completed an art foundation course at Northampton College. Actually, she had planned to undertake a fashion degree but abandoned this when she met the stylist Kim Bowen, who invited her along to watch her work on shoots for The Face and i-D.

The Beginning of An Amazing Career

Her breakthrough came in the early 1990s when she received a phone call asking her to go to Japan with Caron Wheeler from Soul II Soul. “I left my job and went to Japan for three months, scared to death. I cried all the way there because I’d never been on a plane before and I was terrified,” she told the Observer in 2008.”

This opportunity led to McGrath working with i-D magazine’s fashion director Edward Enninful. She worked on shoots for the youth magazine, working fluidly with her hands (she prefers them to brushes) and her keen eye for bold hues. In 2017, after releasing six limited collections, Pat McGrath launched her first collection of makeup products including lipsticks, eyeshadow palettes, and eye and lip pencils. That year she won the Founder’s Award at the 2017 CFDA Fashion Awards.

How Pat McGrath Revolutionized the Beauty Industry

Each fashion week, Pat McGrath is responsible for creating the beauty looks for up to 40 shows across New York, London, Milan, and Paris.

Swarovski crystal-encrusted eyes, bejeweled lips, as well as, opaque gold lips, and fluttery feathered eyelashes are the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the incredible looks she’s created.

McGrath’s artistry of iconoclastic vibrant hues and avant-garde material experimentation is the signature of legendary looks, trendsetting techniques, and statement-making styles.

” Pat McGrath allows us to be seen! “

“From the beginning of my career, I have always championed extended shade ranges and inclusive casting. From day one of Labs, our McGrath Muses have been everyone from Charli XCX and Paloma Elsesser to Naomi Campbell and beyond,” McGrath said.

“In addition, every single shade and product is universally flattering and tested—rigorously—on women [and men] of all complexions. I want everyone to feel and look as beautiful as they want to be.”

The iconic supermodel Beverly Johnson once said, “When I started modeling, there were no black makeup artists. So, it was a challenge to look our best with makeup artists who didn’t really understand our skin color, photographers who had never photographed black models, and film that didn’t register darker colors. At the end of the day, we were just trying to get people to really see us.

Pat McGrath’s Makeup Line Is Now Worth $1 Billion

The beauty brand created by the British makeup artist Pat McGrath, has achieved the highest cosmetics turnover in its first month on sale at Selfridges of any brand in the department store’s history.

Pat McGrath’s makeup collections were launched in 2015 as one of the first to pioneer the digital-first business model, with customers switching their allegiance from more established cosmetics houses to niche upstarts.

Her products, which are available on her website and Sephora.com, are inspired by McGrath’s work as a makeup artist for runway shows, including Versace, Balenciaga, Christian Dior and Gucci.

In an interview with InStyle, McGrath explained how she created her makeup collections. “My intention when I created Labs was that the people that used our products would be empowered to explore a fearless, daring attitude towards makeup—that’s why we always write ‘Use Without Caution’ on everything we make,” she said. “I’ve always believed that the most extraordinary results occur only when one feels unbound by any notion of constraint or limitation.”

Her First-Ever Permanent Makeup Collection

This collection has three palettes: Subliminal, Subversive, and Sublime. Each one has a different color scheme—gilded bronzes, extraterrestrial metallics, moody jewel tones, respectively—but don’t be intimidated at the thought of using them all at once.

“A lot of artists are obsessed with eyeliner, a little smudge, and wearing even one color,” she says. Having the options should encourage artistry, but each shade produces a serious payoff on its own.

Jobs Mua - The Fascinating Story of Pat McGrath: Iconic Runway Creations and A Makeup Revolution

Speaking of rich formulas, the rest of the lineup is also extremely highly pigmented, which is probably the aspect of her limited-edition products that are most well-known. One swipe and you’re done. “Good luck trying to get [the lip liners] off,” she jokes.

McGrath recommends filling the whole lip for a bold effect, pressing it on with your fingers to blur and feather, or creating dimension by using a darker shade and filling it in with something a bit lighter.

Her First-Ever Permanent Makeup Collection

Pat McGrath Star Wars Collection Rise of Skywalker

The fantastical world of Pat McGrath’s Makeup Collections just keeps expanding and her latest collaboration is AMAZING! She’s partnered with Disney to create the limited edition Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Collection. Pat McGrath Makeup Collection is INCREDIBLE!

She succeeded in launching a branded collection with probably the most famous film franchise in history. “We are so excited to work with Disney on this brilliant collaboration celebrating the intergalactic beauty of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” McGrath said in a statement.

“The Star Wars characters have become integrated into our culture in such a MAJOR way that it’s hard to imagine a world without them! Anyone who follows me on social media knows I am obsessed with Star Wars. From the rebellious beauty of Princess Leia to the gilded glamour of C-3PO.”

Each item in the seven-piece collection has packaging inspired by a favorite character. So, why not save some money and gift yourself a present? Check out the Star Wars collection and Pat McGrath’s Makeup Collections to game plan your shopping.

Pat McGrath’s Advice for Aspiring Makeup Artists

The matriarch of makeup artistry’s advice for aspiring makeup artists is “practice, practice, practice”!

In an interview for AnOther, she said ”Create imagery that truly communicates your aesthetic and who you are as an artist. Invest in the best high-performance pigments and fierce formulations. Instagram allows me a constant one-to-one dialogue with my fellow beauty lovers around the world, too. Having that direct connection with fellow make-up enthusiasts at my fingertips brings me so much joy. Experiment. Explore. Enjoy!”

Moreover, when it comes to nail-art trends the makeup Guru always sticks with dark red burgundy for her toes. Who doesn’t love burgundy nails? I know we do!

Pat McGrath is very open about the improvement in the industry to promote diversity.

In a conversation with a fashion editor, McGrath said, “It cannot be about only this season. Look at the world! Even if you’re talking on a greed level only, why would you not want to appeal to the whole planet? The more diverse the runway, the more diversity in advertising, the more people are going to feel included. You have to be stupid to not get that.”

Furthermore, her desire is to ensure that every color and every skin tone is properly served. This was paramount in the visionary’s creation of her now billion-dollar beauty brand, which shook the beauty industry at launch.

What should we expect from Pat McGrath’s Makeup Collections in the future?

First, we are all waiting to see how Pat McGrath Labs will transition everyday wear makeup into her signature novelty collection. Second, while the “business side” of all this is impressive, the most exciting is the visibility Pat McGrath brings to women of color, in an industry that has historically celebrated one type of woman and one type of beauty.

The makeup industry is experiencing a shift thanks to women like Pat McGrath, and other influencers, like Rihanna. This shift is what people of all shades and colors are waiting for. This will add more complexity, nuance, and diversity to how we define beauty and who we see as beautiful.

We all know Pat McGrath will continue to amaze us all, and that her visibility will have a positive impact on the industry and consumers.

What other makeup artist has been honored by Queen Elizabeth II for their services to the fashion and beauty industry?