Were going to have some fun."
Those were the first words Pat McGrath … excuse meDamePat McGrath, ever said to me.
My 23-year-old self was both utterly thrilled and completely terrified.
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Pat McGrath is a legend, and her work extends well beyond creating makeup looks for runway shows.
But that work backstage truly sets her apart from her contemporaries.
For one, it’s insanely prolific.
Pat doesnt have time for bumper-to-bumper traffic when she has to get to Margiela.
The return of blue mascara back in 2012?
That was Pat at Stella McCartney.
Pat helped usher that in with her spectacular face jewelry at Givenchy in 2014.
Well, Pats been doing that her entire career.
But Pat was right all those years ago when we first met.
Amidst all the exhaustion and chaos, we did have a lot of fun.
You never knew whom Pat would introduce you to while trying to interview her about a makeup look.
I chatted eyeliner with Donatella Versace.
I laughed alongside Gwendoline Christie as she and Pat recalled their club days in London.
Im pretty sure I have a voice memo where Paul McCartney pops into an interview.
Pat McGrath is happiest when she gets to execute areallook for a show.
And theyre the looks that shes built her namesake brand around.
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She called it marathon makeup 18 straight hours in the making.
It was, in classic Pat-parlance, “hyper-minimal major-ness.”
We couldn’t agree more.
First, in a feat of makeup mastery, McGrath adhered multiple pairs offalse lashesto the models' lids.
Then there’s the sublimely highlighted skin, a feature McGrath has basically trademarked.
Four years later, she would share her secret when she launched thePat McGrath Labs Skin Fetish 003 Kit.
“First, we drew on the shape with a pencil,” she explained backstage before the show.
“Then, paint the latex on and wait for it to dry.
Right before it’s fully dry, you push the pigment on top.
The latex paint literally swallows the pigment and gives you this ultra-glassy finish, like a mirror.”
Alexander McQueen Fall 2014
“Fiercely feathered.
What more can I say?”
McGrath proclaimed of this Alexander McQueen look.
Christian Dior Spring 2014
McGrath’s artistry knows no boundaries.
Maison Margiela Fall 2015 Couture
McGrath’s mastery in creating classically beautiful makeup looks is undeniable.
But her talent doesn’t end there.
Here is an example of one of her more abstract looks seen at Maison Margiela.
Consider it a study in Yves Klein Blue.
Louis Vuitton Cruise 2016 Resort
McGrath’s collection of reference books is the stuff of beauty legend.
(She’s admitted to traveling to shoots and fashion weekswith hundreds of them.)
“It was sinister-beauty-meets-grotesque-romance, a celebration of la beaute macabre,” McGrath says.
In 2015, she even gave us abehind-the-scenes lookat how she crafted the lace-like adornments.
Secondly, it was the official debut of McGrath’svery first productfrom her Pat McGrath Labs line: Gold 001.
(When it was made available to the public, it sold out in 366 seconds.)
It was also a sneak peek at the Pat McGrath LabsDark Star 006: UltraViolet Bluekit.
Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2019
McGrath knows her way around the Galactic Empire.
She hinted at its arrival months earlierat Louis Vuitton.
The Force was strong with this ultra-sharp look.
Swaths of lilac shadow were topped with severe strokes of tangerine brows.
In true Pat fashion, the rest of the look was fresh and minimalist with sublimely luminous skin.
Valentino Fall/Winter 2020
Not only are McGrath’s creations enviable, but they can also be accessible.
Anyone familiar with the looks previously listed in this gallery, however, would laugh at the question.
Some got sprinkles of sparkles, others pepperings of rhinestones, still others retro-inspired false lashes.
It was a glamathon.
And the most memorable collaboration.
Maison Margiela Spring 2024
At Maison Margielas spring haute couture show, aliens invaded the runway.
Its a modern take on porcelain glass skin, her team shared in a press release.
Skin is coated in ahyper-shiny glaze, mimicking the smooth, reflective quality of glass.
The effect was out of this world, something only Mother could have dreamed up.
