Who Creates Behind the Scenes of Paris Fashion Week: Iconic makeup artist Pat McGrath and her path to fame

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

It is not often that the general public knows the names of those who work behind the scenes of fashion shows - creating makeup and hairstyles for models. But the name Pat McGrath is known to anyone who is even slightly interested in the fashion industry. The daughter of a Jamaican emigrant, she turned the existing idea of makeup upside down, became simply irreplaceable for all modern fashion designers and even made up Barbie …

Today Pat has nearly three million followers on Instagram and has been creating insane, elegant, fantastic catwalk looks for all the key fashion brands of our day. Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, Calvin Klein, Valentino, Loewe, Versace, Dolce & Gabbana, Givenchy - just one listing makes you dizzy. But there are also ten seasons - almost a record in the fashion industry - works for Prada and Miu Miu, makeup for Vogue covers shot by cult photographers … However, the path to fame took three decades.

Pat was born in 1966 in Northampton, clearly not claiming to be the fashion capital. Raised by her mother, Jean McGrath, who once moved from Jamaica to the UK - and Pat calls her his main muse. Jean was crazy about fashion, collected cosmetics of unusual shades and did not leave the house without bright makeup. At that time it was not so easy - there was practically no cosmetics suitable for dark-skinned women, especially taking into account the peculiarities of not only their color type, but also the properties of the skin. Pat dreamed that her mother would have a choice - and began to invent cosmetics herself, mixing pigments and coming up with additions. She loved to do her mother's makeup, inspired by the supermodels and rock stars of the seventies, she could spend many hours at the stand with cosmetics in the supermarket, looking for something unusual. She conducted her first successful experiment … at the age of eight - she "invented" a moisturizer from oil and water. The cream was packed in homemade jars and served as a gift for all her family and friends. Subsequently, Pat realized her love for creative packaging when creating her own brand of cosmetics.

As a child, Pat dreamed of becoming a dermatologist, although she did not really understand what exactly dermatologists were doing - she was simply fascinated by the contact with human skin, its individuality, sensitivity, and ability to respond to external influences. Then, under the influence of the environment, she decided to choose a profession for herself in the beauty industry and began to study first as a manicure master, then as a make-up artist in her hometown. And … very soon she got bored with studying. Pat was literally disgusted by the constant copying of the standard set - arrows, a clear contour of lips … She was always interested in everything that went beyond the ordinary, was carried away by painting, music - and for regular non-attendance of classes (unbearably dull, according to Pat's recollections) she flew out of college.

But she did not give up, but went to conquer London. There she, active and charming, quickly made acquaintances in the field of fashion. Pat offered collaborations with photographers and stylists - often completely free of charge - but that was how her reputation was built. She made her way to fashion shows - of course, illegally, and soon became friends with Edward Enninful, fashion editor at i-D Magazine, who invited her to one of the shootings as a make-up artist. It needed a person who could come up with something new, crazy, topical - and that person was Pat McGrath.

After the first shooting, Enninful invited Pat to the staff. The first designer with whom Pat officially collaborated was John Galliano. McGrath, possessing a strong creative personality, managed not only to understand, but also to feel the ideas of the avant-garde designers of the 90s, who simply fell in love with her courage, originality and empathy.

Today Pat is involved in preparations for forty shows at each Paris Fashion Week. She is invited as a consultant for the production of expensive branded cosmetics. McGrath also has his own cosmetic brand - non-trivial and difficult to obtain. Jennifer Aniston, Scarlett Johansson, Oprah Winfrey, Madonna and many other world stars turn to her to create makeup for the red carpet. Pat designed Rooney Mara's makeup for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and did a masterful make-up for the Barbie doll, inspired by 2015 Fashion Weeks.

Pat's range of creative possibilities is almost limitless. She is considered the creator of the very phenomenon of creative makeup. Pat's favorite creative technique is applique. Wide arrows dotted with sparkles, lips in rhinestones, pearl tears that resemble piercings - McGrath loves to experiment with volume.

However, the color interests her no less - it was McGrath who popularized the "unnatural" lipstick colors, and her dark green lipstick for D & G, invented by her, became a real cult among fashionistas. Pat also knows how to play the classics creatively, turning a simple, even tone into a mysterious pearlescent shimmer.

But Pat also has a powerful social component. There are a huge number of women with black skin in the world, but they are still very limited in the media and have a much smaller selection of cosmetics. Pat was the first person of her race to work as a makeup artist at this level, and today many dark-skinned actresses and models are grateful to her: "Pat McGrath lets us be seen." McGrath herself believes that her ideas and the cosmetics she creates are simply suitable for everyone - regardless of skin color, facial structure, gender and any other affiliation.

When Pat is asked to give women some valuable makeup advice, she doesn’t use platitudes like “hide flaws and highlight your merits”. She encourages observing and experimenting, copying and changing other people's decisions, not to be afraid that makeup will turn out to be "unsuccessful", but to follow intuition, try the unusual and break stereotypes - just as she does when creating works for the catwalk.