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Dame Pat McGrath has never followed beauty trends - she’s created them. For over three decades, her visionary work has shaped how we see make-up, blurring the lines between fantasy and fine art. Her transformative looks have turned faces into living canvases and sparked global beauty movements. Just recently, her Victoria Secret Fashion Show makeup look featuring her shimmering Lust Gloss in 'Earth Angel' broke the internet. Now, as Louis Vuitton’s first Cosmetics Creative Director, she stands at a new intersection - where couture vision meets everyday desire. Sitting down with Pat, it’s clear her creative energy is as unstoppable as ever. “My process remains rooted in instinct and emotion, but the canvas keeps expanding. From backstage chaos to lab development, from couture runways to social media, the journey is always evolving. What’s changed is the scale - now I get to dream in pigments and formulas, to bring artistry and of course, my cosmetic brand Pat McGrath Labs, directly into people’s hands,” she says. In this illuminating conversation, the artist shares her thoughts on the evolving role of beauty in fashion, the inspiration behind her most iconic looks and why innovation in beauty still matters. Do you remember your first ever experience with makeup? I’ll never forget it. My mother was a true beauty visionary. She introduced me to the world of makeup with reverence. It wasn’t just about lipstick or eyeshadow it was about transformation, expression, and history, about making a whole look work together from the hat to the heels, with an emphasis on the makeup, always. Watching her paint her face was like witnessing a ritual. That stayed with me. It still does. Inclusivity and experimentation is at the heart of what you do - why is this so important to you? Because I really feel like beauty belongs to everyone. No matter how you look, how you identify, what you’re interested in, makeup is a tool for transformation and confidence. It’s not about rules, it’s about limitless expression. Pat McGrath Labs was founded on this principle. I want people to feel empowered by makeup - to experiment, to play, to see themselves in every product we make. Beauty is freedom. That’s the mission. You’re the most influential makeup artist in the world. How has your creative process evolved over the years? My process remains rooted in instinct and emotion, but the canvas keeps expanding. From backstage chaos to lab development, from couture runways to social media, the journey is always evolving. What’s changed is the scale, now I get to dream in pigments and formulas, to bring artistry and of course, Pat McGrath Labs, directly into people's hands. Your appointment as Louis Vuitton’s first-ever Global Beauty Creative Partner was groundbreaking. What does it mean to you to bring beauty into the heart of such an iconic fashion house? Louis Vuitton is such an iconic house - it was a true honor. It wasn’t just a job, it was a dream, but one rooted in something very real: luxury in the spirit of travel. The opportunity came so naturally with Nicolas, with the Maison. There was this shared desire to create something timeless, visionary, but also deeply personal. From the very beginning, the energy was electric. Total freedom, total trust. And that is where it all began. How do you balance commercial beauty with avant-garde artistry in today’s beauty climate? I see beauty as a powerful tool for expression, storytelling, transformation - it’s art when it transcends its everyday function. But that doesn’t always mean it needs to be something otherworldly. My process is like mixing minimalism with maximalism, balancing the quiet and the extraordinary. One day it's a glass mask at Margiela, the next it's adding Dramatique Mega Lip Pencil and Legendary Longwear Lip Liner for your everyday statement. I’m always experimenting - from feathers and pearls to metallics and crystals - but it's grounded in creating something people can connect with. Ultimately, it’s about staying curious, fearless, and open, while ensuring that your creativity speaks to real people. That’s the balance between high art and commercial beauty. Your work is constantly archived and referenced. Is there one show, season, or moment that you feel truly defines 'Pat McGrath' at your most experimental? I could never pick just one, of course! I will say in terms of the world’s reaction, Maison Margiela Artisanal by John Galliano made a tremendous impact. That glass skin. That divine distortion. That moment felt like a new visual language - and the world felt it. But there are so many others. Every season holds a new obsession, a new technique, a new story to tell. How do you approach creating a show look that’s both fashion-forward and trend-setting but still wearable enough to inspire everyday beauty? It starts with intention and the designer’s vision. I study the story we’re trying to tell. Then I sculpt a face that speaks to it. It’s really about building a character. After the show wraps, it’s about showcasing how that character and story can live in the real world. I created Pat McGrath Labs so people could take real products I used backstage and recreate the look at home, whether it’s a luminous Schiaparelli Skin using my Glass 001 Skin Fetish: Legendary Glow Setting Spray, or Versace smokey eyes using my Mothership Palettes, FetishEYES Mascara and a swipe of Perma Gel Eyeliner. These products are buildable with so many different ways to play and experiment. You can create the exact show look, or mute it down for an everyday makeup look. We show you all the different variations. And then the power really lives in the user and how they want to personify that runway character I tried your Glass Artistry Mask last year at London Fashion Week. The reaction was incredible. How does it feel to see a so many people connecting with your artistry years after the John Galliano's SS24 show? First of all, I was OBSESSED with you taking our Glass Skin Artistry around the streets last winter. It was MAJOR. You know, when we were creating the look I knew it was going to be special, and when we saw the rehearsal beforehand, even that moment was exhilarating. But to imagine how many people felt the same way I did, who could ever predict that?! Seeing people reinterpret it, remix it, fall in love with the fantasy - it’s the ultimate validation. It proves that artistry still matters. That emotion and spectacle have a place in beauty. View post on Instagram What’s one underrated product or technique you wish more people used in their everyday makeup? Highlighting with intention. I always say: light is everything. Skin Fetish: Divine Glow Highlighter isn’t just about glow - it’s about structure, lift, and storytelling. Apply it to the inner corners, cheekbones, brow bone. It sculpts with light. Most people think it’s the finishing touch - but sometimes, it’s the first. What advice would you give to emerging makeup artists trying to break into the editorial and fashion world? Study everything. Know your history. Know your references. But also trust your instincts. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes - some of my best looks started that way. And always show up prepared, professional, and passionate. Talent is just the beginning. What makeup trends do you predict will dominate this AW25? Expect duality. Raw, radiant skin paired with hyper-exaggerated moments like black vinyl lips as seen at Schiaperelli Haute Couture FW25 by Daniel Roseberry, overdrawn blush, or abstract liner. Texture play will be huge. Think chrome, dew, and dimension. It's going to be about contrast - softness and sharpness, all at once. I am going to be pulling my new Skin FetishL Sublime Perfection Blurring Setting Spray and Under Eye Powders just as much as my bold Legendary Longwear Lip Liner shades. We’ve seen a rise in raw, minimal skin versus hyper-glam. Where do you see the balance going next season? Skin will always be the canvas, but glam is having a renaissance. I think we’ll see “raw” skin with unexpected moments - a flash of glitter, a pop of pigment, a surreal brow. People want both now - the undone and the divine. And why not? Your looks often feel like visual poetry. Do you start a makeup concept with a colour, an emotion, or the story behind the collection? All of the above. Sometimes a shade haunts me. Sometimes it's a photograph, a lyric, a dream. And sometimes it's a single enigmatic word from a designer. The emotion guides the rest. From there, I sculpt the story in texture and tone. If you could invent an entirely new category of makeup - something we haven’t even imagined yet - what would it do or feel like? Oh this is a fun question! Based on my previous answer, I would probably want to create something that could respond to emotion. A formula that shifts tone and texture based on mood or energy. Imagine a blush that blooms when you’re happy. A highlight that cools or warms depending on how you feel. Beauty that lives and breathes with you. You have so many products but what are three Pat McGrath products that you must have in your kit? Only three? For a woman with 67 suitcases? That’s cruel. But I’ll say SKIN FETISH: SUBLIME PERFECTION FOUNDATION for that flawless canvas. LEGENDARY LONGWEAR LIP LINER in ‘Structure’ or ‘Deep Dive’ for dimension. And MOTHERSHIP palettes - always. They’re my universe in ten shades. Are there any other products/skin prep brands you rely on for creating your signature Pat McGrath look? Hydration is key. I adore rich oils and serums - the skin must be prepped and nourished. I also believe in mixing. Sometimes I’ll cocktail my Sublime Perfection concealer with Divine Skin: Rose 001™ The Hydrating Glow Cream for a custom tint. It’s about listening to the skin, not masking it. What does Pat McGrath do to switch off? Do you swear by any wellness practices, products or relaxation techniques? For me, scent is everything - it can evoke so many emotions. I have probably 15 perfume bottles in my office and a lit lavender candle as I’m winding down after a long day is the most relaxing ritual for me. Beauty is my world, but sometimes silence is the greatest luxury. You’ve worked with generations of designers, supermodels and celebrities - what keeps you inspired? People. The faces. The transformations. The power of beauty to shift perception. I still get butterflies before a show. I still cry when a look comes together. That thrill never leaves. And the artists, the youth, the rebels - they remind me that beauty is always evolving. You were one of the first to make beauty feel inclusive and boundary-breaking - what still needs to change in the industry? Beauty is always evolving, and that’s the majorness of it. There’s still room to explore new stories, new faces, and new ways of expressing what beauty means across cultures, generations, and identities. I think the next chapter is about going even deeper - embracing authenticity, artistry, and innovation in ways we haven’t imagined yet. I feel like we were able to beat AI by creating a digital filter in the physical world with Margiela but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The journey never ends. That’s what keeps it exciting.
