Pat McGrath on the fearless creativity of the 90s
Few people have shaped the language of beauty like Dame Pat McGrath. In this exclusive portfolio for 72, she shares a series of original creative tests that capture the fearless experimentation of the 90s. Many have since been adapted for fashion shows, editorial shoots and advertising campaigns.
Throughout the 90s, as fashion embraced a bold new era of image-making, Pat McGrath’s instinct for color, texture and transformation helped define the decade’s most influential editorials and runway shows. Working alongside creative visionaries including Edward Enninful, Steven Meisel, Craig McDean and John Galliano, McGrath didn’t simply create beauty looks, she redefined what beauty could be. “Iconic. Inspirational. Innovative,” is how Pat McGrath describes backstage in the 90s. “Everyone crammed into these tiny rooms, hair and makeup and stylists all on top of one another, and out of that chaos something extraordinary would appear. What I remember most is the community. We were all young, all obsessed, all pushing boundaries of beauty into uncharted territory.
Backstage felt like family. The chaos was glorious, the music was loud, and there was this shared feeling that we were part of something that would change the world’s perception of beauty.”
Three decades on, McGrath’s appetite for experimentation remains undiminished. “You couldn’t get anyone more makeup- addicted than me,” she says. Now, as cosmetics creative director of La Beauté Louis Vuitton, she continues to bring that same fearless imagination to one of fashion’s most ambitious new beauty ventures.
In this exclusive portfolio for 72, McGrath shares a series of extraordinary beauty looks while sharing the thinking behind each one. Her advice for anyone looking to follow in her footsteps? “Creativity is your best makeup skill. Don’t be afraid to experiment.”
Everyone crammed into these tiny rooms, hair and makeup and stylists all on top of one another, and out of that chaos something extraordinary would appear.
Pat McGrath
“A STORMY GREY EYE AND A BLACK MOUTH. SOMETIMES BEAUTY SHOULD SHOCK YOU BEFORE IT SEDUCES YOU.”
“COOL TONES DRIFT INTO A RICH VIOLET LIP. THE MOST UNFORGETTABLE FACES NEVER TELL JUST ONE STORY.”
“VIOLET MELTED ACROSS THE EYE, DISSOLVING INTO AN ETHEREAL HAZE WHERE ROMANCE AND DARKNESS EXISTED IN PERFECT HARMONY.”
“COLOR TRANSFORMS EMOTION. I LOVE WATCHING ICY BLUE DISSOLVE INTO SCULPTURAL SHADOW BEFORE AWAKENING INTO THE SOFTEST FLUSH OF ROSE. THE FACE BECOMES A LIVING CANVAS.”
“PART PORCELAIN DOLL, PART BEAUTIFUL MYSTERY. EVERY LOOK BEGINS WITH A CHARACTER, AND SHE ALWAYS TELLS ME WHERE TO GO.”
“A WASH OF VIOLET, SMUDGED, PUSHED DEEPER AND SMOKIER, UNTIL THE COLOR TAKES ON A LIFE OF ITS OWN.”
“PORCELAIN SKIN, AWAKENED BY THE GENTLEST BLOOM OF PINK. SOMETIMES THE QUIETEST GESTURE CARRIES THE GREATEST POWER.”
“SMOKY VIOLET AND A DARK RED LIP. I BEGIN WITH AN EMOTION AND ALLOW THE FACE TO TELL THE REST OF THE STORY.”
MODEL DARIA GOLDINA. PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF DAME PAT McGRATH
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