Pat McGrath

Dame Patricia Ann McGrath (born 1970) is a British make-up artist. She has been called the most influential make-up artist in the world by Vogue magazine and other commentators. In 2019 she was included in Time 's list of the 100 most influential people. She is the first make-up artist to be made a Dame Commander of the British Empire. In 2025 she was announced as creative director of cosmetics for La Beauté Louis Vuitton.

Early life McGrath was born in Northampton, England, in 1970. She was raised in a working-class household by her single mother, Jean, a Jamaican immigrant and Jehovah's Witness. In the early 1990s, McGrath worked alongside Edward Enninful at i-D magazine, although she continued to work as a receptionist to support herself financially. In 1999 she was hired by Giorgio Armani to collaborate on a new range of cosmetics. From 2004 McGrath was employed by Procter & Gamble, as Global Cosmetics Creative Design Director for several years with a salary rumoured to be over $1 million.

In 2015 she launched Pat McGrath Labs, her own line of beauty products which by 2019 had become a $1 billion company and the biggest selling beauty line at Selfridges. In 2017, McGrath was hired by Enninful as Beauty Editor-at-Large for British Vogue. In 2018, six actors, including Saoirse Ronan, Naomie Harris and Sara Sampaio, wore Pat McGrath Labs make-up to the Fashion Awards.

In March 2025, fashion brand Louis Vuitton announced it would begin selling beauty products, under the name La Beauté Louis Vuitton, in fall 2025 and tapped McGrath as creative director for the new venture. According to Forbes, McGrath's official title is Creative Director of Cosmetics. McGrath's collaboration with Louis Vuitton on the collection came after her longstanding relationship with the house's artistic director of women's collections, Nicolas Ghesquière, with whom McGrath has worked since his 2014 debut at the brand. The product line was developed over five years in a confidential process that included McGrath visiting and drawing inspiration from the historic home and atelier of Louis Vuitton in Asnières-sur-Seine, on the outskirts of Paris. The line officially launched on August 29, 2025. In October 2025, McGrath was the head make-up artist for the 2025 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. McGrath designed the make-up for models walking in the show, including Quenlin Blackwell and Women's National Basketball Association player Angel Reese, using products from her line, Pat McGrath Labs. In November 2025, McGrath was honored as one of the 2025 Glamour Award Women of the Year.

In December 2025, Pat McGrath Labs put itself and its assets up for sale via an auction bid in an effort to reset its operations after losing a majority of its revenue caused by limited consumer demand and heightened competition. The auction bid was tossed in January 2026 after the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

Artistry According to Vogue, McGrath is known for her unique, adventurous, and innovative make-up techniques which include using her hands as opposed to brushes. She uses bold colour shades and experiments with materials ranging from feathers to ornaments. Her experiments result in a wide of looks.

Inspiration McGrath has said of her career: "I really love being a makeup artist. It never gets mundane or predictable and every shoot and show is different." She draws inspiration from many sources, using materials such as feathers, gold leaf, and leather. McGrath told Vogue in 2008, "I'm influenced a lot by the fabrics I see, the colours that are in the collections and the girl's faces. It's always a challenge but that's the key – to make it different every time." "Everything that she was obsessed with, I became obsessed with." As a consequence her own makeup lines focus on luminous aspects of skin. 2014: Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to the fashion and beauty industry 2017: Isabella Blow Award for Fashion Creator at the Fashion Awards 2021: Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) for services to the fashion and beauty industry and diversity 2024: The London Design Medal at the London Design Festival

McGrath has also regularly appeared in the Top 10 of the Powerlist, highlighting the most influential Black British people across a number of industries. Filmography Music videos YearTitleArtistRoleRef 2022 "Bejeweled" Taylor Swift Queen Pat