Pat McGrath was tasked with creating the make-up for Marc Jacobs’ S/S 2025 show, which took place last night at New York’s Public Library. This is not the first time the make-up legend has teamed up with the American designer, of course, with McGrath working alongside hairstylist Guido Palau in 2019 to devise 60 unique beauty looks for Jacobs’ S/S 2020 runway presentation.
With elements of this cacophonously colourful collection referencing 1970s designs by Yves Saint Laurent and Norman Norell, the make-up was fittingly era-appropriate, including false lashes fluttering on models’ eyelids like insect antennae, à la Shelley Duvall.
Pat McGrath’s runway make-up for Marc Jacobs S/S 2025
S/S 2025 honoured the work of another fellow designer admired by Jacobs, Rei Kawukubo, recalling two Comme des Garçons collections in particular: S/S 1997’s Tumour/Body Meets Dress, Dress Meets Body – otherwise known as Lumps & Bumps, renowned for its groundbreakingly irregular, sculptural silhouettes – and A/W 2012’s 2 Dimensions, with oversized garments appearing as wearable collage cutouts; reminiscent of clothes worn by paper dolls.
The latter is what Pat McGrath honed in on with her make-up, adorning model’s faces with red circular fabric shapes in place of blusher and lipstick. Besides a second collage-inspired element – a black beauty mark – the skin was kept entirely bare with a luminous finish, eyes subtly contoured and framed by lightly pencilled and brushed-up brows. (McGrath’s take on this quintessential colour palette recalled her work for Marc Jacobs A/W 2020, where she used only red lipstick and black eyeliner to provide a cast of 90 models and over 50 dancers with entirely different looks).
Marc Jacobs S/S 2025
Yesterday on the runway, the fabric shapes for ‘blush’ and ‘lipstick’ appeared in both matte and glitter textures and two different hues of red, nodding to Pat McGrath Labs’ collaboration with Marc Jacobs for a limited edition version of the brand‘s MatteTrance Lipstick.
The art of transforming models into living works of art is one of Pat McGrath’s signature talents. Last year, her ‘glass skin’ for Maison Margiela Artisanal 2024 went viral, leading to the formulation of Pat McGrath Labs’ Skin Fetish: Glass 001 Artistry Mask – a product Wallpaper* previewed in our 2025 Design Awards issue – which replicates the same hyperreal, ‘porcelain doll’ finish. (Whether bringing lipstick and blush decals to the masses are the next on her agenda remains to be seen).
Marc Jacobs S/S 2025
-
Introducing Wallpaper* April 2025, the Global Interiors issueOpening the door to standout design, interiors and architecture across five continents, from homes to workspaces – find the April issue on newsstands now
-
MWC 2025: 6 of the best conceptual phone designs and future facing techBarcelona’s Mobile World Congress has become the phone industry’s major hotspot for launches and new technology. Here are six of the best conceptual designs from this year's event
-
Walk through an Indian villa near Mumbai, where time slows downIn this Indian villa, Architecture Brio weaves together water features, stunning gardens and graceful compositions to create a serene retreat near Mumbai
-
Abra’s A/W 2025 beauty look embraced the 1980s with furry wigs and ‘greige’ lipstickAbra’s A/W 2025 collection paid homage to New Romantics and the beauty routine of founder Abraham Ortuño Perez’s mother. Here, alongside hairstylist Charlie Le Mindu and make-up artist Cécile Paravina, he tells Wallpaper* more
-
Louis Vuitton is launching make-up with Pat McGrath as creative directorLouis Vuitton has tapped Pat McGrath as creative director of its new cosmetics line La Beauté Louis Vuitton
-
The Oscars 2025: how Anora winner Mikey Madison was transformed with hair and make-up designAnora has swept the 2025 Oscars, with Mikey Madison winning best actress. Here, the film’s hair and make-up team take Wallpaper’s beauty editor behind the scenes of her on-screen transformation
-
The best beauty products of the month, from Prada mascara to Westman Atelier’s bronzing dropsThe best beauty products of the month, selected by Wallpaper*, include a new Prada mascara, Westman Atelier’s bronzing drops and more
-
Prada A/W 2025’s ‘dishevelled’ beauty look confronted the big tech algorithmAt Prada A/W 2025, Guido Palau and Lynsey Alexander subverted prescriptive codes of ‘femininity’ through hair and make-up
-
Simone Rocha A/W 2025 beauty: an embellished twist on ‘overplucked eyebrows’For Simone Rocha’s A/W 2025 collection, make-up artist Thomas de Kluyver embellished skinny eyebrows with beads, whilst Holli Smith’s low hair buns and Ama Quashie’s ‘Tipp-Ex’ manicures referenced teenage schooldays
-
Cult classics: Nars’ radiant foundation and concealer speak to a vision of ‘real beauty’As Nars presents a pop-up in London, coinciding with Fashion Week A/W 2025, Wallpaper* beauty editor Hannah Tindle traces François Nars’ vision for ‘real’ beauty
-
Red beauty products to gift the aesthete in your life this Valentine’s DayThese red beauty products by the likes of Chanel and Comme des Garçons are ideal Valentine’s Day gifts for the aesthete in your life (even if that aesthete so happens to be you)
