Pat McGrath’s Freaks of the Night for Margiela SS24

Written by Lucy Hopton

Caught in the light of the first full moon of the year, you may have caught a glimpse of Galliano’s creatures lurking under the decadent Ponte d’Alexandre III. Doll-like beings strutted and stumbled through a dishevelled bar, roughened from the night. The Margiela Spring-Summer 24 Artisanal show reunited theatre and fashion in a spell-bounding collection inspired by Brassaï’s portraits of Paris in the 1920s and 1930s.

Figure 1 - Gwendoline Christie in Margiela SS24, Look 45 (Maison Margiela Photographs)

Impossibly tight corsets cinched in skin, mesh, latex, and more in an erotic showcase of the Parisian underbelly, ranging from trench-coat-wearing mystery men to near-naked veiled women. However, clothes only tell part of the story. Without the makeup artistry of Pat McGrath, John Galliano’s vision may not have come to life in quite the same way. The pair have worked together since the 2000s at Dior, and this collection certainly is reminiscent of the drama frequently featured in Galliano’s shows back then by playing with textures and colour.

Having bleached the models’ eyebrows, the face became a canvass for the makeup team. Pastel blues and browns around the eyes and orangey-pink cheeks created a look imitative of porcelain dolls, whilst darker hues paid homage to the characters in black and white photographs from Parisian nightlife. The 1920s era certainly comes through in the thin, arched brows and flat caps. The centre of lips was painted dark using the artist’s finger, blending it out only slightly; the result is a pouty look mirroring that of 1920s film stars.

Figure 2 - Makeup of Look 23, (Courtesy of Pat McGrath)

What’s refreshing about McGrath’s makeup is that each look was tailored to the outfit. The collection tells a story of Parisian nightlife, so to see the makeup harmonise with each garment whilst embracing the features of the models is refreshing.

The warped bodies of the models contrast the delicate porcelain skin, developed by McGrath over three years. Upon layers of Pat McGrath’s ‘Skin Fetish’ makeup, a concoction of store-bought face masks was sprayed on in seven or eight layers with an airbrush. This perfectly enhanced Galliano’s world of nocturnal Paris; you can imagine the flickering flame of a lamp or a beam of moonlight reflecting on models’ faces as they peered out of dark alleyways. This artistry required days of training, with the process totalling about an hour per model.

Figure 3 - Look 6 (Grazia, Getty Images)

The doll look has become an internet sensation, and fans will be glad to hear that McGrath is soon releasing a product to reproduce the dewy skin! This avant-garde glam is the total opposite to the recent ‘clean girl’ aesthetic of natural makeup, so its popularity could show a shift in trends – and I’m so here for it. McGrath kindly shared her technique with fans on an Instagram Livestream, demonstrating the process on two models. Makeup seems to be a more accessible entryway into high fashion, so should therefore be publicised and respected alongside the clothes themselves.

Figure 4 - Makeup of Look 28 (Courtesy of Pat McGrath)

Galliano is one of the few creative directors still acting with the same vibrancy seen on the 1990s runways, embodied in McGrath’s artistry. This groundbreaking collection hopefully signals a new turn in for fashion designers and makeup artists. It has shown not just fashion enthusiasts but wider internet audiences the potential for artistry and drama that fashion weeks used to see, and the importance of makeup artists in this process. Hopefully, this is a signal to other fashion houses that detailed world-building is well worth the time and effort.

Sources:

Watch the show here!: Maison Margiela Artisanal Collection 2024 (youtube.com)

Get a closer look at the makeup here: Margiela's Couture 2024 Pat McGrath Makeup Looks: Up-Close Details (wwd.com); At Margiela, John Galliano Brings The Fashion World Together (grazia.sg)

See McGrath’s products used here: MAISON MARGIELA ARTISANAL COLLECTION 2024 (patmcgrath.com)

McGrath in her words with Vogue: Pat McGrath Herself Breaks Down The Margiela Beauty Look That Won Couture Week | British Vogue