The distinguished makeup artist is the first from this field to receive the honorary title of Dame
(Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire), which is the female equivalent of a knighthood!
Pat McGrath has been named in the annual list of individuals who have been awarded honorary degrees by Queen Elizabeth for 2021.
She is the makeup artist legend, also known as the mother of makeup, who was honored for her services to fashion,
beauty and the promotion of diversity.
With a career spanning almost 30 years in fashion, on the catwalk and the red carpet, she has influenced millions of artists with her iconic looks, her experiments and her revolutionary approach to the art of makeup.
She was born in Northampton in 1970 and grew up with her mother, Jean McGrath, a woman of Jamaican descent,
with an interest in fashion, who worked as a seamstress.
She attributes her creativity to it, as… although she never received any formal training in makeup,
has told Sarah Mower for Vogue in 2007 that, “My mother trained me, actually, for the shows there, on the spot.
Look at the pattern, look at the fabrics, find the makeup and get started!”
The decades that followed
So she became famous for her bold approach to beauty,
with her innovative make-up for John Galliano’s Dior coutoure collections,
remain among the most frequently cited of all time.
In 2015 she launched her own beauty line called “Pat McGrath Labs“.
By 2018 it reached a cost of one billion dollars.
She has been named by Vogue as the most influential makeup artist in the world, with collaborations including brands such as,
Alexander McQueen, Marc Jacobs, Prada, Miu Miu, Lanvin, Calvin Klein, Balencianga ,
as well as the world’s biggest fashion magazines.
As soon as she was informed of the award, she expressed her thanks to her mother and her family,
her friends and colleagues, dedicating this distinction to all makeup artists,
thus urging them never to give up on their dreams.
