Dame Patricia Ann McGrath ( born June 11, 1971, Northampton, England ) is universally hailed as the most influential and innovative makeup artist of the modern era and the founder and CEO of Pat McGrath Labs .
Celebrated for her fearless creativity and industry-breaking beauty launches, McGrath is the first makeup artist in history to be named a Dame Commander of the British Empire and, in 2025 , assumed the role of Creative Director of Cosmetics at Louis Vuitton . Early Life and Career Born in Northampton to
Jamaican immigrant Jean McGrath , Pat McGrath was raised in a working-class home shaped by her mother’s love of color, creativity, and experimentation. She completed an art foundation course at Northampton College , before moving to London in the late 1980s .
By the 1990s , McGrath had become a force backstage with the likes of Alexander McQueen , John Galliano , and Edward Enninful at i-D magazine. In 1999 , she was recruited by Giorgio Armani for cosmetics development.
By 2004 , McGrath joined Procter & Gamble as Global Cosmetics Creative Design Director, working on Dolce & Gabbana , CoverGirl , and Max Factor . Founding Pat McGrath Labs In 2015 , after over two decades setting backstage trends for fashion’s elite, Pat McGrath launched her namesake brand – Pat McGrath Labs .
The launch product, Gold 001 , sold out almost instantly, setting a pattern for the brand’s record sell-outs. By April 2019 , McGrath Labs became the biggest-selling beauty brand in Selfridges’ history and hit a $1 billion valuation within just three years—cementing her as a rare “self-made” billionaire in beauty…
