My fascination with the dynamic duo of John Galliano and Pat McGrath began during Galliano’s transformative tenure at Dior. As the first British designer to take the helm of the quintessentially French fashion house, Galliano redefined luxury fashion from 1996 to 2011. His tenure at Dior was marked by revolutionary designs that blended historical references with avant-garde concepts, creating a new vocabulary in fashion that was both audacious and enchanting.
Parallel to Galliano’s meteoric rise, Pat McGrath was carving her own niche in the beauty world. Known for her inventive use of color, texture, and materials, McGrath became the most influential makeup artist in the world. Her work, which ranges from subtle elegance to bold experimentation, has graced countless runways, editorials, and campaigns, transforming the faces of models into breathtaking canvases of creativity.
The synergy between Galliano’s daring designs and McGrath’s groundbreaking makeup artistry was palpable. Their collaborations, especially during the Dior years, were a feast for the senses, filling my once melancholic heart with a burst of joy and wonder. Witnessing their creations in glossy magazine spreads was a transformative experience, one that cemented my passion for the whirlwind world of high fashion.
This magic has been reignited with their latest collaboration for the Margiela SS24 collection, reminding me of the very reasons I fell head over heels for the fashion industry. Galliano’s flair for dramatic storytelling through fabric, combined with McGrath’s mastery of visual alchemy, continues to captivate and inspire, proving once again why they remain at the pinnacle of their respective crafts. Here are my favorite looks from the iconic duo over the years.
Dior Couture SS04. Pat totally went all out with her wildest looks for the Dior runways, think super luxe, gold-drenched vibes that she whipped up for this one couture show. She dubbed it “marathon makeup” – yeah, it took a whopping 18 hours straight to perfect. “The Dior shows were the occasions when I really felt like the makeup had become as important to the overall creative energy and spirit of the show as the clothes, as the music, as the setting,” Robin Givhan, senior critic-at-large at The Washington Post, who has covered the collections since 1995, told Allure. “Makeup had always been a bit player to the big story, but it felt like Pat was really creating this dialogue between the clothes and beauty.”
Galliano for Dior, AW07 was set in the Pigalle streets of early century Paris.
John Galliano for Dior, FW09 RTW, modeled by Magdalena Frackowiak. This look of the frozen Ukrainian bride is one of my absolute favorites of the Iconic duo.
John Galliano for Dior, Spring 2007. Shalom Harlow. Galliano said that everything about this collection was inspired by Pinkerton’s affair with Cio-Cio San Madame Butterfly.” Pat McGrath’s makeup echoes Galliano’s inspiration perfectly.
Galliano for Dior, Autumn/Winter 2008, Ready-to-Wear
Valley of the Dolls makeup by Pat Mcgrath
The Dior Fall Couture 2004 collection was inspired by the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and the makeup evoked an avant-garde Marie Antoinette look.
Dior Fall 2010 Couture, McGrath calls the dark-lipped, cobalt graphic-eyed look at Christian Dior fall 2010 couture “A trip through the avant garden via The New Romance.”
For the Couture SS17 Margiela show, Pat customized each model’s make-up to complement their runway look. The looks were created out of piles of thread. Pat fashioned a swirling Picasso style face with red lips, strong lashes and blue eyeshadow.
“GLAZED ELEGANCE MEETS DOLL DIVINITY” as Pat herself described the makeup that transformed every model at Maison Margiela SS24 runway, even Game of Thrones’ Gwendoline Christie, into a doll with shiny glass skin–like porcelain Victorian dolls come to life.
Writer: Kimberly Mortensen