Jamaican Powerhouses: Pat McGrath & Naomi Campbell
Photo credit: Andrea Raffin | Shutterstock.com
written by Caribbean Collective Magazine
Makeup mogul and celebrity makeup artist Pat McGrath has been described by Vogue as “the most influential artist in the world.” Pat’s journey started in Northampton, England. Born to a Jamaican mother, she credits much of her interest in makeup to her West Indian mother. In a 2019 interview with Elle Magazine, McGrath describes her childhood as, “Make-up and the arts brought my mother such immense joy - it was her happy place” Pat’s mother, Jean McGrath, is said to have introduced young Pat to the world of fashion, hair, and beauty.
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In the years to come McGrath quickly built a name for herself in the industry; shooting with various magazines and creating editorial looks for numerous runway shows. She’s worked with brands such as Prada, Giorgio Armani, and John Galliano just to name a few. In 2017 she was appointed as British Vogue’s beauty editor-at-large while 2015 marked the launch of Path McGrath Labs. The brand grew phenomenally. Influencers and makeup artists all over the world reviewed, demonstrated and promoted McGrath’s quality products. According Harper’s Bazaar, New York-based investment firm Eurazeo Brands, reported the brand being worth more than 1 Billion as of 2019 .
In 2020, McGrath Labs launched its Divine Rose Collection featuring a gorgeous variety of blush hues, neutrals and gold tones. More importantly, McGrath used nonother than Naomi Campbell as the face of Divine Rose. Beauty lovers everywhere were ecstatic for McGrath’s launch. As West Indian women we couldn’t think of a better choice for the campaign than powerhouse fashion icon and supermodel Naomi Campbell.
Dozens of West Indian girls and women from around the globe stared at the campaign. Some were in awe of its beauty. Some wanted to rush to place an order. Many of us however, were in awe of the successes of these two women of Afro-Caribbean descent. Pat McGrath, a true self-made beauty mogul owns this billion- dollar beauty company. Naomi Campbell is a dark-skinned Jamaican beauty whose runway walk and confidence are unmatched. For the first time in history, two female Jamaican powerhouses came together in symbolic bliss. A bliss that consists of representation, redefining beauty standards, and celebrating women of color. For West Indian women this launch is so much more than a beauty. It’s a representation of us and puts women who look like us at the forefront of beauty. It’s an inclusion that we never knew of until recent years. It’s moments like this that remind us that the world is evolving.
To check out the campaign see here. Divine Rose is available at Pat McGrath Labs.
