Why Were We Sleeping on Pat McGrath?

Pat McGrath has been a powerhouse player in the fashion and beauty industry for the past two decades. She is recognized as a creative genius makeup artist, responsible for some of the most iconic images of our time with photographers including Herb Ritts, Steven Meisel and others. Across social media and the industry at large, Mcgrath has maintained her powerhouse positioning as the mother of all things beauty with legions of apprentices, influencers, models and followers hanging on her every prescription.

This week it was announced that McGrath sits atop a billion dollar business; in the two-year old beauty empire Pat McGrath Labs. The awesome valuation sent shockwaves through the industry, particularly because most of our attention in this space has been turned to brands like Kylie Cosmetics and Glossier. In this age of massive beauty fortunes being built on a single personality, McGrath would seem an obvious choice to ride this road to success. So why the surprise? Why has the industry been sleeping on Pat McGrath?