Backstage Beauty
Spotted: Faux Beauty Marks At Marc Jacobs’ F/W 25 Show
Pat McGrath gives Bustle the exclusive details on the “abstract” look she created backstage.
The atmosphere backstage at Marc Jacobs’ Fall/Winter 2025 presentation was surprisingly calm. The high ceilings and airiness of the location — the storied New York Public Library, a city landmark since 1967 — could’ve been the reason. Also, Jacobs is known for keeping the list of those allowed backstage extremely tight.
Dressed in her signature all-black, Dame Pat McGrath floated regally towards the small group of us eagerly waiting for her to give us a first-hand peek at the beauty look for the show. I had caught glimpses of models with large, brushed-out waves (courtesy of lead hairstylist Duffy), and velvety, angelic-looking skin — but something told me McGrath had more up her sleeve.
“The collection is really a play on dimension, shape, and form,” she says. “We’re playing with two two-dimensional shapes on models’ faces.” She guides us to a table off to the side of the hair and makeup stations, which, at first glance, I assumed was craft services — or some sort of cake station (I was hungry). As it turns out, it was a table holding a multitude of felt circles in varying sizes and shades of black and red.
“We've got a lip, we have beauty spots — one by the mouth or one by the eyes — we have cheeks,” McGrath says as she picks up small trays, one by one. She holds them up to her lips, cheeks, and eyes, demonstrating where they would be placed on models’ skin. The cheek and lip dots added an instant abstract touch to the models’ gleaming faces — but the beauty marks looked surprisingly realistic (even the bedazzled ones).
“The moment that when I arrived for the fitting, Marc was like, I really want to do these two-dimensional forms,” she explains. “The two little red circles on the cheeks represent blush; the circles on the lips, Marc was saying is like a kiss.”
The skin was simple, McGrath says — just a sheer layer of her namesake brand’s Skin Fetish: Sublime Perfection Foundation and dotting of Skin Fetish: Sublime Perfection Concealer, with brushed-up brows. For a luminous finish, she dabbed a bit of Skin Fetish: Highlighter + Balm Duo on the high points of models’ faces.
The overall effect? The delicacy of a porcelain doll, contrasted with the stark, abstract shapes of Picasso. It was the perfect play on contrasts — something McGrath and Jacobs are masters at. I’m not expecting anyone to be gluing felt circles to their cheeks just yet — but felt beauty marks? Never say never...
