PAT McGRATH LABS
POP-UP SHOP / NYC SHOP-IN-SHOP / LONDON
RETAIL STRATEGY RETAIL CONCEPT RETAIL DESIGN (SPATIAL + FIXTURE) DESIGN INTENT IMPLEMENTATION
A BOLD TECHNICOLOR VISION FOR A REVERED FASHION ICON.
Pat McGrath is a fashion and beauty legend. An icon in a world of icons. In 2017 she launched her own makeup line and only two years later her business was valued at over $1 billion. Recently she was named to Time’s 100 most influential people list. Pat’s become an incredibly powerful presence in the beauty space and late last year she entered the retail space with her own shops. She enlisted our team to develop her retail strategy and identity.
The Pat McGrath Labs (PML) brand began as a digital brand, choosing to connect directly to consumers. Pat McGrath has an incredible reputation as a makeup artist and is considered one of the most creative and influential in recent memory. When she launched her brand she felt the best way to get her vision and energy across to her fans would be through social media. She was right. She rapidly built a massive fanbase and has millions of online followers.
Pat recognized that she needed to be closer to her fans and began opening in physical retail locations. It all started in the States with Sephora as a quick way to establish a presence in key locations in major cities. As the PML brand grew, both digitally and physically, the iconic department store Bergdorf Goodman in New York made the perfect location for their debut. The UK was the next step and of course, the place that Pat chose to make the most impactful and powerful statement was in Selfridges Oxford Street.
We developed the strategic approach and the retail design language for both locations as well as developed and installed all of the fixtures and displays.
In the strategic stage we dove deep into the brand and into the mystique of Pat herself (she is a dream to collaborate with - infinitely kind and inspiring). As we transitioned into the creative process, we worked hard to capture her story through imagery inspiration sessions and concept visualizations.
The design concept is an extravagant mash-up of chic sexiness and baroque minimalism with a touch of electro-glam, a glimpse into the world of Pat McGrath.
Gold-and-black furniture dominate the space, red digital tickers endlessly scroll across tables and walls and a shimmery gold sequined back wall frames the site. In concert with the frenetic videos that loop like transmissions from a future fashion show are animated neon logos and neon frames.
Heavy on gold, the site blends polished gold with satin gold, ribbed gold with smooth gold with gold sequins. Glossy black lacquer and back-painted glass add an uber-luxe vibe all the while referencing the insanely wet look of the PML lipstick packaging. Lighting is critical, whether as a detail to focus attention on the product, or whether to add to the frenetic eye-catching illumination that punctuates the site. LEDs are embedded in each display, overhead lighting is present on all counters, back-wall LEDs provide a halo glow around the shimmering back-walls.
