Pat McGrath Labs takes over Selfridges for UK and Europe debut

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Apr 12, 2019

Selfridges has unveiled the much anticipated debut of Pat McGrath Labs in the UK with the launch of the cult line at the high-end department store also marking the brand’s debut in Europe.

The launch comes with a store windows and Corner Shop takeover plus product exclusives and limited editions from the brand itself and other labels, with McGrath also being the store’s “first ever special guest editor." 

The Corner Shop, the Oxford Street flagship’s creative retail space, has been transformed into The Mothership for the exclusive three-month takeover as part of the store’s new multi-platform A Technicolour Odyssey campaign. 

The launch is showcasing designer collaborations and collections made specifically for A Technicolour Odyssey in McGrath’s favourite colour, gold. And the number of exclusives and limited editions is large with more than 75 products created to celebrate the event.

The Mothership (a reference to McGrath’s nickname ‘Mother’) “takes its inspiration from the energy, excitement and creativity of the ‘Backstage’ experience – Pat McGrath’s international fashion week milieu for over 25 years,” the retailer said.

The collections are presented across three gold ‘bars', with one dedicated entirely to the brand’s famous Lip product. And the Mothership also has eight seats for Europe’s first ever Pat McGrath Labs Beauty Services offer. There’s a nail station and four flexible work stations for hair and make-up. 

The location is framed by high level scaffolding in gold, digital screens and chandeliers. Products are presented in “an old style automat and a custom-made, gold-lined Louis Vuitton trunk. A giant golden sculpture of Pat McGrath’s signature lips is The Mothership’s centrepiece.”

The exclusive products range from the affordable to the very aspirational and include a number of one-offs across fashion, accessories, lifestyle, food and art, all in gold with the brand’s distinctive trio of hallmark-style icons incorporated.

At the affordable end of the scale there are Ice London Pat McGrath Labs notebooks at £10, or Farhi chocolates starting from £8.99. A Comme des Garçons 20-piece gold archive re-editions collection ranging in price from £80 to £245 would just about suit some budgets. But less accessible is a Chrome Hearts leather skirt at £23,280, a Judith Lieber Couture Lipstick Clutch Bag at £4,500, Manolo Blahnik gold brocade Lurum mules at £975 and a Stephen Jones headpiece at £3,000.