
Monogram Infrarouge, La Beauté Louis Vuitton.
If there were ever a beauty version of the angel-and-devil-on-your-shoulder dilemma, Louis Vuitton may have just given both sides a luxury makeover. One is warm, luminous and persuasive. The other arrives in black and red, with absolutely no interest in keeping things subtle. For the Maison’s first-ever ‘La Beauté’ Louis Vuitton collaboration, Nicolas Ghesquière and Dame Pat McGrath have turned that internal argument into two limited-edition worlds: Monogram Dune and Monogram Infrarouge.
The collaboration brings together two people who have, in reality, been having this particular creative conversation for years. McGrath has been responsible for the beauty looks accompanying Louis Vuitton’s runway collections for more than two decades, while her relationship with Ghesquière has developed into one of fashion’s longest-running backstage dialogues.
“Beauty has always been complementary to how I conceive a silhouette — it completes the character, the attitude, the emotion of a look,” says Ghesquière. “With ‘La Beauté’ Louis Vuitton, we are extending that vision beyond the runway. It’s a way of allowing the Louis Vuitton woman to carry that expression into her everyday life.”

Monogram Dune, La Beauté Louis Vuitton.

Monogram Dune, La Beauté Louis Vuitton.
As Louis Vuitton continues celebrating the 130th anniversary of its Monogram, the two collections take their starting point from two very different versions of the historic canvas. For the first time, those Monogram worlds move directly into La Beauté, extending the house’s visual language from trunks and leather goods to eyes, lips and the objects carrying them. The limited-edition pieces also feature recyclable refills, continuing the refillable approach already established across La Beauté Louis Vuitton.
“The products did not begin with a brief — they began with a feeling, the same feeling we always create together backstage before a show,” says McGrath. “That is what makes it so extraordinary. It is not a collaboration in the traditional sense. It is an evolution of our partnership.”
The first side of the shoulder belongs entirely to Monogram Dune, the angelic option — although McGrath would probably object to anything quite so predictable. The palette takes its cues from desert horizons where shifting light constantly alters perception, designed for individuals who project an effortless, timeless elegance. Subdued beiges dominate the range, led by the LV Ombres 724 Monogram Dune eyeshadow palette, accompanied by the LV Rouge 724 Monogram Dune satin lipstick and LV Baume 098 Stellar Veil, a light-catching topper balm. McGrath describes the persona as one that “moves through the world with a stealth assurance. Her beauty is timeless, effortless — and all the more powerful for it.”

Monogram Infrarouge, La Beauté Louis Vuitton.

Monogram Infrarouge, La Beauté Louis Vuitton.
The opposite shoulder finds its voice through Monogram Infrarouge, a landscape of sharp, self-possessed intensity. Where the neutral tones of Dune speak softly, Infrarouge relies on high-contrast blacks and saturated crimson pigments to establish a fearless presence. The rebellious side of the lineup features the graphic LV Ombres 715 Monogram Infrarouge eyeshadow palette, the vivid LV Rouge 715 Monogram Infrarouge satin lipstick and the prismatic LV Baume 099 Galactic Veil lip topper. “Infrarouge is the counterpart to Dune — fearless, high-contrast, unapologetic,” McGrath explains. “She does not ask for your attention. She commands it. There is depth, drama and the kind of boldness that is completely mesmerising.”
The point, however, is not to choose a side permanently. Dune and Infrarouge are designed as two expressions of the same woman: softness and strength, light and shadow. The collaboration also extends beyond the makeup itself with a dedicated selection of beauty accessories and small leather goods, including lipstick pouches, mini vanities, brush cases and Monogram-adorned blotting paper holders.
The Dame Pat McGrath x Nicolas Ghesquière collection for La Beauté Louis Vuitton arrives in stores on 27 August. Find out more here.
photography. courtesy of Louis Vuitton
words. Gennaro Costanzo












