McQueen Creative Collaborators: Beauty
Discover how Daniel Sällström, Gary Gill and Ama Quashie created the beauty look for the McQueen Spring Summer 2026 show.
Raw and elemental, the McQueen Spring Summer 2026 beauty concept was deeply connected to the show’s core narrative—submitting to the raw power of nature. Inspired by folk horror film The Wicker Man (1973), directed by Robin Hardy, makeup artist Daniel Sällström, hair stylist Gary Gill and nail artist Ama Quashie collaborated to create a look that embodied the powerful themes explored within the collection.
What was the starting point for your creative process?
Ama: The process is different each time. In this situation, Seán [McGirr] told me this was going to be his first all-womenswear show and he wanted strength and the reference of The Wicker Man. Fire, earth and sweat.
I wanted to find something that felt raw, beautiful, but also quite clean, then the idea of dipped clay digits came to me. I came up with a palette from there, a tone that was deeper or lighter than the model’s natural skin tone.
How did the beauty look complement and work with the collection's driving narrative?
Gary: I see the collection, I build up a moodboard and we keep adding to that; we keep dropping in different points of view, which end up coming together. Seán describes the character and we’ve got a film reference, The Wicker Man, a film that meant a lot to me and helped me really see what he was trying to see.
Can you tell us about the essential elements of the beauty look you created?
Gary: It’s sexy, it’s kind of got a wildness to it. There are tendril-y bits and chopped bits of hair.
Tell us about how the creative references influenced your approach and informed the key details of the makeup, hair, and nails.
Daniel: We wanted to create this woman that looked powerful, but still was a bit dishevelled, like she’s been through it.
In The Wicker Man, the element of fire and water is very present, and I wanted that to come through in the makeup. We didn’t want all the girls to look the same, so everyone has a different smear and individuality in their look. I started with the eyes to create the perfect smear, then we built skin and glossiness around it to incorporate it into the eyes.
What generally informs your creative process, and how do you translate conceptual themes into a tangible beauty look?
Daniel: I can get inspired anywhere. I think it’s quite rare that I get inspired by makeup. Normally, it’s everyday life; it’s things and people you see on the street. Random objects really carry a lot more presence in my work than obvious fashion things.
