New book celebrates the subversive genius of make-up artist Inge Grognard
‘Inge Grognard, Makeup 1989-2005’ is a new book that explores the ‘beauty revolution’ ignited by the make-up artist’s early work with Maison Martin Margiela, Dries Van Noten and more
- (opens in new tab)
- (opens in new tab)
- (opens in new tab)
- Sign up to our newsletter Newsletter

Inge Grognard, Makeup 1989-2005 is a new book from the young publishing house Zegris Books that showcases the early career work of make-up’s great iconoclast. Inge Grognard’s career launched in the mid-1980s when she became the make-up artist for the Antwerp Six, including Dries Van Noten and Ann Demeulemeester, as well as her childhood friend Martin Margiela.
Inge Grognard make-up explored
Jurgi Persoons, A/W 1998-1999 lookbook
Since then, Grognard has worked with Balenciaga, Haider Ackermann, Hood By Air, Vetements and more; but the new beauty book primarily focuses on her work in the Antwerp fashion scene of the late 1980s to the early 2000s, where she pioneered her signature subversive, do-it-yourself style.
Images show models with a bold painted-on unibrow, or deliberately misapplied mascara, or blanched, monochromatic features. The results are captivating and also challenging; they pose philosophical questions about our perceptions of beauty as much as they titillate our aesthetic sensibilities.
BAM No2, summer 1989, editorial
As Olivier Zahm, co-founder of Purple magazine, writes in his introduction for the book: ‘Grognard’s beauty revolution is essentially feminist. She uses make-up as an artistic gesture, an intimate revolt, one that allows each woman to reclaim her beauty, her inner turmoil, her hidden conflicts, her fragility and to reach beyond the masculine imperative of seduction.’
Kate Moss backstage at the A/W Maison Martin Margiela 1992–1993 show
He continues, ‘Her work marked both a brutal break with traditional beauty conventions and a leap into the future with an aesthetic that is still defining the beauty of tomorrow.’
Indeed, as Grognard’s recent work with Balenciaga, in particular, has shown, she is still one of the most innovative forces in the industry, constantly reconfiguring our definitions of beauty.
Inge Grognard, Makeup 1989–2005, £20, zegris.media (opens in new tab)
Mary Cleary is the Beauty & Grooming Editor of Wallpaper*. Having been with the brand since 2017, she became an editor in February 2020 with the launch of the brand’s new beauty & grooming channel. Her work seeks to offer a new perspective on beauty, focusing on the pioneering personalities, product designs, and transformative trends within the industry.
-
Fforme is the fashion label uniting European refinement with American ease
Ahead of Fforme’s presentation at New York Fashion Week on 10 February, creative director Paul Helbers, previously of The Row, tells the story behind its less-is-more approach
By Tilly Macalister-Smith • Published
-
Sustainable architecture: innovative and inspiring building design
This is sustainable architecture at its best: from amazing abodes to centres of care and hard-working offices, these buildings not only look good but also do good
By Ellie Stathaki • Published
-
Out of this world beauty: the rise of skincare for space travel
Space tourism has prompted the development of skincare for space, with brands such as 111Skin creating products that respond to the cosmetic damage caused by life at microgravity
By Mary Cleary • Published