MAC Cosmetics partners with the family and estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat for a limited collection inspired by the late artist’s visual language. The collaboration brings Basquiat’s recurring motifs, colors and creative approach into a six-piece makeup release that includes lipsticks, pigments, eye products, brushes and a cosmetics bag.
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MAC designed the products for professional makeup artists and customers who want to experiment with color, texture and application. Collectible packaging carries references to Basquiat’s work, extending the collaboration beyond formulas and into the physical design of each item.
MAC global creative director Nicola Formichetti described the project as a love letter to Basquiat and his art. He connected Basquiat’s habit of transforming ordinary objects with the way MAC approaches makeup.
The Macximal Silky Matte Basquiat Lipstick serves as a key product in the release. MAC adds a crown to the lid of its familiar lipstick bullet, drawing from one of Basquiat’s best-known visual motifs. The lipstick arrives in two shades: Ruby Woo-ster and Bowery Brown.
Ruby Woo-ster offers a more vivid interpretation of MAC’s Ruby Woo shade and takes inspiration from Basquiat’s use of bright color. Bowery Brown offers a muted brown shade inspired by MAC’s Teddy lipstick.
The collection also includes three loose powder pigments in shimmering gold, taupe and white. Gold tones appear throughout the release alongside vivid blues, both of which connect with colors that Basquiat often used in his paintings.
MAC expands the collection with a multipurpose Eye + Face Chalk and an Oil Effect Eye Paint. The products support different applications across the eyes and face, giving users several ways to work with color and finish.
The collection includes a four-piece set of Basquiat Artist Brushes in varied shapes and sizes inspired by the paintbrushes Basquiat used in his work. The pro-inspired Famous Bag completes the range and provides space for carrying the products.
The launch arrives ahead of Netflix’s upcoming “Jean-Michel Basquiat” documentary. The film debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival in June and follows Basquiat’s upbringing and rise as a neo-expressionist street artist and painter during the 1980s.
