MAC Cosmetics Taps Chromat for Inclusive, Futuristic Makeup Line

Chromat, the Brooklyn-based brand known for purveying inclusive, body positive fashion, has joined forces with MAC Cosmetics to release an exclusive line of makeup with a similar mission. "Makeup is a chance to be whoever you want to be, immediately, and then be a different person tomorrow," says Chromat designer Becca McCharen-Tran--an out, married lesbian--capturing the very essence of transformative queer identity.

Related OUT100: Becca McCharen

In January 2016, Vogue reports that five different designers pitched capsule collections to MAC in collaboration with the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund. Each offered original ideas for limited-edition lines, but Chromat was ultimately granted the opportunity to realize their vision by a panel of judges. Releasing June 29, Chromat's eight-piece range reflects on McCharen-Tran's architecture background with geometric packaging and bold, futuristic colorways--makeup for the brand's fearless, diverse #Chromatbabes.

"At Chromat we design garments for strong, powerful women," says McCharen-Tran, who designed each product with a different woman in mind, from Mucus in my Pineal Gland author Juliana Huxtable to Alkali singer Rahel. "We are always looking for new ways to empower the body to perform at optimum levels through our collaborations in fashion technology and through our obsession with fit, performance and new materials."

The brand's MAC capsule aligns strongly with what Chromat sends down the runway each season, both in its sociocultural message and slick aesthetic appearance. McCharen-Tran values an open doors model for casting models, recruiting all kinds of women to model her experimental designs, from LED bras to 3-D-printed accessories and structured athletic looks. A celebration of nontraditional beauty through clothes, Chomat's new MAC release accomplishes the same through makeup.

Related | Chromat's Diverse Crew Stays Afloat in Today's Tumultuous Political Waters

"At Chromat, we don't subscribe to traditional notions of beauty," says McCharen-Tran. "We do, however, focus on highlighting individuality and each body's structure. When women feel empowered and choose to celebrate themselves and their bodies, that is beautiful."

MAC x Chromat launches June 29 in North America and July 1 internationally (maccosmetics.com).