Perfect Chaos: Nicola Formichetti In The Spotlight

When Nicola Formichetti is appointed to lead the visual reinvention of a global beauty brand, it’s not simply a hiring decision. It’s a signal. A reset. A pronouncement that M·A·C, at the cusp of its 40 year, is not chasing relevance, but redefining it altogether.

This is the man who turned Lady Gaga into a generational metaphor. The stylist who made club-kid chaos feel couture. The creative director who shaped Diesel’s rebellious comeback and Mugler’s futuristic arc before it became TikTok shorthand. But at M.A.C, he isn’t styling faces. He’s shaping a feeling. As Global Creative Director, Formichetti’s role is expansive. He will lead product, packaging, storytelling, campaigns, cultural cues, digital immersion, and the architecture of imagination itself. What beauty looks like, and more importantly, what it means, from now on, is partially his prerogative.

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Rebel Rebel

We meet in the midst of moodboards. Casting decks spill into photo references and scribbled phrases. “I’ve been thinking a lot about how to create images that feel emotional,” he says, scanning through a folder simply titled FEELS. “Not just striking, but also deep. Beauty that sticks in your brain and hits your heart.”

It’s not surprising that Formichetti’s references reach backwards before they reach forward. “I always go back to the classics like Irving Penn. His beauty photography is so iconic, so focused, yet timeless. It reminds me that a strong image doesn’t need much. It lasts forever.” This ability to hold restraint and risk in the same frame is what has defined Formicetti’s own work across mediums. Whether it was McQueen’s armadillo heels in Gaga’s ‘Bad Romance’ (2009) video or his early fashion editorials for Dazed, he has never trafficked in excess without intention. “If I had to redo it in 2025, I wouldn’t change a thing,” he says of the now-iconic music video. “It was everything.”

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But not all influences are runway-bound. “London changed everything for me. I moved there at 18 and fell into the underground club scene. That mix of rebellion and romance never left me.” It’s a sentence that could easily describe his entire aesthetic lineage—a visual language rooted in contrast, expression, and intimacy.

Instinctual Beauty

The challenge now is filtering. In an industry where every new visual can feel instantly obsolete, Formichetti doesn’t rely on algorithmic cues. He leans on instinct. “There’s so much information out there, but at the end of the day, your taste and intuition are what guide you. I rely on my gut. That’s where the magic really happens.”

It’s a philosophy that resists polish and embraces subjectivity. “I do love clichés,” he admits. “But if I had to choose one to let go of, it would be the cliché of perfection. There’s so much beauty in imperfection.”

This may seem like a well-worn soundbite, but Formichetti isn’t gesturing at a trend. He’s part of a rare group of image-makers who don’t see fashion, beauty, or the digital space as separate entities. “There’s a new underground forming,” he tells me. “Partly online and partly in real life. It’s where people are remixing analogue emotion with digital chaos.” That space between nostalgia and novelty is where Formichetti thrives.

Making Meaning

When asked what beauty means to him today, he doesn’t reach for campaign copy or PR gloss. “People care about what something stands for. It could be a photo, a video, or even something as quick as a meme. It’s all about using different formats to tell a meaningful story.”

That belief, story first, format second, will define his approach at M·A·C. “It’s not about changing the brand. It’s about refining it. M·A·C already has the best artists and energy. My job is to elevate what’s already there.”

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But there are new frontiers to be explored. “I’d love to play in film and gaming,” he says. “Long-format storytelling. Immersive digital spaces. That excites me.” His voice sharpens when he says this, as if speaking from a place he’s already imagined.

Ideas & Energetics

When the conversation turns to India, Formichetti lights up with genuine curiosity. “The energy coming out of India right now is incredible. That mix of tradition and newness, with so much self- expression. I’m excited to explore it more deeply and collaborate.” It’s not a throwaway line. He understands that the next creative wave may not emerge from a Western studio, but from the kind of cultural convergence that cities like Mumbai already embody.

And when I ask what grounds him, what makes the chaos feel sacred, his answer is quiet. “My incense collection. I light incense and candles wherever I go. It creates a little shrine around me, a calm, clean space to let ideas in.”

It’s in that space, the digital cloud, scented with smoke and instinct, where Formichetti builds not just images, but language. “If beauty could speak to me right now,” he says, “it would encourage me to embrace whatever feels right for me. Whether that means being bold or keeping it simple. At M·A·C, we want to be your beauty toolbox; a place where you can find the tools to become whoever you want to be.”

There’s no manifesto. No headline-grabbing stunt. Just a man with ideas, trusting the gut that has never failed him, and quietly preparing to show us all what beauty can become when feeling comes first.