Beauty Still Matters with Icons Sam McKnight and Val Garland
Two industry legends on why individuality, not algorithms, will define what comes next.
They have shaped the way the world sees beauty for decades, but Sam McKnight and Val Garland are not interested in looking back for long. Meeting them at V&A Dundee’s Catwalk: The Art of the Fashion Show, what lands is not legacy, it is relevance.
Set against more than a century of runway history, from early salon presentations to the kind of theatrical spectacle that defined Alexander McQueen’s shows, the exhibition makes one thing clear. Fashion moves forward because someone refuses to follow.
I had worked with both through P&G Beauty trends years ago, so there was a familiarity, but also a sharp reminder of just how much they have given to the industry. Both are still working at pace, still travelling, still creating, and crucially, still investing in what comes next.
Around us, the evidence is literal. Archive footage, backstage imagery, the mechanics behind shows that shifted culture. It is a reminder that none of this was accidental. It was built by people like them.
They are united on one thing. Young talent matters. Both are vocal champions of the next generation and have leaned into social media not for visibility, but for access. Decades of backstage knowledge, now shared openly. It is a shift the industry needed.
McKnight is clear on the risk ahead. AI, he says, could quietly replace the pipeline of hair and make-up artists before they have had the chance to properly develop. His stance on beauty itself is just as direct. Uniformity is over. Individuality is what counts. Hair should not look copied or overworked, it should feel considered. And above all, make the effort.
Garland’s advice is grounded and practical. Start properly. Build a client base. Get into a salon. Learn the discipline before aiming for red carpets and celebrity work. It is not glamorous at the beginning, but it is necessary.
She has also embraced TikTok with real intent, her assistant behind the camera, her experience in front of it. The result is a stream of sharp, usable advice that cuts through. No fluff, just technique and instinct.
For spring, she is decisive. Blue eye make-up is back. Not tentative, not diluted. Proper colour. It sits within what she calls “bolder not older”, a refusal to fade into neutrality with age. Texture, pigment, confidence. Beauty should feel expressive again.
McKnight agrees on the wider shift. The idea that everyone should look the same, the same hair, the same finish, feels dated. What matters now is personality. A look that belongs to you.
They may have built their careers behind the scenes, but both understand exactly where beauty is heading. Not towards perfection, not towards automation, but towards individuality, skill and a renewed sense of creativity.
And importantly, they are still excited by it.
Image credit: @misslydiaphoto