Winnie Harlow Recreates RuPaul's Iconic M.A.C. Campaign
On the 25 year anniversary of Viva Glam, model and ambassador to the brand, Winnie Harlow, pays homage to M.A.C.’s debut campaign.
M.A.C.’s Viva Glam beauty campaign, which was launched 25 years ago, starred legendary drag superstar and host of RuPaul’s Drag Race, RuPaul. This year’s campaign features Winnie Harlow, donning the same outfit that RuPaul did two and a half decades later. Although M.A.C. is known for their standout makeup, what many loyalists may not know is that 100 percent of the proceeds from their ever-popular Viva Glam campaign does to funding research and raising awareness for the HIV/AIDs foundation, the MAC Aids Fund.
Although M.A.C. chose to reappropriate RuPaul’s iconic look for the launch of this year’s campaign, there are plenty of other notable celebrities that have been featured in the brand’s past ads, including Lady Gaga, Nicki Minaj, and Elton John. This year’s campaign prominently features the original VLG lipstick, Viva Glam I, also known as the perfect universal red. Other images include Winnie Harlow in red thigh high boots and latex bodysuit, using her body to spell out the words Viva Glam.
21-year-old photographer Gabriel Perez Silva shot the campaign. "I felt a great honor to be entrusted with such an important project," he told L'Officiel USA exclusively. "I am ecstatic we were able to continue such an iconic and honorable legacy—this will definitely be one of those shoots I look back on in my career.”
Benefiting thousands of youths affected by HIV every year, the proceeds from M.A.C.’s Viva Glam campaign have generated over 500 million dollars for the cause and continue to grow with each purchase of the sleek beauty line.