Behind the Brand: Triumph & Disaster Creates Men's Grooming Rituals Derived from Nature
Dion Nash is a former professional athlete and entrepreneur from New Zealand who founded Triumph & Disaster, a line of men’s grooming products that are formulated with natural, plant-based ingredients.
A professional New Zealand sportsman for a decade, Dion Nash spent much of his youth outside where he was regularly exposed to sun, wind and sweat—sometimes all at the same time. His exposure to the harsh elements ultimately led him to become an entrepreneur and develop Triumph & Disaster, a line of hair, skin and body products for men that are made with plant-based ingredients derived from nature but engineered with science.
“Because of this exposure, I have always been acutely aware of the effect that the sun and our environment has on our skin and consequently the way we feel,” Nash says. “Through a process of trial and error I developed and evolved my own ideas on what active men need in their grooming products. By working with a great team of chemists and a world-class perfumer, we have brought these ideas to life and developed a brand for men who want clean, healthy, vibrant skin and men who want to feel great about their grooming routine.”
13 New Zealand Beauty Brands You Need to Know About
Aside from utilizing high-quality natural ingredients, Triumph & Disaster is strongly committed to making clean, safe and efficient products that make a difference. Their don’t test on animals and have also developed a sustainability roadmap that the company adheres to in order to be a more responsible business.
We chatted with Nash, who shared the inspiration behind the brand, favorite products, future plans, and more.
When was Triumph & Disaster founded and what’s the meaning behind the name?
It was founded in April 2011. The name comes from a Rudyard Kipling poem called “If.” It is advice from a father to his son about how to live an honourable life. The poem was given to me by my father and we feel that we are in the business of creating rituals and handing down advice much like this poem does, so we felt it was perfect for us. Plus Triumph & Disaster is kind of life itself, equal parts.
Is there anything you want customers to know about the ingredients in your products and where they come from?
Triumph & Disaster’s philosophy is to use the best of science combined with the best of nature to produce naturally derived but scientifically-engineered products that work. We use local indigenous ingredients such as Horopito oil and Ponga extract (Cumungii leaf) blended with scientifically proven and active natural ingredients from around the globe such as clays from Australia, Jojoba extract from Mexico, and Tamanu oil from Polynesia.
Fibre Royal is one of Triumph & Disaster’s standout products that provides strength and hold by utilizing a bespoke blend of beeswax, Argan oil and Kawakawa to mold hair and treat the scalp.
What steps does Triumph & Disaster take towards being sustainable?
At Triumph and Disaster we have always been passionate about producing products that are derived from nature and engineered with science—this has been our mantra for over a decade. It might be defined as “clean skin care” or “sustainable skin care”; we just believe it's the only way to be. The way we have brought these beliefs into our business are:
We created a sustainability roadmap for the business to adhere to over the next five years.
We have adopted reusable or recyclable packaging across our range.
We have migrated to sugar cane plastics. These are non-petrochemical based and create a strong carbon offset.
We are committed to traceability of ingredients.
We are committed to good practice from all our suppliers.
We are committed to supporting our community through mental health and environmental clean-ups.
Do you have a hero product?
Our two bestsellers are Ritual Face Cleanser and Gameface Moisturiser—two absolute staples.
What’s your favorite/most popular product?
Rock & Roll Face Scrub. It’s an absolute game changer and an awesome product.
Where are your products sold?
We sell globally, but our core markets are Australasia, UK and the U.S. Shopping info for North America:
Canada: shopmasc.com
U.S.: triumphanddisaster.com
What's next for the brand?
We just launched a range of beard care products that have been received very well. We have challenged some of the norms of this category and come at beards from our knowledge base of “skin first.”
Please share anything else you’d like us to know.
Life is too short to use bad skin care—invest in yourself.
For more information and to purchase, visit the website and follow on Instagram: @triumphanddisaster
[Images courtesy of Triumph & Disaster]
Kamala Kirk is a University of Southern California graduate and has been an editor/writer for more than a decade. She has written for E! Online, Total Beauty, TravelAge West, Malibu Times Magazine, and many more. She resides in Los Angeles and is a proud pug mom. Follow her on Instagram: @kamalakirk