Get (Well) Groomed with Triumph & Disaster
Triumph & Disaster is a modern apothecary and skincare foundry born in New Zealand.
Founded by former international cricketer Dion Nash circa April of 2011, Triumph & Disaster sets out to make skincare more accessible and appealing by drawing on old fashioned values and wrapping them in a little rock & roll swagger.
A professional sportsman for over a decade, Dion spent long periods outside exposed to sun, wind and sweat. This left him acutely aware of the effects the sun and our environment have on skin and ultimately, the way we feel.
Unbeknown to his teammates, Dion began clandestinely developing his own routine of cleansing, shaving and protection to help preserve his skin. Stealing mainly from mainstream women’s brands and through a process of trial and error he built a routine with products, which suited his needs, but not his sensibility.
It was this lack of connection with any brand in the category that was the genesis of the Triumph & Disaster business. There simply had to be a better way to represent skincare as a functional logical part of a modern lifestyle that what existed in 2011.
From the outset the ambition was to have products that were derived from nature and scientifically engineered to the highest quality, formulations specifically tailored to modern tastes with an edgier, more relevant aesthetic. The products needed to look good, but make those who used them feel even better.
Dion spent 14 months working with a team of chemists and a world-class perfumer to bring his ideas to life. At the same time he was developing a brand name and sensibility that would appeal on a basis of function over form, on sound advice over vanity and on wellness over beauty.
Triumph & Disaster.
The name comes from the Rudyard Kipling poem ‘IF’, given to Dion by his father at about 13 years of age. The poem is advice from a father to his son on how to be a man. It is about humility, honour, risk and reward, all great messages for a young person making their way in the world and something that embodies this ground breaking range of unisex skincare and hair care tools.
