In the Beauty Disruptors series, BeautyMatter speaks to those breaking the mold of the traditional beauty industry, from shining a light on controversial issues to paving an alternative discourse.
A self professed “part-time clown,” Dominic Cadogan’s visual aesthetic, as evidenced by a kaleidoscopic color range of makeup looks, is as awe inspiring as their unique perspective on beauty and fashion. When Cadogan is not busy exploring the “beautiful chaos” of Dover Street Parfums Market for AnOther, highlighting acrylic nails for men for i-D, depicting sartorial constructions of male sexuality for a new generation for Dazed, or discussing Black creativity in the fashion industry in the aftermath of Black Lives Matter for SHOWstudio, they channel their inspirations into complex cosmetic artistry. Rather than hiding behind a laptop screen or oversized shades, Cadogan embraces approachability and vulnerability, most poignantly in a recent article sharing their experience of coming out as non-binary in honor of International Non-Binary People’s Day.
The London-born writer’s endeavor as Assistant Editor at Dazed Beauty saw the platform acquire a covetable reputation in beauty publishing: an editorial universe where subcultures and avant-garde artists meet inquisitive trend pieces, all underlined by a creative, youth culture-derived drive for perpetual newness and inspiration.
Today, Cadogan’s work continues to grace the pages of cult art & fashion titles and institutional publications like GQ and Elle alike. Amidst a flurry of drafts and artistic endeavors, they sat down with BeautyMatter to discuss the importance of community, broaching new beauty frontiers, and why the future of beauty will render trends obsolete.
How did you get started in the beauty industry?
After studying fashion journalism at university, I’ve since worked at various magazines over the past seven years. Beauty was always on the periphery as the industries are so close, so when I saw an opportunity to explore it further at the newly launched Dazed Beauty, I took it.
What are your most formative memories of beauty?
I would say my most formative memories of beauty have been over the past few years since I’ve given myself the freedom to explore makeup. For the longest time, I thought it was shameful to express my femininity, but makeup to me isn’t tied to any gender, and I now see it as a way of transforming myself into the person that I have always envisioned. It’s fun to experiment and learn new skills, and that’s what continues to inspire me.
What led to the launch of Dazed Beauty as its own separate entity?
I hadn’t yet joined the team when it launched, so I can’t speak exactly to their experience then, but I imagine it was born out of the need for a platform that spoke to all the amazing alternative forms of beauty that are neglected by more traditional publications and brands. Beauty, as a concept, is so multifaceted and ever-changing, and unfortunately there were (and still are) people who felt like their beauty wasn’t celebrated in the mainstream. Dazed Beauty signaled a change in the way that we engage with and talk about beauty, and its impact is reflected in the new brands and publications that we see launching today.
How would you describe Dazed Beauty’s editorial perspective and what do you hope to bring to the beauty conversation?
During my time working at Dazed Beauty, I would always describe our editorial strategy as saying “yes” to everything, but it was a little more complex than that. I believe the ethos at the heart of Dazed Beauty was recognizing that all forms of beauty are valid—it’s a concept that is so unique to each individual—and exploring how that might fit into the current beauty landscape.
This would include product reviews (done in our own community-led way), straightforward news, trend forecasting, but most importantly, inquisitive pieces to examine what could be constituted as beauty and having conversations that I can confidently say no other beauty platforms were. Whether it was investigating the taboo around female facial hair, repositioning the conversation around HIV+ people, discussing the importance of trans healthcare, or following real-time events impacting LGBTQ+ people in Ghana, it was empowering to be able to lead the way on what a beauty platform could and should be talking about.
How important is building a community as a media brand?
Building a community is everything. People don’t want to be dictated to, they want to feel a part of something and feel like their voice matters. Crafting your community is a really important factor in creating content that resonates and, even better, listening to them can help hone and improve it.
The Dazed Beauty Community is a great representation of this—it’s a snapshot of beauty creatives from all around the world who each have a unique POV and lived experiences that people can relate to. I loved that as the Community grew, people began to approach us to be a part of it or people featured would send their suggestions, it was like a big creative family.
How do you maintain an “ahead of the curve” approach amidst such fast information turnover?
Being immersed in beauty and having a genuine love for it is integral to keeping a finger on the pulse. I’ve never been particularly interested in large followings or brand endorsements, I have come across so many amazing creatives who have started out small and are now doing brilliant things on an industry level.
Being open-minded about your sources of information is really important. I've found leads for stories from social media, local news stations, friends, and family—it helps keep the content grounded in reality among more esoteric futuristic content, which is still important too.
What separates a flash-in-the-pan beauty trend from one with more longevity?
While trends seem to be an important part of modern media, I’m not sure they exist in the same way that they used to. We consume information/trends/culture so quickly these days that it’s hard to remember any long-lasting trends—it’s not sustainable. What stands out to me are artists who eschew trends in favor of a unique aesthetic/POV, that’s what people remember and recognize.
TikTok and Instagram have had a huge influence on how we view beauty—how will this evolve in the future? Is there another social media brand that might become even more influential?
It’s hard to say! I was the biggest TikTok skeptic at first, but I’m obsessed now. Beauty is built on community and creativity, so any platform that allows both has the potential to become as big, or even bigger, than TikTok and Instagram—watch this space.
What would you identify as the fringe beauty trends that are soon to hit it big?
The future trends will hopefully be nonexistent! If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that the speed of life pre-COVID was not sustainable, and trends have a big part to play in that. Trends can be fun when they’re happening and lots of people are taking part, but we have a responsibility to think carefully about the content we’re creating, especially when it impacts the environment. Trends (especially on TikTok) can lead to unnecessary buying and waste, and if the youth care about the planet as much as the media reports them to, I think they’d want to avoid harming it further with throwaway fads.
What brands and individuals are truly innovative and will usher in a new era of beauty?
There are so many amazing creatives that I follow, so I feel guilty only name-checking a few, but I’m definitely seeing an exciting new generation of male make-up artists emerging: Marcelo Gutierrez, Sam Visser, Raoúl Alejandre, Sean Brady, and Lochie Stonehouse, who have unsurprisingly been quickly snatched up by brands including Chanel, Dior, Valentino, Byredo, and YSL—keep an eye on all of them. Outside of that, Naima Bremer, Alice Dodds, Porsche Poon, and Laurel Charleston are all artists that I’m constantly blown away by their creativity.
How can the beauty industry change for the better?
While the beauty industry is a little further ahead than fashion when it comes to diversity and inclusion, it’s still too slow for my liking. I want to see more authentic storytelling from brands and publications that really speaks to the diversity we see every day in our real lives. Nobody expects any single person to have all the answers, but wanting to learn and improve is so important. To do this in the right way, it’s essential to involve people from all marginalized backgrounds, paying them properly for their expertise, and listening to what they have to say.
