Meet Laurel Charleston, the Artist Behind Doja Cat's Viral Fashion Month Looks 

Although Doja Cat has always had a killer sense of style, she truly took her looks to the next level during Fashion Month. Accompanying her new bleached buzz, the rapper’s striking makeup looks — from gold body paint to a Disney villain-worthy beat — almost stole the show from the clothes themselves.

That’s thanks to Laurel Charleston, a trans makeup artist whose work has graced everything from the cover of Harper’s Bazaar Kazakhstan, in the magazine’s first drag-themed issue, to the face of trans TikTok star Dylan Mulvaney. A cursory scroll through Charleston's Instagram reveals unlikely sources of inspiration, like a bejeweled pink face inspired by the strawberry squid (yes, like the animal) and the works of surrealist artists like Joan Miró and René Magritte.

Doja Cat and Charleston seem to be a match made in heaven — or on Instagram, as Charleston tells Them. The two connected via the app a few months ago, and Charleston says that the rest was history. She described the process behind each look as a collaboration between herself, Doja, and the rapper’s stylist, Brett Alan Nelson. That collaborative spirit is clear, with Charleston’s crisply outlined shapes perfectly complimenting Doja’s designer fits.

Below, Them spoke with Charleston via email about her history with makeup, how her identity informs her practice, and the importance of supporting trans artists.

When did your love of makeup begin?

I began to discover my love for makeup in college when studying to be an orchestra and opera conductor. I started to do drag on the side in 2016; this was the same time I began to discover my gender identity as a trans person. Makeup, even in those early stages, allowed me to express and discover parts of myself that I never could in the classical music world.

Have you always done body paint or was it a gradual evolution in your practice?

I've always done really intense makeup, and even from the start I wanted it to be something completely different from what I was seeing everywhere else in the world. All the makeup I was seeing and consuming in the media was hyperfeminine "glam" that seemed to be crafted for the male gaze, and that never resonated with me. I didn't use makeup to be "beautiful," I wanted to use it to express myself. There's something about using your face as a canvas that connects right to your soul. I think the human face is the most intimate and unique medium we can paint on as artists. There are some messages we can only get across on it.

Your looks are true works of art, and so original. What is your creative process like? Where do you draw inspiration from?

One of my goals in life is to show the world that makeup can be used as an extension of fashion. There are so many powerful and endless possibilities when it comes to using makeup as an extension of the artistic vision. I get very inspired by patterns, silhouettes, textures, and designs. I love looking at a fashion look and letting my imagination run wild. And once it goes somewhere crazy I begin to think about how I can accomplish that with makeup and go from there.

Likely impossible question, but do you have a favorite look/artwork of yours?

Gahhhh, this is a hard one, haha. I think my favorite look from this past week was when I painted black symmetric gloves on Doja Cat for the Mônot show. But my favorite look I've painted on myself remains my Basquiat Skull recreation from back in 2020.

How does your identity inform your artwork, if at all?

Well, like I said earlier, I began using makeup at the same time I first started to discover my transness. Before I went to college and had those experimental years I never heard the word "transgender" before. Coming from a very small rural town, it took those few years in college to just scratch the surface of who I was going to become.

Makeup gave me the excuse I needed to play around, see what felt right, and do it all over again. There is not a way to play with identity that’s more forgiving than with makeup. You get to sit in the privacy of your room, mess up, wipe it off, and do it all over again with absolutely no pressure or outside influence. It allowed me to create an identity in both myself and my art. And because of that, my makeup art will always be intrinsically connected to who I am.

You are also a curator and digital artist. Can you tell us a bit about that work?

Yes! The digital art platform and marketplace SuperRare approached me back in April to curate a show for their gallery space in Soho. My mind and heart immediately went to my trans community; I curated a show of 11 transgender, non-binary and gender nonconforming artists from all over the world and called it SuperTrans.

This show was a celebration of gender variance in fine art and showcased artists that are redefining the boundaries of their craft and pushing their fields forward. It featured artists like @Cyshimi (nail art), @occulted (3D design), @occurrences (digital graphic art), and @brianvu (makeup and photography). Putting this show together and bringing these incredible artists together in one space is still one of the greatest pleasures of my life. Throughout this process I got to connect with these artists and find out so much about their background and identities. Art can really bring communities together and display the power we have as a collective no matter where we are in the world; SuperTrans was no exception.

You are a big supporter of trans artists. What would you say to emerging trans artists hoping to make it to where you are?

Take a step back from your art and try to see what it is that you do differently than other people; identify what makes you and your art unique. As trans people, we are forced to navigate through this world differently than everyone else and because of that, our art will always be unique, special to us and our identity.

9 Trans and Nonbinary People on Bodies, Desire, and Beauty

"To be trans and to have a body in 2022 is to be the baddest bitch at the event while concerned you'll be forcibly removed from the restroom."

Once you see what it is that makes your art unique, pursue that 100x harder. That is what will set you apart from other people in your industry and is what makes your art priceless.

Take time and energy to invest in yourself, in your creative vision and find community when you can. Twitter has been a place where I can identify and connect with trans artists from around the world in ways I was never able to. It's so inspiring how we can jump a whole ass continent with the click of a button and see what other incredible trans artists are up to.

Be inquisitive and know that the secret to success is no secret, it's being demonstrated in front of you 24/7. If there is an artist you like and respect, go to their profile and see who they're following, see who inspires them. Go to their Twitter and see what other art they are liking! Take a deep dive and find your inspiration and community. As toxic as the internet can be, it can be a tool we can use to build community and support one another.

Interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

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