kate garner’s warrior women

It’s been 15 years since Miguel performed in London. On 16 April, he reminded a sold-out O2 Brixton Academy exactly why he’s one of the greats. The Schön! 40 digital cover star is an irreplaceable voice in R&B, penning modern classics like “Adorn” and viral tracks like “Sure Thing.” At his core, Miguel is the rockstar of R&B, so it’s only right that his “CAOS” world tour leans heavily into the sounds of rock. The show’s gritty guitar riffs and punchy percussion were a harmonious contrast to Miguel’s sultry vocals. He was pitch perfect, effortlessly switching between hardcore belts and melodic vibrato. The set was minimal, featuring moody lighting and an overturned car as a platform, but with an angelic falsetto like Miguel’s, there’s no need for fanfare. 

Miguel’s raw talent and hit-worthy discography is perhaps why his crowd was so forgiving when things didn’t go to plan. Although it wasn’t glaringly obvious from the audience, some unexplained technical issues meant the show had an impromptu intermission and Miguel inevitably had to skip some songs on his setlist to make curfew. It’s clear that the artist sets a high standard for himself and wanted to deliver a good show for a city that doesn’t get to see him often.

Although the show’s sound engineering was lacklustre, the night peaked most in its quieter moments. British crowds were raised on choral singing in school assemblies ,so when Miguel instructed the entire venue to sing the melody of “Girl with the Tattoo” in unison, it was a beautiful moment of connection. When it was just Miguel and his electric guitar, singing in Spanish and English while fans clutched their chests or their partners in adoration, is when the magic of his music shined brightest.

photography. Isha Shah
words. Shama Nasinde

suit. Dolce & Gabbana
shoes. Alaïa
jewellery. Marie Lise Lachapelle Studio

Critically acclaimed film and television actor Sepideh Moafi is on the cusp of a new dawn on our screens and onstage. Featuring in several fan-favourite dramas, including Apple TV’s ‘Black Bird’, HBO’s ‘The Deuce’, Showtime’s ‘The L Word: Generation Q’ and the Emmy Award-winning HBO Max drama ‘The Pitt’, Moafi is one to watch for eclectic and versatile drama performances.

It’s no wonder that one of the most-watched TV shows of 2025 features a strong cast of talented actors such as Noah Wyle, Katherine LaNasa, Shawn Hatosy and Gloria Underwood. Joining the fortified cast for Season 2, Moafi delivers the role of the punctilious Dr. Baran Al-Hashimi, a highly educated and clinically precise attending doctor and the natural rival of Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Centre’s preceding attending, Wyle’s character, Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch.

Discussing her comeuppance and career trajectory, Moafi invited Schön! ahead of the season 2 finale of ‘The Pitt’ to explore the thespian thinking that shapes her performances, including self-reflection, activism, cultural awareness and a thrilling insight into the works of tomorrow.

dress + belt. SEMSEM
shoes. Manolo Blahnik
jewellery. Marie Lise Lachapelle Studio
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dress. Armani
jewellery. Marie Lise Lachapelle Studio

How did you set Dr. Al-Hashimi apart from the stereotypical “new-girl-in-town” trope?

When you get a role, you kind of throw yourself in, and it’s always kind of nice when parts of who you are connect to parts of who the character is. I tried not to think about it so much as “How I will be perceived?” Although that was intimidating, being the only new series regular entering ‘The Pitt’, the only other senior attending opposite Noah Wyle, Dr. Robby, who spent most of his career playing a professional doctor on screen. So, of course, it came with its complexities. But in general, I tried to home in on who she was and what was revealed through the scripts.

As an actor who wants to really serve her character and the world, it was important to remember that you can’t care what other people think. You can’t prove yourself. You have an entire life’s worth of experience, and you’ve devoted so much of your life, countless hours, decades to this career, to this path. For me, as an artist, for her in medicine. You know that you belong here, despite any other people’s second guessing in your ability. She’s not there to be liked. She wants to be of service; she wants to be effective. And I think that that also shifts the dynamic because it’s less about entering a space from a place of insecurity and just being very grounded in her sense of purpose.

You crafted Dr. Al-Hashimi to really home in on that half-Iranian, half-Iraqi descent, and we know that you also have an Iranian background. Being a person of colour, is the constant barrier of potential prejudice, always something you’re aware of — whether it’s for you as Sepideh or the character of Dr. Al?

It depends. As a woman of colour, and as any woman in any field, you have to work so much harder than your male counterparts. We need to establish and reestablish our worth and value in a system that doesn’t naturally accept us or create paths for our success. I think that’s a huge part of her. Also, something that I share with this character is that it’s almost like she had to compartmentalise that reality in order to see beyond it and go beyond any trace of victimhood or injustice. The injustice does fire her up, and it’s a foundational driver in her. She will advocate fiercely for herself; you see throughout the season Robbie being pretty hard on her and condescending, which is relatable for a lot of women in any field, whether it’s conscious or subconscious.

The way that we are viewed is that we are less capable, unless we sort of mask ourselves in the masculine, tough, impenetrable way. What I love about her is that she has that tough exterior, but she is vulnerable, and she has great communication skills, and she is such a devoted teacher/mentor and empath with her patients. Her years of experience and her vast medical background did not harden her. It made her better.

suit. SEMSEM
jewellery. Marie Lise Lachapelle Studio
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suit. Dolce & Gabbana
shoes. Alaïa
jewellery. Marie Lise Lachapelle Studio

My first impression of Dr. Al was that she is pragmatic, stern, and self-assured. Calloused by a difficult life and refined by her prestigious education, a serious attending and more so, a tough opponent for Dr. Robbie. Could there be some intimidation that Dr. Robbie must confront within himself because this other brilliant attending is a woman?

It’s incomprehensible. It’s a very sort of capitalistic approach to success and medicine. It’s like there’s only room for one — they need to push you down to get ahead or be seen as powerful. But I do think that at its core, their tension is not personal. It’s part of what we’re talking about, the deeply ingrained patriarchy, but it’s also philosophical. He leads through heroic endurance and instinct. And she has a background in clinical informatics, which is data science, research and medicine. She also has a background in humanitarian aid work as a doctor, so bridging that global field work with this more science-based research world, she understands systems, and she’s trying to work within the system to shift things and improve through prevention and accountability.

Over time, I think these approaches actually strengthen one another. If they could put their differences aside, they could be a really powerful team. When different cultures, traditions and systems meet, there’s often friction. But that friction isn’t a problem — it’s where new forms can emerge.

Well, we hope that by season three, we see more of the synergy! Maybe a bit more professional chemistry, more of that collaboration.

To be honest, it’s so easy for me to tell the truth about this — I know nothing about season three. Okay? Absolutely nothing!

coat. COS
shoes. Fendi
jewellery. Marie Lise Lachapelle Studio
opposite
ensemble + shoes. Armani
jewellery. Marie Lise Lachapelle Studio

Arguably, today’s America hosts categorical tension between people who believe they’re different but are actually very much connected. ‘The Pitt’ has explored that in part, also, notably in the “ICE episode” (Season 2, Episode 1) where we see systemic oppression affect realistic situations. How important is community as a theme in ‘The Pitt’?

Extremely. When you scratch past the surface, it’s really about all the societal issues that we’re facing, not just in the States, but in the world, particularly in the Western world. What it does so beautifully is that it shows the human cost of the pressures, the emotional toll on people trying to hold the line. It explores the moral density of the emergency department and the relentless pace and urgency of life, and yet, in the hospital, there’s an inevitable confrontation with our existential nature. We have to confront the fact that we are mortal creatures — we will die. ‘The Pitt’ is medicine meeting the full spectrum of human life, and you can’t separate politics or society or culture from hospital culture.

I’m really grateful that ‘The Pitt’ hasn’t shied away from that. I shadowed the LA General Medical Centre in the emergency department, and the day that I went was after the mass protests in June in Los Angeles. The hospital was almost empty. The attending there asked why it seemed like a manageable triage, and said it was because of the protests and the crackdown. People, in particular undocumented citizens who have a legal right to healthcare, are terrified of going to the hospital. To have that reflected in our show this season, I thought it was poignant and very important for the moment we’re living through.

Touching on the technological aspects of Dr. Al-Hashimi’s interests… she’s very positive about AI, and she insists on using it for the betterment of patients. Do you share similar attitudes towards technology and medicine, or do you have a different perspective?

As a doctor, you’re always weighing the pros and cons. You’re always weighing those risks. So, I don’t think she’s naive to the potential dangers of AI. I think she’s well aware. She is living inside a system that is crumbling and impossible to keep up with. The need is impossibly high, and time is limited. So, she sees AI not as a saviour, not as a form of replacement, but as a tool to help relieve the burden for healthcare workers with things like diagnostics, charting and admin. But it can’t be left unchecked; with this technology, it’s so much about stewardship. It’s a bullet train that is speeding by, and if we don’t hop on and try to pave the path ahead, then we are, pardon my French, f***ed. But these are things that will be dealt with case by case.

But for me personally? I’m terrified. I’m terrified of the inevitability of what AI is doing. You see algorithmic bias, job displacement, how it’s affecting labour unions, and deep fakes that are so troubling. They’re so real. And if they’re this good now, what are they going to be like in two years, four years and 10 years? It’s a moving train, but it’s inevitable.

blazer. SEM SEM
earrings. Marie Lise Lachapelle Studio
opposite
top. Armani
jewellery. Marie Lise Lachapelle Studio

Surely you know a lot more about ‘Newborn’, the play listed for the Minetta Lane Theatre. You star in your own monologue of three one-woman shows. What has it taken to get here, and how do you feel about what is to come of Newborn?

I cannot put into words how excited I am to get back on stage, get into this process and do a play. More than anything else, I’m collaborating with these unbelievably talented, brilliant artists. The playwright Ella Hickson, the director Ian Rickson, Hugh Jackman, Mariana Gailus, and then being in the broader company of Corey Stoll and Cecily Strong. I’m so excited. It’s a very athletic and demanding endeavour, but theatre is my home and doing this play feels like a homecoming. I started as an opera singer, and I just come alive when I get to be on stage and in rehearsal. There’s nowhere to hide in this show; the piece is very intimate and psychologically demanding, which is exhilarating and terrifying.

You seem to have such a deep connection to New York — you’ve worked there and live there currently. What has New York revived or sparked within you that has ignited this passion for Newborn?

Before I got the offer for this role in ‘Newborn’, I did a workshop of the play. It was me, Hugh Jackman and another actor in the West Village at the Minetta Lane Theatre. The moment we stepped into the rehearsal room, we just sat there, and our director Ian Rickson set the space. My monologue has a lot to do with light. I’m reading it, and the sun from outside is hitting my face as I say the word “light.” It was one of those magical moments where you’re saying these words and thinking I can’t believe I get to live inside of this playwright’s brain and bring this character to life.

So that, for me, sums up why I love New York. You walk out, and you’re dealing with the subway and people. There’s something harsh and stark, but so beautiful about being alive. You’re in this magical moment, and then the next, you’re waiting for your train that’s 20 minutes behind. There’s urgency and creative intensity in New York that I love. It pushes you to be more of who you are. There’s a reason it’s a Mecca for artists—it’s so alive, vibrant, and full of possibility. And that makes you want to live more fully and confront all of yourself.

dress. SEMSEM
jewellery. Marie Lise Lachapelle Studio
opposite
coat. Miu Miu
shoes. Manolo Blahnik

photography. Andrew Thompson
fashion. Odile Iturraspe @ Imaj Artists
talent. Sepideh Moafi
casting. Emma Fleming
hair. Corey Tuttle @ Exclusive Artists using Oribe
make up. William Scott @ The Wall Group using MAC Cosmetics
production. Clara La Rosa
interview. Leah Tézila
fashion assistant. Zoé Bertellot
production assistant. Cassidy Cocke

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corset. OLIVER HAUS
shorts. MILO MARIA
shoes. NOMASEI
tights. HEIST

In ‘Flesh’, Charli Howard writes with a disarming level of honesty about the realities of growing up in a world that constantly scrutinises, sexualises, and defines women through their bodies. Moving between memoir and cultural reflection, the book captures how moments of scrutiny, sexualisation, and shame quietly accumulate — settling into the body, informing not just how it is seen, but how it is felt from within.

Howard writes candidly about the early awareness of being looked at, measured, and compared; about the blurred lines between attention and objectification; and about the ways these experiences can manifest in everything from disordered eating to the pursuit of validation in relationships. In ‘Flesh’, the body becomes both subject and site; something acted upon, but also something that holds memory, tension, and, ultimately, the possibility of understanding.

There is a wider resonance to her story. In interrogating her own experiences, Howard taps into something collective: the quiet normalisation of the male gaze, the persistence of beauty standards that promise safety but rarely deliver it, and the ways women are taught — subtly and overtly — to locate their worth in how they are perceived. And yet, threaded through the book is a shift: a movement away from self-surveillance and towards something more expansive, where the body is no longer solely defined by its visibility to others.

Schön! speaks to Howard about the impulse to write ‘Flesh’, the emotional process of revisiting difficult experiences, and what it means to come back to yourself after years of feeling observed, shaped, and, at times, erased.

jacket. REVERIE
opposite
corset. A-JANE
dress. Self-Portrait @ Designer Exchange
shoes. NOMASEI
tights. HEIST

What was the turning point where you realised these experiences needed to become a book like ‘Flesh’, rather than something you kept private? 

I think a lot of my want or desire to share came from seeing other women speaking so publicly about their experiences of sexual assault and misogyny. A lot of it was inspired by Gisele Pelicot and her now famous line that “shame must change sides”. So many friends of mine have experienced the same thing, so I thought: Why don’t we talk about this? Why do we carry this shame in our bodies as though we’ve brought it on ourselves, and what effect is that having on us as people? 

When you first sat down to write ‘Flesh’, did you have a clear idea of what the book would be, or were you discovering the story as you went? 

I first started putting my thoughts to paper a couple of years ago during therapy, long before the book was even picked up by the publisher. At the time, I was trying to work out my feelings and just write the rawest things I could on the page. I think the publisher was interested because so many women have been through similar things, and not only that, but we are starting to talk about abuse more openly, so it was very timely. 

What made you feel ready, both personally and creatively, to start writing ‘Flesh’ when you did? 

I was seeing a psychiatrist for severe depression and once we started talking, it was actually the doctor who prescribed me with C-PTSD (Complex PTSD) from my experiences with men. He explained that micro-aggressions and abuse over time, no matter how small or trivial it may feel to us in the moment, can impact us hugely over time. We no longer view PTSD in the ways we did previously. And so it got me thinking — how many other women are walking blindly through life, seeing assaults against us and our bodies as normal, not knowing the impact it’s having on them mentally, emotionally and psychologically over time? 

dress. Susan Fang
bra. ERES
opposite
silk shorts. LISA

Were there moments when writing felt like reliving your trauma? How did you protect yourself emotionally during the process? 

It certainly wasn’t an easy thing to write. But once my thoughts were on paper, and after I’d arranged my thoughts and feelings out like a giant puzzle, it felt incredibly liberating and freeing for me emotionally — as though I’d closed painful chapters in my life and could put it all to bed. It taught me that in order to move on from something painful or traumatic, you must sit with your feelings completely. That can be incredibly difficult, and is most likely why I put off talking about my experiences with anyone for so long, but once I broke through the other side, it felt incredibly freeing. 

You describe being acutely aware of your body from a young age. How did writing about those early experiences help you understand them? 

I have written a previous book about my experience with eating disorders and low body image, but I think I always pushed aside the reasonings behind why I got them and why I chose to abuse my body in so many ways. Through both therapy and writing, I finally managed to bridge the connection between the abuse and my mental health. I forever treated myself as though I was a “bad” person who deserved bad things to happen to her. Now that I’m healing, I know that none of this was my fault whatsoever. It definitely made me think to other women I know or have met over the years who have abused and tormented themselves, and it makes me wonder if they’ve experienced similar things. There is a huge link between sexual abuse and assault and a disordered body image, and writing this really helped understand just how much it had impacted my own life. 

The book explores the link between flesh, femininity, and sexualisation. How did you translate such complex feelings into narrative form? 

I think it was my agent who had the idea of breaking the chapters into names of body parts, and from that, I was able to explore how my body — as well as women’s bodies in general — have experienced misogyny and sexual abuse throughout history and time. For example, in the “Stomach” chapter, I talk a lot about fat phobia and its origins. In “Thighs”, I talk about the rise of cosmetic surgery like BBL’s, and who we’re truly commodifying our bodies for — even risking our lives for. You start to see how so many of our beauty standards are rooted in the need to appear desirable to men. 

jacket. REVERIE
leggings. Samanta Virginio
opposite
headpiece. Susan Fang

You write about the cumulative effect of micro-aggressions and everyday sexualisation. How did you approach conveying that slow, cumulative impact on your self-image? 

I write about how therapy ultimately helped bridge the gap between my body and my experiences with sexual assault and abuse over time. Once you take a step back and really sit with your thoughts, you start to wonder — how could these incidents not have a profound impact on my life and wellbeing? When you start to see how each of our body parts has its own specific expectations when it comes to beauty and impossible beauty standards, you see how the system sets women up for failure, keeping them in a loop of worthlessness, while men ultimately get to strive. 

You recount experiences of being sexualised from childhood through adulthood. How did revisiting these moments affect you emotionally, and what challenges did you face in telling them? 

I am very honest in the book, more honest than I’ve ever been, and there were times where I questioned whether I was oversharing. But I think it takes women, like myself, to kickstart these conversations and to say enough is enough. We deserve more. I’ve already received so many messages from women saying they feel “seen”, and that, for me, is what was so important. 

Did writing these experiences change the way you view your past, particularly moments you didn’t recognize as harmful at the time? 

Absolutely! I started to cut myself some slack and realise that a lot of the things I’ve been through were never my doing or problem — rather, the way I treated myself was a reaction to the abuse I’ve had from men. I realised it wasn’t my job to appease men or to appear more attractive towards them. I only have one life and it is my job to live it fully. 

top. Gucci @ Designer Exchange
earrings. JENNIFER FISHER
opposite
dress. Susan Fang
bra. ERES

How did you decide what to include and what to leave out, balancing honesty with emotional safety for both yourself and readers? 

There are definitely stories that I’ve left out or deleted, just because I am still processing them myself, and because they are still painful. I understand that not all traumas need to be shared and it would leave me feeling really exposed and vulnerable. Even the stories I shared in the book felt a bit like an overshare at times and required me to be more open than I’ve ever been! I’m also conscious of people I know reading the stories and while I might share them in time, now is not the time. 

You recently shared a story of financial and emotional abuse in a past relationship. You explore how a desire for love can override instinct. Women can tend to feel embarrassed or ashamed that they “fell” for these types of men which isn’t their fault at all. What do you hope they take from that story in particular?  

I mention this relationship briefly in the book because that relationship definitely reflected ways that I felt about myself at that time, which was very little. When we feel so awful about ourselves, the relationships we choose — whether romantic or platonic — often mirror our shame or hatred towards ourselves. While it was a dreadful experience, and I’ve since heard that he’s done the same thing to other women, I understand that he preyed on my vulnerabilities at the time and used them to his own advantage. 

Were there insights about power, control, and boundaries in relationships that surprised you while writing the book? 

It definitely surprised me how women’s bodies have been controlled so heavily throughout history, and how that still has a profound effect on us as women today — especially power dynamics with men, within politics and on our body image. It taught me that when these systems keep us down, we will never understand our greatness and potential. 

jacket. Aleksandra Sewe Ryniak
boots. CASADEI
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bra + skirt. BORDELLE

Across the book, there’s a theme of reclaiming your body, your choices, and your sense of self. How did writing help you reclaim control over your own story? 

As I wrote the book and did research, it really opened my eyes up to how much I’d been living outside of my body and trying to appease men my entire life. I have spent so much time in life trying to be more beautiful, just so I am “chosen” by a man. Really, is that it? Despite my other achievements, is that all that matters or all I have to offer? Absolutely not. I decided that I would start life again on my own terms and live life fully.

You write about learning self-love and setting boundaries later in life. How did you approach writing this transformation authentically, without oversimplifying it? 

The last two chapters of my book are called “Heart” and “Whole”, where I talk about coming back to yourself. I explain how there is so much more to life than aspiring to beauty or weight loss — even romantic relationships, actually. It takes work, and I’m not claiming to know all the answers, but dec entering men and the male gaze truly has a profound impact on the way you live and get to experience your life. 

What do you hope readers, especially young women, will take away from ‘Flesh’ about body image, sexualisation, and self-worth, and how it relates to reclaiming agency over their own lives? 

First and foremost, I want them to feel seen and validated. I also hope, like me, they can truly learn to sit with themselves and explore a world outside of men and their needs and wants. Who could we be without misogyny, sexism and sexual violence looming over us every day? Who could we be before society made us feel guilty or ashamed for being born female? That’s what I want women to explore, and to feel as comfortable within themselves and their bodies as I now do within mine. 

top. Gucci @ Designer Exchange
latex shorts. ELISSA POPPY
shoes. RELLIK
earrings. JENNIFER FISHER
hold ups. FALKE

‘FLESH’ by Charli Howard is available now in all book stores and on Amazon.

photography. Florence Mann
fashion. Celine Sheridan
talent. Charli Howard
hair. Ditte Lund Lassen using Maria Nila
make up. Emily Porter using Rare Beauty
production. Clara La Rosa
interview. Kelsey Barnes