Aaron Richardson wears
full look. Mateo Velasquez
Theo Zero wears
dress. Narcissistic
Aaron Richardson wears
full look. Mateo Velasquez
Theo Zero wears
dress. Narcissistic
Credits
In this Schön! online editorial, photographer Gomez de Villaboa and stylist Joel Palmer team up to put the spotlight on Black talent. The duo asked a good bunch of creatives, influencers, and artists of the East London Black and queer community to speak up about their hair and life journey.
“There was a recent case won in February 2020 by Ruby William, a girl who had been repeatedly sent home during the last four years of school for having afro hair. It is a fact that discrimination is still going on even in multicultural cities like London, which in turn lead us to think about how we would feel in predominantly white small cities or towns around the world,” the team behind this shoot said in a statement. “The aim of these images is to inspire and bring positive energy to any generation everywhere.”
“Black hair isn’t something that’s easily taught; it can be complicated and tends to be chaotic and unmanageable,” a quote in their statement also reads. “We learn afro hair texture can be curly, kinky, soft, and coarse — we attached it by wefting, gluing, and plaiting into our scalps. Certain family environments don’t give us insight into Black hair. After our mistakes and through our social communities, we learn to discover and celebrate our Black hair.”
Yvon wears
suit. Daily paper
jewellery. Alan Crocetti & Amanda Dave
opposite
Sacha Lauren Nicette wears
jewellery. Alan Crocetti
Yvon wears
suit. Daily paper
jewellery. Alan Crocetti & Amanda Dave
opposite
Sacha Lauren Nicette wears
jewellery. Alan Crocetti
Credits
Sacha
“Growing up in a small town predominantly white called Devon was a struggle, My hair wasn’t very accepted. I lost so much confidence in myself. Over the last five years, I have learnt to love my afro hair and be proud. I’ve realised it’s a big part of my personality.”
Josh Caffe wears
jacket. Luis de javier
shirt. Model’s own
earring. Alan Crocetti
opposite
Yvon wears
suit. Daily paper
jewellery. Alan Crocetti & Amanda Dave
Josh Caffe wears
jacket. Luis de javier
shirt. Model’s own
earring. Alan Crocetti
opposite
Yvon wears
suit. Daily paper
jewellery. Alan Crocetti & Amanda Dave
Credits
Josh Caffe
“This is our natural kinky hair, and it doesn’t have to be relaxed and with completely different textured to be accepted as a Black person.”
Tyresse wears
jewellery. Amanda Dave
opposite
Aaron Richardson wears
full look. Mateo Velasquez
Tyresse wears
jewellery. Amanda Dave
opposite
Aaron Richardson wears
full look. Mateo Velasquez
Credits
Ken
“I do love my waves. Whenever I am got to cut my hair short, I look forward haven my waves done and put my durag on, getting into my flow…”
Aaron Porter
“Growing up in a pretty whitewashed town I remember wishing I could style my hair the same way the white kids did but it only took a little encouragement from my mum to do my own thing – [i.e. finding] a more suitable style for my hair type that no one else could do. I found huge power in that! I can be treated in such different ways depending on how I style my hair. If I wear a durag or have a style that could be described more ‘Black,’ I can feel at times people can become more uncomfortable around me, almost more threatened for example.”
Georgia wears
jacket. Wrong Solution
Georgia wears
jacket. Wrong Solution
Credits
Yvon wears
suit. Daily paper
jewellery. Alan Crocetti & Amanda Dave
Yvon wears
suit. Daily paper
jewellery. Alan Crocetti & Amanda Dave
Credits
Yvon
“When I was a kid, I would be so embarrassed to have my afro hair out. I would not go to school if I wouldn’t have had my hair back done on the weekend.”
Busola Peters wears
jewellery. Amanda Dave
opposite
Busola Peters wears
jacket. XUMU
trousers. DB BEREDEN
jewellery. Amanda Dave
Busola Peters wears
jewellery. Amanda Dave
opposite
Busola Peters wears
jacket. XUMU
trousers. DB BEREDEN
jewellery. Amanda Dave
Credits
Busola Peters
“Locks are an amazing homage to Afro Caribbean culture. They are a statement of power and perseverance. Many people that have suffered from the struggle of systematic oppression have used them as a political standing point, and I live for it.”
Veronique wears
jumper. Nike
jewellery. Amanda Dave
opposite
Josh Caffe wears
jacket. Luis de javier
shirt. Model’s own
earring. Alan Crocetti
Veronique wears
jumper. Nike
jewellery. Amanda Dave
opposite
Josh Caffe wears
jacket. Luis de javier
shirt. Model’s own
earring. Alan Crocetti
Credits
Veronique
“I’ve been very self-conscious about my hair all my life but when I moved to London a group of girls in year nine gave me a positive pep talk about my hair and I’ve been experimenting ever since.”
Yvon wears
suit. Daily paper
jewellery. Alan Crocetti & Amanda Dave
Yvon wears
suit. Daily paper
jewellery. Alan Crocetti & Amanda Dave
Credits
Alex wears
top. Wesley Harriet
opposite
Theo Zero wears
dress. Narcissistic
Alex wears
top. Wesley Harriet
opposite
Theo Zero wears
dress. Narcissistic
Credits
Alex Thomas
“When I was a little boy my dad used to cut my hair, I always made me feel so well kept, pristine and proud the minute he was finished. These notions have always stayed with me, so I adore having my hair cut to this day. Some may say it’s an obsession. I’ve attempted different Afro styles but I like it sharp, quick, and witty… like me.”
Theo Zero wears
dress. Narcissistic
opposite
Portia Ferrari wears
coat. PLT PVC
top. New Girl Order
necklace. Hanger Inc
Theo Zero wears
dress. Narcissistic
opposite
Portia Ferrari wears
coat. PLT PVC
top. New Girl Order
necklace. Hanger Inc
Credits
Theo Zero
“When I was 18, I shaved my long hair again thinking that it was how I had to be to fit the heterosexual-masc ‘by the book’ look. I learnt to do waves with my sister since I was a kid.”
Portia Ferrari
“My hair has brought me joy, pain, and pride. My hair has always illustrated phases of my life and within that the expression of my growth, of my spirit. My hair signals to me what I’m in need of or what I need to let go of. I have quite a spiritual relationship with my hair and me. Nowadays it’s just like me: Wild and free.”
Georgia wears
jacket. Wrong Solution
Georgia wears
jacket. Wrong Solution
Credits
Portia Ferrari wears
coat. PLT PVC
top. New Girl Order
necklace. Hanger Inc
opposite
Busola Peters wears
jewellery. Amanda Dave
Portia Ferrari wears
coat. PLT PVC
top. New Girl Order
necklace. Hanger Inc
opposite
Busola Peters wears
jewellery. Amanda Dave
“When I was growing up, I didn’t understand how to wear my curls. I would always straighten my hair out and try and fit in with the other girls. Moving to London and seeing its culture and expression, I was inspired to learn the language of my hair and now I feel so empowered with my Afro! Cut your hair, cream your hair and enjoy it, because it’s beautiful.”
Georgia wears
jacket. Wrong Solution
opposite
Theo Zero wears
dress. Narcissistic
Georgia wears
jacket. Wrong Solution
opposite
Theo Zero wears
dress. Narcissistic
A 9-to-5 doesn’t look so bad in this Schön! editorial with photography by Rebecka Slatter and fashion by Roz Donoghue who dresses Meng in looks by Shushu Tong, Tod’s, Sandro and others, featuring hair and make up by artist Ayra.
Singer Mereba keeps the spark of poetry alive through music. With the American South and Ethiopia in her heritage, it makes perfect sense that the artist is so comfortable painting emotion with sound. When she speaks to Schön!, Los Angeles is still in the midst of some of the fiercest fires it’s faced in decades. Mereba is safe but reflective under the cloud of uncertainty that covers the city. Taking a moment to talk about her new music is as healing for the artist as it will be for fans who take their first listen to her latest album The Breeze Grew a Fire. Its soothing melodies and whimsical vocals explore human themes like childhood, nostalgia and personal relationships. Released on Valentine’s day, the album is Mereba’s love letter to all versions of herself with its meditative calmness. The project has a worldly rhythm to it, pulling from the likes of Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti, Brazilian Bossa Nova and Ethiopian Jazz. In her interview with Schön!, Mereba delves into everything from maintaining a sense of self in motherhood to freeing herself from a rigid career timeline.
How did you first get into poetry?
I tried to ask my mum because I’m having trouble remembering at this point. I wouldn’t say I was a shy child. I’ve always been pretty social but I was a very reflective. I guess you could say melancholy, I think is the word that she used to describe it. So, I think that poetry just gave me this space of my own to process the world through. That kind of deep lens that I would always take things through as a child. And I’ve just always kept it with me, like I always would move around the world with a journal and write about my feelings from this more poetic place. And I think it also created a space where I could make something beautiful out of a lot of the more painful revelations that I had throughout my life about the world, about people, about family.
Is there anything you wish your younger self would have known?
There’s not a rigid timeline on life. I always felt like I was running behind with my purpose. When I was 10, I was like, I’m getting old. When I was 15, I was like, I have all these songs I should have released them to the world. I always felt like an alarm was going off and I needed to turn it off. Life is so beautiful, that if you focus too much on feeling like you’re not where you’re supposed to be, you really do miss out on what’s around you. I would tell her that all the things that make her uncool to the people around her at that current time will eventually make her pretty cool.
What else would you tell her?
The most important thing to focus on is being the kind of person that you’re proud to be. We do gravitate towards being our best, fullest, most expressive selves as children without being as critical of ourselves. I would tell her that she’s doing a great job in that area and she’s living in her truth and is helping other people just by her being herself.
They say that sometimes the name that you’re given at birth can predict what you become when you’re older. Your name is related to sunrise which is what many would say your music sounds like. So, what does your music feel like to you?
This album in particular really comforts me. Maybe you just cleaned your house, the wind comes through and you feel that breeze and it just feels like this calm feeling of OK, I’m here in this moment and I’m doing good. I’m loved and I love very deeply. It feels warm. It does feel like a mother’s love. It’s hard to listen to it from an objective place because I was going through becoming a mother for the first time while writing.
How did creating new life influence the sound of your new album?
It changed the way that I relate to the spark in me around music, my passions my work and my life. A lot of my work has nature themes infused in it. I love the connection between nature and all of the universal lessons you can learn. If you just observe something in nature and its cycle long enough, it can apply to getting through life.
What did you learn most about yourself when you transitioned from being just a girl to being a mum?
The balance between wanting to give your child an amazing life and still tending to the child within yourself. That person inside of me that still has something to say and still has something to show my son. Like, this is who your mum is as an autonomous person and then this is who she is as your mother. The most important part has been sacrificing parts of life that I normally would have given to myself and making sure that my son has everything he needs. And then balancing that with bringing him into my life and not losing sight of who I am as a person.
It’s great that you’ve made that intention. I’m sure we all know women who had all these dreams that they let go after motherhood.
There are not a ton of road maps. [For those] who don’t necessarily want to live the reality of suppressing those dreams and desires and then waking up 30 years later like, my kids are gone and I have to live for myself again. How do I do it? There’s something so beautiful about that but I do think in the end that everyone — the child, the mother and your village — benefits more from all of us being true to ourselves, you know? And I’ve learned a lot of lessons about that from the women around me.
Why did you decide to call the album The Breeze Grew a Fire?
These songs are in large part about friendship, family and those relationships in life that make you really strong, but that you almost take for granted. It feels a lot like what a breeze is. Like those gentle phone calls from your sister or your best friend, or, you know, those constants in your life. You barely notice how gentle and sweet they feel but they make you feel like life is worth living.
Is there a song on the album that feels most sentimental to you?
The first obvious one that comes to mind for me is Starlight. It was on my heart that I wanted to write that song when I went into the studio that day. I was very clear, I’m gonna make a song that’s essentially a letter to my son, but not a lullaby. I wanted it to have a certain level of grit and depth to it sonically. I’m explaining to my son that there are all sorts of things to watch out for in life, but you have all of the tools inside of you that you need for the game. He does sing at the end so that’s really cute. You can hear it if you’re really listening.
suit. Tibi
shoes. Stylist’s Own
jewellery. Pandora
suit. Tibi
shoes. Stylist’s Own
jewellery. Pandora
Credits
Molly Brown wants you to know that “If you don’t get Deb in Dexter: Original Sin, you just don’t get teenage girls.” The actress, who hails from Iowa, has carved out a notable presence in the entertainment industry over the past eight years, starring in projects like Evil and Bloody Axe Wound, along with guest appearances in Billions, FBI: International, and Chicago Med. But, her most recent role stands out as a testament to her tenacious commitment to her craft, not only challenging her as an actress but also allowing her to explore the complex emotions and experiences that define the teenage experience.
In Dexter: Original Sin, a prequel to the cult-followed TV series Dexter, Brown portrays 17-year-old Debra “Deb” Morgan, a character originally played by Jennifer Carpenter. The series follows a young Dexter, Deb’s older brother, as he begins his transformation into an avenging serial killer – and all the complexities that come with leading a double life. Throughout the season, Deb bursts into scenes with a barrage of colorful curse words that underscore her fiery personality, but beneath her tough and brash exterior, she’s grappling with the deep sense of isolation that comes from feeling like the odd one out within her family.
While fans of the original had a lot to say about the casting, Brown let it slide off her back, saying, “I have unearned confidence in my ability; I did feel prepared to take on the role. I knew once people saw it, they would change their minds.” Watching Brown’s mannerisms, facial expressions, and all-around attitude on-screen, she’s not only got Deb down pat, but her confidence is anything but unearned.
In a conversation with Schön!, Brown shares how she found out she got the role, portraying a young and rebellious Deb, and discusses the pressure of joining an established fan base.
I want to start by congratulating you on Dexter: Original Sin. I read that you were a huge fan of Dexter before booking this project. What were some of the emotions running through you when you got the call that you’d be playing Deb?
It was a lot! The other thing is that I’ve been a working actor for 8 years, so there was an overwhelming sense of like, “Wow, this is much bigger than something I’ve done before.” On top of that, it was a character I already love, and I feel like I know. That’s why the audition went the way that it did, because when I was reading the audition material, I was like, “I know how Deb says this; I know how this sounds.” It was a lot of emotion all at once. I was at the Eras Tour, so that was a very crazy place to learn about it. It was right at the end of the show, and every part of it felt like it was out of a movie. It didn’t feel like real life.
You were in Paris for the Eras Tour, right? And was Karma playing when you got the call?
Yeah!
That’s such a crazy thing to have happened! Do you look back at that and go, “Is this real life?”
It’s the kind of thing that seems made up; it sounds too much like a story. That whole week, I had been telling myself, “There’s nothing left for me to control with this. The audition is done. All I can try to do for myself is have good karma,” and Paris can be a very particular place to exercise that.
It’s almost one of those things that, once you let it out of your hands, it comes back to you. Keeping on theme here, if Taylor Swift was around in the 90s, what song would Deb be listening to on repeat?
Oh my God! It’s interesting because Deb’s music taste in the show is a bit different than what I would’ve imagined her music taste to be… It’s so hard because there’s probably a perfect answer somewhere, and that’s what I’m looking for – I feel like I’m going to give a mediocre answer. My girlfriend just said, from the other room, ‘Reputation.’ I was also thinking of ‘Now That We Don’t Talk’ – probably something with a bit more angst behind it.
Going back to when you got the role, what was the most exciting part about getting it and what scared you the most about taking it on?
What scared me was that Deb is a beloved character, and people had thoughts about me based on just a picture and pre-judged my ability to do the role. Knowing that kind of pressure is intimidating.
What excited me was that, on the contrary, I felt super up for it. Because of Jennifer Carpenter, I know who she is and who she’s supposed to be at 17. I had the full backing of the creator, Clyde Phillips, and the producer, Robert Lewis. I was also really excited about reading the scripts; it was so fun to read a Dexter story before we started working on it.
We spoke a bit about how you’ve been a fan of the show for a while. What was your first introduction to Dexter?
I wish I remembered. I think I watched it in college or when I first moved to New York. The show’s pilot is one of the best pilots I’ve ever seen. It hooks you from the very beginning, so my experience with it was, “I don’t want to stop watching. I love this.”
With this prequel, Deb had such a fiery introduction to the show. What was it like to immediately jump into her character?
The craziest part was that because we shot it with a block shooting schedule – and we had a 10-day shoot in Miami before we went to LA – the first scenes I filmed were from episodes 4 and 5. Then I filmed a lot from episode 8 in the very beginning. In true Deb fashion, it was either sink or swim from the beginning. We eased our way into it, but it did start with a bang.
Speaking of episode 8, the scene on the boat between Deb and Dexter is a touching moment where they connect. How does this relationship evolve over the final two episodes of the season?
That’s what excited me most about Deb’s arc and her relationship with Dexter. Throughout the whole season, Dexter is learning how to at least fake being a better brother, and episode 8 in particular, is a really big turning point for them, in terms of how Dexter is able to offer comfort. That’s the key difference between who Deb is at 17 and who you meet her as in the original. When Dexter comes and rescues her, very intentionally, there’s a hug that happens, and it mirrors a moment in the pilot when Harry’s in the hospital. Deb hugs Dexter, and he doesn’t hug her back. Then, in the graduation scene, he tentatively hugs her back and here, more quickly, he understands what he should do and how he should act as a brother. It’s not just the relationship with Dexter, but also with Harry. There’s more growth happening there because she’s pretty upset with Harry for a lot of the season.
It’s interesting you say that because when watching, Deb is definitely on the outskirts of Dexter and Harry’s relationship and feels like the odd one out. What was it like getting into those details?
It played out in reality sometimes. Paddy [Patrick Gibson] and Christian [Slater] just had more scenes together, and they never excluded me (they’re lovely people), but they spent more time together. There were several times when we would have a scene: I would come in in the middle of it, yell at someone, leave, and they would continue the scene. When they would wrap, I would hear them both laughing and I was literally on the outside of the house looking in, wondering what they were laughing about. It’s them laughing – sometimes it’s the whole crew laughing – and I’m the only person that doesn’t know what’s going on. So, there’s little things like that that you tap into.
With that being said, what was it like building these on-screen relationships?
The first scene that Paddy and I shot together was that scene on the beach. It helped that we were starting from a place where they’re closer. Then, pulling back from that, it is weird acting with someone who’s supposed to be a sociopath. It’s like, “What are you doing? Why are you not responding?” He’s not supposed to.
The best part about acting with Christian – I was a fan of his, I love Heathers – is that he’s so amazing, down to earth, and friendly and welcoming. He didn’t feel like a father; they honestly both felt like my brothers.
There’s an emotional moment for Deb in episode 8, which has stayed with me, as the audience gets to see a very vulnerable side of Deb usually hidden by her snappy one-liners and curse words. When acting that scene out, what was important for you to tell the audience without speaking?
What I talked about with Monica [Raymund], who directed that episode, is that Deb’s alone. We’ve only seen Deb cry twice in the series thus far, and both times, she’s alone. She’s been upset before, but those are the only times when it’s a full release. That is, ultimately, the only time she’s been fully vulnerable, when she hasn’t been with anyone else, and that’s a key part of who Deb is. She has this tough exterior, and she doesn’t let everybody see the part that’s hurting. You see the abrasive reactionary part before, but you don’t see her break down like that unless she’s alone.
You said earlier that there was a lot to live up to with this character. When you approached this project, how did your portrayal of Deb differ from Jennifer’s, and why was that distinction important to you and the prequel?
I’m sure people have a lot of critiques about every part of us that’s different, but one thing I felt very freed by, from the very beginning, was that I’m playing a 17-year-old Deb. If you thought Deb had a lot of emotions in the original, she’s an adult there. I’m playing a version of Deb where her brain isn’t even fully formed yet, and she has stronger hormones and is more temperamental than she is when you meet her in the original – which is saying a lot. That felt a little bit easier; like I could relax into that part and make it mine. It would be a whole different thing if we were rebooting the show, and I had to come in and redo [Jennifer’s] scenes, which I wouldn’t want to do. I just tried to make her younger and a bit rougher around the edges.
There’s a lot to say, in that respect, that nobody is the same as their 17-year-old self.
Thank God.
But that’s important to enhance Deb’s character and ensure you’re not imitating Jennifer’s work.
Exactly. And, I know Paddy is slightly freed by the part that Dexter’s still learning things, he’s still a novice, and he’s making mistakes. But, it would be a total lie to say there’s no pressure with stepping into these shoes and for me, it didn’t hit me until I got there. Even the way you interact with your parents as a teenager is different. I think that Deb has a lot of respect for her father in the original, but that’s kind of a rose-coloured glasses situation in my interpretation. It’s a lot easier to say nicer things about people when they’re gone.
We’ve spoken about how this project has made you expand your perception of Deb, but were there any other ways it changed your view or understanding of Deb as a character?
It’s funny because you can’t really spoil a series that’s already a prequel. Everybody knows where Deb is headed and that eventually, she’s going to join the police academy and become a police officer. What became clear to me was her intentions behind that and what she actually wanted. I don’t want to spoil anything, but the primary thing that drives Deb is to feel like she is a bonafide member of her family. It’s something that you wouldn’t necessarily think is a primary struggle for a lot of people, especially a lot of 17-year-olds – it should be a given, but it’s just not. I think that deepened where Deb comes from.
It’s something a lot of people have to deal with, so it’s just another way for viewers to resonate with this character.
Right. Deb is just a teenage girl. If you don’t get Deb in Dexter: Original Sin, you just don’t get teenage girls. And that’s fine, not everyone needs to. They’re very hard to understand. Having been one myself, it’s like, “Well, of course, she’s reacting this way.”
Definitely! On social media, there have been some comments from men on Deb’s behaviour where I was like, “You just don’t get it!”
Like, “You just don’t like teenage girls, and that’s fine. You don’t have to. It’s even better if you don’t.”
Without spoiling anything, what’s in store for viewers in the last two episodes?
There’s a lot to wrap up. At the end of episode 8, there’s a big shootout, so there’s going to be some fallout from that. Dexter knows who has been kidnapping these kids, and something’s got to be done with that. Honestly, the most exciting part for me – and this is what I’ve been so excited for since I read it because I’m such a huge fan of the original – is that in episode 8, Harry discovers who the NHI Killer is, and there’s more to see with that. I knew the whole time that’s what fans were going to be excited about.
Before the show began airing, you attended Comicon in San Diego in July with the cast. What was that experience like?
It was surreal. It was absolutely crazy. I think the hall we were in had a capacity of 8,000, and a part of me was like,“Well, this is going to be so awkward for us when it’s empty.” But it was full; it was packed. There were so many people.
Mentally, the challenge of walking into an established fan base, I was mostly okay with because I have unearned confidence in my ability; I did feel prepared to take on the role. I knew once people saw it, they would change their minds. People can say whatever they want online, but when you get to see people – in person – so excited about something without seeing any footage, it’s an amazing experience.
It must be so surreal because, at that point, it wasn’t out, and you didn’t know how it would be received. It’s also a testament to how loyal a fan base can be.
I’m a part of that fan base, and I’m very grateful for it.
Do you have any upcoming projects you can share?
Right now, I’m waiting – like everyone else – to see if we can do another season of this show. In the meantime, for the past couple of years, I’ve been working on a pitch for a show based on a series of short films I created called ‘Boy Shorts.’ We’re going to start bringing out my show to pitch soon, so I’m very excited about that. It would be amazing to do. It’s exciting to bring sides of myself into Deb and play with that side of myself, but the project I’ve been working on is more fully based on me. I love all aspects of creating film and television, so I’m hoping to become more involved in the production process.
sweater. Zankov
trousers. Hyke
shoes + earrings. Stylist’s Own
bracelet. Pandora
opposite
t-shirt. Le Set
denim. Hyke
ear cuff. Stylist’s Own
earrings + rings. Meuchner
sweater. Zankov
trousers. Hyke
shoes + earrings. Stylist’s Own
bracelet. Pandora
opposite
t-shirt. Le Set
denim. Hyke
ear cuff. Stylist’s Own
earrings + rings. Meuchner
Credits
The series finale of ‘Dexter: Original Sin’ premieres on February 14th. Catch up with the season on Paramount+.