Deon Hinton

DEON

I’m a creative based in New York. My work centers on mental health, fashion, and beauty. I feel most alive when I’m bringing joy and love to those I encounter, and I feel most beautiful when I feel balanced within myself.

My mother is, for sure, the person who has shaped me most. She had me very young — a child with a child. But we grew together and she taught me the beauty of truly loving myself. I was born and raised in Fayetteville, Arkansas. This impacted me in more ways than one. The main one being that I’m much more loving and vibrant within who I am because of my authenticity, my femininity, my queerness. My emotions were buried within norms of the South.

My childhood was the time of my life that influenced me most. Particularly my family’s financials that lead to homelessness. We moved in with extended family throughout my high school years. Those moments instilled and shaped a life I knew I’d work to never experience again.

The idea that and gratitude for anything being possible is what gets me out of bed in the morning. I wake up, light a candle, and often enjoy the silence as I set my intentions for the day. Each night is a pampering with my skin care and soft music selections. The Ritual Serum is by far my favorite LESSE products. I’ve seen the biggest difference in my skin. It’s one of those ‘I deserve this moment’ feelings but every day.

The aspects of my life that lift me up, always, are gratitude and abundance. I wish I had known earlier in life that I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be. That we don’t make mistakes, we learn lessons.

Ten years from now, I hope to be prospering within life. Happy and in love with everything I partake in. My hope for humanity is that we free ourselves from the trauma and rage of a past we were not equipped to “fix” or completely understand. The best advice I have for anyone is to breathe — take a look at how far you’ve come.

Photography and creative direction by Deondrick Hinton and Daniel Osahon.