With that said, c u tmro <3. Read the interview below in the mean time.
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Drunk, Sober, Wet Bricks
What made you get into photography?
I actually have started taking photos with Utsurun Desu (disposable camera by Fujifilm) even before becoming a model when I was in France at age 13. Photography has been a joy for me ever since. I am quite confident when it comes to photography, since I’ve been doing it for a while. I like taking photos in the street, and Issei Suda, Daido Moriyama inspired me.
Did modeling have an effect on your photography? If so, how?
It definitely did, as I came to be able to shoot fashion photography. I also had a chance to work under a contemporary artist as an assistant, which got me interested in art. I like going to any museums, but The Noguchi Museum is my favorite.
How did your life evolve when you moved from Japan to New York?
Drinking became a part of my almost everyday routine.
More so than going out?
Well, I didn’t really hang around the city ‘til late when I was back in Tokyo. Today, I have more friends in New York than I did in Tokyo. I go to the bar, get hooked up from my bartender friends, grab $1 cans of beer, or drink at my friends’ crib. I also live in the Lower East Side, you know what I mean?
That sounds fun though. Is that why the theme of your first zine is related to drunk scenes?
Yes, I decided to do this theme obviously when I was drunk. I know it’s such a cliche.
Why did you decide to publish your zine?
It just came to my mind when I was going through my archives, like what will happen to my photos that never got exposed? Are they going to keep being locked up inside of my laptop or hard drive? I know it’s easy to just post on my Instagram, but that didn’t sound right to me. I wanted my photographs to be somehow tangible. There is a story behind each photo. If you know, you know.
I’m honestly kind of jealous of your success as a model and photographer. What is your secret sauce?
Do you know the game called cee-lo? It’s a gambling game played with three six-sided dice. There’s not one standard set of rules, but there are some constants that hold true to all the different sets of rules. The name comes from the Chinese Sì-Wŭ-Liù (四五六), meaning "four-five-six.” I am really good at it, and there is no tip for winning. It’s all up to luck. I think I am just really lucky.
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The Blacker the Berry, the Sweeter the Latté
Bringing black business back into her community while simultaneously inspiring a generation to create spaces that are their own, Avent-deLeon demonstrates that with enduring persistence and the right intention, generational wealth can be achieved.
Check out the rest of the conversation below.
How do you celebrate your Blackness during Black History Month?
I don't think I was particularly mindful of celebrating the month—for me, everyday is a celebration of "Blackness" or African culture. Living my personal truth is a way of honoring my ancestors and my guides.
You are the owner of a concept store, coffee shop, and an upcoming new hostel space called Sincerely Tommy Eat & Stay. In what way have you incorporated your Blackness into your business?
Being a Black business owner gives a business a different perspective. There's a different lens we have to look through, so with that, I think it's natural that some level of our culture lives in the spaces we create.
Do you feel like because Sincerely Tommy is located in Bed-Stuy, a predominantly Black neighborhood, that you are inspiring the next generation to be business owners and create generational wealth?
It was part of my intention to inspire young Black creators and entrepreneurs when I opened. Bed-Stuy is now 50 percent less Black than it was when I was growing up, and I have seen so much change. I've seen the work ethic of young people change. I've been blessed to meet some wonderfully hard-working, motivated, and eager-to-gain-experience young people. I have also encountered the complete opposite. I think overall, the definition of what hard work means has changed drastically. Generational wealth is something to honor, to look to our elders and those who came before us as teachers. I look to my mother, father, grandmother as the elders who worked hard so that I have an example of what that looks like. It's rare that I see the same today, but when I do, I am so eager to work with them.
What restorative work do you want to see contributed to rectify the years of wrongful power distribution?
More than anything I want to see Black folks feeling empowered. I want them to look within. As a people, we have been oppressed and wronged, but the longer we ruminate in the wrongful actions against us, the longer we spend our energy there. The work has to start with self, and I believe in asking the question: am I living a life that commits to change for the better? I used to and sometimes still do spend time being angry at the oppressor, but it can be exhausting. Starting my business and setting my own rules has allowed me to create my own path.
If you could sit down and chat with any prominent Black figure, who would you choose?
Absolutely Malcolm X. He was a man of heroic magnitude. He also publicly evolved in the most honest and humane way. He was open about his mistakes—that's one of the characteristics I most admire about him. I think we too often expect that those who are "leaders" don't make mistakes or bad choices, and if they do, we are so quick to demonize them. Malcolm was always open about the work he was doing for himself and for his people.
What initially inspired the idea to create Sincerely Tommy and your new space, Sincerely Tommy Eat & Stay?
I really wanted a place where travelers could stay locally and eat healthy. I started traveling at a young age and had to budget, so I stayed in a lot of hostels. It was a great way to meet other people without having to spend a lot of money.
Being a Black woman myself, sometimes it's easy to doubt myself when taking on new projects or business ventures. What advice would you give to people like me who may have doubts about their ideas, because they are Black in white spaces?
Have a vision, and create your own space. I know that sounds very black and white—but to this day, it's the best advice I received when I started my business. Your vision can change as your business evolves. I am a huge believer in manifestation. If you can envision it, then it's already yours.
What is your favorite part about being Black?
Just that. [Laughs] Being Black—it's the best! We've created everything, and we come from the most beautiful place on the planet!
What do you enjoy most about Bed-Stuy and New York?
Well, both have changed so much. It's still home for me. My entire family lives here, so it's the main reason why I stay. The culture is so different now though. Of course there is beauty here, but I do miss the old New York and Bed-Stuy a lot.
What does the future look like for you?
Relaxation, time with my son, time alone, peace, good food and bliss.
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On Deck: Oona Roche
office sat down with Roche before she headed to Los Angeles for the filming of the breakout show’s second season. If you haven’t tuned in yet in fear of adding another subscription onto your monthly expenses, get a seven-day free trial, and binge it all week long, Roche advises.
Season two is currently set to release sometime around November 2020. So in the meantime, hang around, and get to know the breakout actor below.
My name is: Oona Roche.
I'm 24 years old.
My birthday is: August 3, 1995 (Leo).
I live in: East Williamsburg now. I think you grow up really fast in Brooklyn. You start taking a train alone when you’re 11, 12 years old. You learn to watch your own back from a really young age. You’re deprived of nature, but it’s such a gift to grow up in a place where there’s every kind of person.
You might know me from: The Morning Show. I play Lizzy Craig. Lizzy’s a really privileged teenager; she grew up wealthy and goes to boarding school. Lizzy and her mom, Alex, flip-flop between being the caretaker and the person who is being taken care of, because Alex is kind of absent as a mother. Lizzy’s really disciplined and organized, so she holds a lot of tension in her body because of the lifestyle that her mother leads. I relate to her, because she grew up in New York City. And although we grew up in different economic brackets, there’s a sense of street smart and wisdom that you’ll find with most kids who grew up here.
I knew I wanted to be an actor when I was: born. My grandfather was an actor. He died in June of 1995, and I was born in August in the same year. I kind of have always felt like he went out, and I came in. I grew up with badass feminist role models on stage too—my aunts were this folk trio called The Roches. I would watch them perform, and before I could even understand what the theater was, I had so many theatrical acts in front of me all the time.
My dream role is: a cowgirl, I don’t know. I’d love to play a real, hardcore cowgirl in a Western, like in Annie Get Your Gun where she was doing all those horse tricks.
Something that people might not know about me is: that I’m a singer-songwriter. It’s not something I advertise to the world per se or that I am pursuing professional, but it is something that comes really naturally. It’s always been a part of my life. I come from a family of folk musicians. My dad is a singer-songwriter too, and I perform and sing a lot harmonies with him. We had a little duo thing going for awhile, and I’m really proud of him. He just released an album—it’s called Griefcase by David Roche.
My last meal would be: dependant on how I’m feeling that day, but I guess like a brownie ice cream sundae with a lot of hot fudge. Or some really banging al dente pasta with butter—I love pasta. It’s the number one invention.
I have a fear of: working in a restaurant forever. That’s me being really honest. But I don’t even want to put it out there. I don’t want to feed it.
By the end of 2020, I hope to: be on stage again. My training is in theater, and I have a BFA in acting from SUNY Purchase. I’ve spent more time honing my craft on a stage than I have in film and television, but my opportunities have been mostly in film and television since I graduated. We also just came back from Sundance with this film that I’m in called The Nest, so I’m really excited to see what life it has in 2020.
If I were an animal, I would be a: dolphin. [Laughs] They’re really playful and sensual animals. They’re sweet and cuddly—it’s not typically how I would describe myself, but today, I feel like a dolphin.
If you could see my aura, it would be: somewhere in the orange-red spectrum. I’m elementally fiery, for better or for worse.
I’m currently working on: the second season of The Morning Show. We’re shooting in Los Angeles.
