Salem Mitchell Wants to See "Mindless Inclusion"

Photography by Micaiah Carter

Fashion by Julian Antetomaso

Salem Mitchell may owe her initial fame to social media—in 2016, she uploaded a photo of herself on Twitter next to a bruised banana after online trolls compared her now-famous freckles to an overripe fruit, and the viral post resulted in her discovery by Ford Models—but that doesn’t mean she thinks the internet exists without flaws. “People can be really mean and mask it as being honest,” says the San Diego native. “When you don’t make those human connections with people, you don’t always feel the need to be kind."

Although Mitchell, who is only 21 but speaks with the eloquence of someone wise beyond her years, has been a target at times for cyberbullies, she sees the positivity the online platforms offer as well. “We get the ability to see, connect, and communicate with all different kinds of people and share memories,” Mitchell, who has 330,000 followers on Instagram, says. And while she believes “social media is the biggest bridge” between professional and personal life, especially for many people who work in creative fields, she believes it’s important for everyone “to take time off from social media because it can just be an extension of work.” She confesses: “This is something I struggle with myself.”

In just a few short years, Mitchell's platform has extended far beyond any social media circle: she has appeared in music videos for SZA and Cardi B, as well as worked with GAP, Converse, and Savage x Fenty by Rihanna. In this upcoming year, that list will only grow longer. “I’ve done a lot of different kind of shoots that I can’t say too much about, but I worked with some of my dream people,” Mitchell hints excitedly. The former dancer hopes that in her upcoming work she’s able to “express that I’m more than a face with freckles and share more of who I really am.”

While Mitchell seems to be a consistently increasing presence in the fashion industry, she hopes there is something else that becomes equally popular as time goes on: something she smartly calls “mindless inclusion.”

“I would love to see more inclusion without conversation around it,” she says, explaining that people should be included not for “tokenism,” or to make a point, but because it’s truly an accepted norm. “Inclusion is great, but this could make it even better.”

Mitchell has a strong head on her shoulders, and she has lately been focused on financial literacy as well. "I just recently got a dollar sign tattoo," she admits, and it does look like it's going to be a good year money-wise for all Geminis.

L'Officiel teamed up with famed astrologist Susan Miller for each zodiac sign's prediction for 2020. Miller sees that Gemini will be making so much money next year, making it the perfect time to splurge on a new beauty statement, like the bold lip and radiant glow Mitchell shows off here.

Makeup Samuel Paul (Forward Artists)

Hair Vernon Francois (The Visionaries Agency)

Set Design David Browne

Photo Assistants Sam Rivera and Mike Benna

Digital Technician Noah Esperas

Producer Mariana Cantú (MC Colectiva)

Production Assistant Leon Schrager

Location Industrial Color Studios