Meredith Mickelson moves between modeling and acting with an openness that feels central to this moment in her career. In DSCENE’s new editorial “Between Chapters,” photographed by Mylena Saza at Villa Albertine’s Payne Whitney Mansion in New York, she appears within a setting that mirrors that sense of transition: historic, composed, and layered with the feeling of one chapter giving way to another. Styled by Amandha Gaio, with hair by Takayuki Umeda and makeup by Lau Pantoja, the story accompanies Mickelson’s feature in DSCENE Magazine’s Design Under Pressure issue.
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In conversation with DSCENE Editor Ana Markovic, Mickelson reflects on the pace of a year shaped by very different projects, from her Sports Illustrated debut in Botswana to the demanding production of The Beauty. She speaks about preparation, self-trust, the pressure attached to beauty, and the importance of staying grounded when visibility increases. The interview also looks at the people and designers influencing her, the value she places on instinct, and the way she is approaching what comes next without forcing a fixed direction.
Between your Sports Illustrated debut and the glamorous yet gory set of The Beauty, you’ve navigated completely different emotional extremes in a very short time. Looking back, how difficult was it to manage both the logistics and the mindset required for projects pulling you in such different directions? – Honestly, it was all such a dream. I think the key for me was just taking it day by day and trusting in the work I’d put in over the years. Each project had its own world, and I tried to be fully present in whatever world I was in that day. The preparation was already done, so when I showed up, I could just let go, trust myself, and have fun.
For me, it always comes back to loving yourself first.
Going from the celebration of the body in Botswana for Sports Illustrated to the body horror of The Beauty is a huge shift. Would you say they’re two sides of the same coin? – They can feel like two sides of the same coin, but they were very different experiences. Sports Illustrated was all about celebrating women as they are and embracing individuality, which felt really empowering. With The Beauty, I stepped into a character living under intense pressure to meet an unrealistic ideal, and you see how that can become overwhelming. I think it resonates because so many of us have felt that pressure, myself included.
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The Beauty presents a world that is highly polished yet deeply graphic. Was the atmosphere on set as intense as it appears on screen, or was there more technical “movie magic” behind it? – I like to show up already being the character in my mind. Staying present keeps everything genuine. That said, I think we did over 30 takes of me screaming, plus stunt rehearsals, and by the end my voice was completely shot, and so was my body. So, it was very real in that sense.
But I also must give it up to the crew and the movie magic that made everything come together so flawlessly. It’s truly a collaboration. You bring everything you have, and then they elevate it into something you couldn’t have imagined on your own. Also, the team, crew, and cast couldn’t have been more welcoming and fun to work with, which helps A LOT.
Beauty for me is really an inner thing.
The Beauty revolves around the idea that people will risk everything for a perfect version of themselves. Do you think we’ve reached a point where that search is starting to cost more than it’s worth? Why are we so drawn to an ideal even when we know it might be dangerous? – I do think it can become dangerous, absolutely, and I think that’s exactly what makes The Beauty such a timely story. But I also believe in personal choice. If someone does something that makes them feel better about themselves, I support that fully. We all have our own journey.
Where I think it crosses a line is when it starts costing you your peace of mind, your mental health, your sense of self. That’s when the pursuit of perfection stops being empowering and starts being destructive. For me, it always comes back to loving yourself first. Everything else should just be an addition to that, never a replacement for it.
What is beauty for you? – Beauty for me is really an inner thing. It’s feeling good about who you are as a person — your kindness, your energy, the way you show up for the people you love. It’s being unapologetically yourself, having the freedom to explore and evolve, and not taking yourself too seriously along the way.
There’s something really beautiful about someone who’s just having fun, who’s light, who loves themselves enough to let loose. When you have that kind of self-love, it just radiates. You can see it.
There’s something really beautiful about someone who’s just having fun, who’s light, who loves themselves enough to let loose.
You’ve worked with major names in the industry, including Ryan Murphy, as well as actors like Sarah Paulson and Evan Peters. Who left the strongest impression on you, and who would you like to work with next? – Honestly, every single person has left an impression on me in their own way. I’m just someone who loves to learn. I love watching great actors do their thing up close. There’s something you can take from everyone.
That said, if I could work with anyone next, someone like Emma Stone, Jennifer Lawrence, or Margot Robbie. The way each of them brings something so completely their own to every role, it’s the kind of thing you study. But truly, I feel so blessed every time I get to be on set alongside people who are that talented. It never gets old.
When it comes to red carpets, is there a designer you feel especially drawn to right now, or someone you would love to wear? – Alexander McQueen is a house I feel really drawn to right now. What Seán McGirr is doing there is so exciting. He’s bringing this fresh, powerful energy while still honoring everything that makes McQueen so iconic. There’s always been something about that house that feels fearless and feminine at the same time.
I want to keep challenging myself, keep saying yes to things that scare me a little, and trust that the right opportunities will find me.
Looking ahead, what feels like the natural next step for you? – Honestly? Going where the wind takes me. I think the best things that have happened in my career so far came when I stopped trying to control every step and just stayed open and ready.
I want to keep challenging myself, keep saying yes to things that scare me a little, and trust that the right opportunities will find me.
Skirt and underwear LACOSTE
Photographer MYLENA SAZA
Stylist AMANDHA GAIO at AG NEW YORK
Styling Assistant DANIEL JACINTO at AG NEW YORK
Makeup Artist LAU PANTOJA
Hair Stylist TAKAYUKI UMEDA
Photographer’s Assistant MANUELA LOURENÇO
Fashion Assistant DEBORA MEDEIROS
Retoucher MARCOS NASCIMENTO
Talent MEREDITH MICKELSON at WILHELMINA NEW YORK
Location VILLA ALBERTINE – AMBASSADE DE FRANCE AU ETATS-UNIS
