A Closet That Prioritizes Subtlety Over Statement

“People think Goodwills in New York or L.A. are amazing? No, you have to go to these small ass cities and towns,” says multidisciplinary artist Deon Hinton, with a note of comic reproval in his voice. “People don't know this, but thrifting in Arkansas is a gold mine.” As a high school student, the smalltown native was scraping together bargain-bin finds because that was all he could afford, piecing items together to emulate the designers and brands he could only read about. Today, those brands are flying him across the globe to work on campaigns—both in front of and behind the camera. And their covetable products now hang next to treasured vintage finds in his tightly edited closet.

“I do a closet purge just about every three months,” he notes. The result of which is a capsule wardrobe of sorts, explains the pseudo-uniform dresser. Hinton is most comfortable in a white t-shirt (his favorite is Acne Studios), a pair of trousers, and a trench coat—and he’s not afraid to layer. “I have a problem by the way,” he says, referring to the latter garment. “I think I have enough [trench coats], but then I see one that's slightly different from the ones that I have at home,” he trails off. Hinton’s collection ranges from Lemaire to a Bushwick consignment find. “I will never forget the day that I walked out of there paying $15 for this coat that looks like Prada,” he muses. In addition to those sturdy sartorial tentpoles, his perfectly manicured wardrobe also houses knitwear, leather, and lots of tailoring–a tribute to the minimalism of the ‘90s. The one thing it lacks? Color (well, for the most part).

His first priority is to complement his skin tone. After that, it’s about mood. Neutrals dominate, but you’ll find desaturated blues, yellows, and greens peppered throughout. Oh, and a growing section of navy. “Y'all, I'm getting into navy,” Hinton laughs. In terms of designers, there are a few that make the multiphyphenate’s heart flutter: Peter Do, Christophe Lemaire—“the twisted shirts, they're so beautiful”—Thom Browne, and, of course, The Row, all of whom exalt meticulous attention to detail above all else. “I have a deep appreciation for anything that's going to stand the test of time,” he notes.

That’s not to say Hinton’s afraid to (sparingly) indulge in the occasional trend. “I think trends are fun, but I think what's so fun about trends is how people take them and make them unique and make them their own,” he says. The key to doing so is a well cultivated sense of style, which the photo and art director has managed to do despite embracing the visual identities of many projects for work. “I know where my home is when it comes to dressing,” and it’s nestled at the intersection of masculinity and femininity.

“Oh my God. I thought you'd never ask,” he laughs when I bring up his rather impressive handbag collection. There’s Chanel. There’s Prada. There’s Hermès. The gang’s all there. “I've loved bags since I was getting into fashion in the sixth grade,” he says. “Being from the south, kids were looking at me like I was insane.” He scoffs at the absurdity of the alternative: carrying your wallet, phone, and keys in one single wimpy pocket. Not just a practical item, a handbag makes him feel great and they complete a look—what’s not to like?

That gender neutrality extends from Hinton’s closet to the rest of his home (he lives in a studio in Brooklyn, so it’s not a far leap). Odd shapes and great design take precedence, alongside a reverence for sparsity—it’s just as much about what’s not there as what is. That same sense of style lends itself to his curated social media channels, as well. Scroll through the content creator’s instagram and you’ll see that it is always immaculate, whether it’s depicting his global travels, his home, or the real world application of the treasures housed in his closet. “I have this thing where my space has to look a certain way at all times, and if not, I feel like I'm losing my mind,” he explains. “The closet I think is one of the easiest to keep in order, for sure.”