Sam Salter - Interview

.aesthetic talk
SAM SALTER
Soft Power

written + interview Chidozie Obasi

31-year-old Sam Salter is damn good at making wraps and cookies. His top picks? “Chicken fajitas, oh my Lord, I love them! I'm honestly obsessed with chicken and beef wraps at the moment,” he shares. “I also like an Asian-style sweet potato mash with fish, like salmon; I have a very sweet tooth.”

But it isn’t his proclivity for a double dose of carbs that landed the London-based dancer his fearless gumption and a great path in the making; that was all down to his impressive creative chops.

coat FLORENCE BLACK 1954
sweater DIOR MEN
shirt PENCE 1979
pants DOLCE & GABBANA
necklace LAG World
loafers CHURCH’S

blazer FERRAGAMO
gilet FENDI
shirt HARMONT & BLAINE
pants LABO.ART

“I'd say I'm a living and breathing artist, and my path has been like an umbrella made of different avenues that I've been pursuing over the last three-to-four years.”

Sam Salter speaks with Chidozie Obasi
for LE MILE .Digital

jacket ZEGNA
blazer TELA
t-shirt CHB CHRISTIAN BOARO
pants FERRAGAMO
necklace SWAROVSKI

“I’ve been dancing since I was the age of eight, and I always wanted a life of variety,” he opines, the moment we begin to settle into our conversation. “I always wanted to push my boundaries in my career, and I never thought I would be in the position that I'm in now with what I've accomplished—coupled with the things that happened in my life—but it all came with a lot of hard work. I'd say I'm a living and breathing artist, and my path has been like an umbrella made of different avenues that I've been pursuing over the last three-to-four years.”

The first moment that Salter realised dance was the key element needed to kickstart his creative career was very early on. “I was eight years of age, and it was an amazing moment that I remember my mum asking If I wanted to go try a dance class,” he says. “It just felt like the most incredible moment where something clicked in my body and brain. And I mean, don't get me wrong, I was probably terrible. But I just remember absolutely loving it.” Before that, Salter was a really competitive horse rider. “I would horse ride every single day after school. I loved it. And I was good at it too, like I was a really strong candidate.”

Salter wasn’t a kid that grew up watching dance on television or across the media. “However, there was a programme in America called So You Think You Can Dance, which I remember when I started getting into dancing. And watching American dancers felt great, because they’re incredible,” he says. “Funnily enough, in recent years I've connected with them online.”

Salter trained at the Sylvia Young Theatre School in London and the Delay Theatre Arts in Surrey, projecting into roles across the spheres of musical and ballet—namely, Mary Poppins, Wicked, Swan Lake, The Nutcracker—that marked few turning points from an early stage. “I suppose there were two,” he reflects. “The first one was when I was at Sylvia Young, and my peers in my year never thought of me as very talented. But I worked my absolute arse off and I just remember being obsessed with it,” he says. “Then there was this one class where I got picked out to do a solo: all my friends were like, ‘Oh my god, Sam, you're like a really good dancer!’ It just happened, and I remember everyone came up to me, which made it a really special moment.”

jacket TOD’S
shirt DUSAN
polo TOMMY HILFIGER courtesy of ZALANDO
pants TOD’S
shoes SEBAGO

total look LOEWE

“I'm a very proud out gay man, and I will always fight for the community and believe that we should be treated just like everyone else.”

Sam Salter speaks with Chidozie Obasi
for LE MILE .Digital

blazer TAGLIATORE
shirt TOMMY HILFIGER

shirt + tie TOM FORD
tank top CHB CHRISTIAN BOARO
pants JIL SANDER by Lucie + Luke Meier

Moving on to deeper territory, Salter has spoken openly about the struggles with mental health, which led to phases of addiction. Years on, he feels he’s on a good path and on a good ground, both emotionally and physically speaking. “I feel amazing right now in terms of my sobriety, and I feel like I'm in a really great flow with it: I've been in and out of sobriety for a long time,” he opines, with unguarded honesty. “And what I can say is that whenever I'm sober, I feel my ultimate best in so many ways; truth be told, my personal life hasn’t been great in the last few months. I felt a bit flat, uninspired, and lost because I hold my career to a really high level. I'm a workhorse.”

Salter has hustled hard with his goals between dance and social media, trying to build branding and working with luxury households. “It took years of trying to get this. So when things are quiet for me in terms of work, I feel my mental health dips.” But what is really special for Salter right now is his sobriety. “Even though I feel like I'm having a little bit of a life dip, which happens, I'm still thriving overall because I am clean and sober and I'm not getting myself into any sort of trouble.”

As we walk through the emotional depths of his inner self, I cannot help but wonder where these complex phases of his life stemmed from. “I think addiction stems from a lot of stuff like growing up and not feeling quite good enough, as I was a very shy kid and I always wanted to feel more confident. And we all know that certain substances can make you feel more confident. So they were hand in hand for me; I was finally this confident, attractive in a way guy. And I’m actually naturally quite a shy person and insecure. I have insecurities.”

Salter’s been in therapy for years, trying to untangle these emotional complexities. “I think if people looked at me online they would have a different perception of me. I would work on no sleep and it was dangerous for my body. I was doing these crazy shows, you know, with no sleep. But I don't think that the entertainment industry really was the catalyst into all of this kind of stuff.”

On the entertainment industry’s hardships, he speaks openly. “I've definitely worked on jobs where I haven't been the happiest because of egos,” he admits. “I remember I once got booked on a tour to be the leading man, and I found out through a show fan that I'd been cut. I don't know why they ended up getting rid of me, but that was like a tough pill to swallow. And that was something that I found quite challenging. Like this is, it was just done in all the wrong ways.”

shirt PRADA

blazer TAGLIATORE
cardigan CANALI
tank top DIESEL
shirt TOMMY HILFIGER
shoes CHURCH’S

However, his reckless pursuit of optimism took Salter to new heights, bringing forth a major deal that sparked an equally major moment. “One of my favourite jobs I've ever done was the Wonka dance buddy,” he says. “I looked after Timothee Chalamet on Wonka: I'd help him rehearse the role, I would dance his double, step in, give him notes on dancing and so on. That was super special because I love being on set. Films are so exciting, and I'm a big fan of his work.”

Salter also made his acting debut, a short film titled I Need You To See Me: in this project, he plays a substitute dance teacher navigating a complex and intense relationship with his mentee. “It was like a two man scene happening in a dance studio,” he recalls. “It was really intense and a lot of work, but it was an incredible experience.” The director reached out to him a few times and Salter ignored him at first. “I always wanted to try it, but I was a little too scared and I thought there were things in my way and I had a lot of worry and fear about it.”

Navigating the dynamics of LGBTQ+ storytelling is key for Salter. “I'm part of it, so I always advocate to push for it,” he asserts. “I'm a very proud out gay man, and I will always fight for the community and believe that we should be treated just like everyone else.”

Soulful and vibrant in equal measure, Salter spills further doses of joyful optimism and hope as we draw our conversation to a close. “I plan to continue training, and I want to keep doing my castings for acting as I’d like to keep pushing my boundaries,” he concludes. “I'm really proud of the work I've achieved so far, and I want to keep pushing as much as I can, whether that's as an actor or a choreographer or a dancer or all of them. I just want to be giving it my everything.”

team credits

seen COSIMO BUCCOLIERI via STUDIO REPOSSI
fashion director + stylist CHIDOZIE OBASI
head of production JESSICA LOVATO
fashion coordinator DAVIDE BELOTTI
make up KIM GUTIERREZ via STUDIO REPOSSI
hair ALEXANDER MARKART via BLEND MANAGEMENT
talent SAM SALTER

photography assistant ANTONIO CROTTI
fashion assistants LUCA MICELI + LORIS VOTTERO + CLOE RUBINATO + ALICE CANNITO + ANNA REGAZZONI + JORDAN MAX BAGLIONI

Kyshan Wilson - Interview

.aesthetic talk
KYSHAN WILSON
The Multifaceted Prism of

written + interview Chidozie Obasi

When it comes to a grounded star quality, many can only dream of having the determination, skill and poise possessed by Kyshan Claire Wilson.

After her noteworthy appearance in the acclaimed fiction Mare Fuori, the rising talent has made herself between the allusive streets of East London and Naples. But, while a domination of one of the world’s most coveted industries would be a career-high for some, it’s not what the multi-faceted actress plans on seeking for just yet: from moments of doubt to gushes of thrill, the actress began to exceed her own expectations and transcend career boundaries on her own terms, cementing her as a rising star worthy of the name.

total look LOUIS VUITTON

TEAM CREDITS

seen NICOLÒ PARSENZIANI
fashion director + stylist CHIDOZIE OBASI
head of production JESSICA LOVATO
fashion coordinator DAVIDE BELOTTI
grooming CRISTINA CROSARA via THE GREEN APPLE ITALIA
set design IRENE COVERI
video VALENTINA GILARDONI

digital EDOARDO MONTACCINI
talent KYSHAN WILSON via WHYNOT MODELS
light assistant GIUSEPPE PALAZZOLO
production assistant ANJA MENEGON
fashion assistants ISABELLA PETROCCHI + LILLY PADILLA + VALENTINA VURCHIO

blazer ACN N1
shirt GRIFONI
top + shorts SANDRO
pants ALBERTA FERRETTI
bracelets DOLCE & GABBANA
loafers CHURCH’S

“I'm a black woman, I’m perceived by the world as a black woman and I identify as one. But I'm not going to act like I'm not aware of my mixed privilege, being mixed.”

Kyshan Wilson speaks with Chidozie Obasi
for LE MILE .Digital

total look LORO PIANA

total look PRADA

watch film

filmed VALENTINA GILARDONI

film assistant LUCA ZITO

“Both professionally and personally, I've been on sets that have inspired me a lot artistically,” she says, the moment we begin to settle into our conversation. “I've been around people that have made me more driven, but I've always been ambitious.” However, in an industry where saturation is increasingly commonplace, there are moments able to hit one’s stride with troubled force. “There are times when you get less auditions, and that ambition doesn't go away, but it can drift in and out. This year, I've met people that have really lit that fire in me again, so I'm really grateful.”

Wilson’s first memory of film has been the experience of viewing an eclectic array of products both on TV and in cinema. “I've always loved being able to live someone else's life, whether that be for an hour or three,” she reminisces. “I've always loved the kind of escape from reality, which can sound bleak, but it was always that for me.”

Wilson recalls having this dream that didn't feel tangible while growing up, not being part of the industry’s nepotism and without connections. “It almost felt that it wasn't the path set out for me,” she explains. As a kid, she forced everyone in her family to watch hour-long shows, which helped her to unleash her inner potential. “The first time I realised that this could be a career was with Mare Fuori, when I started the auditioning process which kind of came out of nowhere,” she opines. “It was this surreal, emotional moment where all of little Ky's dreams were coming true.”

As a woman of great poise, Wilson credits her mother as a main source of inspiration throughout her life. “She was and still is a single mum, and the strength she had to move us into a different country all on her own while always providing on her own has definitely been the biggest element that makes her a role model,” she says, explaining how “she'd be surprised to hear this.” Wilson deems her entire family an anchor. “They’re not afraid to tell me when I'm doing too much or how privileged I am to be in my position at times, and I think that's very important to have people that stabilise you.”

jacket FENDI
shirt BLAZE MILANO
skirt FERRAGAMO
necklace ILENIA CORTI

blazer PHILOSOPHY di LORENZO SERAFINI
pants MARK KENLY DOMINO TAN
socks PAUL SMITH
shoes DR MARTENS

“I want to be a Bond girl! Maybe if I put it into the universe, it will come to fruition.”

Kyshan Wilson speaks with Chidozie Obasi
for LE MILE .Digital

coat PAUL SMITH
sweater AVANT TOI
shirt AVIU
skirts VIVETTA
jewels DOLCE & GABBANA

coat + tights JIL SANDER by LUCIE & LUKE MEIER
top FERRAGAMO
skirt AVIU
shoes DOLCE & GABBANA

When speaking on her role in the fiction Mare Fuori, Wilson—named Kubra in the series—speaks frankly about the impact and the relevance her role had in relation to the broader context of the script, which portrayed her as the daughter of a troubled prostitute harassed by male toxicity. “I find this really interesting because my thoughts on Kubra specifically, in Mare Fuori, aren't maybe what you would expect, because the fiction is recounting the story of a group of teenagers in a juvenile prison,” she says. “So I think given that context, for me as an actress, it felt less frustrating and jarring because all of our characters have done terrible things to end up in a juvenile prison.”

Most of the characters came from hard, tough backgrounds, and it’s exactly the reason why her role “didn't feel like the classic stereotypical black actor cliche, where there’s a tendency to cast only poc in degrading roles.” She didn’t feel it was as harsh as other roles in the film industry at large. “There are roles I've played where I’ve definitely felt more pigeonholed, but I think given the context (again, of a prison), I didn't really expect anything less than that.” Wilson took that as a challenge and made Kubra a profound and complicated character that wasn't defined solely by those stereotypical black traits. “I tried to make the best out of it and make her as layered as possible to show the intelligent and funny and human and vulnerable side to her, not just the angry black woman kind of cliche.”

Leaning on representation and the importance of inclusion, in an industry that often exacerbates the state of it at the expense of white privilege, she speaks with unguarded honesty. “I think there's a desperate need to work on representation, especially in Italy, and to be clear I talk about Italian cinema and TV because that's my experience,” she says. “When I talk about more representation, I talk about working on representation. It means not only we don't want roles that are defined by the way white people perceive Blackness, but I also refer to the process of recycling roles intended and written originally for white people, already played by white people, and given to black people as a token.” Wilson deems these attempts “lazy,” and she’d rather see people “invest time, money, invest effort and writers into creating and curating our own stories; stories that take into consideration the black experience, without making it a cliche.” Additionally, Wilson thinks that “sometimes it’s done well and is cool, but most the time feels cheap”

So I cannot help but wonder: how does an actress with such depth and sensitive line of thought perceive otherness and colourism? “I'm a black woman, I’m perceived by the world as a black woman and I identify as one. But I'm not going to act like I'm not aware of my mixed privilege, being mixed,” she freely admits. “I have softer hair and European features, and I'm not going to deny that I believe that has had a positive impact on my career.”

total look SPORTMAX

dress VERSACE

Moving on to softer ground, I ask about the roles she’s cherished the most. “I love Aura in Those About to Die,” she says. “I think there's a lot to play around with, and I think if we get the opportunity to proceed with another series there would be a lot to dive into within her psyche. I love her strength, not in the classic way we see strong characters - but a strength that lies within her vulnerability.” The series explores an unveiled side of Rome: the dirty business of entertaining the masses through blood and sport. “She’s vulnerable, as she's sold into slavery but she's still the rock for her sibling and her mother, and her maternal figure leans on her a lot,” she says. “I love the parallels of strength and vulnerability, particularly when those two things can co-exist because I don't like flat characters and no one wants to see.”

And, if that wasn’t enough, between ensuring that her passion for acting never fades and that her diary is never empty, Wilson is well engaged in the fashion scene. “Fashion is art and it’s expression, and I love any form of art and expression,” she opines. “I'm a very creative person and I'm drawn to cinema, fashion, paintings and any art.

So I love any opportunity I get to be a part of this world: we work very hard with both my fashion modelling agency, WhyNot, and my cinematic agency, Karasciò, to intertwine all projects and make sure that I have the opportunity to be at events, but also so that doesn't get in the way of sets. And they're very good at accommodating each other and me and making it all work.”

What does she hope for the years to come? “To still be doing what I love, which is acting,” she says, her head nodding with excitement. “I also hope to be living in another city, as I love moving around, and I definitely want to slowly emerge into the international world of cinema and TV.”

We’re way past our allotted interview time, and as the end-of-year holidays are fast approaching it’s apt to muse over Wilson’s new year resolutions. “I want to be a Bond girl!” she wildly chuckles, as we wrap up our conversation. “Maybe if I put it into the universe, it will come to fruition. But on a serious note, I just hope to keep doing things to make me fall more in love with my craft, becoming better at it.” And, just like Wilson, I very much hope the same.