Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1475069
THE ARTISAN FALL 2022 • 33 PHOTOS: ADAM ROSE/PEACOCK TV came before our actors but show them in a different light. Since this isn't a period piece, I wanted to have the same warm feeling that you would get of familiarity with each character. A lot of people don't talk about the Afro-textured barbering cuts that are done on our men and women. I wanted to make sure that we paid homage to the box cut, paid homage to the fades, the designs, and other things, but I also wanted to show how history repeats itself. So even though it's not as classic and sharp as it was on the original Fresh Prince, you're bringing the artistry of the barbering cut into 2022 with Jabari Banks and everyone else in the cast. How many barbers did you work with? Araxi: Morgan had a set of people from his hometown, Kansas City, that he wanted to work with in Los Angeles for this project. One of those people was his hometown barber, Michael Russaw. He had the skill and professionalism that's needed in a barbershop. He's a master barber and he had already worked in a lot of barber competitions. Everyone helped and encouraged him to move forward with this professional process that we do and he was able to pick that up well. And for the beards that you see on screen, Tayari Edwards is a master barber, but he's also a genius with beards and making sure that he blends hair types and hair styles. And for the actresses? Araxi: As far as our Aunt Viv, Cassandra Freeman is a beautiful blend of the two actresses who played the role before her. I also thought about Phylicia Rashad who I love due to her impactful role as Mrs. Huxtable. Whenever you have a powerful mother figure of African descent—or anyone that's melanated on your screen—it warms my heart. It reminds me of my mother and my aunts. I wanted to make sure that the Mom in this series was presented in an elegant way. I also wanted the children to be relatable to actual teens who are Ashley's age or the girls who are stuck between the workforce and col- lege like the character Hilary. I wanted to soften the looks and push forward the art that is overseen a lot of times with Afro-textured hair. Denise: And one thing that Araxi did when she came on board was to produce more natural hair care styles and that's something that Morgan really wanted. He didn't want to see a lot of weaves and a lot of lace fronts. He wanted natural hair styles and braids that were beautiful because that's the beauty of us. It was the same for me. Morgan wanted natural beauty make-up, nothing over-the-top, especially for the everyday look. It was very important for me and my team to let their natural beauty shine through and for their skin to look as pretty as possible. The character who wears the most make-up would be Hilary and she's an influencer. My key, Keesh Opposite page, L-R: Coco Jones as Hilary Banks and Cassandra Freeman as Vivian Banks. Above, L-R: Olly Sholotan as Carlton Banks, Jabari Banks as Will Smith.