BRANDON LIGONS IS THE ROSE BEHIND THE THORNS
FEATURING BRANDON LIGONS ★ PHOTOS BY OLIVER BARILE ★ STYLING + PRODUCTION BY ANDYOMO ★ MAKEUP BY KAIYLA FRANKLIN + BRANDON LIGONS ★ HAIR ASSIST BY DIANA SABIO ★ PHOTO ASSIST MARIA SMITH ★ STYLE ASSISTS NAJÉ SMITH + JESSICA VELESACA CANO ★ STUDIO HAND ROSS COLLAB ★ WORDS + INTERVIEW BY ANDYOMO
WEARING AGMES, ANNA BOLINA, BY COOKIE H., ERIK BARSHAI, EXUBERANT, GIRLSMUSTHAVE, JEWELLERY BAR, KAT AND CLARESE, LEAK NYC, LUNATIC FEMME, MANUFAKTUR BOSCANA, MILA HARDWARE, MING YU WANG, MONZLAPUR, NAMILIA, OLD HAFER, ORSOYA DARCHI, PIPENCO, QUEERA, SAGA NYC, SEASONAL WHISPERS, TALA BY TALA ALAMUDDIN, YING KONG
SPECIAL THANKS TO LINDSEY MEDIA, MELINETTE RODRIGUEZ, ROSS COLLAB, SHAOBO HAN, THE COPPER ROOM VIA FLYING SOLO NYC, THE CONFESSIONAL SHOWROOM
Sitting down with Brandon felt like ringing up an old girlfriend to spill the tea and trade all the hot new beauty secrets. I've had the pleasure of keeping up with Brandon’s journey for the past few years now, and every new era of evolution feels like a reignited flame of inspiration and charm. Originally from South Carolina, this New York-based insta-baddie is not only a model, content creator, entrepreneur, and makeup wizard whose effortless blend of glitz and glam has carved out a unique space for themselves in the bustle of the Big Apple, but their presence online has become a bold declaration—a call if you will, for anyone to embrace authenticity without limits and self-expression without apology. With the help of their favorite kardashian-esque nudey lipstick, their signature clean cut bob with a curl out front, and their soulmate, Youtube co-star, and go to camera-man, Raul Ricardo, we peel back the covers and really get to know who Brandon Ligons is off the screens, and what they have in store for us in 2025.
Brandon’s journey, like many others, took a drastic turn (for the best) during the global pandemic that left the world hungry for a distraction, fashion, and pure passion. It was during this time that Brandon fully decided to say ‘F it’, and dive head first into their artistry, shaking up the beauty and content creation worlds one mesmerizing look at a time. But long before social media was graced by their presence, their creativity blossomed with roots that ran deep. Thanks to their grandfather, a native New Yorker himself, who instilled a love for music, visual arts, and the joys of boundless imagination, it was that foundation that laid the groundwork for the unapologetic baddie we know and love today—one who blurs the lines between the clean girl aesthetic and their very own eye for extravagant, yet tasteful, opulence. Brandon understands the need to stay true to oneself, all while keeping in tune with the ever-changing world surrounding them.
In conversation with A Worldwide Magazine, Brandon talks all things past, present, and the future while touching on their sources of inspiration and the realities of being a POC queer creator in an industry that often asks for everything with little return on investment— other than free lipliners and exploitative requests. We discuss the challenges of navigating these oversaturated spaces, the complexities of stepping outside of your comfort zone, and the ongoing fight to be paid fairly when you're ever so aware of your own diamondiferous worth. Through it all, Brandon remains a testament to the power of resilience and staying true to your vision, all while keeping the fun alive and never forgetting to laugh—even when the industry tries to box you in. Or worse— box you out.
Looking ahead, Brandon’s ambition knows no bounds—from a dream collaboration with YSL Beauty to talks about an upcoming capsule collection. For them, style isn’t just about what you wear; it’s about how you own it. And if there’s one thing they make clear, it’s this: the best thing you can be is yourself, fully and fearlessly, as a rose peeking through the thorns.
ANDYOMO: Hi love, how are you?
BRANDON LIGONS: Hi! I'm good, thanks for having me. How are you?
Oh my god, of course. Let's start by telling our readers a little about who you are, and where you're from. Start with your name, your age, where you're from, and how long you've been an entrepreneur.
Okay. Hey, I'm Brandon Ligons. I'm from South Carolina. I'm 34 years old.
No way.
Yeah. Crazy, huh? 34. And I started my, like, entrepreneurship, like, during COVID time, you know, like, just like everyone else, they started, like, to find their passions and, like, be creative with ideas and things that they always wanted to try. And that's what happened to me. That's how I started my journey.
I love it. Oh my God. You said you're from South Carolina. So how long have you been in New York City?
I've been here about 13 years. Yeah.
Wow. Oh my God.
She's a New Yorker now. [Laughs]
Period. They do say after 10 years, you're officially a New Yorker, I'm just over 6 and people will try to tell me I am a New Yorker but I'm like, "Let's hit 10 first!"
[Laughs] Yeah you gotta get to 10!
Right, well, that's exciting! What brought you out here originally?
Well, I went to college here for fashion design.
Gotcha.
Yeah. I studied at FIT, but then I dropped out
Okay.
Yeah. Once I made connections in the city, I just dropped out of school. I didn't want to be a designer at FIT anyway, because it's just a bunch of rich kids that, you know, start a fashion line with their parents' money right off the bat. So I thought, you don't need to go to school for design, as you know what to do. [Laughs]
It can be good to have that thing that gets you here, you know?
Yeah, it was the thing that got me here, which is getting enrolled in college and I took off from there, you know
Awesome, love it! Talking a little bit about your journey as a social media influencer, content creator, model, and more, can you walk us through a little bit about your early years as a young queer person? What inspired you when you were younger and how did you know that you wanted to be an artist?
Oh, when I was younger, my grandfather was an artist. So we kind of lived in an artist household. My grandfather, my grandmother—everyone was a creative, and they're actually from New York.
Wow.
Yeah, they were creative, and then they just moved down south and raised my father and everyone there in South Carolina. They didn't stay here because they had so many kids so they had to move down south and my father always just instilled creativity in all of us too. We were always playing instruments or playing sports or drawing and all that stuff. My grandfather made sure we dove into our creative sides, you know, so that's where I got my creativity from. Growing up, I wasn't out and [openly queer], how I am now because I am from a small town and a religious family. It made it hard for me to be who I am. So when I was younger, I would just watch things on TV and watch other people. It was right around the age of, Myspace too, so, you know, I got to be myself on Myspace.
Oh my god, right!
Yeah. [Laughs] I got to be myself on Myspace and meet all these people around the world. That was my outlet to be who I am without being too much in my town.
Totally.
So yeah that's how I found my creativity, online. And then Rihanna, that's when I really came out [of my shell],
Period!
[Laughs] Yeah she inspired me so much, like my fashion, even though Prince is like my style icon because my father was obsessed with Prince. I'm obsessed with Prince as well. He was someone that made me who I am with my style. But I also know that Rihanna loves Prince and she had a lot of style influence from him. But Rihanna came out on the scene like a badass [not giving] a fuck, that that helped me come out of my shell a bit more in my hometown. Then when I was older, it was just up from there. [Laughs]
Wow, I love to hear that you were surrounded by creativity at a young age. Something I talk about a lot with people of color and black people because I think that it can either be one or the other. Sometimes we're fully surrounded by creativity and that support, and then sometimes it's like there's no creativity at all around us.
Yeah.
It's exciting to get to the root of that to help create a sense of relatability for other creatives and readers. Moving on, you've cultivated such a strong presence across social media and fashion showcasing the ability to be authentically yourself which I'm sure inspires so many people, younger and older. How did you manage to navigate and shape your identity in this space that often feels very oversaturated? How do you find your niches and your spotlight?
I'm trying to just be myself and some days you'll see me all glammed up and then some days you don't. When I'm in the zone, I'm in the zone and I just want you to be confident and passionate and be themselves and [not] worry about what anyone else says. I know how it gets with people in general, they want to judge you and it's pretty scary to be judged in the city cause you don't know if you're in danger. I just want people to be able to be themselves, wherever they are, but also be safe about it because-
To be aware.
Yeah to be aware of like, you know, cause you can't stop other people from doing what they do. That's how that's just how I am. I created my thing online and once I found my look and my vibe, I just be in my little world. I want to inspire people to do that themselves. Yeah, I go out glammed up and I feel confident and I don't care about what anyone else has to say or any looks I get. I'm just like, whatever, 'cause I know I look good. So yeah.
Right. Live authentically is what I'm hearing.
Yeah, if it's in you, just be you, you know what I mean?
Totally. I think as queer people in general, we tend to need to find this sense of truth in labeling ourselves at a very young age. We are going to continue figuring that out as we're exposed to different surroundings and new people and new possibilities of what that could be but as a queer person, we're asked who we are so much.
Yeah
And I think that at the end of the day like you're saying it is just about staying true to yourself Being authentic and trying to have fun while you're doing it.
Yeah I am a shy person too. I'm super shy but I open up once I know people.
I feel it. It's so interesting because people automatically assume I'm so confident, so energetic, and I'm like, you know, I'm so glad you think that! [Laughs]
[Laughs]
I'm a little shy myself. I think as artists and queer people we're constantly watching the world, and sometimes that can come from a place that feels shy, but it's just being observant.
Exactly, that's what I am, I observe a lot. [Laughs]
Also touching on what you said about safety, especially as a nonconforming person, just stepping outside, you're putting yourself into situations that you can't even imagine. I don't know how about you but in my experience, I've only been in New York for six years and I've been more hate-crimed here in this city than I have in any other city. You think it's super liberal here but you know, there's people everywhere, that constantly feel that they need to tell you how they feel about you.
And it's just like, shut up. [Laughs] I'm not worried about you why are you worried about me?
One thing I heard a long time ago that stuck with me is like, I don't need to be okay with it. I just need to be aware of it. I don't need to be okay with the fact that I have all eyes on me. I don't need to be okay with the fact that I feel, you know, [in] danger or scared, but I do need to be aware of it just for my protection, you know?
Yeah! That's me. Yeah. I'm just like, always aware, 'cause you just never know with people.
It's true. And that's a part of being black, a part of being brown, a part of being queer.
Yeah.
It's a lot, but I do think that it makes us stronger and it makes us very versatile beings.
Yeah it does! [Laughs]
A little bit more about your experience being a black queer creative, do you find other challenges within opportunities that come with existing among those intersections, in your work? And how do they influence your creative vision?
Well, yeah, it's pretty hard for a black creative, 'cause I'm considered black, you know, to everyone.
Afro-Latin, I get it.
It's harder because they don't want to pay you. They want to give you stuff for free. I create good content and I see the people that they pay sometimes and I'm just like, okay, they're not black, and you pay these people and they don't create good content. It's pretty challenging sometimes, but I just have to put my foot down. A lot of brands that I reach out to, they're just like, "We can send you stuff for free," which is annoying because you see the content I create. And I use their stuff a lot, I actually go in [to] stores and buy some of these things, so why can't you help me out, I help you guys out, you know? So that has been pretty challenging.
Totally, I think there's an undervalue when it's not even that. Obviously, they value you, and they see what you can do. It's just the fact that they we don't look the part, or we aren't as, in their eyes, historically marketable, when in reality, obviously we're marketable. You want us!
[Laughs] Exactly!
Touching more on your time working in this industry, have you ever come to a point where you thought about leaving the industry due to exploitation or, where you're tired of people trying to use [you]?
I have had that moment, especially with YouTube, because YouTube is a whole different world that you have to get into. That made me give up on YouTube because it just wasn't growing. And you get a lot of hate comments on YouTube, more [than] Instagram or whatever.
Wow.
It did make me wanna give up at one point, but then I realized I like doing this stuff so I'm just gonna keep going. I may not have to tag the brands, but I'm gonna create these videos because I enjoy doing this stuff. I enjoy getting pretty, I enjoy looking good. This is something I like to do, but yeah, [there] have been times that I'm just like, I need to change my career path 'cause this ain't it. It's so saturated, and people love the free stuff, so they're going to send the free stuff when they have the budget.
You guys got the budget, so what's good? / Both laugh/ Well, you've worked with some impressive brands and projects already, which is amazing as you've only been doing this since COVID. I love watching your TikToks, and all of your beauty and makeup videos. I was watching a tutorial you did the other day and I learned a couple of new things. I love a classic YouTube makeup tutorial. We don't see many of them anymore.
No, there's no more!
Exactly so, I definitely can't wait to see what else you keep coming up with. Do you have any dream collaborations? If you could land one big brand, who would it be?
One big brand, believe it or not, I want YSL.
Okay, YSL Beauty.
That's been calling my name because it's natural, you know, they don't do too much. It's natural beauty. I kind of want to dive into that world because it's also fashion, high end and I do like that. And I just love how they do they glam, you know, I want to be a YSL girl.
Right, I love that. That'd be hot! We've seen your style evolve. How would you describe your current aesthetic and how has it changed throughout your journey a little bit?
Oh, God. My boyfriend was like, "They're probably gonna ask you about your style." I was like, "I do not know how to describe my style." I do not. [Laughs] It's so funny because I don't know what my style is at the moment.
How about this? Who are your style icons right now?
Oh, that's another tricky one. [Laughs]
[Laughs]
I mean, of course, Rihanna's there. I love the way [that] she effortlessly throws things on. That's kind of how I throw my things on. I go in the closet [and] piece things that I already have and some new stuff and piece it all together. That's how I put my style together. Sometimes it's a little tomboyish and then sometimes it's super feminine. I'm just in between, you know like I really cannot describe my style.
You know what's so interesting is, if I were to describe just what I think your style is, it's so like LA chic. There's a simplicity, but so elevated, and you use brands without it being in your face.
Yeah, I have a good eye for keeping things super clean. Everyone says I should be a stylist, but that's just not what I want to do. I just have an eye for what I like, how I like it to be put on, how it looks, and what fits my vibe.
I mean, those pictures you posted yesterday in this little black dress moment were cute!
[Laughs] Oh that? I found it in the closet yesterday. I was like, "Let me just throw this on real quick." [Laughs]
I was like, where is that from? She's cute. Adorbs, love that. Even if we don't have those words to describe our style sometimes, it's nice to watch our style evolve and see how we grow.
Oh yeah, it evolved. I used to be so grungy, like street style and fashion grunge, all black everything. I used to be so crazy [with my] fashion back in the day.
Did you also dress up when you were in high school?
I used to dress up a lot. Me and my cousins, we used to be called the cool kids. We had a MySpace page and we always used to wear ICECREAM and BAPE. We used to go street style. We used to have THE clothes on. [Laughs] But that was the only time I would dress up, was with my two cousins. They're like my best friends, like my brothers and sisters, but we used to dress up to go to school and go to the festivals all dressed up. We used to love to dress up!
Oh, that's so cool. I can relate actually. My older cousin was into STUSSY and BAPE and was super into all the streetwear in the Bay Area. So that's where I got a lot of my inspiration too growing up. So I love that! Talking a little bit about influences in your life, is there anybody who's your hero, whether it be a family member or somebody that you looked up to growing up besides a celebrity, more so within your world?
Within my world? Well, I would say my grandfather because he was just a very open man. He embraced us as we were, our creativity. He was very spiritual, but he just let us be us, and we saw it through him. He was a hardworking man, and he instilled [those] hardworking ethics in us. We worked with him in the fields because he owned a field when he came to South Carolina and he had barns and all that stuff. [Laughs] And he taught us how to play the piano and everything. He was just our family lifesaver to me. I think everyone in our family can agree to that. He honed in on family and made us all just become one. He's just my grandfather. He's the one.
That's amazing, I love to hear it. Talking a bit more about your YouTube and your YOU LOVE RNB, vlogs, was vlogging something that you also developed during COVID? And how did you talk your partner into getting into it?
[Laughs] Vlogging is new. I always wanted to [vlog] with my friends, and we tried it, but it just didn't work out because we were all over the place and we always would forget [to vlog]. I always wanted to do it so I convinced my partner because he's a comedian. He likes to be on camera so I was like, okay, this would be perfect. We live together, we do everything together, so why not just start a vlog? You know, try something different and he was into it. It was pretty easy to convince him because we already do a lot of stuff, and go to a lot of places so why not just pull out a camera? We pull it out for free anyway, taking photos, so why not just pull out the camera, say a little something, show a little bit of our lives, and just go from there? That's how I got him in there. [Laughs] But I want to keep going because we've been at a standstill because we just moved and we're just making sure we get everything together and it's been so stressful because the furniture still isn't here yet.
Moving is never fun.
I know! We've just been busy. Busy getting this household together, and just life. He's going to work and got a dog, and it's just been a lot going on right now, but we're back, we're back.
Totally, and there's no pressure. That's the beauty of what I see on your YouTube. It's go with the flow, and it's natural and organic, and I think that fits your brand. Just have fun with it. As long as you're having fun with it, we're having fun watching. Moving on, in your career, you've worn a lot of different hats, whether that be with makeup, or been with modeling, or been with video editing and video production, how do you balance all these ideas that come to mind?
With the modeling, I don't want to say it's easy because I'm a nervous wreck in person. When I'm in front of the camera with other people, I get nervous. [But] at home, I do everything myself —take my photos, I record my videos, I edit them, I do everything myself. So it comes naturally once you get it, you know, once you, once you have an idea of what you like and how you want it. It just comes naturally, I think.
Follow-up question — is there any type of creativity or art that you do in your life just for you? That isn't necessarily for the cameras but for your mental health, maybe, or for your own inspiration. Do you have anything that you do, whether that be even just expressing yourself [by going] dancing once a month or something that is just for you maybe, that you don't necessarily share with the world?
So funny. Honestly, it's makeup! That's the reason why I don't talk a lot in my videos because for me doing my makeup is very therapeutic. I love to just sit there and just do my makeup and be in a zone. For me, that's just my go-to safe space, my fun place. And everyone's like, "Why don't you talk more in your videos?" I just love being at peace doing my makeup and I can just do my makeup all day and just listen to my music. That's something I can go to and just feel good and it makes me happy to do it.
I always think about like filming myself doing makeup and then it's like all I'd rather do is listen to music right now.
I know! [Laughs] That's what I'm saying. I don't want to talk because I can't play my music in the background. I can't be at peace because I'm talking and just like.
Let's normalize that! [Laughs] Let's normalize, "I'm gonna turn on the camera and y'all can hang out!"
Y'all can just hang out! [Laughs]
No, I love that. Talking about makeup, how long have you been exploring makeup and is that something that you were allowed to do growing up or you found later on?
I found it later on in life. [Laughs] I was doing it before COVID, but it wasn't like how it is now. It was basically just powder foundation. And that was it. [Laughs] And like fill in the brows and they were like, block brows so I'm like, what was this, you know. But it was the time, no one knew about contour and no one knew about all those things. Everyone had a flat face, you know? [Laughs] That's how I like started with makeup. And it was, it was before COVID and then just with the pandemic, I had a lot of free time. So I would watch Jackie Aina. She was my favorite YouTuber at the time and I watched her videos and she'd like to talk. So I just listened to her and I learned from her through YouTube during COVID and that's how it started.
Yeah. I love that. Makeup is such a great way just to be able to express yourself in a lack of judgment kind of space.
Yeah.
It's figuring out your face and what works for you. It's a very intimate process.
It really is. [Laughs]
That's so awesome. Talking about beauty a little bit, you have this glamorous hair. How long have we been growing her out?
Well, this is a wig. [Laughs] But I do have longer hair.
It's longer than mine though, I'm pretty sure.
Yeah, I think so. I always slick it back in a bun or braid it, and I put on different wigs. I have my short bobs, my long hair, my blonde, you know, my ginger, I stay switching it up.
I love the versatility of it too. I've been trying to get more into wigs too, but a bitch is so nervous about [someone] clocking me and the lace.
I know! It's tricky.
I feel that. Well, it looks amazing, all the time. I love the blonde on you. I love the bobs, all of it. It's a lot of fun.
Something I do with all my interviews, is a rocket fire, this or that situation. It's just going to be what you think right away, and it's going to be a way for us to get to know you a bit more.
Okay.
Awesome. I'm going to start with one I think I already know the answer to, but Beyoncé or Rihanna?
Oh, that's tricky though! [Laughs]
It's a hard one! [Laughs]
I'm going to say, Rihanna.
Okay. Silver or gold jewelry?
Ooh, I love both.
You can say both!
I mix them both, that's my thing. I like them both.
It's hard to do right!
I love them both, it's hard for me to choose one.
Are you a heel girl or a sneaker girl?
I do love heels. Or boots. Heel or boots.
Streetwear or high fashion?
I like high fashion.
Yeah. [Laughs] Nineties or 2000s fashion?
90s fashion.
Supermodel, sleek, simple.
Yes, exactly!
A night out on the dance floor or a game night home with friends?
Oh, [Laughs] Well if I do a night out with my friends, it turns into a dance party at the house.
Cute.
Let's do the game night at home!
Good to know, [Laughs] love that. Coming over for game night.
Yes!
Hot or iced coffee? What's your vibe?
I like iced coffee.
Period. Me too. I could be freezing and I'm like, I'll take it iced.
I know. [Laughs]
Full beat or natural glam? It's kind of in between, huh?
It's kind of in between, but I do love my full beats. Especially if I'm going out, I'm outside with a full beat! [Laughs]
Are you more of a bold-eye or a bold-lip kind of girl?
Ooh. I would say bold lip. I like lips more. I don't like my eyes too crazy.
Okay totally. And this is one I ask everybody, it's so stupid, but I'm trying to get an answer! Was the dress black and blue, or was that thing white and gold?
[Laughs] Oh my god! Wasn't it black and blue? I don't know.
That's what I say. I'm like, I don't know who saw white and gold!
[Laughs] I know, right?!
[Laughs] I'm just trying to set the record straight, for everyone.
[Laughs]
Awesome. The last two questions— Looking ahead, what are some of your goals for the next year and bigger plans within that? Do you have any projects or collaborations you're excited about?
Like in a year? I do want to start a swimwear line because the body is body-ing.
Period.
[Laughs] And I just love the beach, so I want to do a small capsule collection of swimwear, which I'm trying to work on now with my man before the summer comes. I really want to do that. I want to grow my following a little bit more before I start a beauty brand, you know what I mean?
That's super exciting. We're excited to keep our eye out for it. I'm excited to cover that when it does release, whenever that may be.
Yay!.
Last question. Talking to our readers, and trying to inspire that next generation, what advice might you give to the next generation of creatives trying to carve out their own space in an industry that can be challenging to break into?
Be yourself because you are your own person. You are your own inspiration, honestly, because you can inspire someone else, whether you know it or not. Just be yourself, because your story can be told through your creativity, and someone else will like it, and other people will fall in love with you, you know what I mean? [Laughs]
Love it! I feel that that's the overall message that we got from this whole interview. There is beauty in simplifying that true authenticity. I really love that. Well, that's so exciting. Wrapping up, we're super excited to be able to share your story!
I'm excited too!
And I'm so excited we finally got to meet too!
I know, seriously!
Long time coming.
I know, right? [Laughs]
Well, I hope you have a good rest of your day.
Thank you so much!
Of course love! Good luck with unpacking and I look forward to shooting with you real soon!
Yay, [Laughs] I'm looking forward to it too!
[Laughs] Goodbye, love!
Bye!
