In 1997, I wrote about the birth of a baby girl, Avery Brown, whose African American father Demetrius Brown was a musician in South Beach, and whose German-Swiss mother Leanne Zaleski ran yacht crews.
In 2015, we put 18-year old Avery, a budding model, on the cover of WPB Magazine as an ambitious millennial.
Now 5 years later, Avery has landed a major national cosmetics campaign as the gorgeous fall face of NARS makeup (@narsissist) and is featured in the new high-end California brand L Space swimsuit ads. With her exotic biracial looks, 6- foot height, a cascade of black curls, and lush pout, she is an in-demand model for the new age.
“So excited to see my last NARS campaign is out! Shot by @alanatylerslutsky makeup by @waltertucci @narsissist” she writes on her Instagram account @averyrosebrown that has close to 12,000 followers.

Shot in Miami during the summer, Avery says she has actually been doing very well during the pandemic as many of the fashion crew has moved south or is able to work remotely.
“I got the work in July. For the NARS shoot the crew came here and it was done in a studio here in Miami,” she says. “It was actually my first beauty shoot! I was nervous but the photographer made it super easy. They shoot you far away and you can see the images pop up on the monitor but then they crop it really close for the ads to show the makeup. I’m really happy with it.”
Asked if she can objectively look at her modeling shots she says “Yes I’m getting better at it rather than just seeing a picture of my face like I’m looking in the mirror!” she says laughing. “The L Space shoot I actually produced, they sent me the collection, I hired the photographer, found the locations, and did my own styling.”
No stranger to that department, Avery has been designing and selling her own swimsuits for years as well as modeling in fashion shows for her agency Wilhemina.
After graduating from Miami’s prestigious Dash School, Avery has been keeping busy with her modeling, designing, and painting work, creating murals for stores and hotels.
She spent the rest of the summer traveling to National Parks in the west around Wyoming and spending time at home in Miami in her new midtown apartment with her pup Stevie. The fall will find her with more modeling work and more traveling.
A model millennial’s work is never done.
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2015 Cover Girl Avery Brown Lands Major Cosmetic Campaign