The Dream List No. 32: Neada Deters

The LESSE founder on the scent of sun-warmed skin, the emotional weight of inherited objects, and the spaces—both architectural and internal—that quietly anchor her creative world.

In the world of modern skincare, few founders have carved out a space as soulful and sincerely considered as Neada Deters. As the force behind LESSE—a pared-back, purpose-driven line rooted in ritual and nature—Deters has created a universe that speaks to more than surface-level beauty. Her brand, with its edited offering and earth-conscious ethos, feels as much like a quiet philosophy as it does a collection of products.

Before launching LESSE in 2018, Neada worked as a writer and creative director, a path that shaped her instinct for aesthetic clarity and storytelling. Raised between coastal Australia and California and now based in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, she’s attuned to the subtleties of light, land, and landscape. That sensitivity filters into everything she does—from the visual language of her brand to the way she moves through a space. For Deters, beauty is tactile, lived-in, and deeply personal. It’s found as much in an inherited gold chain as in the sun-slicked texture of skin after a swim.

Here, the LESSE founder shares the spaces, objects, and creative references that continue to inspire her daily life—offering a glimpse into a world where less is always more, and where meaning is built slowly, over time.