Models Breanna Box and Peter Dupont on Cohabitating in a Pandemic
For our June/July issue’s Where the Heart Is portfolio, celebrities and beauty pros share portraits and thoughts while staying at home during the pandemic. Box and Dupont (above) are in London.
As told to Brennan Kilbane.
Breanna Box: We were separated when it first happened — Peter was in Africa and I was in New York City. I was meant to have a bunch of meetings, which did not happen. I knew it was serious when Broadway went dark. The fact that they called it off, I was like, "Okay, this is very serious. I need to get back to London before they close borders." Peter met me back here.
Peter Dupont: I was in Ghana, and Togo for the day, and then I came back. I had quite a few [modeling] jobs booked too, but I canceled them myself because I thought that I wouldn't want to travel around anymore to potentially spread it.
Breanna: Because of modeling, you never get to be home. So there's a plus side of actually being able to be in our house, which we never get to experience. And traveling 24/7 is not the best on your body, so it feels nice to push reset.
Peter: This is the longest we've been at home together.
Breanna: If this was a normal time, we would be home for one week in the whole month.
Peter: I haven’t been at the same place for more than two weeks. So this must be the longest period in the last three years I [have] been in the same place.
Breanna: We’ve been together for about a year and two months. We’ve been friends for three years. It feels like we’re being stuck together in a cage! [Laughs] No, it's been great. I love being with Peter. I think that's obviously how we started even dating, because when we got together we did Fashion Week, and we followed each other around the world. If I had a job, he'd come with me, and if he had a job and I wasn't working, I'd go with him. I think the balance comes with learning how to work around each other. It's hard for me to work out when he's next to me, for some reason. I'm like, "I can't do it when you're sitting there." So I've been waking up earlier to get my morning routine done for my mental health.
Peter: It's a lot about learning that it's okay to be together and not do anything together. On the other hand, it's also super nice to have time together, like maybe cooking, reading books. Working as models, we mostly get paid three months after we do a job, so we’ll actually first feel the drop from this in three months. I'm a bit better than Brie at saving money. In general, we’re quite used to adapting our life to sudden changes.
Breanna: Yeah, we don't really have a routine. We never know what's happening, but I think the best thing to do in this time to manage any type of stress is to be present. You can only manage what you can; take it day by day. I have to remember to go outside. I'll go for three, four days, and be like, "Oh crap, I haven't gone outside.” So maybe that's why I'm feeling a little antsy. I also started cleaning. I've been trying to get Peter [into skin care]. I found him Aesop stuff. I even bought him the makeup remover, because coming from jobs he would just leave his makeup on.
Peter: She has a lot of weird instruments — different machines that tend to different stuff, and lights, and things. I need to get her out of the house more. [Laughs]
A version of this story originally appeared in the June/July 2020 issue of Allure. Learn how to subscribe to the print magazine here.
Read more stories from Where the Heart Is:
Model Choi Leung Preaches Self-Compassion During the Pandemic
Model Bryce Anderson on Finding Artistic Inspiration at Home in Nevada
Now, watch the unboxing of the May Allure Beauty Box:
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Originally Appeared on Allure
