Ask the Astro Poets: Are Aries Capable of Having Casual Hook Ups?
Ask the Astro Poets is the monthly advice column by W‘s resident astrologers, Alex Dimitrov (Sagittarius) and Dorothea Lasky (Aries). At the halfway point of every month, they take a breather from writing poetry and horoscopes, and take your questions about love, career, even the big existential questions in life. From matchmaking and compatibility, to friendship, professional, and dating advice, the poets of the stars are here to guide you through any challenge:
Dear Astro Poets,
I’m a Sagittarius currently seeing a Capricorn. Before meeting my beloved Capricorn, I was hung up on an Aries whom I experienced a lot of connection and emotion with, but it never worked out. This Capricorn brings out my lighter side and showers me with gifts just to show how much he, as he puts it, “thinks of me every day.” The problem is that I haven’t revealed my emotions like he has with me, and whenever he wants to have a serious moment I ruin it by making a joke. What can I do to show a Capricorn that I’m just as interested in him as he is in me?
Yours Truly, A Restrained Sagittarius
Celebrity Capricorns: See Photographs of Sienna Miller, Bradley Cooper, Kate Moss and Other Stars With the Same Astrological Sign
Photo of Sienna Miller by Tim Walker for W Magazine.
Photo of Mary J. Blige by Inez Van Lamsweerde Inez and Vinoodh Matadin for W Magazine.
Photo of Kit Harington by Mario Sorrenti for W Magazine.
Photo of Kate Moss by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott for W Magazine.
Photo of Bradley Cooper by Tim Walker for W Magazine.
Photo of Ellen DeGeneres by Michael Thompson for W Magazine, March 2007.
Photo of Jared Leto by Inez Van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin for W Magazine.
Photo of Diane von Fürstenberg by Patrick Demarchelier for W Magazine.
Photo of Cynthia Erivo by The Eastern Conference for W Magazine, September 2018.
American actor, Denzel Washington, born December 28th. Photo of Denzel Washington by Dan Winters for W Magazine.
Photo of Diane Keaton courtesy of Getty Images.
Photo of Harmony Korine by Andreas Laszlo Konrath for W Magazine.
Photo of Jim Carrey by Caitlin Cronenberg for W Magazine, September 2017.
Photo of January Jones by Craig McDean for W Magazine.
Photo of Eddie Redmayne by Peter Lindbergh for W Magazine.
Photo of Ralph Fiennes by Ari Marcopoulos for W Magazine.
Photo of David Bowie by Mick Rock.
Photo of J.K. Simmons by Tim Walker for W Magazine.
Dear Restrained Sagittarius,
Let me start out by saying that as a Sagittarius, I felt that. So often we’re drawn to another fire sign, like an Aries or a Leo, where the connection is immediate and clear. And so often things flame out and we’re left with too much, when all we wanted was just enough. You may already know this, but in love, a Sagittarius is the least “readable” of the fire signs, so while we certainly have the ability to be forward and reveal our emotions, others may not perceive that right away. And sometimes, we’re also more subtle than our fire sign family. I’ve said this to myself many times before, but I’ll say it again here: As much as a Sagittarius resists earth signs on the surface, it’s because we’re wildly attracted to them. And you can’t get more earth than Capricorn, baby.
See Your Spring 2018 Horoscope Come to Life:
Capricorns are incredibly perceptive and, as you pointed out, will demonstrate that physically—giving gifts, taking care of an actual need (read: not something abstract), and continuously showing up for you. They are nothing but consistent. Sometimes a Sagittarius may not see this as “romantic,” because there isn’t that wild and crazy gesture we’re prone to loving, but falling in love with a Capricorn has an intense, slow build to it. They won’t disappear on you or play mind games. They’ll be fully present. And if they want you, they’re there to win. When a Capricorn focuses their attention on something they want, whether it’s a career goal or a person (which they approach more or less the same), they’ll get it. They just won’t let up. Your Capricorn will text you every day. It’ll be in a measured way I’m sure, but he’ll do it. He’ll do it every single day until you realize that he’s not going anywhere and that you can count on him.
And that’s exactly what scares a Sagittarius. Let’s get very real here. We’re good at handling the thing most people aren’t—the first wild and unexpected “I love you” when someone’s a little too drunk, the big fight that actually shows how much both people care, and the “I’m going to quit my job and move across the country for you.” Fireworks and drama? We’re masters. But when someone is stable and wants to care for us? We’ll put on the brakes and be restrained. Capricorns may have a bad rep with fire signs—whether they’re called “a little boring” or “too career obsessed”—but those are just fire sign defense mechanisms. So, absolutely show this Capricorn how much you care about him. He’s just as attracted to you and how different you are emotionally, so don’t overthink this. Be yourself. Be that care-free Sagittarius who will tell people exactly what they think.
Here’s the thing, too: Even if you go overboard and think you’ve said too much, an earth sign will stick it out. Capricorns see people’s true intentions and heart. They’re a no bullshit sign. And, as you know, a Sagittarius can really get behind that. We’re not here to waste time. So, go ahead and fall in love. Like, now. Take him on a trip! In true Sagittarius fashion. He will love it.
Your wild Sagittarius,
Alex
Spring Into Aries Season With Lady Gaga, Mariah Carey, and Kristen Stewart
Reese Witherspoon, born March 22nd, photographed by Michael Thompson for W Magazine.
Diana Ross, born March 26th, photographed for W Magazine.
Pharrell Williams, born April 5th, photographed by Mario Sorrenti for W Magazine.
Lady Gaga, born March 28th, photographed by Katherine Wolkoff for W Magazine.
Celine Dion, born March 30th, photographed by Martien Mulder for W Magazine.
Keira Knightley, born March 26th, photographed by Steven Klein for W Magazine.
Model Paloma Elsesser, born April 12th, photographed by Alex Hodor-Lee for W Magazine.
Patricia Arquette, born April 8th, photographed by Alex Prager for W Magazine.
Sarah Jessica Parker, born March 25th, photographed by Michael Thompson for W Magazine.
Michael Fassbender, born April 2nd, photographed by Jeff Burton for W Magazine.
Elle Fanning, born April 9th, photographed by Mario Sorrenti for W Magazine.
Actor Paul Rudd, born April 6th, photographed by Andreas Laszlo Konrath for W Magazine.
Kristen Stewart, born April 9th, photographed by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott for W Magazine.
Ewan McGregor, born March 31st, photographed by Dan Winters for W Magazine.
Saoirse Ronan, born April 12th, photographed by Mario Sorrenti for W Magazine.
Adrien Brody, born April 14th, photographed by Tierney Gearon for W Magazine.
Emma Thompson, born April 15th, photographed by Juergen Teller for W Magazine.
Victoria Beckham, born April 17th, photographed by Steven Klein for W Magazine.
Mariah Carey, born March 27th, photographed by Michael Thompson for W Magazine.
Jessica Chastain, born March 24th, photographed by Tim Walker for W Magazine.
David Oyelowo, born April 1st, photographed by Tim Walker for W Magazine.
Claire Danes, born April 12th, photographed by Inez & Vinoodh for W Magazine.
Rooney Mara, born April 17th, photographed by Mario Sorrenti for W Magazine.
Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, born April 18th, photographed by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott for W Magazine.
Robert Downey Jr., born April 4th, photographed by Ari Marcopoulos for W Magazine.
Kate Hudson, born April 19th, photographed by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott for W Magazine.
Emma Watson, born April 15th, photographed by Michael Thompson for W Magazine.
Luke Evans, born April 15th, photographed by Mert and Marcus for W Magazine.
Jennifer Garner, born April 17th, photographed by Craig McDean for W Magazine.
America Ferrera, born April 18th, photographed by Michael Thompson for W Magazine.
Dear Astro Poets,
I’m a Cancer girl and I’ve been hooking up with this Aries girl for a few weeks now. Everything’s going great, and it’s all really hot, but I think she’s catching feelings. This would be incredibly bad—especially because our friend group doesn’t know we’re hooking up, and I don’t have the time or desire for a relationship right now. (Or for explaining everything to our friends.) How do I tell if she’s really catching feelings, and how do I get her to lose them without losing a great hookup?
An Unattached Crab
Dear Unattached Crab,
Thank you for your message, as it is quite cathartic for this Aries girl to read.
You see, I’ve had my more than my fair share of being front and center in the Aries-Cancer love dynamic and its life-altering goodness. When things undoubtedly never worked out, I’ve always wondered, Is it me? Your question makes me finally realize: Yes, it is in fact you. There’s something comforting about this Aries self-realization, so, thank you.
How can I put this? Aries, although they seem spritely and fun, laughing at jokes from here until Tuesday; flirting with a tree stump if they need to; talking about anyone they find hot, which is likely just about anyone; are very (read: VERY) serious about love. Sure, they can “casually hook up” if necessary, but just so you know, Aries never casually hook up with anyone. I’ve always been surprised when I hear my friends, particularly my earth sign friends, tell me of their sexcapades with a sort of blissful detachment. They always want to tell me about the act itself and the machinations of it, describing what worked and what didn’t, while I sit there pretending to listen, but crying a little inside.
11 Celebrity Couples We’d Like To See Get Back Together By Christmas
Let’s start with one that may already be in the works. If some very suspect social media flirting is to be believed, Jenny Slate and Chris Evans may have already gotten back together following their split earlier this year.
Listen, we know Drake still pines over Rihanna. It is time for the bad gal to settle down and welcome him into her life with open arms.
Jennifer Lawrence broke it off with director boyfriend Darren Aronofsky just before Thanksgiving, so now is the perfect time to reconnect with ex-boyfriend Nicholas Hoult. Their cinematic collaboration in the X-Men films was better received than mother!, at least.
Robert Pattinson’s most notorious relationship may have been with Kristen Stewart, but by far his coolest was with FKA Twigs. The two need to reconcile if only for the future R.Patz-starring indie film, soundtracked by Twigs.
Cara Delevingne may still be credited with background vocals on St. Vincent’s latest album, but surely there is still plenty of collaborations to be had between them, especially if Delevingne wants to expand her model-actress title into a true triple threat.
Earlier this year, Nicole Kidman revealed that years ago she and Lenny Kravitz, father of her Big Little Lies co-star Zoe Kravitz, had once been engaged. This needs to become a reality, if only for the real-life Celeste-Bonnie mother-daughter fan fiction. (No offense to Keith Urban.)
At least year’s Art Basel Miami Beach, Madonna offered to remarry Sean Penn for $150,000, which would go to her charity Raising Malawi, if he bid that amount on a necklace up for grabs. Penn didn’t bite, but maybe it is time to pitch in to a Kickstarter for the cause. Hey, it’s for charity.
Tom Green and Drew Barrymore were the lovable, goofy couple of the early Aughts—a fun-loving, drama-free pair that the would could certainly use these days.
Emo is back in style, and there is no greater poster child of true, angsty love than Pete Wentz and Ashlee Simpson. Simpson may be enjoying her new status as Diana Ross’s daughter-in-law, but can Evan Ross really pen a love lyric quite like Fall Out Boy?
Gisele Bündchen and Tom Brady may be the golden couple of the NFL, but back in the day, Gisele was meant to be with another golden boy: Leonardo Dicaprio. Just imagine how much more stylish environmental conventions would be with Bündchen around.
Justin TImberlake may be happily married to Jessica Biel, and Britney Spears happily invested in her new career as a painter, but truly, there was no greater couple at the turn of the Millennium than these two. Justin, bring the romance back. And ‘Nsync, while you’re at it.
People other than Aries tend to see sex as a kind of sensual exploration—which is what it is and what it can be, for sure. However, no matter what lie they tell you to keep you coming back, an Aries never sees sex that way. For an Aries, sex is always about the first rain of spring, a slow-motion stop camera opening of a purple flower, a look that lasts beyond the grave, i.e. something holy. Not to freak anyone out here, but when an Aries hooks up with someone, they’ve probably already decided that you’re soulmates and eternally bound, and are trying very hard to wait at least 10 seconds before they blurt out their love ballad. (Probably a very catchy love ballad, I might add.)
All this is to say that your Cancer senses are more than right. Your Aries girl is in fact “catching feelings.” She’s probably knockdown, dead-center f—ing in love with you and is picking out your engagement ring as we speak. And even though your concerns are very important, and it’s good you know yourself well enough to know you don’t want a relationship right now, there is no way to convince her not to have feelings for you. A Cancer has never been too good convincing me to do anything, except hate them for a few weeks after they reject me. Plus, be honest: Her ability to feel is what you love about her. Maybe you feel something deeply for her, too, and it might be time to admit it to at least yourself. Just saying.
Anyway, I think unfortunately you have to decide whether you want to go there with her—relationship-wise—or if you want to cut off these hook ups for now. Meaning, until you’re ready to love her because you miss her so much. And, speaking for all of my Aries family, you will. In the meantime, as your devoted astrologer, I suggest you find a Taurus. Taurus-Cancer is an amazing match. You’ll be happy and these questions won’t be as difficult. (Or as fun.)
Love,
Dorothea, an Aries
Related: What’s In Store for You This Spring, According to the Astro Poets’s April Horoscopes
Your Spring 2018 Horoscope Comes to Life
After moving from Los Angeles to New York City to pursue writing, Paloma Elsesser found herself modeling. Her big break came when makeup guru Pat McGrath chose Elsesser to appear as one of the first faces of McGrath’s new beauty line; since then, she’s become a sought-after model for the likes of Fenty x Puma and Fenty Beauty by Rihanna and Eckhaus Latta. And, seeing as Elsesser counts Chrissie Miller—the designer behind the label Sophomore and the daughter of fashion’s favorite astrologist, Susan Miller—among her friends, it’s perhaps only to be expected that she take a passing interest in the movements of the stars. (Her parents are “super into it,” she noted; Elsesser herself used to follow it more closely than she does now.) “I do see how my sign manifests in many of my behaviors,” Elsesser added. “Aries, I believe, are fiercely loyal and very intense, because we’re highly emotional. We’re, I’ve noticed, very talkative, outgoing, competitive.” She paused for a beat, lowering her voice to a singsong whisper. “Oopsy.”
Paloma Elsesser at IMG wears Prada jacket, Gap t-shirt, Marina Rinaldi pants, Jennifer Fisher hoop earrings, Bond ring, and Prada shoes. Directed by Cycy Sanders; styled by Simon Robins at CLM; hair by Jimmy Paul at Susan Price NYC; makeup by Frankie Boyd at Streeters using Tom Ford Beauty; manicures by Eri Handa for Chanel at MAM-NYC; set design by Bette Adams at MHS Artists. Director of photography: Peter Mylachaski; gaffer: Brad Reeb; gaffer assistant: Ben Peck; second camera: Jason Amendolara; production assistant: Eddie Tyler; fashion assistants: Rasaan Wyzard, Jonathan Coker. Special thanks to the Gramercy Park Hotel, Dishful.
If you were to meet model Ali Michael on a job, she might ask you to text your mom to find out the precise time and location of your birth, according to your birth certificate. “I just did it yesterday,” she said on a recent March afternoon, “and her life was changed.” Around seven years ago, Michael—a Taurus, Scorpio rising, Aquarius moon—received her full chart from an astrologer friend in Los Angeles (“very typical, very Los Angeles,” she commented), and she’s been an avid follower of the movements of celestial bodies ever since. Still, she said she tries not to attribute too much of her day-to-day to the influence of the stars; you won’t catch her, for example, bracing for the upcoming Mercury retrograde. “I don’t want to live my life based on astrology, but I think it can be useful to make yourself aware of certain tendencies you might have,” she said. “I have two polarities inside me: One is very in tune with spirituality and a greater force, and then I have the capability to be very detached and nihilistic,” she added. “Astrology is reassuring and comforting, because it’s a force that’s greater than we are.”
Ali Michael at NEXT wears Rodarte dress, bracelets, and boots, and headband from New York Vintage. Directed by Cycy Sanders; styled by Simon Robins at CLM; hair by Jimmy Paul at Susan Price NYC; makeup by Frankie Boyd at Streeters using Tom Ford Beauty; manicures by Eri Handa for Chanel at MAM-NYC; set design by Bette Adams at MHS Artists. Director of photography: Peter Mylachaski; gaffer: Brad Reeb; gaffer assistant: Ben Peck; second camera: Jason Amendolara; production assistant: Eddie Tyler; fashion assistants: Rasaan Wyzard, Jonathan Coker. Special thanks to the Beekman Hotel, Dishful.
Mayowa Nicholas and Samile Bermannelli had met in passing on the fashion week circuit in seasons past, but it wasn’t until a recent March afternoon that the two Geminis discovered that they were, in fact, astrological twins: They were both born on May 22, 1998. (Bermannelli has a pair of tattoos to mark the day—on one arm, the Gemini symbol, and on the other, the number 22.) And by the end of their three hours together on set, they were finishing each other’s sentences as they outlined their shared star sign’s mercurial nature. “I hate when people say we are two-faced,” Bermannelli said. After all, it’s not that the twins are inherently duplicitous; instead, their moods change quickly, and the self the Gemini projects is not always the same as the self she keeps private. “We Geminis get irritated quickly,” Nicholas explained. But then, “we can switch, like, ‘we need to be happy now,’” she added. Bermannelli agreed. “Why do we understand each other?” Nicholas asked. Because, well, they’re Geminis.
Samile Bermannelli at Elite Model Management NYC wears Versace gown, Jennifer Fisher hoop earrings, Manolo Blanik shoes. Mayowa Nicholas at The Society Management wears Versace jumpsuit, Jennifer Fisher hoop earrings, Gianvito Rossi shoes. Directed by Cycy Sanders; styled by Simon Robins at CLM; hair by Jimmy Paul at Susan Price NYC; makeup by Frankie Boyd at Streeters using Tom Ford Beauty; manicures by Eri Handa for Chanel at MAM-NYC; set design by Bette Adams at MHS Artists. Director of photography: Peter Mylachaski; gaffer: Brad Reeb; gaffer assistant: Ben Peck; second camera: Jason Amendolara; production assistant: Eddie Tyler; fashion assistants: Rasaan Wyzard, Jonathan Coker. Special thanks to the Gramercy Park Hotel, Dishful.
“I’m a moon goddess,” supermodel—and Cancer—Pat Cleveland said as she took a seat in the lobby lounge of the Gramercy Park Hotel. Her sign is a famously nurturing and empathetic one: “No matter what, you’re going to be a mother to somebody,” she explained. Astrology is something that has fascinated Cleveland for a long time. An emerging model in the ’70s, she recalled an era when acquaintances would introduce themselves with their star sign: “When I first met my husband,” she recalled, “I said, ‘Oh, I’m a Cancerian.’” It turned out that Paul van Ravenstein—her husband of more than 30 years, with whom she has two children—Anna Cleveland and Noel van Ravenstein, both models—was also a Cancer. It’s fortunate, then, that Cancers are especially compatible signs. But, born June 23, Cleveland also teeters on the edge of Gemini, with a moon in Libra, and she quickly reeled off qualities she drew from each sign: a facility with words, thanks to Gemini; a penchant for comfort and familiarity, thanks to Cancer; and an eye for aesthetics, thanks to Libra. She first began exploring astrology as a teenager growing up in New York City, where she would make pilgrimages to the occult specialist Weiser Bookshop on Lexington Avenue. “Astrology is so ancient,” she said. “The forbidden knowledge—it’s forbidden to know so much about somebody, like I know about you right now.” She looked at me intensely. “Every person becomes like an exciting book to read.”
Pat Cleveland at The Model Scoop wears Nili Lotan, Giles scarf, Manolo Blahnik shoes, Cartier hoop earrings, bracelet, and ring. Directed by Cycy Sanders; styled by Simon Robins at CLM; hair by Jimmy Paul at Susan Price NYC; makeup by Frankie Boyd at Streeters using Tom Ford Beauty; manicures by Eri Handa for Chanel at MAM-NYC; set design by Bette Adams at MHS Artists. Director of photography: Peter Mylachaski; gaffer: Brad Reeb; gaffer assistant: Ben Peck; second camera: Jason Amendolara; production assistant: Eddie Tyler; fashion assistants: Rasaan Wyzard, Jonathan Coker. Special thanks to the Gramercy Park Hotel, Dishful.
Belarusian model Sasha Kichigina, a self-professed woman of science, once put considerable effort into debunking astrology—even calling up a friend’s astrologer just to mislead her; naturally, as a result, the astrologer was “wrong 95 percent of the time,” Kichigina said recently. But at the same time, she considers herself “the Leo-est Leo you can find.” (Her lion-like head of tousled curls, just one of the characteristics that have made her a regular on the runway at Dolce & Gabbana, Valentino, and Jeremy Scott, also bears mentioning.) Outgoing by nature, Kichigina shares Leo’s fondness for the spotlight and seizing control of a situation—yet, she admitted, she’s something of an introvert. “Because there’s a weird desire to be the center of attention, you force yourself to be an extrovert,” the 19-year-old model said. “Leo says, ‘Go, communicate, socialize,’ and inner Sasha says, ‘No, no, I don’t want to be born on the 15th of August.’”
Sasha Kichigina at Elite wears Dior top, pants and shoes, Pologeorgis jacket, David Webb earrings and rings. Directed by Cycy Sanders; styled by Simon Robins at CLM; hair by Jimmy Paul at Susan Price NYC; makeup by Frankie Boyd at Streeters using Tom Ford Beauty; manicures by Eri Handa for Chanel at MAM-NYC; set design by Bette Adams at MHS Artists. Director of photography: Peter Mylachaski; gaffer: Brad Reeb; gaffer assistant: Ben Peck; second camera: Jason Amendolara; production assistant: Eddie Tyler; fashion assistants: Rasaan Wyzard, Jonathan Coker. Special thanks to the Beekman Hotel, Dishful.
Since she first emerged into the fashion consciousness in 2015—when she walked no fewer than 74 shows during a single season—Estonian model Alexandra Elizabeth Ljadov, a proud Virgo, has dipped into every facet of modeling, working both behind and in front of the camera on various video and editorial projects. She recently art-directed a surreal new video for rapper and Mr. Robot actor Joey Bada$$, and she has begun scripting her own short film, a psychological thriller set in the fashion world. (Nicolas Winding Refn, watch your back.) “I love acting and obviously, I love attention, hello,” she said, giggling. As her sign might indicate, she’s able to navigate these various projects thanks to a steadfast, organized nature, especially when it comes to her creative endeavors. “If I commit to something, I’m there,” she said. “I’m going to come through.”
Alexandra Elizabeth at The Society wears Simone Rocha dress and barrettes, Dior shoes. Directed by Cycy Sanders; styled by Simon Robins at CLM; hair by Jimmy Paul at Susan Price NYC; makeup by Frankie Boyd at Streeters using Tom Ford Beauty; manicures by Eri Handa for Chanel at MAM-NYC; set design by Bette Adams at MHS Artists. Director of photography: Peter Mylachaski; gaffer: Brad Reeb; gaffer assistant: Ben Peck; second camera: Jason Amendolara; production assistant: Eddie Tyler; fashion assistants: Rasaan Wyzard, Jonathan Coker. Special thanks to the Gramercy Park Hotel, Dishful.
Libra, the sign of the scales, is astrology’s great diplomat, an arbiter of harmony, “no light without dark and vice versa,” explained Dutch model Julia van Os recently. It was late morning at the Beekman Hotel in Manhattan’s Financial District, and her Boston terrier, Sid, tugged at her leash as she considered the air sign’s nature. “We love beauty and order, which is all very true,” van Os added. (She also admitted to a bit of a perfectionist streak, as well as a need to balance her social obligations with time to herself.) Van Os first emerged as one of the most sought-after models of the Fall 2015 season, during which she walked more than 40 shows; she has since appeared in campaigns for brands including Calvin Klein and Alexander McQueen and walked for the likes of Balmain, Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, and Brandon Maxwell. She first found her interest in astrology whetted by a book she discovered in her grandmother’s home. “I was like, ‘I don’t really believe it’—but it makes so much sense,” she admitted, upon reading the details of her own chart. “It makes sense that everything in this world is a balance between different elements.”
Julia Van Os at Women wears Dundas dress, Swarovski earrings, Tiffany & Co. ring. Directed by Cycy Sanders; styled by Simon Robins at CLM; hair by Jimmy Paul at Susan Price NYC; makeup by Frankie Boyd at Streeters using Tom Ford Beauty; manicures by Eri Handa for Chanel at MAM-NYC; set design by Bette Adams at MHS Artists. Director of photography: Peter Mylachaski; gaffer: Brad Reeb; gaffer assistant: Ben Peck; second camera: Jason Amendolara; production assistant: Eddie Tyler; fashion assistants: Rasaan Wyzard, Jonathan Coker. Special thanks to the Beekman Hotel, Dishful.
It was just a year and a half ago that South Sudanese–Australian model Duckie Thot met Kanye West at a casting in New York City, resulting in her first runway gig—walking the now-infamous Yeezy Season 4 show on Roosevelt Island. Since then, Thot has established herself as one of the industry’s most formidable young models, earning a coveted role as one of the faces of Fenty Beauty and starring as the titular Alice in Tim Walker’s Alice in Wonderland–inspired Pirelli calendar. It’s not hard to see why she’s become a close collaborator of both Rihanna and Pat McGrath, endowed as she is with boundless energy and an outsize personality, which she credits to her Scorpio nature: “We’re loud, we’re cute, we’re sensitive,” she explained on a recent spring afternoon. “We’re creative little bums.” Plus, she added, “we’re quite raunchy in bed, apparently.” Apparently? “No comment! No comment,” she squealed, bounding up from her chair. “I’m not answering that question. That is a secret one.”
Duckie Thot at NY Model Management wears Dilara Findikoglu gown, Lonely Hearts bra, Araks brief (worn underneath), Chrome Hearts bracelets, Chrome Hearts ring on right hand, Chrome Hearts bracelets, Chrome Hearts, Bonheur Jewelry, and John Hardy rings on left hand. Directed by Cycy Sanders; styled by Simon Robins at CLM; hair by Jimmy Paul at Susan Price NYC; makeup by Frankie Boyd at Streeters using Tom Ford Beauty; manicures by Eri Handa for Chanel at MAM-NYC; set design by Bette Adams at MHS Artists. Director of photography: Peter Mylachaski; gaffer: Brad Reeb; gaffer assistant: Ben Peck; second camera: Jason Amendolara; production assistant: Eddie Tyler; fashion assistants: Rasaan Wyzard, Jonathan Coker. Special thanks to the Beekman Hotel, Dishful.
Wearing a crystal-encrusted grill across her incisors, transparent sunglasses whose lenses were dusted with glitter (perhaps not the most practical, but cool as hell), and a fluffy, cropped bomber jacket, Jazzelle Zanaughtti—the model who is also known by her Instagram handle, @uglyworldwide—strode into a sprawling suite at the Beekman Hotel on a recent March morning. Zanaughtti is a Sagittarius, the extroverted, adventurous fire sign—though she hardly keeps apprised of the migrations of constellations. “I barely know my own,” she admitted. Nevertheless, she listed a litany of Sagittarian traits with which she identifies. “Free-spirited, likes to travel,” she said. “Adventurous, rebellious, intense.” Instead of following the stars, Zanaughtti prefers to take her spirituality with sage and Palo Santo, with which she smudges her apartment each morning. As Mercury prepares to enter a retrograde period, it’s never too soon to start banishing negativity. The ritual, in addition to its cleansing properties, has another benefit: relieving the smell of cigarette smoke inside the flat.
Jazzelle Zanaughtti at NY Model Management wears Junya Watanabe dress and necklace, Capezio bodysuit, Kat Kim and Jennifer Fisher earrings, Lynn Ban rings. Directed by Cycy Sanders; styled by Simon Robins at CLM; hair by Jimmy Paul at Susan Price NYC; makeup by Frankie Boyd at Streeters using Tom Ford Beauty; manicures by Eri Handa for Chanel at MAM-NYC; set design by Bette Adams at MHS Artists. Director of photography: Peter Mylachaski; gaffer: Brad Reeb; gaffer assistant: Ben Peck; second camera: Jason Amendolara; production assistant: Eddie Tyler; fashion assistants: Rasaan Wyzard, Jonathan Coker. Special thanks to the Beekman Hotel, Dishful.
Hunter Schafer, who has walked for the likes of Miu Miu, Marc Jacobs, and Helmut Lang by Shayne Oliver, doesn’t put much stock in astrology (“I don’t believe in entities that aren’t physical,” she said), nor does she consider herself much of a Capricorn—evidencing a groundedness that, coincidentally, might be her most Capricorn trait. (By contrast, she does not relate to the sign’s apparent penchant for discipline and order: “I’m told,” she said, “that I need to pay attention to a moon sign or something.”) Still, her tenaciousness and motivation show through in her every project. In addition to a modeling career on the ascent, this fall she’s heading to London’s storied fashion institution, Central Saint Martins, to study design—and, since 2016, she’s been embroiled in a lawsuit, alongside the American Civil Liberties Union, against North Carolina for the state’s so-called “bathroom bill.” So, as for that Capricornian combativeness, “I’ll fight who I want to,” she said. “Who I need to.”
Hunter Schafer at Elite wears Tom Ford suit jacket, skirt, shoes, De Beers earrings and necklace. Directed by Cycy Sanders; styled by Simon Robins at CLM; hair by Jimmy Paul at Susan Price NYC; makeup by Frankie Boyd at Streeters using Tom Ford Beauty; manicures by Eri Handa for Chanel at MAM-NYC; set design by Bette Adams at MHS Artists. Director of photography: Peter Mylachaski; gaffer: Brad Reeb; gaffer assistant: Ben Peck; second camera: Jason Amendolara; production assistant: Eddie Tyler; fashion assistants: Rasaan Wyzard, Jonathan Coker. Special thanks to the Beekman Hotel, Dishful.
In October 2017, Dutch model Betsy Teske, an Aquarian, made headlines when, during the Paris Fashion Week Spring 2018 shows, she became the first plus-size model (or, as she describes herself, “curvy model”) to walk for Alexander McQueen. Just a few months later, designer Sarah Burton asked her back—this time, for the Fall 2018 season, during which she appeared along with the likes of Stella Tennant and Liya Kebede. She may not follow astrology particularly closely, but she certainly identifies with her Aquarian traits: “The definition of Aquarius is me,” she said, unspooling a whole list of characteristics. “Honest, open, creative, insecure—that’s true,” she added. The sign is also a reliably intellectual one. As her career has gained momentum, Teske, an aspiring lawyer attending law school in her native Netherlands, has put her education on a brief hiatus, but she plans to return to the books before long. “It’s a hard thing to say about yourself,” she said, “but actually, intellectual, yeah.”
Betsy Teske at Muse Management wears Calvin Klein 205W39NYC dress and shoes, Tom Ford glasses. Directed by Cycy Sanders; styled by Simon Robins at CLM; hair by Jimmy Paul at Susan Price NYC; makeup by Frankie Boyd at Streeters using Tom Ford Beauty; manicures by Eri Handa for Chanel at MAM-NYC; set design by Bette Adams at MHS Artists. Director of photography: Peter Mylachaski; gaffer: Brad Reeb; gaffer assistant: Ben Peck; second camera: Jason Amendolara; production assistant: Eddie Tyler; fashion assistants: Rasaan Wyzard, Jonathan Coker. Special thanks to the Gramercy Park Hotel, Dishful.
The 12th sign in the zodiac, Pisces is, according to model and astrology aficionada Rachel Hilbert, “all the signs in one,” she explained recently. It’s particularly known as the artistic, shy sign, content to spend time alone—but Hilbert, a one-time Victoria’s Secret Pink spokesmodel who began learning about astrology in her early teens, poring over books at a bookstore in the New York suburb where she grew up, relates more to her rising-Gemini side. On a recent early spring afternoon, just a few days before her birthday (March 14), she perched on a chair in the Gramercy Park Hotel’s lobby lounge, a David LaChapelle portrait of Eminem looming overhead. Hilbert, endowed with Gemini’s outgoing, gregarious nature, spoke in rapid-fire sentences, outlining the contours of astrology with overwhelming enthusiasm. An avid follower of not only astrology, but also tarot and psychic readings, she may not read her horoscope every day, but she certainly consults it when confronted with important life decisions—“all the time, even though I shouldn’t at all”—and whenever a full moon or Mercury retrograde looms in the cosmos. (Mercury enters a retrograde period again on March 22.) “I never sign any contracts; I never make any big decisions; I never make any money decisions, because I get too psyched out,” she said. During the lunar eclipse in January, she did acupuncture and sound healing: “That’s the kind of stuff I love,” she said.
Rachel Hilbert at The Lions wears Alexander McQueen dress, necklace, belt and boots. Directed by Cycy Sanders; styled by Simon Robins at CLM; hair by Jimmy Paul at Susan Price NYC; makeup by Frankie Boyd at Streeters using Tom Ford Beauty; manicures by Eri Handa for Chanel at MAM-NYC; set design by Bette Adams at MHS Artists. Director of photography: Peter Mylachaski; gaffer: Brad Reeb; gaffer assistant: Ben Peck; second camera: Jason Amendolara; production assistant: Eddie Tyler; fashion assistants: Rasaan Wyzard, Jonathan Coker. Special thanks to the Gramercy Park Hotel, Dishful.
