SOCIAL QS

How Model Paloma Elsesser Uses Instagram to Talk About Everything From Fashion and Cars to Body Image and Mental Health

Elsesser, the model beloved by both Rihanna and Pat McGrath, on responding to DMs and cultivating a safe community around her Instagram, @palomija.


When Paloma Elsesser moved to New York eight years ago, it was to study writing at the New School, but it wasn’t long before she—through her Instagram—caught the eye of makeup guru Pat McGrath, and was catapulted into a modeling career that has only gained momentum since. After McGrath selected Elsesser as one of the first faces of her new, namesake beauty line, Pat McGrath Labs, Elsesser proceeded to become an ambassador for brands like Fenty Beauty by Rihanna and Glossier, and to walk Eckhaus Latta during the spring and fall 2018 shows.

Through it all, she’s cultivated a sizable following on her Instagram, where she posts under the handle @palomija, broadcasting tiny snapshots of her day, things she loves, and candid posts about mental health and body image to nearly 150,000 followers. For Elsesser, it’s all about keeping it real and, as she describes it, keeping it “crispy,” cutting through the immaculately curated gloss of social media. Her feed is populated with images of architecture and colorful sights from trips abroad, askew angles of everyday objects, and the occasional outfit post. Here, she weighs in on what she wouldn’t post, and how, when the moment calls for it, she manages to step away from it all.

What is your Instagram handle, and how did you pick it?

My Instagram handle is @palomija. I picked it because my grandmother is Chilean, and “mija” is a term of endearment in Hispanic and Latin communities, and then, also, my grandpa used to call me Palomita, which means “little dove.” My name means “dove” in Spanish, so I just merged them.

Do you remember your first Instagram?

It’s a badly filtered, with a border, photo of my friend, drunk on red wine.

How often do you post?

I try and post every day. I think it’s important for people to stay connected. I mean, I have a 74 percent female-identifying versus male-identifying following, and the general commentary and discourse is about how the work that I do aids them, whether it be getting dressed or feeling better in their body and who they are, whether it be skin color, race, size, so I just want them to feel a part of my day in some way—of the way I see the world. I don’t think that I’m this huge celebrity, but I think for a small percentage of girls and women and people who message me, I’m like, sure, if you want to see how my day is going or what work I’m up to.

And it’s not an insubstantial platform, either.

Because of its size, actually, where it’s not 10 million, but it’s not 10,000, I still feel it’s that kind of intimate, and it’s a nice cushion of people who are following because I know they want to be there, in a way. If girls DM me, I’ll respond. I’m not completely out of the loop.

Do you get a lot of DMs?

I get a lot of DMs. I can’t respond to them all. In response to some of the DMs, I don’t know if a verbal accolade can serve as much as letting my imagery also be a response. If a girl’s messaging me, “Where do you find clothes?” It’s like, okay, I’m going to post pictures of my clothes more, giving a response where I can be more blanketed.

If that person is asking that question, chances are, somebody else has that question.

Exactly.

What’s the most common thing that people reach out to you with?

I think that the most common thing is not even questions, it’s just like, “You have helped me so much in feeling better in my body.” I get largely young women, or female-identifying girls, who really feel connected to being a young woman of color feeling like she’s quote-unquote “plus-size,” and feeling like, even within the plus-size community, she doesn’t feel completely understood, so to see a girl who’s not subscribing to a very set narrative of what plus-size or even a plus-size woman of color is, quote-unquote, “supposed to look like,” I think it offers some solace. So it’s normally just, like, “Thank you for showing me, or validating that my experiences are real or that who I am is okay.” I’m going to get emotional. It’s just so incredible to maybe make an effect on this one human being in the world.

That must help you on an off day, knowing that.

Oh, my god, for sure. I mean, I love modeling, but some days I don’t. It’s not a super-easy job all the time. But if I can put that, like, what I’m doing is a service to someone at the forefront of my day and my job, it really helps when it is hard, when it’s a f—ing 16-hour day or none of the clothes fit or whatever it may be. At the end of the day, this 16-hour day can help somebody’s 16 days or 16 years in some capacity.

What do you think is the secret to taking a winning selfie?

Good light. I normally just try to find a window situation. I like natural light.

Filter or no filter?

No filter. Maybe I’ll turn the brightness up, I’ll fuck with the edit. Just chic—keep it minimal. Too filtered for me is not the look.

What’s your favorite thing to post?

I really don’t like my Instagram to look like a model’s Instagram, like, “HMU on set today!,” which I don’t think is wack, I just think it’s not honest to me, so I just kind of like to post things the way I see them. I like to post cars I love and sneakers I love and weird chairs that I like, or colors. I’ve posted a lot of cars. I’m really into G-Wagens right now. Then, interspersed with selfies and work stuff, too. I just make it crispy.

Describe yourself using three emojis.

Oh, s–t. The little chicken popping out of the egg, I use that a lot. The wilted rose. And the contemplative, like, “what you doing” face.

What pisses you off on social media?

A lot of things. Aesthetics aside, I think what’s problematic about social media sometimes—I’m totally complicit in that, too—is that it’s still a very curated version of how people are looking and living and doing. I don’t think you have to bombard people with, “I’m sad today,” but I think that it’s nice to keep grounded. If you have any kind of platform, small or large, there’s somebody who’s relying on you to humanize yourself. Instagram is really dehumanizing; you become just this marketed version of yourself sometimes. It’s hard because, especially in fashion, you’re dealing with an industry of aesthetic and visuals, but I think it would be a disservice to what I’m ultimately trying to do if I didn’t intersperse some realness. For instance, a couple of days ago, I posted a really short, very simple message—it was the anniversary of when I stopped taking psych medicine, so I just wanted to acknowledge mental health in a way that is personal and honest. I just wanted a few people to know that I’ve been off meds for X amount of years; it saves some people’s lives, and even if my life seems glossy in some way, I still struggle, and it’s just all a conversation.

What was the response like?

It was so sweet. I got a little nervous, like, Should I not even be talking about this stuff on Instagram? Will this hinder my work? And I found so many members of the fashion community DM’d me privately and commented. It’s beautiful, and I don’t even know some of these people.

On the converse side of that, how do you block out the haters and the negatives online?

I feel so proud of the community I’ve found and I’ve fostered. When I’ve posted on a different situation, all of the sudden, people become doctors, saying what I should and shouldn’t be eating. It’s hilarious. It’s insane. But I block it out because my body isn’t anyone else’s business, and it’s completely overwritten by the service and the response that I get for being in my body and being who I am. One time, I got dragged on the internet for not wearing Spanx. But then, I posted the same look on my Instagram and it got such an overwhelming response of people being like, “Oh, my god, it’s so incredible to see a size 12, 14 girl wear an off-the-runway outfit, and to see who she is.” So I’m like, f–k them, I don’t care.

Paloma Elsesser at the Eckhaus Latta spring 2018 show on Saturday, September 9, at 99 Scott during New York Fashion Week. Photographed by Serichai Traipoom for W Magazine.

SERICHAI TRAIPOOM

That’s maybe the upside of having this curated space.

It’s a really safe community.

What is the best way to slide into someone’s DMs, especially if you’re into them?

I haven’t done that, so it’s hard. Honestly, I’m such a dork. When my boyfriend and I started dating—we’ve been together for almost four years—I just went and liked a bunch of his photos and then a bunch of weeks deep, I just commented, “hi.” It did work. I don’t bestow, my game is so strange. I’m just like, if a boy doesn’t answer, I’m like, “hi.” Then, if he doesn’t answer for like two hours, “hi.”

Do you follow exes or block them?

I don’t block them, and I don’t follow them. Sometimes, it can be self-preservation. Most of my exes have unfollowed me, so I’ve just followed suit. I get it, it can be triggering. That’s also the problem with Instagram; there aren’t enough psychological studies on how it affects us. You don’t even notice it: You can have a fabulous day, and then, my competitive side is like, Hm, why didn’t I get that job? Then, I’m put in an anxious mood, and I have to re-navigate why I’m feeling this way. So if you want to get through your day without being reminded that we’re no longer together, respect, and I feel you. I think blocking is a bit much, but I think the unfollow isn’t off base.

How do you detox from social media?

I just delete the app when I go on vacation, because it’s, like, muscle memory. Even when you’re like, I’m not going to go on Instagram, you know exactly where it is. You’re just sitting there in the cab, doing anything, it’s just like, this, this, this. Or, you know what’s really dark, but it’s a good thing to put things in check? There’s a new thing on your phone where you can see how long you’ve been on Instagram for the week. It puts things in perspective.

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.

1/12