Maya AlZaben is a fashion writer, astrologer and MA Fashion Studies graduate student at Parsons School of Design.
Think about the words you would commonly use to describe your favorite fashion pieces. These adjectives more than likely include: tailored, refined, bespoke, elegant, clean, perfect – words also related to the sign of the Virgo Zodiac.
It is no coincidence that many of the biggest names in fashion were born between August 22 and September 22 (or, in more fashionable terms, the season of Virgo): Karl Lagerfeld, Tom Ford, Kim Jones, Stella McCartney, Olivier Rousteing, Thomas Burberry, Among them Laquan Smith, Elsa Schiaparelli, Simone Rocha, Pierpaolo Piccioli and Anthony Vaccarello.
But what exactly makes a Virgonian ornament so…..fashionable? Being a Virgo myself, I wondered (just as Dhani once wondered about Scorpios), why are there so many Virgos in fashion and specifically in design?
All about Virgo
Opposite her sister sign, the “big picture” dreamy Pisces, on the astrological wheel, Virgo rules over meticulous details, communication and practicality. Venus – the planet of love, beauty, money and finally fashion – is in “exaltation” when is it in Pisces, an astrological term used to describe when a planet is in a sign that makes it feel “favored” and elevated, almost like the life of the party. (Alexander McQueen and Gianni Versace are both Pisces moons.) If Venus is exalted in Pisces and Pisces opposes Virgo, this basically means that Venus is in her “decline” when in Virgo; it is weak and loses its influence.
Now by deciding this, you can decide that Virgo hates fashion. But on the wheel of the Zodiac, Virgo is placed between the aesthetic, balanced Libra and the charming Leo. Generally – and especially if the Virgo planet is in a later degree (25°-29°) or earlier degree (0°-5°) – it takes on the traits of the previous or future sign. Many Virgos actually have Libra and Leo placement in their charts because they are close to Virgo, which ultimately feeds off the best of Virgo. passion for fashion. Bella Hadid, for example, is a Libra sun and a double Virgo moon and rising – explains so much, doesn’t it? Virgo is also the sixth sign of the zodiac, and in numerology, six is the number of love and harmony, attributes associated with Venus.
The most important month in fashion, September (the time of fashion weeks and “September issues”), also occupies half of the Virgo season. The other half is dominated by Venus-ruled Libra, making September a highly coveted period of time empowered with details and aesthetics in terms of runway, editorial photos and commentary. Virgos are known to be extremely organized and routine, much like fashion week schedules (for the most part…). Designers usually show their best collection during this time because of the anticipation and reality that comes with September.
Because Virgo rules over details, sign appropriately (I love a good pun) governs tasks such as sewing, tailoring, design, haute couture and styling, which require special attention to the finer points. As an Earth sign, Virgo appreciates how things are done and what goes into making them. Virgo is the healer of the zodiac, and if a garment was the patient, Virgo designers (and stylists) are the doctors who bring it to life.
I spoke with designer Mecca James-Williams, another Fashionable Virgo, to explore her POV as, duh, a Fashionable Virgo. Her perspective perfectly illustrates the manifestation of Leo and Libra traits in Virgos. “Virgos, once healed, are all about leveling up everything they touch and encouraging everyone to push their limits and ignite the truest forms of life,” she says. “We’re extravagant because we know we deserve and can have all of life’s luxuries. We also show up when it’s time to have fun or get work done. It’s truly the sign that has the best of both worlds – just don’t get in the way”.
The sign is also ruled by the planet Mercury, which rules over intellect, reading and writing. Virgo is the sign of overthinking and unlike Gemini, which is also ruled by Mercury, Virgo analyzes and investigates things on a deep level. Except this The CR Fashion BookCarine Roitfield herself, one of the most critically acclaimed Virgins in fashion is Robin Givhan, the only Pulitzer Prize-winning fashion writer.
Along with Gemini, Sagittarius and Pisces, Virgo is a mutable sign, meaning it does well with change and adaptability compared to signs like Leo and Aquarius, who fall under fixed mode and prefer things as they are. Virgo designers adapt easily to changing trends and seasons, which is why designers like Tom Ford and the late Karl Lagerfeld have had such long tenures and success at their respective labels.
Scroll to Continue
As a sign of perfection, Virgo takes as long as it takes to complete a task. James-Williams agrees that her creative, idealistic and lively approach to fashion, storytelling and culture are all strengths of being a Virgo.
“I approach my projects with the confidence to succeed, a strong desire to excel and a keen strategic eye on how to complete the project. I also love to collaborate,” she says. “While Virgos tend to have a high level of perfectionism, collaborating with people gives them a great opportunity to build a cohesive project and helps remove the need for everything to be right; but only by creating a successful flow. “
James-Williams points out that there is a strong tribe of Virgos in fashion, explaining: “Women are following the creative world and creating a lane of their own. It’s been a joy to see how many bold and quirky women are here. We approach our style. point of view and heritage with such dedication, but make it seem fun and honest.”
Virgo designers and their placements
Photos: Hulton-Deutsch Collection – Corbis, David M. Benett, Tullio Puglia, Pierre Verdt/AFP, Stephane Cardinale – Corbis, Peter White, Victor Virgile/Gamma-Rapho, all via Getty Images
Although 43 years apart, Elsa Schiaparelli and Karl Lagerfeld were both born on September 10 with different birth charts, but with a common Virgo Sun at 17 degrees; this degree is ruled by Leo, the sign of fame, popularity and transcendence.
Remember the Chanel hula-hoop bag from the Spring 2013 collection? Or Schiaparelli’s fall 1938 collection with a Zodiac jacket embroidered with crescent moons and twinkling stars (one of which sold for nearly $130,000 at auction)? Leo fashion wants to be FrONt from the world, just like the sun. In addition, both Lagerfeld and Schiaparelli have a combination of more than two placements of Virgo and Libra in their charts. AND Venus aspecting either their North Nodes (a lunar node that determines our life purpose and destiny in this life) or the Mediterranean (the point in the sky that divinely determines our career paths). Gianni Versace is a Sagittarius sun and as a Scorpio born, he has Virgo in the midheaven – his destiny was literally to become a fashion designer.
Without an exact time of birth, it is relatively impossible to determine which houses the planets are placed in. However, all these aspects and planetary placements aside, I wouldn’t consider myself an astrologer if I didn’t also include a disclaimer that forces you to analyze your entire chart. One or two (even three, four, five, etc.) placements are never enough to get the full picture. I’ll use myself and my siblings as proof of this: Yes, I’m a Virgo sun with many aspects and visible placements that suggest a confirmed place at the fashion table for me – a Libra rising and moon ; My chart ruler Venus is in the 10th house of career, and Venus also rules over most of my seventh house of collaborations – but I’m also a trio of siblings who absolutely despise fashion. We were each born exactly one minute apart, which gives our sisterly selves identical birth charts. And yet, my twin brother is a geneticist and my twin sister has chosen a track in food and medical devices, both paths in health and science that combat my preference for tracks. Placements and aspects in our charts appear in different ways and can reveal different traits in different people.
Fashion month in the season of the Virgin: what you need to know
As the time for this story is published, Venus will have moved from romantic and spectacular Leo to judgmental Virgo along with the Sun on September 5th. Planets in the same sign work to reinforce each other in what is called a conjunction. Venus generally gets ick when it is in Virgo – not a position that love-obsessed Venus likes to be in. However, Virgo is the sign of acts of service, so productivity may increase relatively during this time. With the Moon in Capricorn this day trining (same element) the Sun in Virgo, there’s a sense of ease and motivation to get organized ahead of the first official day of New York Fashion Week on September 9.
Fashion week-goers may find themselves opting for more earthy colors, such as greens and browns, and may take longer to perfect their outfits. You’ll want to put more detail into your ensembles, so I’d advise looking through your closets and planning days before the show.
September 9 also coincides with the first day of Mercury Retrograde in Libra, aka potential chaos in fashion. Be extra careful with your planning, seating arrangements and relationships with your colleagues. Outside of fashion, there is a sense of passive aggressiveness in the air and a need to run away from issues in favor of harmony. However, with the sun still in Virgo, particle collection is inevitable.
On September 10, the sky hosts a Full Moon in Pisces; In general, events that take place during a full moon come with an added sense of drama and significance – I wouldn’t be surprised if designers featured on this day like Marni, Dion Lee and Prabal Gurung are more famous during this time. However, with the Sun in snobbish Virgo retrograde and Mars in chatty Gemini, it wouldn’t be shocking to see some sort of scandal unfold at a show that weekend.
On a larger scale, the Full Moon in Pisces exactly opposing the Sun in Virgo invites us to remove the deceptive rose-colored glasses in favor of clarity and truth in your Pisces house. Expect a dream or epiphany to shed light on a situation you’ve been confused about.
Only time will tell. Astrology is never (fashionable) late – is always on time.
Never miss the latest fashion industry news. Sign up for Fashionista’s daily newsletter.
