Athena Levesque ’15, ’16MA is her own person, but the rest of the world has long focused on how she and her identical sisters, Andrea and Arianna, are the same— and it used to bug her. “High school was when I really wanted to be the most different. We had no separation; we shared a room together, a car, everything. So, I tried to differentiate,” she says. “But when we went to college, we did separate.” Off they went to study their own fields: history, psychology, and fashion. (Athena first earned a bachelor of arts degree in history, and then earned a master’s in education and a teaching certificate— all at UMass.) “I think it’s normal for siblings to want to be their own people, and when you’re living together, you have to individualize yourselves,” Athena says. “But we don’t try as much anymore. We know who we are.”
Triple Take
Now the 26-year-olds are living in New York City, where the threesome model, act, and build the Levesque Triplets brand. “Our job now is to look as alike as possible,” Athena laughs. After all, the triplets’ sameness is what makes them unique in the fashion and entertainment world, which can be notoriously cutthroat. In a feature article that appeared in the New York Times last year, the triplets were described as a power trio under the headline “These Triplet Models Want to Take This Town by the Throat.” Athena and her sisters’ talent is more than skin deep. The three have been savvy ambassadors of their brand—themselves. “…They almost always market themselves as one,” the Times wrote, quoting Athena saying, “There are a lot of pretty blond girls, but there aren’t that many triplets. We should use it.”
They’re more than using it, they’re rocking it. In just the last two years, the sisters have modeled for large fashion labels including Romeo + Juliet Couture, launched their own clothing line, appeared in several short films and music videos, and were featured guests on Good Morning America—twice. And somehow Athena finds the time to do some teaching, mostly in the form of tutoring and online English-as-second-language lessons.
As glamorous as modeling seems, the work can be physically challenging and the pressure for perfection is immense. “This work can be a struggle for sure,” Levesque says. But the triplets have a unique built-in support system, helping each other through the grueling gauntlet of auditions and callbacks. “I am lucky that my sisters and I do this together.”