What makes Ruby Rose so mad she has to take her clothes off? in her first-ever nude shoot, she bares all about her anti-fur crusade – but wigs are OK
BIRTHDAY: March 20, 1986
HOMETOWN: Melbourne, Vic
SAVE THE DATE: “I don’t really do dates. I’m not really into the whole, ‘Pick you up at seven, dinner at eight’ thing.’”
RUDE AWAKENING: “If I’m going to swear then I’m going to do it properly, so it’s the C-bomb for me.”
LIKE A TIGER: “I love tigers. They’re the most beautiful animal in the world. They’re just mesmerising, and have cool hair, too. Plus, I was born in the Year of the Tiger.”
FASHION POLICE: “Guys who drink heaps of water and wear facemasks and use a hair straightener freak me out a bit.”
JUST TWEET IT: Follow Ruby on Twitter – she’s @RubyRose1.
hat’s the story behind the photo shoot, Ruby?
A couple of years ago [animal rights group] PETA wanted to do an anti-fur shoot with me but we never got around to it. Then MAXIM came along and I thought it’d be the perfect fit. Not only was it fun but it was also for a good cause.
How do animal rights fit in?
The fort [Middle Head Fort, Mosman, NSW] location has a rustic, jail-like feel. They used to lock people in here and torture them –all that sort of freaky stuff – and it made me think of the animals around the world that get imprisoned and mistreated all in the name of making a fur jacket.
Why are you so outraged by the fur industry?
Not a lot of people know about fur. More often than not, in China they actually skin cats and dogs, domesticated ones, and most of the time they skin them alive. They claim that it’s rabbit fur, since it’s hard to tell the difference. I was mortified thinking this happens just to make a f–king jacket. I can’t get past the idea of having an animal that’s been skinned alive on top of me and somehow thinking that’s cool from a fashion standpoint.
So, you’d clearly rather go naked than wear fur?
If you gave me the option of spending a week living my normal life, except I had to be naked and vulnerable in public, or I had to wear fur, I’d much prefer going nude. I don’t feel uncomfortable without clothes on. If you can stand there and handle seeing your own body then you’re doing alright.
How was working with your feline co-star in the first pic?
The last time I worked with an animal it clawed my chest open – and that was just a cute little bunny rabbit. This was a piece of cake. Casper the cat was so calm and sweet – and not at all awkward about being on my naked body.
You also wear a bunch of wigs in the shoot. Does different coloured hair make for a different persona?
Totally! Each shot kind of represents a different animal or a different situation to do with the theme. When I put on the blonde bob, I suddenly felt very vulnerable and curled up a little. The long, red wig had that Rihanna, strong and sexy woman feel. I’ve had a black bob before and that made me feel… not crazy, but kinda neurotic. And the long blonde hair on the cover just made me feel really girlie.
You’re moving to Hollywood next month. What’s going on in your career right now?
I just became the new face of Maybelline, I’m an ambassador for JVC, I have a radio show, do regular DJ gigs, and also have my clothing label, Milk and Honey. There are a lot of things keeping me in Australia, so I’m not gonna be one of those people who says bon voyage. I’ll still be here a lot, but I just want a second base.
What would you do if you were a man for a day?
I don’t think I’d go pick-up chicks. As a woman, I know how to do it, but blokes have got it tough at the moment. Women are getting way too smart, way too strong, and they know what they want. So, if I was a guy, I guess I’d just do all my renovating, check the oil on my car, and go for a run.
Any tips for how men should approach women?
I think what goes wrong – and Kyle Sandilands touched on this in his last MAXIM column – is that women who have a confidence about them tend to frighten guys. Instead of guys being like, “She’s awesome – I wanna go talk to her,” guys think girls like that are either too good for them, bitches or already taken. And the only ones who approach them are often jerks. So, guys need to get their confidence back.
Who would you hate to be stuck in a lift with?
Tony Abbott in Speedos and Crocs. That would be an absolute nightmare. We should get a cartoonist to draw that.
Do you ever drunk text?
I used to, which is probably why I don’t drink anymore. It’s bad. Just don’t do it to yourself.
You wrote the following hypothetical on your Twitter on August 14: “If you had to eat a celebrity’s snot every day for a year but then you got to date them, who would you choose?” Well?
Mila Kunis. I wouldn’t do it, though, Mila – I’m not a freak. Imagine if she read this and I met her someday. She’d be like, “Oh. My. God. You’re that Australian girl that wants to eat my snot!”
Another Twitter thing: Are you really at war with Lara Bingle? Like, have you stockpiled nuclear weapons in preparation?
No, I’m anti-nuclear weapons. Look, we’re not at war with each other. That’s a massive overstatement – it’s not like we’ve got troops. We aren’t mates, and that’s about as far as it goes. But not everyone can get along.
You’re pretty open about your sexuality. Do you ever get sick of being asked lesbian-related questions?
It’s a really big part of my life but that doesn’t mean everything I do has to be linked back to lesbianism. That comes with the territory, though. Like, if I want to be out and proud, then I have to accept all the attention and curiosity. That’s the way it is.
How’s the love life going?
It’s good. I’ve always got someone. Because of the hectic schedule and the moving, I’m not really looking to settle down. But there are people I have on speed dial. I can’t believe I just said that.
Shhh… So, what are you like as a girlfriend?
I’m pretty cruisy. A lot of girls are intense, but the older I get the more relaxed I am in a relationship. The papers are always saying I’m engaged – and I’ve seemingly been engaged about 50,000 times –but I’m not actually that big on commitment or relationships.
Would you be bothered if the missus went to a strip club without you?
Only because I didn’t get to go! I would be so angry – mainly since I know that I’d get in trouble for going. I tend to get in strife for stuff like that.
Every tattoo tells a story. Tell us a cool story.
The only one I ever got without preparation was after my first MTV Awards [in 2008]. I was with Jess and Lisa from The Veronicas and really wanted to get one – just to celebrate the fact I’d succeeded and because I felt really good. So we rocked up at this dodgy tattoo place in King’s Cross, where the artist had a bourbon and Coke in his hand. And that was how the three cards on my chest came about. I’ve had them re-done since then because the lines were a little wonky. Spontaneous ink is cool but don’t ever do it when you’re drunk. From what I’ve seen it always ends badly.
Daniel Steiner
For the full feature and images grab the October 2011 issue of MAXIM Australia.
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