In the words of Vogue, “when it comes to It girls, men want her, women want to be her, gays want to meme her…she’s a presenter, model, a DJ, a muse, and a moment”. She dances on the line between having an influence and being an influencer. Unlike your average celebrity, she has this air of mystery–she’s never predictable. Sure billions of paparazzi photos are posted online and she’s active on every social media account, yet she remains a secret.
I have never been absolutely starstruck by celebrities that gained their fame through TikTok, however, Addison Rae has sparked my attention. She’s recently rebranded from Tik Tok dance girl to Gen Z It girl. From spending her weekends partying and singing with popstar Charli XCX to reviving the 2014 tumblr girl aesthetic, she has become an icon and most of all, the It girl of our generation.
In my eyes, an It girl paves the path to new trends with a sense of undoubted confidence. The trends may be questionable but that’s the true secret to being iconic. Take for example, the paparazzi photo of Addison walking down the street with her head buried in the new Britney Spears memoir, “The Woman in Me” (sidenote: this book is monumental, shedding light on the realities of being a young pop star). In this photo, Addison wears a pink baby tee, black mini skirt, ballet flats, and her hair in two braids. She walks seemingly unbothered and somehow..reading? I mean, who reads as they walk down the street? Simply iconic.
A fan recently posted, “where even is Addison Rae? Probably somewhere being an icon I assume.” A defining piece of Addison’s rebrand is her personal style. She wears micro shorts, sequins, tutus, halter tops, kitten heels, baby tees, tights, chokers, statement necklaces, and truly anything with a 2000s-2010 vibe. She clearly has a desire to bring back the “indie sleaze” style and I’m here for it. She seems to live in a dreamworld of instagram filters, lipstick, hyper pop, glitter eyeshadow and other trends of the 2010s.
Addison’s muse lies within her Instagram feed and magazine photoshoots. Specifically, the Vogue photoshoot featuring a dress with the statement, “Don’t Judge A Girl By Her Clothes”. The dress has slits underlining each word with gold safety pins. What characterizes these shoots is her ability to take something out-of-the-ordinary, such as this dress, and make it memorable. In another photoshoot, she poses with a horse wearing only pants and tattoos. There is something almost camp about these photos that leaves a lasting impression. In another she wears a sequined yellow bathing suit with boots in a sunlit, honey-glowed room. She dances around, smiling with a white crochet blanket wrapped around her. The ordinary person may question this duality of boots, a bikini, and a thick blanket, but to the inspired-folk, it makes perfect sense.
Aside from aesthetic appeal, an It girl is nothing without her personality. Typically, It girls are considered “cool girls”–which from the Gone Girl monologue, seems to be more of a misogynistic compliment. They are nonchalant with a sort of femme fatale quality. Addison, however, smiles in almost every photo, exuding positive energy. Society is overflowing with “influencers” or “It girls” posing with sexy faces, smoking a cigarette or just acting “cool”. It’s refreshing to see Addison inspire others, break societal expectations, and embody the spirit of It girl.