By: Reese Quinn
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The idea of an “It Girl” is not unbeknownst to Gen-Z teenagers today. Through modern icons such as Alex Consani, Jules LeBlanc, and Brigette Pheloung who have reached soaring social media popularity, and Hollywood stars such as Maude Apatow and Sofia Richie Grange, the “It Girl” is an inclusive term for a young woman with confidence and charisma. In addition, the idea provides the opportunity for admiration and popularity, being idolized as a fashion mogul, and being loved in the public eye. However, the notion has shifted through the century of its birth.
Once known as a young humanitarian and pure authentic woman with humble beginnings, it has shifted into a business property where the “It Girl” is bought and marketed for the public. Modern “It Girls” showcases the illusion of authenticity and attainability.
Clara Bow:
Clara Bow began the movement in the 1920s starring in silent films in New York and Hollywood. Dubbed the “original It Girl” after the 2012 BBC documentary, It, by Elaine Shepherd, she was described as “independent, comfortable in her own skin”. Bow encapsulated the flapper era with her vibrant socialite title and allured the public due to her carefree personality and vulnerability to the public and her difficult upbringing. The key aspect of the “It Girl” that Bow started was the attainable and authentic lifestyle that was an extension of herself, however, not a created image for the public view.
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Audrey Hepburn:
Throughout the 1950s, ‘60s, and ‘70s, Audrey Hepburn became the stunning and glamorous image of the “It Girl” who embodied the notion for her silent glamor, effortless style, and humanitarian efforts in her later years. Hepburn was recognized for her “air of sophistication” as said in Britannica. She received her first role in the 1953 film, Roman Holiday, and in 1988, began a new career as a special goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Once again, Hepburn projected her true self to the media and used her publicity to fund her goodwill travels to support children. She continued Bow’s “It Girl” standard of authenticity and attainability and grew to become a role model for young women.
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Brooke Shields:
The notion began to shift into a sexualized marketing tactic that preyed on young women with Brooke Shields in the 1980s. Shields has long been in the public eye since modeling at 11 months old and grew into “the embodiment of Lolita” as said in Harper's Bazaar. Shields displayed both innocence and a sexualized identity since her young teens as forced through films such as the 1978 film Pretty Baby and the 1980 film Blue Lagoon. She became the prototype for Hollywood to sell young women’s innocence in order to sell products as a marketing scheme. As in the New York Times, Shields explains “‘They wanted to sell my actual erotic awakening’” as portrayed through the films as well as her notorious Calvin Klein commercial at age 16.
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The 1980s shifted the “It Girl” into a business model for young women to fall into where the media projects attainable authenticity that is simply a persona shown through the woman.
Kate Moss:
The supermodel era of the 1990s fast-forwarded this change in the “It Girl” with their headliner, Kate Moss. Moss was known for creating the “heroin chic” lifestyle where she falsely notes, “‘nothing tastes as good as skinny feels’” as noted in The Swaddle. From her influence, a proper fashion sense in an “It Girl” surrounded body size. In turn, the young woman’s body became the fashion. The idea of the “It Girl” became more removed from reality and is instead a protrusion of the ideal standards of a woman. Kate Moss conformed to the standards of beauty and voiced marketing propositions of the “It Girl”.
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Paris Hilton:
Media became more engrossed in public life throughout the early 2000s, paving the way for party-girls and an active nightlife scene only fit for illusions of reality. Paris Hilton was in multiple tabloids showcasing her slow detachment from her identity. To gain publicity, she formed a persona coined with her signature baby voice and iconic 2000s fashion. Hilton states she invented “this kind of perfect-life Barbie doll character just to not have to think of the trauma that I had went through’” in her interview with The New York Times. Her character was sold to the public in order to retain her status as an “It Girl” which ultimately led to her stay in abusive facilities for treatment. The fantasy of authenticity is no longer a simple game that one can easily take the mask off, it invested itself into millions of young women vying to be the best.
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“It Girls” has shifted from a celebrity who has gained status from her authentic identity to a created brand that requires a team to manage. She must brand herself into a singular identity that all actions, fashion choices, and friendships must fit into. Her authenticity is not born, it is created and the media promotes a deception of attainability through her persona. While “It Girls” still need confidence and charisma to gain public attention, they must mold into what others want them to be. After all, there can only be one “It Girl”.
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