The ‘It-girl’ is more than a person; she is an aesthetic, a cultural moment, a business distilled into human form. She embodies the zeitgeist of her era, serving as a lens through which her generation perceives and defines itself while always standing apart from it. For decades, brands have sought to align themselves with these figures, recognising their unparalleled ability to captivate and influence.
But in 2024, the It-girl has evolved. No longer confined to heiresses, socialites or Hollywood-adjacent stars, today’s It-girls can emerge from anywhere — bedrooms, van-life road trips, or the front-facing camera of a TikTok post. This democratisation of influence has ushered in a new era, where relatability and niche appeal are more powerful than ubiquity.
Take Charli XCX’s music video for ‘360’, an ode to this latest breed of It-girl. Featuring the likes of Quen Blackwell, Emma Chamberlain, Hari Nef, Gabbriette and Richie Shazam, the video highlighted a shift: these are not unattainable, glossy, enigmatic figures; they are complex, authentic and closer to the audiences they inspire.
“It’s about whether this person speaks to you, aesthetically or otherwise. It’s how they attract attention — through their image and the content they produce. Some creators deliver a message that resonates deeply; they act as mediums or even as media themselves. They influence their communities and beyond,” says PR guru Lucien Pagès.
The days of singular cultural icons are waning. “That age of ubiquity is over in many ways,” says Matthew Whitehouse, editor-in-chief of The Face. “There are times when the world decides to agree upon a single person — Charli XCX this summer is a great example. But now we see more people existing in newer, niche, siloed kinds of fame. Brands are realising that a smaller, more engaged following is better than a larger, unengaged one.”
This season, the proof of this shift lies in the numbers. During Spring/Summer 2025 fashion month, It-girls like Madeline Argy, Addison Rae, Alix Earle and Gabbriette consistently outperformed industry benchmarks. According to data from Lefty, they boasted an average engagement rate of 10 per cent, significantly above the 2 per cent industry average.
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Their success illustrates a new pipeline: turning TikTok teenagers with low-key brand collaborations into bona fide luxury fashion fixtures. Something best encapsulated by Rae’s cultural rebrand, one of the most talked-about transformations of the past year. Once known for her viral TikTok dances and mass-market collaborations, Rae has seamlessly transitioned into the world of high fashion and super pop stardom. Her viral MTV VMAs red carpet appearance, ‘Diet Pepsi’ and ‘Aquamarine’ music ventures, and thoughtful partnerships with luxury houses like Saint Laurent, Vaquera and Petra Collins’s I’m Sorry, have rewritten the narrative around her, proving that a TikTok star can become a fashion and cultural heavyweight.
Yet, the social media machine is a double-edged sword. In an age where fame feels more accessible than ever, only a select few manage to truly break through the noise. So, what sets them apart? Why are some able to bridge the gap between casual virality and high fashion’s rarefied air?
The TikTok teenager to luxury It-girl pipeline
TikTok has emerged as the ultimate talent incubator, fuelling the rise of a new generation of It-girls that transcends the traditional rules of celebrity. Unlike Instagram influencers, who curate aspirational perfection, TikTok creators build dedicated followings by sharing raw, unscripted glimpses of their lives.
“I started posting online because I had a crush on a girl and wanted to get her attention,” says influencer Argy, who now has over 13 million followers across Instagram and TikTok. She posted her first video on TikTok in March 2021. It was about a worm trapped in her sister’s leg. Less than a year later, she had signed with United Talent Agency (UTA), a move she credits as a turning point. At the time, she was travelling in a van across New Zealand, recording candid videos along the way.
“Even though most of her content was her recording from her car and spilling her darkest secrets to the internet, something about her came across as chic and effortless,” says Scarlett Perlman, her agent at UTA. “We immediately saw the vision of how to introduce her to the fashion industry.” They connected her with the right teams, including stylists and publicists, to establish meaningful relationships within the fashion space.
Argy’s fashion breakthrough came at Prada’s Milan show in September 2023, where she wore the brand’s signature triangle hair clips. “The press coverage from that show opened significant doors,” Perlman explains. Soon after, Argy attended shows for Saint Laurent and Chanel, firmly establishing her presence on the luxury circuit.
“I still feel I am finding my place, and every time they let me through the door I am just as surprised as the first time,” she says. Still, her impact has been undeniable. Argy emerged as the most influential It-girl of SS25, generating a staggering $1.6 million in earned media value (or EMV, which is calculated as $1 per like) with a 28.5 per cent engagement rate across appearances for Saint Laurent, Chanel and Gucci. “Every time we’ve interviewed her [for The Face] — online, inside features, or on the cover — the pieces have performed spectacularly well,” confirms Whitehouse. “Better than interviews with someone more traditionally famous.” Her The Face cover reveal garnered over 25,000 likes on Instagram; for comparison, Chappell Roan’s racked up 7,700 likes. Whitehouse pegs it to her “very unfiltered, relatable, slightly chaotic style that’s just endlessly watchable”.
Models of the new era
Others like Gabbriette stand out for their distinct aesthetics, with the model’s signature look spawning countless imitators and earning a namecheck in Charli XCX’s ‘360’: “Call me Gabbriette, you’re so inspired.”
Having kick-started her career as a dancer in music videos for Blood Orange on MTV, Gabbriette was cast in a girl band put together by Charli XCX called Nasty Cherry. The band split ways during the pandemic, which is when she began posting cooking tutorials on Instagram and quickly built a loyal following — especially for her fashion.
“The ‘Gabbriette thing’ I think is just a vibe… I’m still not sure exactly what it is that people are taking away from it, but I hope it’s a good vibe. And black eyeliner,” Gabbriette jokes. Reflecting on her evolution, the 27-year-old adds: “At first, my relationship with fashion was trend driven — I’d religiously flip through my mom’s magazines like any budding fashionista and recreate campaign outfits with my Tillys dupes. Now, I’ve settled into a style I’ve loved for nearly a decade. I just play around with my closet and focus on feeling comfortable every day.”
Her stylist, Bailey Quinones, credits Gabbriette’s enduring appeal to her authenticity. “We keep her identity intact no matter the event — minimal, chic and true to herself,” Quinones says. This consistency has made her a favourite of brands such as Acne Studios, Willy Chavarria and Prada. “We talk 24-7 — we’re so close and have the same taste. We’re obsessed with the same designers and have built an iconic wardrobe together,” she adds.
Christopher Lukas, her agent at IMG, points to Gabbriette’s cultural impact, particularly her association with “succubus chic”, a term coined by Dazed, in a now viral article titled ‘Succubus chic: get to know the deadly new It Girl’, that helped propel her into the spotlight. “While Angie [Jolie] is the OG of this aesthetic, Gabbriette has become its modern blueprint,” he explains. Lukas notes that the Dazed piece marked a turning point. “That’s when people really started paying attention.”
The industry numbers back it up. During SS25, Gabbriette generated $1.2 million in EMV and an average engagement rate of 10.7 per cent across 10 shows, including Willy Chavarria, Avavav and Prada. Moreover, in July, Gabbriette teamed up with Mac Cosmetics to launch a limited-edition lip kit inspired by her signature ’90s goth girl aesthetic. It sold out almost instantly, sparking a frenzy among fans. The accompanying hashtag quickly amassed over 100,000 posts as teenagers flocked to New York City in search of the product.
Not just influencers
Breaking into luxury has rarely been an easy feat for social media stars. Many of these talents faced skepticism early on, often dismissed as ‘just influencers’ with limited appeal beyond their digital followings. Devon Lee Carlson, for instance, recalls being told she would never land luxury campaigns during her initial meetings with modelling agencies. “That’s when we decided to do it ourselves,” says her manager and father, Dave Carlson.
Carlson leveraged her entrepreneurial spirit and built a dedicated following across Instagram and YouTube by posting fashion, lifestyle and travel content. Co-founding phone case brand Wildflower Cases in high school, Carlson also built a thriving brand that honed her image as a relatable yet aspirational figure. “She has this unique ability to be approachable while still aspirational — you actually want to know what’s in her bag,” says casting director Greg Krelenstein.
Carlson’s first major breakthrough came with Burberry, followed by high-profile collaborations with Saint Laurent, Louis Vuitton and Marc Jacobs, the latter being where she worked on a capsule collection. “As the industry evolved, brands began to see her as more than just an influencer,” says Taj Alwan, founder of PR and digital management company The Hyphen8. “She resonated with shoppers on a deeper level while maintaining a sense of authenticity that’s hard to find.”
This authenticity hasn’t gone unnoticed. Charli XCX, who has become the unofficial It-girl whisperer, immortalised her in the Barbie soundtrack hit ‘Speed Drive’, singing about “the Devon Lee smile”. Throughout SS25 fashion month, Carlson generated £850,000 in EMV by attending nine shows, including Tory Burch, Gucci, Sandy Liang and Balenciaga.
“She’s a girl from the valley who started a phone accessory brand in high school and turned it into an impressive business,” says Jen Brill, creative director of Homme Girls, a magazine of which Carlson’s been a cover star. “Don’t get me wrong, I love a nepo baby, but I love a girl who’s put in a little elbow grease even more.”
What’s the pull for luxury?
The It-girl’s power lies in her ability to transform a dream into something real and relevant for her audience. “Stylish influencers create desire for objects. But for newer talent, the impact is more about signaling that the brand is connected to what’s happening now. It’s about showing you’re part of the world and embracing the new generation,” says Pagès.
Some argue that emerging creators’ audiences can’t afford luxury, but Pagès disagrees. “Fashion is aspirational – a dream. Even if someone can’t buy an expensive item, they might purchase something smaller or be inspired in other ways,” he continues.
In a recent poll by The Strategist, teenagers ranked Carlson and YouTuber-cum-podcaster Chamberlain above Rihanna and Kendall Jenner as their top style inspirations. “This was a clear signal to brands that Devon’s influence went beyond traditional celebrity or social media metrics — she genuinely inspired her audience in a way that translated to sales,” says Alwan. The appeal of these women lies not in exclusivity, but in their ability to create a sense of connection and accessibility while embodying aspirational aesthetics.
The rise of this new It-girl coincides with a broader cultural shift in fashion. The industry has moved away from an obsession with perfection and unattainable exclusivity towards a focus on playfulness and experimentation. Brands like Loewe have embraced offbeat TikTok campaigns, while Louis Vuitton and others have taken risks with unconventional muses, such as video game League of Legends or German fashion blogger Leonie Hanne leaning into quirkiness and relatability over polished glamour.
“Brands with freedom and playfulness in their DNA, like Loewe and those experimenting on TikTok, tend to succeed,” adds Pagès. “For brands more focused on perfection, it can be harder to take risks with new talent. But the ones that do are creating communities and staying connected to the zeitgeist.”
The modern It-girl embodies this cultural shift. In 2024, this phenomenon is no longer defined by exclusivity, but by the It-girls ability to connect, inspire and shape what’s next in fashion. As luxury brands continue to adapt, these women are not just influencing trends — they are fundamentally redefining what it means to be aspirational in a digital-first, Gen Z-driven world.
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