Despite being an over-popularised term on TikTok, the phrase 'IT Girl' has been around since the 60s, starting with the likes of Edie Sedgwick, Carolyn Bessete Kennedy and leading through to the 90s with Chloe Sevingy. In contrast to their air of coolness which is portrayed in the public eye their personal lives all share one common interest, trauma.
In recent years the aspirational IT Girl has taken over, everyone wants to adhere to the mystique the term brings, and be percieved as effortless. The fact is, it has become over-saturated creating a try-hard atmosphere defying the very nature of the definition. For instance, this generations IT Girl's should consist of the likes of Emily Ratajowski, however her constant desire to appeal to the male gaze, alongside very public knowledge of her personal life she does not fit the criteria.
The IT Girls of the past have a shared common aspect, the prevailing trauma of their lives generates the dystopic admiration of the public, with many impressionable girls attempting to immitate their likeness. At the peak of her public image, IT Girl Cory Kennedy was a 15 year old girl, constantly on drugs and dating a 20 year old; pictures of her and her boyfriend (who was already in the public eye) were all over the internet. Girls aspired to be like her, but the reality of Kennedy's situation was far from glamourous: a mixture of exploitation, drugs and alcohol spiralled, with repurcussions that still take effect present day, leaving Kennedy looking back at this period of her life with disdain, “I was a kid, and 75 percent of people thought I was a heroin-addicted, drug-addict rich kid.” (Cory Kennedy, The Cut 2023).
In Chloe Sevigny's case, the combination of being a nepo baby, finding her own voice and rise to fame lead to a battle with depression. Sevigny has been coined as a cult celebrity and the It Girl of all It Girl's, adored by the indie movie scene to the fashion world, her acting debut in KIDS tackled serious issues surrounding HIV and thrusted her into the limelight. However, Sevigny has always skirted around the mainstream, adding more mystery to her persona, still in the current limelight Sevigny continues to inspire women worldwide.
Perhaps it's the innate troubles that come alongside being an IT Girl which adds to their intrigue, or maybe its the way they all seem to characterise an atmosphere of the aloof, it is undeniable that they will continue to lead generations. The only question is who will be the next IT Girl?
