Just as seasons come and go, the definition of the It girl is ever-changing. From ‘90s heroine chic to early aughts kitsch and off-duty model buzz, we see the cool girl blueprint ceaselessly transform. Yet we can’t help but be irresistibly drawn to her.
But who is this It girl we so tirelessly pursue? For years, she was simply a cut above the rest. Effortlessly cool and seemingly out of reach; the girl idolised by teenage girls in hoards, plastered in every dream Pinterest board. She knows what she wants, and trusts it will be in her hands soon enough. She doesn’t chase, she attracts. She is simply that girl.
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The early ’90s saw an overnight obsession with Winona Ryder, undoubtedly the ultimate It girl of her time. Her pixie cut and dark unconventional style cemented her status as a cultural icon. The Y2K era completely switched things up, where starlets like Paris Hilton and Britney Spears led the way in pink, bedazzled kitschiness. Meanwhile, the ’90s supers—from Naomi Campbell to Kate Moss—defined a different aesthetic altogether, their off-duty model style teeming with a deathly cool vibe that the zeitgeist could only crave to emulate. This casual chic mood is still something that feels formative for today’s reigning It-girls who treat the streets like their personal runway, think the likes of Kendall Jenner or Bella Hadid.
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But in recent times, a different aesthetic—and narrative—seems to be taking over. Ever since the Winter Olympics, the spotlight has brought another figure to the fore: the alt girl, or specifically, everything that Olympics-winning figure skater Alysa Liu stands for. Her ebullient performance on the ice won the judges over, as the pure joy and reverence for her craft led her to the top of the podium. But it wasn’t just the two golds around her neck that set her apart. Nor was it just her striped halo hair, smiley piercing and affinity for oversized silhouettes. Liu became a sensation overnight, but her It girl status stems from a lot more than that.
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After all, she isn’t the first alt girl who’s won the zeitgeist’s attention. Between your Carolyn Bessette-types and Hailey Biebers, the alt girl has always somewhat shaped the It-girl narrative. Once upon a time, it was undisputed It-girl Alexa Chung, her band shirts, mud-splattered wellies and feline flicks against the world. More recently, we saw the rise of enigmatic model Gabbriette, whose pencil-thin brows and goth girl demeanour turned luxury brands like Fendi, Yves Saint Laurent and Chanel into something entirely her own. Charli XCX beckoned a second ripple in her black shades and raw, rave girl lifestyle, painting the town brat green. And one can’t deny that in some capacity, Ryder had always been the poster girl for the indie sleaze aesthetic, the one which became the blueprint for alternative style in the first place.
So what makes Liu a refreshing entry? In a world of societal pressure and digital over-exposure, it’s her confidence and unwavering self-assurance that proves she’s a force to be reckoned with. Liu won a national championship at the mere age of 13, which many saw as a prodigious feat. She professionally retired three years later—a wise decision she made for herself, her reasons unbeknownst to the world. She played the long game—time spent away from the sport gave her room to breathe, laying a strong foundation for her identity, autonomy and freedom of expression. With creative control in her hands the next time she laced her skates on, she returned to the Winter Olympics with full force. And she never stopped telling the world exactly what was on her mind whilst she was doing it.
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So yes, she’ll perform to Pink Pantheress and Zara Larsson’s ‘Stateside’ at an official Olympics closing event—purely because it’s fun. She’ll call her own shots and make the decision to withdraw from the ISU World Figure Skating Championships. She’ll even stand up to defend fellow athlete Eileen Gu, for no reason except the fact that she was asked.
There’s a certain honesty about her that makes her alt girl status that much more compelling. She’s cool, because she isn’t trying to be someone else. And in some sense, her disposition has shifted the status quo for who the It girl is and what she should represent. No longer are we bound to a singular archetype that rules the zeitgeist. Gone are the days when the It girl can be pigeonholed into a box. For if Liu—with her toothy smile, striped hair and ebullient energy—is proof of anything, a new world order is coming to town: the It girl should remain unapologetically themselves.
