The Year of the It Girl
Ringing in 2024 right!!!
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Being that today is the first day of the new year, everything right now seems to be orbiting in small or big ways around what’s going to happen and who we’ll be in the face of it or as a result of it. Everyone’s talking about change—the ones they’re making, the ones they’re manifesting, and so on—or are at least thinking about it. But honestly, talking about change is soooo 2023 for me so instead, I wanted the focus of this year’s first piece to be on people I look to whenever I need inspiration.
Ever since The Cut ran its New York It Girl series last year (obligatory), I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about the various It Girls in my own life1—less in a Single White Female way and more in the “I want to be like them when I grow up,” even though I’m older than one of today’s guests. In the series’ introductory piece, Matthew Schneier writes that
“It” girls are primarily young…but going out voraciously is a prime determinant of “It,” and a youthful energy helps. So does a sense of style, especially one unto yourself. A job is not a requirement. It’s more “It” to have either two jobs or no jobs; a bit of mystery is very “It,” and if no one can quite figure out what you do, so much the better…The “It” girl has been defined not by herself — to seek “It,” at least publicly, is not very “It” — but by her chroniclers: magazine writers, newspaper columnists, photographers. She is someone “everyone is drawn to — someone people want to gossip about,” says Patrick McMullan, the nightlife photographer who for nearly 40 years has been a fixture of the New York scene.
When I read this, it felt a few shades right and a few more wrong. While yes, the “It” qualities may be some variation of “tirelessness. Presence. Perceptiveness. Shamelessness. Frippery and grit,” I think that’s just a fancy way to describe women who are uniquely and indisputably themselves. As we think and talk and orbit around the parts of ourselves that we want to improve or solve or revamp in 2024, I’ve thought more and more about my own It Girls—individuals who make their presence known, work insanely hard at everything they do, and have Instagrams that I often look to for fashion or writing guidance.
In fairness, my true list of It Girls is likely as long as The Cut’s is but wanted to highlight these four in particular because they are, in my opinion at least, wholly themselves. We can strive to lose such and such amount of pounds or become a person who travels to here, there, and everywhere. But the end goal of every resolution or New Year’s change should always be to build the best life for yourself, to constantly become who you authentically are.
I’ve watched each of these women do that in the years that I’ve respectively known them (again: in the least creepy way possible) which is why I wanted to put them in conversation with one another here today. I love how this piece turned out and I’m over the moon that this is how we get to kick off Emily For President’s 2024 season.
What's your name, age, and astrological big three?
Rebecca Loftin, 25: Leo sun, Aries moon, Aquarius rising
Sara, 29: Gemini sun, Sagittarius moon, Cancer rising
Alyssa, 27 (ugh): Sagittarius sun, Libra moon, Pisces rising!!
Shannon Lawrence, 27: Capricorn sun, Pisces moon, Scorpio rising
What's your origin story in five sentences or less?
Rebecca: For the first ten years of my life, I was a feral tomboy in the North Shore of Chicago until my Dad moved us to Texas, and I rebranded as a church girl in outlet Tommy Hilfiger. After a bunch of shit, I channeled my daddy issues into older men and randos and Tumblr poetry (cringe). Eventually, I got a nice boyfriend and moved to Los Angeles to become a "Great Writer." I broke up with said nice boyfriend, got more bad boyfriends, and wrote a bunch. Then three years ago I got into therapy and am now a very Well-Adjustable Nice Girl with Great Taste In Men and Friends.
Sara: Born in the San Francisco Bay Area to two Filipino immigrants, bred in Atlanta, and currently living in Brooklyn.
Alyssa: The oopsie kid that keeps the bench nice and warm. Put me in coach!! I also have anxiety and a chronic shopping problem but I use both of those to my advantage in some capacity.
Shannon: On the 3rd day, God said, “Let there be Shannon Lawrence.”
Why do you think I consider you to be an "It" girl, and would you agree?
Rebecca: I can only imagine it was because I have gone through so many phases over the decade, and you have borne witness to many of them. And absolutely fucking not, I have no business being on this list.
Sara: I think I know why—I have my guesses, but I can't say for sure. I pride myself on having a high sense of self-awareness, but that's not the same thing as being able to see yourself the way others see you.
Do I agree? Maybe? I think you're an "It" girl and game recognizes game soooo....
Alyssa: Because I could do Andy Cohen’s job but he could not do mine and that’s facts.
Shannon: I've often been described as “quirky,” and my interests tend to be a bit niche. But what is it? I think it's kindness. It's mastery of self-concept. It's walking in love, and bringing others into that warmth.
I am blessed to belong to a community that I feel sees these qualities within me. I thank God for bringing me opportunities I could not have imagined and to cross paths with incredibly rare souls!!! I mean a 36-hour work sprint in Paris for Fashion Week, or attending Chloë Sevigny's HISTORIC sample sale, or modeling for my friend Chad Senzel's vintage showroom were not on my bingo card! But this is the kind of stuff I love, and I hope it's just the beginning.
What is the coolest thing about yourself and/or the coolest thing you've ever done?
Rebecca: I write every day, whether it be archiving my day in my journal, or working on a script or an essay. It's the lens through which I interact with the world, and it's made me a better person for that.
Sara: The coolest thing about me is probably my ability to fall asleep anywhere, anytime. The coolest thing I've ever done is cook for a week at a really amazing restaurant in Paris.
Alyssa: I’ve been to all 7 continents which is less a cool fact about me and more a cool fact about how adventurous my parents are.
Shannon: My family.
If there were no rules or rent to be paid, what career path would you seek out and why?
Rebecca: Exactly what I am doing now—filmmaker and writer (I am remarkably lucky).
Sara: Food critic! I think my thoughts, words, opinions, etc. are sharpest when I get to dissect a meal or restaurant.
Alyssa: Probably house flipping because if I stare at a screen any longer I think I’ll burst an eyeball and I am passionate about expensive tile. Also, it’s my dream to be like Joanna Gaines without the controversy or the shiplap.
HGTV if you’re reading this, let’s talk—I have no idea how to flip or design a house but I do have heart.
Shannon: Editor-in-chief—to be in pursuit of the bigger picture.
If there were no rules or rent to be paid, where would you live and why?
Rebecca: Exactly where I am now, except maybe a mile north into Los Feliz so I can walk to the bookstore, though at that point I'm just nit-picking my existence.
Sara: Well, I already live in NYC so this question feels almost a bit moot, but probably Paris! Cliché for a good reason. Or maybe Copenhagen? I fear it may be too homogenous there though.
Alyssa: Probably Paris even though they’d run me outta town (I speak no French and went an entire decade refusing to like croissants).
Shannon: Tribeca—"right next to DeNiro" ;)! It feels like a dreamy, eerie pocket of NYC.
Who do you admire most and why?
Rebecca: Maggie Nelson. Her writing is somehow able to blend intellectual rigor and emotionality. I love her. She is so cool.
Sara: Right now, I really admire Taylor Swift. Even at the peak of her fame, she's still living life, staying true to herself, and working like the rent is DUE. No one else comes to mind.
Alyssa: Emily because she does what she sets her mind to and I need to do a little more and care a little less.
Shannon: My parents. Because of their hearts, and showing me the importance of grit.
What is your favorite item of clothing or accessory you own and how did you acquire it?
Rebecca: My wool Pendleton skirt. I have literally no idea where I got it, nor when. It's like it appeared in my closet just for me (I'm kidding—I'm sure I found it at a flea market or something).
Sara: Oh, I've definitely thought about this. I'd say 90% of my closet comes from The RealReal, Poshmark, or consignment shops so everything has a "story" and place in my closet.
My absolute favorite item of clothing is probably this green zebra Chloé coat I have. It was one of those things I had seen on Pinterest and discovered on TRR moments later. It felt so kismet, I couldn't not purchase it, and now it feels like a beacon of my personal style.
Alyssa: I have this patchwork Sea NY jacket I got off of an influencer on Depop for like a third of the price. She wore it once, probably for an Instagram post. But I made two of my closest new adult friends because of that jacket—they complimented me on it at a coffee shop. They clearly had good taste so I said, “Thanks wanna be friends?” Just a few weeks ago, I got to celebrate my 27 birthday with those gals so I consider that jacket to be as special as it is swaggy.
Shannon: Vintage Levi's bought from my friend Rush (@adarushshop). Perfect wash and fit, no stretch. I get asked where they're from every time I wear them.
If you have one, what is your signature scent?
Rebecca: Vacation. It's a sunscreen brand but they make a perfume and it literally smells like pool and Banana Boat and I love it.
Sara: Right now, it's probably a mix of Byredo's Rose of No Man's Land and La Tulipe with a base layer of Marion Louis Marie's Bois de Balincourt.
Alyssa: Not to date myself back to 2020 but its a dupe (doooop) for Santal 33 from Dossier called Woody Sandalwood.
Shannon: Another 13.
What's your craziest story?
Rebecca: I simply cannot be honest here.
Sara: I can't recall anything right now...ugh, sorry, pass!
Alyssa: How much time do you have?
Shannon: It starts at an early screening of Uncut Gems and ends at Blue Flame.
Which piece of art do you feel best captures who you are?
Rebecca: Christina's World by Andrew Wyeth. It's so classic and encapsulates this girlhood longing for the world. I also love Ethel Cain's reference to it in her video for “American Teenager.”
Sara: There's this wire sculpture of Josephine Baker created by Alexander Calder that I saw at the High Museum of Art last year that really resonated with me. The first time I had my birth chart read, the astrologer referenced Josephine Baker a lot since she's a fellow Gemini.
Alyssa: I wish I could write these questions down for my next dinner party but I will totally not remember to do that.
Probably something multimedia and abstract—I grew up with a lot of different influences and got to learn from a lot of diverse people: nannies, my parents, my brothers who are much older and continue to try and act like my parents, friend’s parents, etc. I love how all of those people helped craft me into who I am in their own special ways or “mediums.”
Can you describe your most ideal future? Where are you, who are you, and what are you wearing?
Rebecca: I have a home in San Francisco where I take my children to school and a cabin in Minnesota where I spend the summer with my family. I dress like Sofia Coppola and have three well-received features under my belt. I have adapted one of my favorite novels into a television show. I am writing a book of essays. I walk and sit by a well-lit window and have lots and lots of books. I am happily married and most of my days are boring in that contented English countryside way.
Sara: My own apartment in Brooklyn. I'm writing, working, watching movies, cooking, making tea, cuddling with my dog, and planning my next trip. I'm wearing a green cashmere sweater, white t-shirt, pajama pants, and house slippers.
Alyssa: I used to marry myself to a specific future and that only really crushed me. I have big goals I want but the path I take to get there is up for debate!
I’d love to continue being the favorite aunt, a mom, in a house with tile I hand-picked from Portugal. The details will fill themselves in or perhaps color outside the lines. My outfit will eat, that I know for sure (for the record, I wanted to say slay but apparently that’s already out. Trying my best not to get bullied by Gen Alpha).
Shannon: Living in my dream home! With my babies and husband and puppies and a Ferrari—not particularly in that order but they are of equal importance. I'm the kind of person you see at the farmer's market and admire from afar. Also naked in private, if I can help it but otherwise maybe like a vintage tee or Hermès Spring 2000 Ready-to-Wear.
Do you feel like you are authentically yourself? If so, how did you reach that point?
Rebecca: I'm mostly there, but I still find it difficult to authentically be myself around new people. I also think so much of my taste has been dictated by other people. I'm only just now starting to curate what makes me 'me,' in both an aesthetic and artistic capacity.
Sara: I got to a point where I felt like I lost (let go of) everything that I thought was right for me. Once those things were out of the picture, it was just me. Also, a lot of good microdose trips.
Alyssa: I try but can’t always say that means I succeed! I have people-pleasing tendencies, I love to agree to make people feel good, and sometimes that comes at the cost of my own thoughts opinions etc, etc.
Shannon: Yeah <3 I'm kind of weird, and I like it that way. Luckily, my family has always cheered me on and encouraged me to live authentically.
What is your favorite thing in the world and why?
Rebecca: Sunshowers. They feel so spiritual and sexy I don't know.
Sara: The way the sun pours into my apartment at sunrise combined with the aroma of fresh coffee.
Alyssa: My nieces because they are goofballs and full of pure joy. They just love and want to be loved. There’s something so special and grounding about that simplicity.
Shannon: Sunday morning, or taking a walk with my grandma on our favorite trail by Kennesaw Mt. There is no greater peace than this.
Is there anything else you wish I had asked?
Rebecca: Who my favorite It Girl is (you or Clarice Lispector).
Sara: Hmmm... no, this feels pretty thorough! Curious to see how this piece pans out :)
Alyssa: Why did I submit this so late? My answer is I have no excuses but I owe ya a heaping bowl of gluten-free pasta next time I’m in town
Shannon: No :) but I love you just so you know.
Who would play you in a movie and why?
Rebecca: Gillian Anderson but that's just because I think she should play everyone.
Sara: I don't feel Asian American women are represented well enough in Hollywood for me to have a good, complete answer for this. But if I had to choose, if I'm the protagonist then Greta Lee? And if I'm the antagonist, then Aubrey Plaza?
Alyssa: Anya Taylor Joy or Daisy Edgar Jones (I made someone else pick that for me).
Shannon: Zendaya lol.
Thank you a million to these gorgeous It Girls not only for participating in this panel but for inspiring me and being incredible humans!!!! I’m so happy I got to ring in a new year of E4P with all of them!!!
Check out Rebecca, Sara, and Shannon’s Substacks, and Alyssa’s incredible Instagram.
For what it’s worth, anyone can be an It Girl. Gender is a construct 😘