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These Gen Z Stars Are Rewriting the "It Girl" Rulebook
Angelina Cruz, Erika Poturnak, Lorin Gutierrez, Pam Prinster, and Siobhan Moylan are redefining what it means to be an "It Girl."
Published Feb 5, 2024
Beyond curated feeds, Gen Z's It Girls are all about keeping it real.
What, exactly, is an It Girl? Nothing seems to scream “je ne sais quoi” than the moniker bestowed upon women every generation or so, whose auras have shaken society pages to Instagram feeds. “It” is elusive, just as much as the girl behind it. But, as the history of curious onlookers of these women would argue, this is simply part of that mysterious charm, one often tricky to put into words.
BJ Pascual
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Angelina Cruz, Erika Poturnak, Lorin Gutierrez, Pam Prinster, and Siobhan Moylan for Preview February 2024
The It Girl’s Past and Present
The Herculean task of defining “it” has often been explored in the past few decades, but much like society as we know it, definitions face constant change. The It Girl has grown from its roots as a red-haired 1920s flapper named Clara Bow, who, in the silent film It, became the blueprint of the magnetic woman, charming audiences with an undefinable allure. Years on, Clara Bow would pass on the proverbial crown to modern iterations, to the Edie Sedgwicks, Bianca Jaggers, and Jane Birkins of the world. To put it simply, the It Girl was famous, but not too famous. She possessed influence, but long before the word was desensitized by the clutches of the internet.
BJ Pascual
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Oceans away, on the shores of the Philippines, the Filipina It Girl would find her own likeness in the upper echelon, with her mystique going beyond her society circles. Socialites of the 1950s like Chona Recto-Kasten would make their presence known in the metro’s glitterati, while the '60s had its own cool-girl mod with Toni Serrano-Parsons. But it wasn’t until the 2000s and the 2010s that the local context of “it girl” had a life of its own, with the tightly-knit group of Georgina Wilson, Solenn Heussaff, Anne Curtis, Isabelle Daza, Liz Uy, and Bea Soriano-Dee brandishing it in effortless fashion. Despite generations of those who held the title, It Girl wasn’t a throwaway moniker, given as a 15-minutes-of-fame deal. They were proof incarnate, if their lingering yet unrelenting influence today has anything to say about it.
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Now, the Gen Z It Girl is poised to shine under that enigmatic title. Like the women that came before them, the new generation that find themselves pulled by It Girl-hood varies in cases. For the Filipina-Irish model Siobhan Moylan, it was a title stumbled upon, as part of the course of her publicized career. “I didn’t even seriously think about modeling until I graduated from college,” she admitted. “I think I made it a career because I always wanted to work in fashion.”
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In her mid-20s, the budding supermodel admits that she had a “late start” in her career compared to her peers, which began when she fronted her friend’s brand, and onto editorials for local publications like Candy. Soon after a few years, Siobhan would see herself tracing the footsteps of other It Girls after signing onto the New York-based Ford Models, whose roster once included Kate Moss. “Aside from Ford, I went there and met with some of the best agencies in the world, like Kendall Jenner’s and Naomi Campbell’s. I didn’t expect it.”
Meanwhile, in the case of her fellow model Pam Prinster, the “it” factor was one that sparked from the very beginning, despite growing up in a household sans creatives. With an accountant and former Marine for a dad and a nurse for a mom, the first signs of Pam’s stardom were born out of marathoning Filipino series while growing up in the United States. “I’ve always been so flamboyant and extra, and it just got implanted in me that [performing is] what I really wanted to do. My only connection to Filipino culture was through my mom and through my Filipino family there.”
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Beyond her first local modeling gig at 14, Pam would later return to the Philippines in 2019, where she had a televised stint in the GMA reality competition series StarStruck. To her, in hindsight, the time on the show felt like a “showbiz crash course.” “I feel like I had no idea what I was getting myself into. It was all just thrown at us, so it was like sink or swim. But now that I look back at it, I’m really happy that I did it.”
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On the Subject of Nepo Babies and Authenticity
It Girls take many forms, and some are descended from ones themselves. In a society where the Lily-Rose Depp-Vanessa Paradis and Isabelle Daza-Gloria Diaz connections have run rampant in the spotlight, like royalty, being an It Girl could often be passed down like a hereditary trait. At the very least, the bloodline offers a distinct childhood.
As the daughter of veteran actors Sunshine Cruz and Cesar Montano, the reality of Angelina Cruz’s unique background first came into her consciousness after a fateful visit to the mall with her father, who would later attract a crowd of fans. The incident would soon make her realize the weight of her parents’ status. “I was super petty, because I was a kid. I got super arrogant after that. I’d talk about my parents in movies, like, ‘Oh, have you seen my dad on TV?’” she recalled. “But my mom taught me to stay grounded.”
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Being a new-generation member of the famed Gutierrez clan, Lorin Gutierrez, on the other hand, had always come to terms with the fame of her family, but it often came with jarring revelations. Among them included accidentally discovering the annulment of her parents Ruffa Gutierrez and Yilmaz Bektas at seven years old through a news source.
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“I was on a long car ride, and there was nothing to read. So I just grabbed a magazine,” Lorin recalled. “It was a tell-all of my mom. That’s how I learned that my parents weren’t together and the whole story of what happened. I was like, ‘Oh, so that’s how the news is broken to me.’”
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“Everyone goes through family issues, no family is perfect. Everyone makes mistakes, everyone has crazy scandals. But a lot of these things happen behind closed doors, and you have to have access to privacy to be able to protect that.”
But while rampant, the inherited nature of fame is off-putting to many, in a time when the discussion on “nepo babies” is the industry’s elephant in the room. To Angelina and Lorin, however, their privilege is something they readily acknowledge.
“I understand the reason behind the conversation,” Lorin said. “Which is why before I actually fully plunge into showbiz, I want to make sure it’s something I 100 percent want to do. I want to make sure it’s something I’ve trained for, because I would never want to take the spot of someone more deserving just because it’s easier for me to be able to do so.”
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And if some clans had businesses, lawyers, and doctors in their family tree, Lorin’s had the entertainment industry. “I look at my family and their involvement in showbiz as any other family business. If my family were in the corporate world and had their own company, I’d think, ‘Hey, should I join the family business?’” she said. “That doesn’t necessarily mean that’s what I’m gonna do, but of course, that option is always going to be there.”
Angelina considers the status when upholding her parents’ legacy, given that they inspired her foray into acting in the 2021 film Love Is Color Blind and sitcom John En Ellen. “In my mind, I’m honoring what my parents did. I want to honor their legacy as well. But at the same time, I also do want to make a name for myself.”
Erika Poturnak, the burgeoning musician and daughter of actress Ina Raymundo, offers a straightforward take on the much-talked about topic. “When people ask me why I have a following, I just say, ‘Nepo baby, to make it plain and simple,’” she said. “I haven’t done anything yet, really. I’m young and I’m still figuring things out. I appreciate my followers, but I acknowledge where they came from.”
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BJ Pascual
In their cases, their familial backgrounds come pre-packaged with an exclusive perspective of fame and people’s curious interest in them, even before they land their It Girl status. “It made me realize how much of a weird thing fame is and how a lot of these celebrities are put on a pedestal but really, we’re all just people,” Lorin said.
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“You really don’t know the people you idolize, and everything that’s put out to you on TV and social media, it’s all manufactured. It’s all edited. They’re the best versions of people. So I learned to take everything that I see on social and mass media with a grain of salt, especially on a larger scale.”
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Social media’s toxic pursuit of perfection has had a direct effect, and Gen Zs, coming of age alongside the internet, may have faced the brunt of it. “I experienced it when growing up during the Tumblr days and the rise of Instagram,” Erika revealed. “It’s like you’re micro-dosing every day, taking in information that is conditioning you into thinking you must look a certain way, be a certain way, have certain things, in order to feel worthy. It’s sick and it’s scary.
“It targets your self-worth and your innocence, and it’s targeting girls younger and younger. And I’m really wondering what it’s gonna take for people to realize how detrimental it is,” she continued. “I can’t help but feel guilty when young girls reach out to me and start comparing themselves. It’s a strange and uncomfortable feeling. I badly just want to be like, ‘No, this is just 10 percent of who I am. This is a small sliver of my life.’”
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Then, a “retaliation” came. While their millennial predecessors flourished on Instagram, where curated and crisp images eventually become someone’s “#LifeGoals,” Gen Z relished in intentionally blurred snaps and photo dumps that showcase their authentic selves. Social media has played a vital role in forming the new breed of the It Girl, but even the young blood have branded it on par with their generation.
In a way, a short-form video app like TikTok has become the antithesis of polished Instagram, where off-kilter and “real” videos get hits. Young women like Siobhan and Lorin post “get ready with me” videos, which the latter likened to a “Facetime call with a friend,” with many of her followers uncovering her comedic side they’re not privy to. Likewise, Erika mentioned that she uses TikTok “for the fun of it,” especially with the lighthearted side it offers.
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“I feel like posting regularly on Instagram isn’t so relevant anymore like it used to be,” Siobhan expressed. “I find I can be more authentic on TikTok, same with a lot of other people, whereas Instagram, it feels like it’s more curated. I just like that it doesn’t take itself seriously. You don’t need to worry about looking good.”
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“Maybe there’s less pressure to stay relevant,” Pam added. “And if you’ve created that space where what you offer is so unique and different, people are only gonna be looking for you for that because you’ve created your own market. You gotta make your own space.”
The It Girl, Redefined
The characteristics may vary in the present, but gone are the days when It Girls were famous for being famous. Now, they often come with a list of credentials, with each carving a path for themselves in their industries. Siobhan, signed to Ford, seesaws back and forth to the Big Apple and Manila in between modeling gigs, while Pam is ecstatic about her upcoming role as Cami in Sang’gre, the Encantadia spinoff. Angelina has her music and acting in mind, but receiving her university diploma is at the top of her priorities. Lorin signed on to Viva Artists Agency at 17 for her potential showbiz career, with her YouTube channel on the list after her college degree. Erika, meanwhile, is forging her own route as a musician, as a student at Boston’s Berklee College of Music. The definition of the It Girl is changing, and they, too, know it.
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BJ Pascual
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“It carries a superficial connotation, this idea of being praised more or less for having socialite status. And I think the term immediately excludes such a large margin of people,” Erika said. “I don’t think she looks like just one type of girl.”
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“I don’t really know what defines an It Girl,” Siobhan chimed in. “I don’t think there is a set definition. We’re more open to different body types and different personalities. I think the term ‘It Girl’ is broader now than ever.”
What, exactly, is the It Girl? It could be the zeitgeist personified as a woman, often an enigma. It could be a fluctuating term, with its own little metamorphoses from one era to the next. In Gen Z’s case, at least, it’s authenticity at its finest, and it’s as apparent as it can get. After all, it’s a generation’s turn to define “it”—whatever “it” may be.
BJ Pascual
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Produced and Styled by The Preview Team
Photographer: BJ Pascual
Creative Director: Bacs Arcebal
Editor-in-Chief: Marj Ramos-Clemente
Production and Fashion: Leika Golez and Reg Rodriguez
Assisted by: Em Enriquez, Isha Fojas, and Jamie Lou Briones
Makeup and Hairstyling: Team Muriel Vega Perez using Kiko Milano
Production Design: Princess Barretto
Story: Katrina Maisie Cabral
Videos: Jana Jodloman
Social Media: Jamie Lou Briones
Shoot Location: Baked Studios
Special thanks to Heybo Philippines and Nespresso Philippines
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