The It-Girl Phenomenon in Italy from the 1960s to Today Intriguing and charismatic: from Raffaella Carrà to Chiara Ferragni, here is a review, of our It girls

After brilliant cover stories on Hollywood's nepobabies and the Ozempic, the New York devoted the front page of its 24 April 2023 issue to the It Girl phenomenon, which exploded in the Big Apple in the 1960s (although the term originated in the British upper middle class in the early 20th century and gained further attention with the 1927 film It) and then spread worldwide. The long line of It girls who have dominated the New York scene ever since begins with the 22 August 1985 episode of The David Letterman Show, in which Diane Brill, a girl who had shortly before appeared on the cover of Vogue (apparently without any merit) and was generally regarded as the "Queen of the Night"," told Letterman a series of unwritten but indispensable rules for a self-respecting socialite: 1) Go out every night. 2) Show up at a party during the highlight of the evening. 3) Leave the party discreetly, but only after saying goodbye to everyone, which creates doubt in the minds of those present that you were the one who stopped the party, "because once you leave, the party is over," says Brill. A real It-girl thrives on the limelight, but does not chase it. The same goes for photographers, journalists and fans who are fascinated and bemused by the mysterious halo that envelops her glossy life. "An undeniable celebrity is not an 'it' girl," explains Matthew Schneier, the author of this fascinating article. Discussed and loved, envied and imitated, overseas It girls are known to everyone from the iconic Edie Sedgwick and Bianca Jagger to Chloe Sevigny, Alexa Chung and Paris Hilton. But who are the Italians who, thanks to that "certain something"," have made it to the front pages and TV and arouse the interest and admiration of the general public?