Richie Shazam’s Guide to Being an It Girl

This piece is part of The Jade Issue, a special issue of Polyester guest-edited and curated by Jade Thirlwall. Jade handpicked each of the musicians, activists, writers and it girls in the magazine as an exercise in trying to create the publication she wishes she’d been able to read growing up. Get your copy here!

richie shazam it girl polyester jade issue jade thirlwall 2024 — Make it stand out

We’ve reached peak It Girl. She’s the subject of a viral song - a few, even. She’s a multi-hyphenate who has earned her stripes. She’s the final boss of the girlhood trends. She’s so Julia. She’s just it.
To Richie Shazam, the model, photographer, creative director, writer and icon, an It Girl is a necessity to society. She enthuses that we - we as a culture - need someone to place on a pedestal and it’s all the better when it is someone who deserves to be adored.

After growing up in Jamaica, Queens and spending the last 33 years stomping around an infamously chaotic New York City, Richie is the perfect pick to help guide us on our journey to becoming It Girls ourselves. Over an hour long Zoom sesh in which Richie immediately settled me into a conversation that felt as comfortable as chatting with a best mate at the afters - there was a lot of ‘Yes, exactly’ thrown about - Richie told me the importance of seeing each morning as a refresh. In her own words: “Every day is a new year's resolution.”

If there’s anything an It Girl does well, it’s reinvention. So whenever it is that you’re reading these sacred words of wisdom, choose today to be your New Year and make your resolution following the guidance across these pages – to become the It Girl you were born to be.

Do the work

While it isn’t specifically about It Girl-ing, I think Richie’s words on the current state of the industry ring true for anyone looking to ‘make it’. She takes down, for example, those picking up the creative director title without putting any effort in beforehand. “I think the title creative director now is a joke. It's like an utter joke because it’s the new generation’s way of bypassing not doing any real work.” Richie says. “Someone like myself has built a resume for 10-15 years and I've worked with so many incredible people, I’ve done the work.”

She continues, “I try not to be a copy and paste, I want to actually try to evoke something original and inspiring. It is about not just spending a few hours on Pinterest and mood boarding some images.” And while the role of creative director will always be a nebulous one, Richie’s thoughts on taking up space without putting in the effort to understand and innovate on what you are trying to embody is sound advice for us all to follow.

Grow a Thick Skin

Although Richie promises me that anyone can be an It Girl, she does note that the role may not be one that someone would want to encompass. She tells me, “An It Girl isn't just associated with goodness, there's the good, the bad and the ugly. As many people say good things, they say bad things and pointedly malicious things. You have to be able to really take it, you have to be willing to dodge those bullets and keep it moving.”

And while Richie offers this advice, she’s realistic that it’s not totally possible all of the time. In a painfully relatable part of the interview, she notes that in a sea of compliments even just one negative comment can send her spiralling. The trick is not giving yourself the time to dwell on the bad and the ugly - the best thing for soothing the wounds is by not giving the hatred the time to sit on the skin.

Believe It

In her book of portraits released last year, simply titled Shazam on a bright red, glossy cover, Richie filled 176 pages with original photography of herself and her peers in the studio, on the street and most importantly, in killer looks representative of all facets of Richie’s career, goals and already lengthy roster of achievements.

And what part of creating the book made Richie feel the most in tune with her It Girl status? Getting to actually have fun. “My book facilitated fun,” she smiles, “It allowed everyone to just make something new, explore ideas and not take it too seriously.”

Richie’s final bit of advice is a simple one - “Just be it.” She laughs. “If you're drinking your own Kool Aid, then everyone else will, it's as easy as that. Nobody else does it like me, that's just what you have to remember. It's a good mantra. Nobody else does it like me.”

Ride For The Girls

For Richie, It Girls aren’t solely providers of a good time but the girlies who will always have your back. “Take care of your own!” She declares. “I will always take care of my own. Even if you're wrong, I will still March at dawn for you. I will still storm for you. Even if I know you're in the wrong.”

She explains, “Because we're leading a movement, so we have to protect one another. The patriarchy is really attacking us right now in so many ways. It’s important that we bond together and fight it collectively.”

Take Charge!

“My journey to being an It Girl was definitely not being an it girl.” Richie divulges, “I'm still learning to be comfortable in my skin – that’s gonna be a lifelong journey - but I think that when I am in public spaces, I will always mask and give you the most. I'm really good at just feeling it, really bodying the environment and holding my own.”

As well as faking it til you make it (girl), Richie advises all potential people princesses to accept the highs and lows of each day as they come without being distracted from the true mission of any It Girl - having fun and taking charge. She adds, “Being an It Girl is just being bossy and being a go-getter by any means necessary to get what you want and what you deserve. Not taking any bullshit. Demanding respect is really important.”

Richie Shazam’s Guide to Being an It Girl

Mass Consumption, the Algorithm and How Capitalism Created Content

Soccer Mommy on her album ‘Evergreen’, festival culture and DIY rock