In the weeks leading up to the release of her lost EP, AR, TikTok sensation Addison Rae began to catch my eye with her outfits. Be it a coffee run in towering Vivienne Westwood lace-up platforms or going to Pilates in an almost absurd Y2K mishmash of pointy-toe flats and leg warmers, Rae is giving shades of noughties pop diva that’s been missing from the current culture for far too long.
Now, over a year later, Rae is well on her way to the stardom her wardrobe manifested. Following her (legitimately good) single “Diet Pepsi,” she hit the 2024 MTV VMAs red carpet in an outré bra and panties set complete with a tulle bustle and feathers by Miss Claire Sullivan and styled by Dara Allen. It was Swan Lake meets Las Vegas showgirl. It was pure, unapologetic pop-star behavior.
I first learned about Rae when I joined TikTok at the onset of the pandemic—along with every other person born before 2000, it seems. She was already the reigning queen (well, she shared the crown with Charli D’Amelio). I wouldn’t exactly call myself a fan. With her megawatt, Disney Channel smile and almost maniacally upbeat dance videos, I chalked her up to being “for kids.” But in the years since, Rae has grown up, and altered her image accordingly. Her image control of choice was fashion.
Rae’s stylistic savvy is what helped her bridge the massive chasm between her young fanbase and older generations. Around 2021, coinciding with her first stab at a music career, Rae began amping up her personal style with the help of Law Roach (the since-retired image architect) and her current stylist, Ryan Hastings. While I can’t say I paid much mind to her single “Obsessed,” I did take note of her closet full of quippy tank tops, candy-colored short-shorts, and risqué formalwear. Clearly, Rae was strategically deploying her wardrobe to her advantage.
I first really began paying attention to Rae as a tastemaker when she attended the 2021 MTV Movie Awards in a daring Christopher Esber look, styled by Roach. Her revealing bandeau top and low-waisted maxi skirt were bold picks for a more pedestrian event, a choice that cemented her in my mind as a burgeoning fashion girlie. Her adventurousness paid off. Once again styled by Roach, Rae was one of the first TikTokers to score an invite to the Met Gala, walking the red carpet in a cherry Tom Ford-era Gucci piece. Since then she’s only leaned into archival fashion, wowing in a plunging vintage Jean Louis Scherrer couture number at the LACMA Art and Film Gala, and opting for an unexpected hooded Gareth Pugh dress at the CFDA Awards.
A lot of TikTok influencers play it safe, taking bland brand deals and churning out overwrought sponcon. So I really appreciated Rae’s commitment to risk-taking. In August 2022 she received backlash for starring in a provocative ad for Adidas x Praying. The picture, which has since been scrubbed from Instagram, featured her in the brand’s Holy Trinity bikini. With “Father” and “Son” emblazoned over each breast and “Holy Spirit” on the crotch, Rae keeps her eyes downcast, her tongue sticking out of her mouth. Some called it blasphemous; I call it brilliant.
Even Rae’s off-duty looks radiate pop-star energy. Her Instagram is filled with callbacks to the 2000s, from pink zip-up hoodies to sheer slips. And what can be said about her hodgepodge Pilates looks (hello, leg warmers and rhinestone-encrusted Dior headband!)? With her high-concept touches to even the most basic of outfits, Rae is always putting in the effort.
Addison Rae is a bona-fide conversation starter with a clear reverence for fashion. With both her style and music, she commits to the bit. Maybe one day she’ll look back on both and cringe at her younger self (who hasn’t?), but she can always rest easy knowing that she really went for it. I feel confident in saying that she has earned her stripes as a pop diva. Even if she doesn’t have an album out yet.
