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So, we handpicked one hundred It Girls who embody that palpable It Factor moving through us as young Black women, the kind of motion lighting up the world both IRL and across the internet.
It Girl 100 became xoNecole’s most successful program, with the hashtag organically reaching more than forty million impressions on Instagram in just twenty-four hours. Yes, it caught on like wildfire because we celebrated some of the most brilliant and influential GenZennial women of color setting trends and shaping culture. But more than that, it resonated because the women we celebrated felt seen.
Many were already known in their industries for keeping this generation fly and lit, but rarely received recognition or flowers. It Girl 100 became a safe space to be uplifted, and for us as Black women to bask in what felt like an era of our brilliance, beauty, and boundless influence on full display.
And then, almost overnight, it was as if the rug was pulled from under us as Black women, as the It Girls of the world.
Our much-needed, much-deserved season of ease and soft living quickly metamorphosed into a time of self-preservation and survival. Our motion and economic progression seemed strategically slowed, our light under siege.
The air feels heavier now. The headlines colder. Our Black girl magic is being picked apart and politicized for simply existing.
With that climate shift, as we prepare to launch our second annual It Girl 100 honoree list, our team has had to dig deep on the purpose and intention behind this year’s list. Knowing the spirit of It Girl 100 is about motion, sauce, strides, and progression, how do we celebrate amid uncertainty and collective grief when the juice feels like it is being squeezed out of us?
As we wrestled with that question, we were reminded that this tension isn’t new. Black women have always had to find joy in the midst of struggle, to create light even in the darkest corners. We have carried the weight of scrutiny for generations, expected to be strong, to serve, to smile through the sting. But this moment feels different. It feels deeply personal.
We are living at the intersection of liberation and backlash. We are learning to take off our capes, to say no when we are tired, to embrace softness without apology.
And somehow, the world has found new ways to punish us for it.
In lifestyle, women like Kayla Nicole and Ayesha Curry have been ridiculed for daring to choose themselves. Tracee Ellis Ross was labeled bitter for speaking her truth about love. Meghan Markle, still, cannot breathe without critique.
In politics, Kamala Harris, Letitia James, and Jasmine Crockett are dragged through the mud for standing tall in rooms not built for them.
In sports, Angel Reese, Coco Gauff, and Taylor Townsend have been reminded that even excellence will not shield you from racism or judgment.
In business, visionaries like Diarrha N’Diaye-Mbaye and Melissa Butler are fighting to keep their dreams alive in an economy that too often forgets us first.
Even our icons, Beyoncé, Serena, and SZA, have faced criticism simply for evolving beyond the boxes society tried to keep them in.
From everyday women to cultural phenoms, the pattern is the same. Our light is being tested.
And yet, somehow, through it all, we are still showing up as that girl, and that deserves to be celebrated.
Because while the world debates our worth, we keep raising our value. And that proof is all around us.
This year alone, Naomi Osaka returned from motherhood and mental health challenges to reach the semifinals of the US Open. A’ja Wilson claimed another MVP, reminding us that beauty and dominance can coexist. Brandy and Monica are snatching our edges on tour. Kahlana Barfield Brown sold out her new line in the face of a retailer that had been canceled. And Melissa Butler’s company, The Lip Bar, is projecting a forty percent surge in sales.
We are no longer defining strength by how much pain we can endure. We are defining it by the unbreakable light we continue to radiate.
We are the women walking our daily steps and also continuing to run solid businesses. We are growing in love, taking solo trips, laughing until it hurts, raising babies and ideas, drinking our green juice, and praying our peace back into existence.
We are rediscovering the joy of rest and realizing that softness is not weakness, it is strategy.
And through it all, we continue to lift one another. Emma Grede is creating seats at the table. Valeisha Butterfield has started a fund for jobless Black women. Arian Simone is leading in media with fearless conviction. We are pouring into each other in ways the world rarely sees but always feels.
So yes, we are in the midst of societal warfare. Yes, we are being tested. Yes, we are facing economic strain, political targeting, and public scrutiny. But even war cannot dim a light that is divinely ours.
And we are still shining.
And we are still softening.
And we are still creating.
And we are still It.
That is the quiet magic of Black womanhood, our ability to hold both truth and triumph in the same breath, to say yes, and to life’s contradictions.
It is no coincidence that this year, as SheaMoisture embraces the message “Yes, And,” they stand beside us as partners in celebrating this class of It Girls. Because that phrase, those two simple words, capture the very essence of this moment.
Yes, we are tired. And we are still rising.
Yes, we are questioned. And we are the answer.
Yes, we are bruised. And we are still beautiful.
This year’s It Girl 100 is more than a list. It is a love letter to every Black woman who dares to live out loud in a world that would rather she whisper. This year’s class is living proof of “Yes, And,” women who are finding ways to thrive and to heal, to build and to rest, to lead and to love, all at once.
It is proof that our joy is not naive, our success not accidental. It is the reminder that our light has never needed permission.
So without further ado, we celebrate the It Girl 100 Class of 2025–2026.
We celebrate the millions of us who keep doing it with grace, grit, and glory.
Because despite it all, we still shine.
Because we are still her.
Because we are still IT, girl.
Meet all 100 women shaping culture in the It Girl 100 Class of 2025. View the complete list of honorees here.
Featured image by xoStaff
The one caveat I must warn you of with hip openers is that if you’ve been avoiding trauma or have unresolved pain from the past it may reemerge as you work through some of these postures. That is completely normal and also a healthy part of releasing stress in your body, but if you’re not expecting it, it can come as a shock in the moment. Before you try these postures out, go into them with an open mind and give yourself grace. Make sure you focus on your breath as you navigate each one. I’d suggest a four-count inhale and a four-count exhale.
Also, if it’s helpful attach yourself to a mantra (a word or phrase) you can focus on while you’re in them. One mantra that has served me best in hip openers is, “I am open to letting go of anything that no longer serves me.” Feel free to grab a yoga mat, blanket, or towel to dive into the following postures.
Note: Hold each stretch for 30-60 seconds.
Half Pigeon
Half Pigeon Down
Christa Janine/xoNecole
Half Pigeon Up
Christa Janine/xoNecole
How To: Bring your front leg as close to a 90-degree angle as you can and extend your back leg long behind you. You can stay lifted up or fold over your front leg. (Note: if you feel any knee pain, bring your front heel closer to your back hip.) Repeat with your other leg forward.
Runner's Large
Runner's Lunge
Christa Janine/xoNecole
How To: Bring your front foot forward and wide, partially off of the mat, then bring both hands to the inside of your front leg. Extend your back leg long. You have the option to come down to your forearms here as well. Repeat with your other leg forward.
Kneeling Crescent Lunge
Kneeling Crescent Lunge
Christa Janine/xoNecole
How To: Bring your front foot forward, bend your knee 90 degrees, and ensure your front knee is in line with your hip. Extend your back leg long and reach both hands over your head. Push into your front heel and press down through your back hip. Repeat with your other leg forward.
Prone Frog
Prone Frog
Christa Janine/xoNecole
Prone Frog
Christa Janine/xoNecole
How To: Start in a tabletop position, bring your knees wider than hips distance apart, align your ankles with your knees, and flex your toes toward your knees. Push your pelvis down toward the mat and relax forward into a fold.
Malasana
Malasana
Christa Janine/xoNecole
How To: Begin in a standing position and place your feet just outside of your hips distance, pivot your toes outward, bend your knees, and keep your chest lifted. Bring your elbows in between your thighs and hands together at your heart.
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Featured image by Christa Janine/xoNecole
Originally published on January 18, 2023