The It Girls Who Lunch

What constitutes an “It Girl”? That was the question on many minds at a luncheon hosted by W Magazine’s Lynn Hirschberg and Coach celebrating the It Girls of W Magazine Thursday afternoon. Young women of all professional denominations—artists, actresses, singers, bloggers and models—flocked to an exclusive Upper East Side private club as a stylish and empowered answer to that query.

“We don’t really have this thing in France. But I think of It Girls as cool,” said Lola Rykiel, as nearby, Emily Ratajkowski had her portrait sketched by the illustrator Michelle Vella. “Though I don’t think I’m cool at all,” she added, hastily.

We beg to differ, as she fit in seamlessly with the crowd, which included Ciara, Dakota Fanning, Nicola Peltz, Isabelle Fuhrman, Wynter Gordon and Laura Love, many of whom greeted each other like long-lost relatives.

“I think they’re role models,” mused Hailee Steinfeld of the hard to pinpoint descriptor. “When someone calls me one, it’s the greatest thing!”

As her fellow ladies prepared to head into an Edith Wharton-esque room for lunch, Allison Williams dispelled the notion that being deemed “It” is inherently about the transitory and novel.

“You can’t quite say it’s that you’re on your way up because a lot of the people here are very accomplished and on their way somewhere. Although you could say we’re all on our way somewhere,” said the actress. “I think it could be pretty fluid. I would never call myself an ‘It Girl,’ but I can sleep better knowing Lynn thinks of me as one.”

Sweet dreams.