American rapper JT knows the exact fashion moment that got her on the radar of luxury houses. It’s too bad she refuses to say what it is. “I’m not telling y’all what it is because I don’t want anybody to steal my sauce,” she playfully tells Fashionista.
But for the fun of it, let’s take a guess anyway: Perhaps her defining fashion moment was when she wore Jean Paul Gaultier to the 2023 BET Awards. Or maybe it was the corseted Mirror Palais gown she sported at the 2023 MTV Awards. It could even have been one of JT’s many fashion-forward music videos that got her on the industry’s radar.
Photo: Prince Williams/WireImage
All this to say, she has many sartorial moments as a contender. So it’s no surprise that she’s finally gained a presence in the high fashion world. (It was a long time coming.)
Most recently, the rapper starred in the debut campaign for L/AB c/o Off-White, Off-White’s accessibly priced, streetwear-oriented sub-label. She fronts the campaign alongside Glaive, PZ, Vivian Jenna Wilson, Mazzy Joya, Julez Smith and Jay Guapõ. “It was such an exciting project, first of all, because we shot it in Berlin,” JT says. “That was my first time ever being in Berlin…The Off-White team made it very magical.”
JT sees being a part of this project as a full-circle moment: She’s a longtime fan of the brand, and even remembers having its iconic Industrial Yellow Belt on her shopping wishlist when she was younger. “I couldn’t afford it at the time,” she says of the piece. “But Off-White has always been super cool.” (And in case you’re wondering, yes, she does own the belt now.)
JT starring in L/AB c/o Off-White debut campaign.
Photo: Services Généraux/Courtesy of Off-White
She also firmly believes the late Virgil Abloh would’ve liked her if he were alive. “I would’ve never done [the campaign] if I thought, ‘No, this man would think I’m corny,'” she shares. “But I think that he would’ve fucked with me, 100%.”
At the heart of L/AB c/o Off-White’s debut campaign lies a theme of freedom and individuality. JT’s unique style aesthetic reflects that concept wholeheartedly: She describes her personal style as versatile and ever-changing. “My personal style literally [depends] on how I feel when I wake up,” she explains. “It depends on whatever mood I’m in.”
Some days, she’s in the mood for a basic sweatsuit. Others, she wears head-to-toe name-brand designer clothes. “Sometimes I buy shit that I don’t even wear,” she laughs. (Celebrities, they’re just like us.)
Photo: Stephanie Augello/WWD via Getty Images
That said, the artist has certainly noticed her sense of style mature over the years. The Miami native confesses she used to believe everything she wore had to be designer. “Miami bitches are the fliest bitches in the world…but we are so goddamn designer happy,” she says. “We love designer in Miami. That’s what it’s all about.”
Now? “I can make fashion out of anything versus when I thought that everything had to have a label,” she says.
JT’s adaptable style approach rings true no matter what event she’s stepping out for — whether she’s getting dressed for an on-stage performance or a red-carpet event. Of course, she considers different factors for each occasion: Her on-stage outfits are typically more “comfortable,” and she’s not as self-conscious. “With my fans, I know I could go out there in a white T-shirt, and they’ll accept me for who I am,” she explains. “They’re not going to judge me. They’re going to love me.”
Photo: Pierre Mouton/Getty Images for Mugler
Conversely, the rapper is more conscientious about her outfit choices for red-carpet and street-style appearances. “Girl, I’m worried about whether I look big or small, whether I look short or tall; I’m making sure nothing ain’t in my teeth,” she confesses. “The red carpet [photos] are something that’s going to go out into the world for people to judge.”
The common thread between both processes, though? She stays true to herself and doesn’t chase trends or cater to online critics. “I do what I want to do, and I wear what I want to wear,” she says. “I don’t dress to impress others — I dress to impress myself.”
That commitment to embracing sartorial individuality even rang true at her recent appearance at Paris Fashion Week (PFW) in September. JT sat front row at Schiaparelli and Chanel’s Spring 2027 shows. For the former, she wore a (custom!) sculptural sheer black gown and star-shaped nipple covers. Meanwhile, at Chanel, she wore a more modest black rib-knit sweater set.
JT attending Chanel’s Spring 2027 show during Paris Fashion Week.
Photo: Stephane Cardinale – Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images
“It was such a good week for me to have good teeth because I could not stop smiling,” she says about attending PFW. “I’m still on that high. I cannot stop looking at the pictures of myself. I nailed it. It was such a beautiful, beautiful moment. I don’t think I’m ever going to come down from this, honestly.”
With an Off-White campaign and multiple fashion show appearances under her belt, is it safe to consider JT a fashion It girl? Honestly, the rapper isn’t caught up in titles. “I just see myself as JT,” she says. “I don’t know why everything has to have such a term to it. I think it always just boxes people in. If people want to call me [a fashion It girl], then that’s what it is. If they don’t, I’m still going to be JT, so it doesn’t matter.”
The most important thing she hopes people take away from her fashion is that it’s okay to be unapologetically yourself. “I didn’t follow nobody else’s rules,” she says. “I didn’t care what nobody said, and I hope that I inspire people to be the same way.”
