How Alexandra Saint Mleux redefined the modern “It girl”
You find yourself on the edge of the crowd, somewhere between the benches and the blur of the field. The echo of clappers and the swell of voices fill the air, a kind of fever that builds as the game nears its end. When a player scores, the camera lingers on a woman in the stands—her hair falling softly around her face, hands folded beneath her chin, eyes fixed on the game with a quiet hopefulness. She sits there, composed, almost luminous in the chaos.
There’s an allure to becoming an athlete’s partner. In recent years, Formula 1 has surged in popularity thanks to Netflix’s “Drive to Survive.” With drivers trending across social media, curiosity extended to their WAGs—wives and girlfriends—whose presence became as magnetic as the sport itself.
F1 WAGs have entered a new era of “soft power” fame. But what captured the public’s fascination wasn’t the loudest voice in the room, but the quietest one. Alexandra Saint Mleux, recently engaged to Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, drew attention for her elusive charm and refined fashion sense. Poised, understated, rarely posting yet constantly noticed, she embodies the paradox of the present through silence.
In an age of constant exposure, her silence became her brand—a reinvention of the modern “it girl.”
The return of mystery
Social media became a platform to showcase ourselves; it thrives on visibility, on how much you post and how much you are willing to share about your personal life. Yet lately, mystery has become the new currency of allure. There is something magnetic about not knowing.
When little is revealed, fascination deepens. Saint Mleux has mastered this: no vlogs, few captions, and rare interviews. Her posts focus on art and fashion, the worlds she truly inhabits.
This intentional restraint creates intrigue. People fill in the blanks, romanticizing what they cannot access.
The slow reveal: a masterclass in soft marketing
Saint Mleux’s name first surfaced when rumors of Charles’ new relationship spread. Online detectives unearthed old photos, an art account, and fragments of her academic background, but little else. Her main Instagram account? Private.
Her appearances were rare, mostly during race weekends, where fans obsessed over her quiet sophistication and sought out every outfit detail. She became a study in selective visibility, appearing only when it mattered most.
The art of restraint highlights the psychology behind scarcity. Explaining her appeal: the less people see of you, the more they value it. In a culture of oversharing, privacy has become aspirational. Saint Mleux’s mystery feels organic, not calculated, which makes it even more powerful.
The new definition of the “it girl”
In the early 2000s, “it girls” like Paris Hilton and Alexa Chung embodied extravagance, always visible, always performing. But in today’s hyperconnected world, visibility has lost its novelty. The 2020s “it girl” is different: stylish but selective, emotionally private yet culturally present. She curates her boundaries, showing just enough to be seen but not enough to be known.
Saint Mleux became the blueprint. She proves that restraint and subtle opulence have replaced excess and exposure.
The double life: influence without oversharing
Unlike most influencers caught in the cycle of constant posting, Saint Mleux moves differently. Her influence thrives in presence, not performance. Even with collaborations with Rhode, Meshki, and Jacquemus, she uses her platform to spotlight art, fashion, and her newly founded foundation, Corazones Unidos. Giving new meaning to what it means to be an it girl today.
She influences quietly, showing rather than telling. Using social media as a tool to generate a real impact on the people. And in doing so, she reflects a broader cultural shift: the separation of persona from person. A kind of digital reinvention, protecting identity while preserving intrigue.
The power of silence
Her rise is not just about beauty or proximity to fame. It’s about timing, intention, and silence. Saint Mleux redefines what it means to be seen–offering the world only what feels true. In a world addicted to oversharing, she reminds us that the ultimate power move might be to remain unreadable.
To be seen today is not about constant exposure, but about knowing when to step back, when to let the world wonder.
