The Self-Proclaimed Worst Dressed Fashion Icon: Ivana Vladislava @ivanavladislava Plastic surgery and grande wardrobes are seemingly essentials to the modern it-girl. With increasing societal pressure to be soft and beautiful effortlessly at all times, many people opt out of these heavy standards to recontextualize femininity and authenticity. In the midst of all this, Ivana Vladislava sticks out like a sore thumb: with her showstopping, camp looks, and puckered pout, she is the epitome of being authentic. Vladislava is a model, influencer, and visual artist, and has gone viral for her extravagant body enhancement surgeries: exceeding over 120k USD and completing well over 16 procedures, she is determined to become a “plastic icon”, resonating with timeless sex symbols and figures of luxury. However, she has always worked hard to achieve her bold looks. Beginning her hormonal transition at 11 years old, Vladislava is an artist in terms of being able to materialize her dream of becoming a portrayal of sex, money, and glory. An avid collector of vintage clothing, she reminisces of confident, successful women like Sophia Loren, Pamela Anderson, and Paris Hilton. Though a play-up on the Western male gaze, irony is essential in Vladislava’s being: don’t mistake her sultry looks as an attempt to appeal to cis straight men. The queer icon is heavily invested in contemporary high fashion, appearing in the most prestigious moments of fashion weeks globally, as well as the queer art scene, often seen hanging out with DJs, models, and various performers. It’s not shallow to be a “bimbo”, as it takes away the active factors of the patriarchy, redefining it as pure feminine freedom, and she is the perfect example of this neo-wave of sexual liberation, bodily autonomy rights, and the comeback of everything-y2k, like logomania and paparazzi-magazine aesthetic. Ivana Vladislava is consequently a symbol of authenticity, queerness, and womanhood, in a space where beauty standards are recycled into something truer and empowering. Beyond her scandalous looks is a resonating message of being able to be yourself and stand up in a world that rubs against your grain.