Some young people are finding out about Monica Lewinsky for the first time
The White House intern turned presidential mistress is now a Reformation model. Some people just learning Lewinsky's story called her an "icon" and a "legend."
Courtesy of Reformation
- Monica Lewinsky is the face of Reformation's new workwear line, which dropped on Tuesday.
- Some twentysomething TikTokers said they're only just discovering who Lewinsky is.
- Young people called the former White House intern an "icon" and a "legend" in social media posts.
Monica Lewinsky: former White House intern, presidential mistress, activist, and, as of this week, the face of a fashion campaign taking over social media.
On Tuesday, Reformation dropped a new workwear line called "You've Got the Power" in collaboration with Vote.Org.
Intended to encourage people to vote in the 2024 presidential election, the campaign stars Lewinsky, who rose to fame in the late 1990s after her affair with former President Bill Clinton became the center of his impeachment trial.
On TikTok, some young creators called Lewinsky an "icon" born in the wrong generation, while others said they'd just found out who she was because of the Reformation collaboration. Courtesy of Reformation
Photos on the Reformation website show Lewinsky modeling several pieces from the line, including a $798 leather trenchcoat and a $298 long-sleeved polka dot dress.
Political messaging is scattered between the images, including quotes like, "If you wanna complain for the next four years, you gotta go out and vote."
@jessweslie #greenscreen #reformation #monicalewinsky #billclinton #hilaryclinton #fyp ♬ original sound - Jessica Weslie Arena
"I'm not going to lie, I had zero idea who this woman was," TikToker Jessica Weslie shared in a video reacting to the campaign on Tuesday. Weslie said that after doing research, she concluded that Lewinsky was "pretty iconic."
"The fact she is promoting voting while she had a literal affair with Bill Clinton. Icon, legend, get that bag," she added.
Other TikTokers say the campaign has made them think about how different society's reaction to Lewinsky might've been if she'd been born a Gen Zer, that is, between 1997 and 2023.
"Monica Lewinsky was simply born in the wrong generation," Aubrey Strobel said in her reaction video to the Reformation campaign. "No secret how dirty Monica Lewinsky was done by society, specifically her generation and the generation before her."
"If she was Gen Z, she would've had a book deal, a podcast, and a makeup line," Strobel added.
@aubreystrobel monica lewiksy for reformation #monicalewinsky #reformation #90s #popculture #genz #genx ♬ original sound - Aubrey Strobel
Lewinsky, who is 50, is part of Gen X. She has spoken out before about the difficult years she faced following the White House scandal that propelled her into the spotlight, including in a TED talk that has over 13 million views on YouTube.
"Coming into 50 was great," Lewinsky told Elle magazine in an interview promoting the Reformation campaign. "I'm excited about this new decade and I'm hopeful—which, for someone with a lot of trauma, even saying that feels scary."
In a statement to Business Insider, Vote.org CEO Andrea Hailey highlighted the impact that Lewinsky's presence in the campaign could have on voters.
"We are grateful to Reformation and Monica for using their platforms to support Vote.org's work to ensure that young people and underrepresented communities of color can overcome the barriers to the ballot box and vote in this critical 2024 election," Hailey said.
Representatives for Monica Lewinsky did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.
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