JT has a well-documented love for fashion. She showed love to Rick Owens on July’s “Lemon Pepper,” while Dior, Prada and Celine got shout-outs on “All Stars” from her debut solo mixtape, City Cinderella.

On Monday (Aug. 26), in a cover story published by ESSENCE, the “Sideways” artist opened up about her style evolution and the tough road she’s trekked to earn respect from the fashion industry. “When I first started, I wouldn’t say I wasn’t accepted,” JT said. “[But] I don’t think they thought I was serious. You have to be consistent for people to know that you’re serious.”

She continued, “When I first started, it was like, ‘Okay, you can get an outfit or two, but are you really committing to this lifestyle?’ So, I never stopped. Then, as years passed, I created moments on my own — for people to see me in another light.”

As Rap-Up previously reported, JT — much like her partner, Lil Uzi Vert, who was also mentioned in the feature — has become a top contender for high-end designers. In 2023, she starred in a promotional video for POSTER GIRL’s Autumn/Winter collection. Several months later, in September of that year, the Miami rapper was the face of Mowalola and Beats by Dre’s Solo3 Wireless campaign.

Fast forward to April, she and De'arra Taylor teamed up for Lorvae’s Twin Flame capsule. “De’arra, an Aries, and [JT], a Sagittarius, connected as fire signs, making them the baddest twin flame [and] igniting the most FIERY collab of the year,” they captioned the announcement.

In another excerpt of her sit-down with ESSENCE, JT discussed a viral TikTok that praised her for inspiring other Black women. “When I saw it, I first thought [the TikTok creator] was about to bash me — because I’m so used to seeing people talking s**t,” she admitted. “I listened to it again, and she said, ‘We haven’t had a dark-skinned girl killing it in fashion since Foxy Brown.’ It gave me the chills. It makes so much sense.”