At 23 years old, Rain Spencer is one of the rising stars in the entertainment industry. With her role as Taylor in the Amazon Prime hit show “The Summer I Turned Pretty,” Spencer’s face is familiar to millions worldwide – which is all the more surprising given that, growing up, the actress was doing everything she could to remain invisible.

With time and a lot of self-love, Spencer is now beginning to find herself – and the fashion industry is taking notice. She has graced the red carpet in looks from Chanel and Celine, attended dinners with Coach to celebrate their new collection with Kirsten Dunst, and celebrated the summer with Miu Miu in Malibu.

She increasingly dips her toes into fashion as her career reaches new heights. Last year, she won an award for Best Performance in a U.S. Narrative Feature at the Tribeca Film Festival for her leading role in the drama Good Girl Jane, which has received critical acclaim.

We caught up with Spencer to hear more about her relationship with fashion.

How would you describe your personal style?

I think it ebbs and flows. Sometimes I like to show more skin and be more feminine. Other times, I like to cover up completely and be a tomboy in baggy jeans and a baggy shirt. It really depends on my mood and how I feel during the day. When I’m going out dancing with my friends I want to feel cute, but sometimes all I want to do is throw a hat on to hide and observe everyone else.

How has your style evolved over the years?

Growing up I always had my own sense of style. It was prominent, but it was pretty different from what it is now. As I’ve gotten older I’ve started to show more skin, but as a teenager you couldn’t see any part of my body. Nothing.

I was definitely hiding as a teenager, because I just didn’t want to be seen. I think the first time I wore a bikini and actually felt cute, I was like 20 years old. It’s been a long journey. I had some fun in high school but most of the time I just wanted to be in the corner, so I wore baggy everything. Over the years, my self-worth and esteem has improved and that shows on the outside because I’m starting to show legs and say here I am in the world. I’m ok if you see me now.

How do you navigate those feelings while having such a public-facing, visible career?  

Listen, I have to practice self-love every day. It’s still a struggle for me. My whole goal as a kid was to not be seen. Not to be dramatic, that was just the truth. Now I say daily affirmations, meditate and improve my self-worth so that I’m able to come out and be ok in my body and my skin. It’s also fun with characters because I get to play pretend so I act like I’m someone who likes to do certain things.

How does fashion play a role in your work as an actor?

I’ll do a bunch of work on my own, like going through the script, finding the nuances in it and discovering what is actually being said. Discovering the intention behind what is being said, and what is the subtext behind it? Because we all do that, where we say one thing but really mean something else. I’ll do all that work, but as soon as I put on the character’s outfit, it changes everything. It allows me to figure out how they move. If they have an excessive need for attention, they’ll move a different way than someone with high anxiety levels who is super shy. It helps me figure out the mannerisms of the character.

Do you have any style icons or fashion muses you look up to?

I’m always inspired when its glaringly obvious that someone is completely themselves. They don’t follow the fashion trends; they wear what they like instead of what they think everyone else likes. It’s inspiring to me when even walking down the street you can tell they have access to a part of themselves no one else can touch. That’s when I think fashion is really cool. Once you think it’s cool, then everyone else will too. Then boom, you have a fashion icon.

Any brands you are loving right now?

Right now, I’m super in love with Givenchy, Loewe, Chanel, and Celine. I’m at a place where I’m just starting to explore these higher end brands because i grew up with no money and wouldn’t even walk into the store. So now I’m like ‘Oh my god look at all of these pretty things!’

Any favorite red carpet looks or fashion moments from recent memory?

I haven’t worn anything that I didn’t like. I’m so grateful, because it’s really important when I’m going to an event to feel like myself and feel comfortable. Every look I’ve worn so far I’ve felt authentic and comfortable for the night. I wasn’t trying to be something else, I genuinely loved it.