Always Scrolling: Nikita Redkar

Nikita Redkar is revolutionizing the way we consume news with her ditzy yet intelligent reporting style in easily digestible bites on social media, proving that hot girls can also walk the walk in today's current affairs and break down complex topics. Her viral content, particularly her segment "for the girls," is not just informing; she's offering a refreshing alternative and creating her own narrative with a distinctly feminist and funny lens. Beyond that, Redkar is a voice for marginalized communities and uses her platform to empower and inspire, making her a force for positive change.

"I explain news like it's gossip with the girls!" she tells PAPER. "So much of geopolitics is just high school drama that's made so needlessly complicated. We just intellectualize it because government officials control our water supply and have access to nuclear codes. I'm not working on anything too different from what I always do, but my favorite thing about my page is my 'double standards' series, where I imagine how things would play out if women were in charge."

PAPER chatted with Redkar about being both hot and informed, Barbiecore and her favorite queer party in New York City.

What do you love about what you do?

I love being able to make news, history, and economics accessible to people who may not have fully understood it, or even liked it, through traditional media or in school. I'm already super passionate about these subjects, but usually, I'm alone in my nerdiness, so it's the honor of a lifetime to be able to share my interests with fellow dorks! And what I love the most is how many of these "dorks" are cool, flirty, feminine women and queer people! People who do not fit the mold of what an intelligent, informed person is supposed to look and act like. Like, you can know what a 401K is and be devastatingly hot!

Who is another TikToker that you love right now?

I love @ceciliaregina275. She breaks down pop culture in a straightforward and opinionated way that I love. I am always learning something new from her. I have her videos on in the background while I'm doing chores, and let me tell you, the kitchen gets clean real fast.

Craziest comment you've received on a post?

I'm Indian, and I can't handle spicy food. Someone called me a race traitor for that. Like, for that? Really? I've done far worse race-betraying things, like date a white guy!

What's one of your favorite looks you've posted?

I'm obsessed with this pink power suit I got from Nordstrom. I bought it for an event, fully intended to return it (I even kept the tags on), then by the end of the night, I was like, Okay, I have to keep this forever. The money will be replaced, but how I feel in this outfit can't.

What's a trend that you love right now?

All of them and none of them. As you can tell from my outfits, I am still very much on Barbiecore. But I think the point of trends isn't to fully embody them and then abandon them after they're over. That contributes to a very sinister, final boss level of capitalism that is destroying our planet. I take what I like from each and keep them as a part of me. That being said...

One that you hate?

I despise clean girls. It's such a narrowly acceptable way to look. Pun intended on narrow: Trends that cater to only thin women are so 2005! Now, "demure" is its classier, more inclusive sister. Anyone can be demure and mindful; only a few can be clean.

What would you never wear?

Khaki shorts. However, I would love to have seven pockets at once.

Favorite beauty brand right now?

Kulfi Beauty! One of the few brands that doesn't make my skin look like a melted oil painting.

Who's your celebrity crush?

Literally obsessed with Avantika Vandanapu ever since I saw Mean Girls, and everyday I wake up hoping she will collab with me.

What's a good book you've read recently?

The Swans of Fifth Avenue by Melanie Benjamin! A fascinating look at real-life New York high-society women in the '50s. I am also obsessed with women's lives across generations and cultures, and relating to a woman who was alive in the 1950s, a generation so different from mine, makes me feel even more connected to this far-expanding web that is womanhood across the ages.

Favorite restaurant in NYC?

St. Anselm steakhouse in Brooklyn. One of the most pick-me things about me is how much I love steak. And an IPA. It's disgusting.

Favorite party in NYC?

Diet Zhuzh, my favorite queer party in the city with an always excellent selection of DJs. Also the party's theme is being a corporate sellout: It's incredibly silly, self-aware, and you're getting a hilarious show while dancing your legs off.

What are five songs you have on repeat right now?

Aya Nakamura's entire 2018 album. In fact, let me use my platform to put you on to the French Afrobeat/pop girlie sensation that is Aya Nakamura. Every song is a club banger. You will be moving parts of your body you didn't know you could move. "Djadja" has been an international hit for a while. Start with that one.

Photography: Savanna Ruedy
Hair and makeup: Hailey Sipes