It’s not complicated: Avril Lavigne remains one of fashion’s most revered style icons. The cover of her 2002 debut album Let Go kicked off a frenzy for goth couture that continues to influence today’s biggest stars, from Olivia Rodrigo to Willow Smith. The iconic image features Lavigne posing with her arms folded, with her hip angled slightly to the right amid the frenzied blur of Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood. She’s wearing a fuzzy cardigan, cargo pants, and chunky skater shoes. All black everything, of course, to match her heavily lined eyes. The look was muted, but it spoke volumes: Flip through any mid-2000s yearbook and you’ll see Lavigne’s impact on a generation of angsty Y2K teens (hi, it’s me!) all across the country.

ELLE’s series Clothes of Our Lives decodes the sartorial choices made by powerful women, exploring how fashion can be used as a tool for communication. Below, in her own words, Lavigne, who debuted a new signature collection with UK-based fashion brand KILLSTAR, shares the story behind her most iconic look—one we haven’t stopped obsessing over two decades later.

Let Go started everything for me. It connected me with a fan base that has now followed me for 20 years. I wouldn’t change anything about it. The album cover was one of my first photoshoots. I was so excited, but also had no idea what to expect. We started early. Getting ready for the shoot was just me using what I had with me. We were originally shooting inside, but…