She’s one of my and the UK’s foremost style icons. I didn’t get to catch the AC show at London Fashion Week, but my good friend Katie did, and reported back.
Alexa Chung featured ‘airport style’ for her first LFW show as a designer. Breaking with the public perception of what Alexa Chung is “has been a challenge”, she comments. But that doesn’t mean necessarily breaking with the perception of what Alexa Chung wears. Chung’s ability to identify product that will sell – remember THAT M&S collection – plus Superga, AG Jeans – have all been commercial successes.
Pardon the pun, but if those previous collaborations were “dress rehearsals”, then this was the opening night. Chung hasn’t tried to erase what came before – like the black PVC coat, seen in the previous M&S collaboration and in this latest collection too – but she’s fine-tuned her offering. I could imagine Alexa herself wearing these clothes – her ability to influence trends is what gave Chung fashion credibility in the first place.
Against a wood panelled maze of airport corridors, there were slim fitting jumpsuits, pyjamas for outdoor wear (in case there was any doubt that Alexa’s women were turning left once on the plane), stretch-knit sundresses worn with jelly shoes and brown suede coats.
A trip to Margate trawling vintage shops for inspiration generated styles that dipped between decades- a 1930s mustard silk evening dress one moment, a 1990s black silk slip dress and multiple references to the 1970s, like a safari suit inspired by a found reference of Bianca Jagger in her PJs.
This new addition to the London Fashion Week schedule is a natural one, especially given that there is a Britishness that underlies all of Alexa’s designs. The appearance of so many coats in a spring summer collection- many featuring hoods – might seem odd to some, but not to anyone familiar with (the usually non-existent) British summertime. The ‘destination’ scarf print looks, at first glance, to be printed with little Eiffel towers, a nod to her previous presentations held in Paris – but actually, it nods to Brighton Pier and Bognor Regis – hurrah!
It seems Alexa is glad to be home
