Alexa Chung

Alexa Chung - Quick Facts

Profile Overview of Alexa Chung

Alexa Chung (born 5 November 1983) is an English model and television personality. Chung pursued a modelling career as a teenager after being scouted by a modeling agency at the Reading Festival. She has walked for brands such as Vivienne Westwood, Stella McCartney and Miu Miu, as well as being the face of Pepe Jeans, Lacoste, DKNY Jeans, Tommy Hilfiger and Longchamp.

This profile of Alexa Chung covers Early Life and Family Background, Modelling, Style, Alexachung and TV presenting.

In 2006, Chung became co‑host of Channel 4's music show Popworld, known for its irreverent and awkward style of interviews. In 2007, she became a long-time host of Channel 4's early morning music programme Freshly Squeezed. That same year, Chung left England to pursue a career in the US, where she presented It's On with Alexa Chung for MTV. The show was cancelled in December 2009. She returned to the UK in 2010 and began hosting MTV Rocks' Gonzo with Alexa Chung, a British chat show previously hosted by Zane Lowe. In 2020, Chung joined Queer Eye's Tan France as co-host of the Netflix original fashion competition show Next in Fashion; the show was cancelled after one season and later revived with model Gigi Hadid replacing Chung.

Chung has been recognised for her fashion style. She is described as "the 21st-century it girl" and as "a proto-influencer". In January 2010, Mulberry debuted the "Alexa", a bag named after and inspired by her. Chung has won three British Style Awards at the Fashion Awards which are organised by the British Fashion Council. In 2013 she wrote the book It, a collection of personal writings, drawings and photographs. Her fashion label Alexa Chung, stylized alexachung, launched in May 2017 and closed in 2022.

Early Life and Family Background of Alexa Chung

Chung was born in Winchester, Hampshire, England, the youngest of four children, and was raised in nearby Privett. She is the daughter of Gillian and Phillip Chung. Her father, a graphic designer, is Chinese and has Chinese ancestry, while her mother, a housewife, is English. Growing up she had horse riding and ballet lessons.

Chung has cited the BBC One's programme The Clothes Show as getting her interested in fashion as a child. Chung attended secondary state school at the local Perins School and studied her A-Levels at Peter Symonds College, Winchester. She was accepted at King's College London to study English and Chelsea College of Arts to study art, but at the age of 16 was scouted by a modelling agency at the Reading Festival before attending.

Modelling of Alexa Chung

Chung was scouted after being seen in the comedy tent at the Reading Festival at the age of 16. She modelled for teen magazines, such as Elle Girl and CosmoGIRL!, and worked for companies including Fanta, Sony Ericsson, Sunsilk, Urban Outfitters, and Tampax. She appeared in music videos for artists including The Streets, Westlife, Delta Goodrem, Reuben and Holly Valance and starred as Jake in a scripted reality show called Shoot Me, broadcast on Fashion TV in 2005. After four years, Chung quit modeling with the intention of studying an art foundation or fashion journalism course, having become disillusioned with her career. She had developed a "distorted body image" and "low self-esteem" through modelling.

After she became a TV personality, Chung made a return to occasional modelling. In 2008, she was the face of Australian fashion label Antipodium's SS 2008 collection and Oxfam's ethical fashion range, Revamped. In September 2008, Chung walked the catwalk as part of the Vivienne Westwood Red Label Spring/Summer 2009 show at London Fashion Week. In early 2009, she became the face of British High Street giant New Look. Chung then joined London-based modelling agency Select Model Management and, in April 2009, she modeled Wren's Holiday 2009 collection, alongside her friend Tennessee Thomas. In July 2009, Chung moved to NEXT Model Management and became the face of DKNY Jeans. Chung was the face of South Korean brand MOGG's Spring/Summer 2010 campaign. In January 2010, she became the main model of the Spring/Summer 2010 Pepe Jeans London campaign and reprised her role for the Fall/Winter 2010 campaign. She was announced as the first celebrity face of Lacoste in June 2010, appearing in both the TV and print advertising campaigns for their "Joy of Pink" fragrance. In January 2011, Chung was announced as the face of Italian sneaker brand Superga, in a campaign to mark their 100th anniversary. In February 2012, she took part in the London Fashion Week show for designer Stella McCartney, where she acted as a guest assistant to magician Hans Klok in several illusions including being levitated and sawed in half.

Chung worked with Tommy Hilfiger as a guest editor for their Fall 2014 collection, and modeled their clothes. Chung became the face of Longchamp in 2013 and by 2015 she had appeared in her fourth campaign for the fashion brand.

Style

Chung has been cited as a muse to many fashion designers because of her distinctive personal style. She frequently appears on best-dressed lists, is a regular model for Vogue, Elle and Harper's Bazaar, and is often seen in the front row at fashion shows.

In January 2010, the designer handbag company Mulberry debuted the "Alexa", a popular bag named after and inspired by her. According to The Guardian, 380 "Alexa" bags were sold in one week alone in November 2010, and the company cited the bag's popularity for increased sales at its UK and international stores that year.

In February 2010, Chung collaborated with J.Crew's Madewell on a womenswear line which was unveiled during New York Fashion Week. She collaborated with Madewell for a second collection, released in September 2011.

In December 2010, Bryan Ferry, on behalf of the British Fashion Council, presented Chung with the British Style Award which "recognises an individual who embodies the spirit of British fashion and is an international ambassador for the UK as a leading creative hub for fashion" at a ceremony at the Savoy Theatre in London. At the British Fashion Awards of 2011, 2012 and 2013, Chung won the British Style Award, for which the public voted. In 2015, Chung collaborated with AG Jeans on two collections.

Alexachung

In March 2022 Chung announced the closure of the Alexachung brand, stating that "the last couple of years have been challenging for small independent businesses and ours is no exception."

TV presenting

In April 2006, the then-model Chung was offered the job of co‑host on Popworld on Channel 4, a music show known for its irreverent and awkward style of interviews. Chung and co‑host Alex Zane also presented a weekly radio show called Popworld Radio. Chung then moved to Channel 4, where she guest presented Big Brother's Big Mouth and appeared as a panellist on quiz show 8 out of 10 Cats. She hosted several T4 Movie Specials, 4Music Specials, T4 Holiday Mornings along with T4's coverage of many music festivals.

Source: adapted from Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexa_Chung), text available under CC BY-SA 4.0.