Alexa Chung
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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 modelling agency at the
Reading Festival The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading, Berkshire, Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend ...
. 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 Thomas Jacob Hilfiger ( ; born March 24, 1951) is an American fashion designer and the founder of Tommy Hilfiger (company), Tommy Hilfiger Corporation. After starting his career by co-founding a chain of jeans/fashion stores called People's P ...
and Longchamp. In 2006, Chung became co‑host of
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...
'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 MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...
. 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 Alexander Zane Reed Lowe (born 1973) is a New Zealand radio DJ, live DJ, record producer, and television presenter. After an early career in music creation, production and DJing, he moved to the UK in 1997. He came to prominence through pr ...
. In 2020, Chung joined '' Queer Eye''s Tan France as co-host of the
Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
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 has been described as "the 21st-century it girl" and as "a proto- influencer". In January 2010,
Mulberry ''Morus'', a genus of flowering plants in the family Moraceae, consists of 19 species of deciduous trees commonly known as mulberries, growing wild and under cultivation in many temperate world regions. Generally, the genus has 64 subordinat ...
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 , launched in May 2017 and closed in 2022.


Early life

Chung was born in
Winchester Winchester (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs N ...
,
Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Berkshire to the north, Surrey and West Sussex to the east, the Isle of Wight across the Solent to the south, ...
, England, the youngest of four children, and was raised in nearby Privett. The daughter of Gillian and Phillip Chung. Her father, a graphic designer, has Chinese ancestry through three grandparents and English ancestry via one, while her mother, a housewife, is English. Growing up she had horse riding and ballet lessons. Chung has cited the
BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television b ...
'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 The A-level (Advanced Level) is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education, as well as a school leaving qualification offered by the educational bodies in the United Kingdom and the educational ...
in English, History and Art at Peter Symonds College, Winchester. She was accepted at
King's College London King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public university, public research university in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of George IV of the United Kingdom, King George IV ...
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 The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading, Berkshire, Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend ...
before attending.


Career


Modelling

Chung was scouted after being seen in the comedy tent at the
Reading Festival The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading, Berkshire, Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend ...
at the age of 16. She modelled for
teen magazine Teen magazines are magazines aimed at teenager, teenage readers. They usually consist of gossip, news, fashion tips and interviews and may include posters, label, stickers, small samples of cosmetics or other products and inserts. The teen maga ...
s, such as ''
Elle Girl ''Elle Girl'' was the largest older-teen fashion and beauty magazine brand in the world with twelve editions. Launched in August 2001, it was the younger sister version of ''Elle'' magazine, and similarly focused on beauty, health, entertainm ...
'' and '' CosmoGIRL!'', and worked for companies including
Fanta Fanta () is an American-owned brand of fruit-flavored carbonated soft drinks created by Coca-Cola Deutschland under the leadership of German businessman Max Keith. There are over 200 flavors worldwide. Fanta originated in Germany as a Co ...
,
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, Sunsilk,
Urban Outfitters Urban Outfitters, Inc. (URBN) is a multinational lifestyle retail corporation headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Operating in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, select Western European countries, Poland, the United Arab Em ...
, and
Tampax Tampax (a portmanteau of tampon and packs) is a brand of tampons currently owned by Procter & Gamble. It was based in White Plains, New York, US until its sale to Procter & Gamble in 1997. It is a subsidiary of P&G's Always brand and is sold ...
. She appeared in
music video A music video is a video that integrates a song or an album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device intended to ...
s for artists including
The Streets The Streets is an English musical project led by vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Mike Skinner (musician), Mike Skinner. The project was founded in the early 90s, while Skinner was still a teenager; however, no music would formally eventuat ...
,
Westlife Westlife are an Irish pop group formed in Dublin in 1998. The group consists of members Nicky Byrne, Shane Filan, Kian Egan and Mark Feehily. Brian McFadden was a member before leaving in March 2004. The group disbanded in 2012 and later reun ...
,
Delta Goodrem Delta Lea Goodrem Order of Australia, AM (born 9 November 1984) is an Australian singer, songwriter, television personality and actress based in Sydney. Goodrem signed a recording contract with Sony Music at the age of 15. Her debut studio album ...
,
Reuben Reuben or Reuven is a Biblical male first name from Hebrew רְאוּבֵן (Re'uven), meaning "behold, a son". In the Bible, Reuben was the firstborn son of Jacob. Variants include Reuvein in Yiddish or as an English variant spelling on th ...
and Holly Valance and starred as Jake in a scripted
reality show Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring ordinary people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 1990s ...
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 Self-esteem is confidence in one's own worth, abilities, or morals. Self-esteem encompasses beliefs about oneself (for example, "I am loved", "I am worthy") as well as emotional states, such as triumph, despair, pride, and shame. Smith and Macki ...
" through modelling. After she became a TV personality, Chung made a return to occasional modelling. In 2008, she was the face of
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
n fashion label Antipodium's SS 2008 collection and
Oxfam Oxfam is a British-founded confederation of 21 independent non-governmental organizations (NGOs), focusing on the alleviation of global poverty, founded in 1942 and led by Oxfam International. It began as the Oxford Committee for Famine Relief ...
'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 London Fashion Week (LFW) is a clothing trade show that takes place in London, England, twice a year, in June and September. Showcasing over 250 designers to a global audience of influential media and retailers, it is one of the 'Big Four' fash ...
. In early 2009, she became the face of British
High Street High Street is a common street name for the primary business street of a city, town, or village, especially in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth. It implies that it is the focal point for business, especially shopping. It is also a metonym fo ...
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 Jean-Luc Didier Henri Brunel (; 18 September 1946 – 19 February 2022) was a French model scout. He gained prominence by leading the international modelling agency Karin Models, and founded MC2 Model Management, with financing by Jeffrey Epstein ...
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."Alexa Chung is the face of Lacoste"
, ''The Telegraph'', 16 June 2010, accessed 15 January 2011.
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 London Fashion Week (LFW) is a clothing trade show that takes place in London, England, twice a year, in June and September. Showcasing over 250 designers to a global audience of influential media and retailers, it is one of the 'Big Four' fash ...
show for designer Stella McCartney, where she acted as a guest assistant to magician Hans Klok in a number of illusions including being levitated and sawed in half. Chung worked with
Tommy Hilfiger Thomas Jacob Hilfiger ( ; born March 24, 1951) is an American fashion designer and the founder of Tommy Hilfiger (company), Tommy Hilfiger Corporation. After starting his career by co-founding a chain of jeans/fashion stores called People's P ...
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 Elle may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Elle (magazine), ''Elle'' (magazine), a fashion publication ** Elle Style Awards * Elle (India), ''Elle'' (India), the Indian edition * Elle (film), ''Elle'' (film), a 2016 French film * ''Elle: ...
'' and ''
Harper's Bazaar ''Harper's Bazaar'' (stylized as ''Harper's BAZAAR'') is an American monthly women's fashion magazine. Bazaar has been published in New York City since November 2, 1867, originally as a weekly publication entitled ''Harper's Bazar''."Corporat ...
'', and is often seen in the front row at fashion shows. In January 2010, the designer handbag company
Mulberry ''Morus'', a genus of flowering plants in the family Moraceae, consists of 19 species of deciduous trees commonly known as mulberries, growing wild and under cultivation in many temperate world regions. Generally, the genus has 64 subordinat ...
debuted the "Alexa", a popular bag named after and inspired by her. According to ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'', 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 Bryan Ferry (born 26 September 1945) is an English singer and songwriter. He became known as the frontman of the band Roxy Music and also launched a solo career. His voice has been described as an "elegant, seductive croon". He also established ...
, 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 The Savoy Theatre is a West End theatre in the Strand in the City of Westminster, London, England. The theatre was designed by C. J. Phipps for Richard D'Oyly Carte and opened on 10 October 1881 on a site previously occupied by the Savoy ...
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

Chung launched her own fashion label, Alexachung, in May 2017. 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 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded entirely by its commerci ...
, 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 ''8 Out of 10 Cats'' (stylised as ''8 out of 10 CATS'') is a British comedy panel show that aired from 3 June 2005 to 17 January 2021. It was first broadcast on Channel 4 from 2005 to 2015, then More4 from 2016 to 2017, and finally E4 from ...
''. She hosted a number of ''T4 Movie Specials'', ''4Music Specials'', ''T4 Holiday Mornings'' along with T4's coverage of many
music festival A music festival is a festival, community event with music, performances of singing and instrument playing that is often presented with a theme such as musical genre (e.g., rock music, rock, blues, folk music, folk, jazz, classical music), nation ...
s. In January 2008, Chung became one of the four anchor T4 presenters. She hosted T4's '' Vanity Lair'', a reality show investigating the concept of "beauty". When the show was mentioned in a later interview, "Chung raise her eyebrows, indicating embarrassment". As well as her work on T4, she became a long-time host of Channel 4's early morning music programme '' Freshly Squeezed'' beginning in September 2007. In addition to her Channel 4 commitments, Chung presented the
ITV1 ITV1 (formerly known as ITV) is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the British media company ITV plc. It provides the ITV (TV network), Channel 3 ...
series ''
Get a Grip ''Get a Grip'' is the eleventh studio album by American rock band Aerosmith, released in April 1993 by Geffen Records. ''Get a Grip'' was the band's last studio album to be released by Geffen before they returned to Columbia Records. ''Get a ...
'' (2007) and
BBC Three BBC Three is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It was first launched on 9 February 2003 with programmes for a 16 to 34-year-old target aud ...
's '' The Wall'' (2008). In mid-2008, Chung began to host more fashion-oriented programming. She was the "roving reporter" on Channel 4's " Gok's Fashion Fix". On the programme, Chung roadtested the latest fashion trends with members of the public, and interviewed fashion designers such as Roberto Cavalli, Karl Lagerfeld,
Jean Paul Gaultier Jean Paul Gaultier (; born 24 June 1952) is a French haute couture and Ready-to-wear, prêt-à-porter fashion designer. He is described as an "enfant terrible" of the fashion industry and is known for his unconventional designs with motifs in ...
, Margherita Missoni and
Christian Lacroix Christian Marie Marc Lacroix (; born 16 May 1951) is a French fashion designer. The name may also refer to the company he founded. Lacroix's designs combine luxury and insouciance. He prefers artisanal trades, fringe, bead, and embroidery. He's ...
. She described it as "pretty much my dream job". Chung also hosted a T4 fashion and music show called '' Frock Me'', with fashion designer Henry Holland. She hosted the ''Diesel U Music Awards'' and the ''Elle'' Style Awards. In 2009, Chung was awarded both the ''Elle Style'' award for Best TV Presenter and '' Glamour''s award for Best TV Presenter. Chung left Channel 4 and the United Kingdom in April 2009 to pursue a career in the US. She presented '' It's On with Alexa Chung'' for
MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...
. The live, daily show—billed as ''
Total Request Live ''Total Request Live'' (commonly abbreviated as ''TRL'') is an American television program that premiered on MTV on September 14, 1998. The early version of ''TRL'' featured popular music videos played during its countdown and was also used as ...
''s replacement—featured celebrity talk, live music and online interaction with viewers. The show was cancelled in December 2009."It's On with Alexa Chung cancelled"
, ''Popcruch'', 11 December 2009, accessed 15 January 2011.
She returned to UK TV screens in April 2010 with a second series of ''Frock Me''. In October 2010, she began hosting ''Gonzo with Alexa Chung'', an informal British chat show previously hosted by
Zane Lowe Alexander Zane Reed Lowe (born 1973) is a New Zealand radio DJ, live DJ, record producer, and television presenter. After an early career in music creation, production and DJing, he moved to the UK in 1997. He came to prominence through pr ...
, for MTV Rocks."Alexa Chung named new host of MTV's ''Gonzo''"
, ''Digital Spy'', 6 September 2010, accessed 15 January 2011.
In January 2011, she co‑hosted NBC's "2011 Golden Globe Arrivals Special" with
Carson Daly Carson Jones Daly (born June 22, 1973) is an American television host, radio personality, producer, and television personality. From 1998 to 2003, Daly was a VJ (media personality), VJ on MTV's ''Total Request Live'' (TRL), and a DJ for the Sou ...
and Natalie Morales. The live show featured interviews with television and film stars as well as segments devoted to fashion on the
red carpet A red carpet is traditionally used to mark the route taken by heads of state on ceremonial and formal occasions, and has in recent decades been extended to use by Very Important Person, VIPs and celebrity, celebrities at formal events. History ...
. Chung presented the iTunes Festival in July 2011. Chung has since worked on 24 Hour Catwalk, acting as the host and a judge. In 2012, Chung soon became the founding co-host for the nightly music show Fuse News. In December 2013, it was announced that Chung would be leaving Fuse News to focus on other endeavours. In September 2015, Chung hosted an online documentary series for ''Vogue UK''. She launched her own
YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
channel in May 2019; in a statement, she said: "It's an incredibly exciting prospect as I can't wait to share unfiltered original content through a host of videos spanning fashion, art, travel and other random things." Chung joined '' ''Queer Eye''''s Tan France as co-host of the
Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
original fashion competition show '' Next in Fashion'', which debuted on 29 January 2020. In June 2020, Netflix announced it was cancelling the show after one season.


Writing and other ventures

Chung wrote a monthly column for British women's magazine ''
Company A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of legal people, whether Natural person, natural, Juridical person, juridical or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members ...
'' from October 2007 to June 2008. She then wrote a weekly newspaper column for Britain's ''
The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
'' from November 2008 to June 2009, titled "Girl About Town" and later "New York Doll". In June 2009, she was made a contributing editor of British ''Vogue''. She has interviewed designers such as Karl Lagerfeld and Christopher Kane for the publication, and wrote a cover story about
Kate Upton Katherine Elizabeth Upton (born June 10, 1992) is an American model and actress. She first appeared in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, ''Sports Illustrated'' Swimsuit Issue in 2011, and was the List of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue c ...
. Chung's first book, ''It'', was released on 5 September 2013. From 2009 to 2010 Chung was a member of the indie band The Stray with her close friend, model Misty Fox. She was credited as playing keyboards.


Personal life

Chung lived with fashion photographer David Titlow, 20 years her senior, for three and a half years from 2003 to 2006. She was in a four-year relationship with
Arctic Monkeys Arctic Monkeys are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Sheffield in 2002. They comprise lead singer Alex Turner, drummer Matt Helders, guitarist Jamie Cook and bassist Nick O'Malley. The co-founder and original bassist Andy Nicholson ...
frontman
Alex Turner Alexander David Turner (born 6 January 1986) is an English musician. He is the lead vocalist and songwriter of the rock band Arctic Monkeys. Turner is known for his Songwriter, lyricism ranging from kitchen sink realism to surrealism, surreal ...
from July 2007 until July 2011; they lived together in London and later in New York where Chung purchased an apartment in the East Village. In a 2013 interview, Chung stated that Turner remained her "best friend". The former couple were seen together on a number of occasions in 2014. She dated actor
Alexander Skarsgård Alexander Johan Hjalmar Skarsgård (; born 25 August 1976) is a Swedish actor. A son of actor Stellan Skarsgård, he began acting at age seven but quit at age thirteen. After serving in the Swedish Navy, Skarsgård returned to acting and gained ...
from 2015 to early 2017. In 2016, she returned to London to launch a clothing label. In an Instagram post on 28 July 2020, Chung revealed her
endometriosis Endometriosis is a disease in which Tissue (biology), tissue similar to the endometrium, the lining of the uterus, grows in other places in the body, outside the uterus. It occurs in women and a limited number of other female mammals. Endomet ...
diagnosis and urged more awareness on the disorder. In May 2024, it was reported that Chung was engaged to actor Tom Sturridge.


Published works

*


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Chung, Alexa Living people 1983 births 21st-century English women writers 21st-century American women English women bloggers English women fashion designers English bloggers English fashion designers English female models English people of Hong Kong descent English television presenters Fashion influencers Female models from New York (state) Models from New York City Next Management models NME Awards winners People educated at Peter Symonds College People from East Hampshire District People from the East Village, Manhattan Writers from Winchester Select Model Management models Mass media people from Winchester Models from Hampshire