My fifty years of influence is aimed at Alexa Chung, who is an upcoming British fashion designer, presenter and contributing editor to British Vogue.
I have been researching how she has built her current fashion brand by exploring the industry of fashion in depth, she’s interviewed past, present and emerging designers, aswell as exploring the faults, stereotypes and thrills of creating a career for yourself in such a competitive world.
Alexa Chung’s career in the fashion industry begun after being scouted to model for a underwear company in London at the age of 15, which continued for a year until she decided to turn her career towards presenting and television commercials, in an interview for Vogue she explained how leaving the modeling industry was the best decision she has made, as being used for other creators work meant she had no opinion on how she was to be seen by others. Until entering the television industry, where she found that her opinion was just as important as the people she worked with. For me this is really important, as I struggle to work with people who can’t accept other ideas or opinions other than their own, which is believe is an important skill to have in life.
Pursuing her career in television allowed Alexa to attend events as an interviewer, where she had the privilege to interview well-respected designers such as Karl Lagerfeld, Oliver Rousteing, and Valentino. These interviews changed her perspective of designers in the fashion world, and gave her the idea to go and explore how creators can reinforce fashion’s public image in a positive and progressive light.
I believe that having an interest of working in fashion, or being inspired by fashion is more than just an image which people perceive you, it’s the only way that people can express themselves to others in a visual way, many people link fashion to art in an emotional sense, and making themselves feel good in their own bodies.
Currently in life many parents are discouraging their children to pursue their dreams of working in the fashion industry, as it is perceived as a privileged industry, which is not supportive of upcoming designers who come from low-income families. Alexa Chung interviewed Sarah Mower, a renewed fashion critic and columnist for publications including American Vogue, who is internationally acclaimed for her forthright and decisive critiques, aswell as being an ambassador for emerging talent as part of the British fashion council, who has set up an education foundation where they have been raising money for scholarships in hope to gain awareness in high end companies. They believe that it’s important to help fund students who have the ambition and talent to immerse themselves as futuristic designers, which the fashion industry is constantly on the lookout for via grants and mentor schemes.
Alexa launched her contemporary priced ready-to-wear label in May 2017. In an interview with business of fashion, she explained how it was only after she had worked with a number of collaborations and creative projects with other fashion labels that she built the confidence to pursue her own business, which will sell denim, daywear, evening wear and jewelry. This collection has been sold at luxury retailers such as Selfridges, Harrods and Galleries Lafayette.
Alongside her label, she has a large following on her YouTube channel, which is designed to not only promote her own style and designs, but also to interview designers and show her audience behind the scenes of well known brands creating collections and preparation for couture shows, where you get a raw feel for the realistic lifestyle of all the many roles needed in the creation of a fashion collection. Recently I watched her two-part documentary where she takes you behind the scenes of the Dior women’s ready to wear S/S 2020 show, before watching this I had no idea how many different jobs and people were needed to create such amazing clothes, I learnt a lot from watching this documentary aswell as many other series she has featured in, including behind the scenes at London Fashion Week and uncovering fashion industry secrets with Vogue.
Harvard Reference
Alexachung.com. (2020). Alexa Chung Official Fashion Line – ALEXACHUNG. [online] Available at: https://www.alexachung.com/ [Accessed 2 Feb. 2020].
Bibliography
- https://www.selfridges.com/GB/en/features/articles/content/alexa-chung-revealshernewcollection/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexa_Chung
- https://www.businessoffashion.com/community/people/sarah-mower
- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6ZYnKtMbF0k2FewIgU5c3g/videos
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bi2nc_xxnvs
- https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/bof-exclusive/bof-exclusive-alexa-chung-to-launch-own-fashion-brand
Outcome
Two piece collection inspired by AlexaChung label. Using the materials of 100% green dyed denim for the trousers, 98% cotton jacket and belt with 2% elastine and 100% viscose lining.
