Alexa Chung’s New Barbour Collection Is All You’ll Want To Wear This Autumn – And It’s Available Now

'I keep thinking I will suddenly turn into an adult who’s really glamorous, but it hasn’t happened yet,’ says Alexa Chung. ‘I think I’m just stuck with messy hair.’ She’s talking about her ’do like it didn’t define an entire generation, or become one of the most requested haircuts – but welcome to the self-deprecating world of the model, designer and writer.

You might assume the person who’s been the poster girl for a whole aesthetic in fashion – pinned to yours, mine, everyone’s mood board over the past two decades – would have more chutzpah when it comes to her It girl status. Does it ever cringe her out being called exactly that, an It girl? ‘I’m really flattered as a woman to be called an It girl. When I was a TV presenter I was a bit miffed because I felt it took away from my job, but now I’d much rather be an It girl, it’s fabulous,’ she says matter-of-factly.

The fabulous life of Ms Chung currently looks like this: in the past month alone, she’s collaborated with US denim label Madewell, made her NYFW runway debut at Tory Burch and is back designing for Barbour, this time as creative director for the British heritage brand.

The 11-piece collection, titled The Edit by Alexa, first premiered at Glastonbury’s Worthy Farm, worn by Chung herself. Featuring natty cardigans, festival-ready outerwear and wellington boots – and available to shop now – it fits the next generation’s blueprint of what is considered a good outfit: cool, effortless and vintage-looking. Each piece is named after Chung’s friends and family; there’s the Matilda gardening clog and Dominic jumper, inspired by her brother.

After the shutters went down on her namesake label back in 2022, Chung was happy to get back into the designer seat. ‘I built up enough energy to do this. It was so personal and I asked myself, “What do I want to wear now?” It’s the most selfish collection I’ve done, but therefore I really like it.’ Did she miss designing at all? ‘Yes, but I didn’t realise that I had until I got to do it again. When I closed my business, I was really sad about it for a long time, and it didn’t really occur to me that that might just be a chapter and then there might be another chapter that’s a different version of what I want to do.’

Chung is still very much at the acme of her influence, with Gen Z now swooning over her ’00s street-style catalogue. One of her most referenced looks? Getting papped post-ballet class, complete with ballet flats around her neck and an Arctic Monkeys tee. ‘I went to ballet class every day but it was mainly to date boys because I thought the look was cute,’ she recalls. ‘On my route from the East Village to SoHo I would get hit on all the time because it was such a good look. But back [in the indie sleaze years] no one gave a shit about clothes. It was a lot more tribal and connected to the music scene. New Rave was happening so you had to wear your purple American Apparel hoodie to that, and if you went to see The Horrors play, you had to wear black and white,’ she explains of a time when most of her new followers were toddlers.

Today’s Y2K aesthetic is less ad hoc and much more polished. Is there anything that’s not aged well? ‘Our hair and make-up were terrible. Thanks to YouTube everyone now understands skincare in a way that we didn’t. It wasn’t a look, it was a commitment to not giving a fuck about one’s appearance. It was more carefree, quite messy, DIY dorky – those were the most fun days of my life,’ she smiles. ‘What’s that TikToker called, the one who dresses like Hedi Slimane?’ The Dare? ‘Yes. Him. It warmed my cockles seeing that mod look re-emerge. I fancied boys wearing that back in the day.’

Her partner, actor Tom Sturridge, still fits the brief, but overall life has slowed down. When I ask if she’s ready to settle down, she’s quick to negate. ‘I like having fun but I’ve been to all the parties. I very much prefer a dinner party.’ Most likely at her east London home, which she recently finished doing up. ‘I still haven’t hung up any pictures and my shoes are spilling out of my wardrobe,’ she admits.

Her take on turning 40 last year is as reassuringly blasé. ‘The other day I posted a picture wearing a minidress and someone commented, “She’s trying to look 24,” and someone else commented, “She’s 40”. And when I saw it written down I was like, “How dare you, I’m not 40!” I just forget. I’m going for the Patti Smith and Fran Lebowitz school of ageing. No make-up and men’s clothes.’ But fret not, there’s no way Chung is retiring her minis. ‘There’ll always be minis. I get tartier the older I get, but my style has always been about blending classics with more contemporary pieces, which is why I wore a Barbour jacket when I was 22.’

Shop: Alexa Chung's New Collection For Barbour

The Edit by Alexa is out 19 September; barbour.com.

Henrik Lischke is the Senior Fashion Features Editor at Grazia. Prior to that, he held the role of commerce writer at British Vogue, and was junior fashion editor at The Sunday Times Style. A first-class honours Fashion Journalism graduate from UAL: London College of fashion, Henrik is invariably on the lookout for the newest talent in fashion, that is driving the industry forward, and shining the spotlight on them whenever possible. He’s also got a passion for interiors design and the arts. Follow Henrik on Instagram @henriklischke.