Released: October 29, 2013
The cover of It by Alexa Chung is a perfect indicator of the contents: sparse, a little weird, but uniquely and effortlessly stylish. Alexa Chung, a fashion darling and the coolest of Cool Girls, gives us glimpses into her thoughts and style inspirations, dishing as candidly as any friend would. Amidst personal doodles and Polaroid photographs of Chung and her friends, she offers her own original cast of Cool Girls, from classic vixens like Jane Birkin and Charlotte Rampling to more modern icons like Wednesday Addams and Winona Ryder in The Heathers. Chung questions what it is that makes these women stand out: is it Lolita’s heart-shaped glasses? Margot Tenenbaum’s fur coat and tennis dress? or Edie Sedgwick’s glamorous pout? Chung takes us through her inspirations like a museum guide, doling out details and tips but never offering a definitive conclusion.
Chung keeps the tone conversational, never digging in too deep on her own story, from modeling at sixteen and flourishing all the way to front row seats at Fashion Week next to Anna Wintour. She talks about her method for getting dressed in the morning and sympathizes over rockstar-induced heatbreak, but we never learn about her own drive or pivotal experiences. Instead, It leaves the reader wanting to continue the conversation with Chung. Like the icons before her, Chung has mastered an important part of keeping us baited but at bay by leaving some mystery behind.