Alexa Chung's Bags and Style

Sometimes I wish my opinions were different, but alas, I am who I am. I’m glad that a star chose to wear a piece from Christopher Kane‘s challenging, futuristic collection to a heavily photographed public event, and I’m proud of Alexa Chungfor having the cojones to do it, but I wish she had picked something long for an event as formal as the 2011 Met Gala. Yeah, I said it. And I’m not entirely happy with myself.

The Met Gala provides an opportunity to wear dramatic, over-the-top looks that might otherwise never see a red carpet, and although this dress is weird enough to be appropriate for such an event, the scale is all wrong. This Kane collection did include a few full-length looks, and I would have much preferred to see Alexa in one of those than in a cocktail dress and a pair of chunky platforms. That’s a frock for another night, I fear. View the Gallery →

Of all the It Girls in the fashion and pop culture worlds at the moment, Alexa Chung has always struck me as the one with the most accessible personal style. She doesn’t wear the kinds of things that can only be had at a designer boutique or that can only be worn by a very particular and difficult-to-maintain body type, and because of that, it seems as though lots of women have embraced her as well as her various collaborations, such as the very well-received Madewell capsule collection on which Chung collaborated.

Which is why I’m a little confused by what’s going on here. I like Alexa’s army green Valentino Studded Satchel, and her Chloe Sevigny x Opening Ceremony Mary Anne Clog Boots are perfect for the look that she normally works, but what of her pants? What became of them? I’m sure she’s got some cheeky little retro shorts on under her jacket(s), but the amount of outerwear that she’s wearing and the shorts’ apparently very brief length makes it look like she ran out in only her knickers.

Bag Alexa’s Opening Ceremony Style via ShopBop! View the Gallery →

Nothing has the power to bring out the stars like front-row seats at a really great fashion show, and year after year, Chanel is always one of the best. Of course, when starlets attend these events, they almost always pull out their best looks from that brand to make sure that they look the part.

For Keira Knightly and Lily Allen, I’m sure that wasn’t too hard – both have been the face of one party of the company or another over the past few years, and being in favor with Karl Lagerfeld always brings a certain amount of freebees your way. Even Lily Allen, who is quite pregnant, showed up to be photographed in the designer’s duds. To my knowledge, Rachel Bilson and Alexa Chung have never been official Chanel representatives, but they’re both so fashionable that it barely even matters. All four looked great in their Chanel finery.

Bag Their Chanel Style via Chanel.com! View the Gallery →

Since ex-model, TV presenter and Mulberry Alexa namesake Alexa Chung is more or less a walking, talking, apparently quite nice (according to a friend of a friend, but I believe it) trend machine, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone that she’s carrying one of Fall’s most fad-tastic accessories: a leopard-print bag. The two were bound to collide at one point or another.

What also shouldn’t surprise you is that she chose one from Russell & Bromley, a British label without a wide international following that makes somewhat reasonably priced handbags and shoes. Alexa has always been one to choose pieces that aren’t front-and-center on the world fashion radar, and this is just another clear continuation of that habit. That she does so is to her credit – it’s easy to look great when all you do is wear really expensive things by the world’s finest designers, and her choice to not follow that road makes her all the more worthy of fashion’s attention.

Bag Alexa’s Russell & Bromley Style via the brand’s website! View the Gallery →

Even if you’re like my and have never seen Alexa Chung on TV or in the pages of any magazines that I’ve bought, you’re probably still aware of who she is. I know that I am, despite my lack of consumption of Alexa-related media.

The important thing for handbag fans to know, however, is that she’s the namesake of the super trendy Mulberry Alexa Satchel. Since Alexa is British and Mulberry is the go-to brand of almost every British starlet I can think of, it only makes sense that the two partnered up. The bag has been criticized as being too much like a briefcase, which just makes it extra charming that Alexa has chosen to go the extra step and carry the Mulberry Walter Briefcase in the same “oak” color that she prefers for her eponymous handbag. Well-played, Alexa. I like a bit of wit in my fashion.

Bag Alexa’s Mulberry Style via Net-a-Porter! View the Gallery →

I’m still only nominally aware of Alexa Chung‘s existence, but everything that I’ve read about her has indicated to me that she’s a person that I’d probably enjoy. She’s British, after all, and that automatically makes her cooler than I am. But you know what seals the deal for me? The look that she’s giving frownie-faced Taylor Momsen in this photo. There’s no better way to poke fun at an angsty sourpuss than by being preternaturally cheerful.

But I must say, I enjoy both of their equally divergent yet stylish bag choices. Taylor chose the black patent Versace Metal Frame Satchel with lots of silver hardware to compliment her slightly (well, ok, more than slightly) industrial outfit. Alexa, on the other hand, chose a more subdued and weathered-looking Mulberry Bayswater Satchel to go with her less extreme ensemble (and British heritage).

Bag Alexa’s Mulberry Style via Bloomingdale’s!
Bag Taylor’s Versace Style via Nordstrom! View the Gallery →

I’m not sure that I’ve ever encountered this Alexa Chung person on television, which probably means that I’m getting old. But that’s ok, I have the internet to keep me up to date. I’ve certainly heard of her before, but just now I had to consult Wikipedia to find out exactly why. She hosts her own show on MTV, which is awesome, and she just seems to be a fairly cool young woman in general. I say well done, Alexa! And well done on the awesome leather biker jacket as well.

And you know you have to be doing something right in your life when you’re getting fabulous bags named after you, like the Mulberry Alexa Satchel, which she’s carrying here. She’s been photographed with this bag all over the place and it’s created a lot of anticipation for the forthcoming spring 2010 release. Lesson to brands everywhere: design a nice bag, find an uber-likable It Girl, name the bag after her, give her one to tote around for free. There, I just came up with a surefire marketing strategy for you, and I didn’t even make you pay me a consulting fee.

Bag Alexa’s Mulberry Style via Mulberry.com! View the Gallery →