Every Reference Alexa Chung Pulled For Her Madewell Collab

To the chronically online, Alexa Chung might appear to be of the same ilk, given the specificity of the references she pulls. But as she tells NYLON in a conversation about the second drop of her beloved Madewell collaboration, out Nov. 14, her process of collecting David Hicks interiors and Fran Lebowitz dice cufflinks is a bit more free-form. “Sometimes, I’m watching a film, and it’s as literal as ‘Oh, my God, that outfit’s sick,’” she says. “So it’s rare that I would sit down and do image research. I did this for you because that was the brief, but I don’t usually kind of go ‘I need a picture of some…’” (Here, she holds up her sketchbook and presents a drawing of her platonic-ideal cowboy boot.)

That brief was to send us the exact images and other media that informed her latest 15-piece Madewell release, which is made up of 11 new designs — including denim, separates, and outerwear — plus four bestsellers from the September drop. (We’re especially partial to the full-length corduroy coat and the rodeo-queen satin Western shirt.) Below, see Chung’s mood board, containing allusions as eclectic as a Britpop front man and Dustin Hoffman in Kramer vs. Kramer.

Cy Twombly’s Roman Apartment

When I was working on this collection, I was also renovating a house, and, weirdly, I think quite a few of the colors I ended up being drawn to in my house made it into the Madewell collection. Like this green, which ended up being on one of our shirts. Not that it was as direct as that, but I think I was having a look at things that look quite ’70s, ’90s minimalist, clean, classy, almost business-like. That sort of set the tone for what I was trying to make with Madewell. It had been 14 years since we worked together, and when we first collaborated, it was at a twee, indie time when it was cute scribbles on a T-shirt and everyone was being blown away by batch coffee and kombucha. But times have changed, so I wanted to make something really adult and self-assured, and this image was a helpful mood for that.

Pulp’s Jarvis Cocker

Their Radio City Music Hall [concert] was one of the best gigs I’ve ever been to. I love his poetry, I love his music, but what I really love is his aesthetic. I love that he always wears kind of ’70s-ish, old-man, geography-teacher blazers and fabrics that aren’t particularly sexy, and yet I think he’s got a lot of sex appeal in how he carries himself. [He indirectly inspired] our corduroy long coat and blazer, although they came from a different vintage piece that I found in a shop in London. I am always looking at musicians and bands because I love that they all have a sort of image commitment.

’70s Lauren Hutton

I once accidentally stood on her foot as I was going to the restroom at a kind of gala thing in New York. She was wearing sneakers with a white tuxedo. I like her spirit. I like that she’s had longevity in her career. I love that she hasn’t really f*cked with her face. She’s got this laid-back, tomboyish glamour, and the way she carries clothes is very instinctive. She’s always got a jumper over her shoulders or thick white socks with some white Vans or whatever.

Carolyn Bessette

When I was thinking about the collection, I really wanted it to be a palate cleanse. And for me, she really typifies that look where it’s kind of nondescript, and I mean that in a complimentary way. She’s only got the classics on, and there are never any flourishes that give away what era it is, almost. I believe they call it timeless. And if you think about that time, there was loads of other versions of style. So I had her on there for fantastic style, her beautiful Boat and Tote bag, the WASP-y Americana. As a Brit, I don’t really understand all American things, but I definitely romanticize it. And in my mind, America is a cowboy hat and also a WASP-y tote bag.

Miuccia Prada

Mrs. Prada is my dream woman. She’s up there as a reminder that personal style is an interesting thing to inject into a broader collection. And I love that, with her last Prada show with Raf [Simons], they were trying to beat the algorithm, basically. And I think that is something — not to liken myself to their talent — I think I do understand, that there was The Row trouser, the oversize blazer, the simple thing that then became fatigued a bit.

But at the same time, if it’s something you like in the moment, then you should stick to your guns. And even though I predicted that maybe that was going to phase out, I just was like, “I still like it now.” So I still want to make those silhouettes that feel right for me. So Mrs. Prada is on there because she reminds me to be strong in your convictions and also to have fun with fashion, and it’s OK if it’s a bit weird. And if you want to make a silky cowboy shirt, you should make a silky cowboy shirt.

“Self Control” By Laura Branigan

Clothes and fashion and style are all about the different kinds of information you take in throughout the day that moves you. And that can be sound as much as it can be a visual image. I just really like that this song feels like you are out dancing and having fun. So it’s kind of like if you listen to this, that’s what the clothes are trying to do.

I’ve appreciated her more and more as I’ve got older. She played the Met Gala one year, and I was like, “Wow, Cher.” I like that she’s weathered the storm, that she’s been loads of different iterations of entertainer. This particular picture I was always obsessed with. I love how tight those jeans are and her simple essence. Just a floaty, beautiful shirt and jeans. That’s kind of the dream uniform for me. And then it’s all about your personality and your own beauty. So I think I wanted it on there to sort of explain how unfussy this was all meant to be.

Love Story

I have endometriosis, and I had a laparoscopy. When I came around, I was on pain medication and the TV in the hospital was playing Love Story, which is already the saddest movie. But I remember through my tears being like, “This is such a beautiful movie; they have such good outfits on.” And I just became a big Ali MacGraw fan. But in my mind, I’ve changed what the outfits are — I think she’s wearing a really long scarf and a suede coat. But actually, when I tried to look that up, that’s not what she’s got on at all. So this is just a seminal ’70s classic Americana movie that helped me when I was trying to design in America.

Dustin Hoffman In Kramer vs. Kramer

The wardrobe in Kramer vs. Kramer, both from Meryl Streep and Dustin Hoffman, is incredible. But mainly, the ’70s is the best decade. Everyone looked great. And I don’t know if that’s because they didn’t have any stretch in denim yet, so everyone was forced to wear cool jeans. We sort of flirted with the idea of making that army jacket. I think that era and styling were just key.

Rita Hayworth In Gilda

I fell down a Wikipedia hole once about her. And then I watched Gilda, which I’d never seen. She is so ahead of her time and a real kind of brassy broad. [For Halloween,] I didn’t go anywhere, but I wanted to be Rita Hayworth as a cowgirl. I was like, “I can wear my cowgirl shirt from Madewell and then get a red wig and a cowboy hat.” Anyway, I never made it out of the house. As much as sometimes I’ll screengrab an actual item of clothing and be like “I need to make these exact jeans,” more often than not, it’s about the spirit of the person I want to wear it. And for me, her in Gilda is my kind of broad — I love that she’s a loose woman who can’t be tamed.