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Alexa Chung On L.A. Fashion & Being A Style Icon (In 60 Seconds!)

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What does it take to get Alexa Chung's stamp of approval, a.k.a. an über-flattering tweet? Just ask Aedan Macdonald, the twentysomething behind the new Foundry boutique on Melrose (not to be confused with Foundry the restaurant, also located on the famous street!). At the opening of the L.A. outpost, the Brit "It" girl seriously couldn't stop gushing about the selection of up-and-coming designers and quirky merch.
We sat down with Chung at the store's official launch party this past weekend, and talked to her about everything from '90s style to that tome she's working on. She even claims to take cues from the L.A. streets — how rad is that? Angelenos, prepare to feel proud, and don't forget to swing by the "Sickkkk" shop, stat (her words, but we couldn't agree more!).
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We kind of love everything in this store! What's at the top of your wish list?
"There are two brands here that I hadn't heard of before that I really like! Samantha Pleet — I don't know how that skipped me but it's great! — also, Samuji. I've been a big fan of Antipodium for a long time, so I'm happy to see his stuff."

If there was one piece you could walk away with tonight, what would it be?
"The Samantha Pleet orange mini dress. It isn't really my style, but I really love it!"

So what's going on in your world? Give us an update!
"There's that book, and I've got a show coming up for Fuse. And, that's it!"

Are you referencing any other books while writing your own?
"I'm actually in the process of doing it now, and I'm worried about talking about it too much. I don't want to create too much hype and then have to apologize to readers and say, 'Sorry for this fan zine that I've just made!'"

How do you feel about the whole "style icon" title anyway?
"It's really nice! But it's really weird — I don't associate myself with the title because I'm, well, me! I don't know what it's like from the outside, but I know what it's like from my perspective and I don't really think about it until I'm asked in these types of situations. Other than that, it doesn't really come up. My friends aren't like, 'Hey, what should I wear?' they're more like, 'Fuck off, Chung!' So, it's weird. It's pretty flattering, but I feel as though you need to be around a bit longer to get an icon tag. I feel like it should be 20 years plus of dressing rad. It's really lovely, but I don't want to fuck it up and people say, 'Oh, we were quick to stick that on her, she's dressing like shit now!'"

What's your take on fashion here in L.A.?
"I really appreciate L.A. style — some girls have really nailed that '90s style with the vintage florals and Dr. Martens. I see them and I'm just like, 'Ah, that's how you do it!' Because, quite frankly, I have no idea! Where I'm from it's all about layers, and that's sort of my look. So, if I don't get to juxtapose something like a pretty dress with a men's coat, then I freak out. I can't just be girly! And, this summer I had no idea what I was doing. It's so fucking hot in the summer that it's not even like you can try to look nice. People basically walk around in bikinis it's so hot. Mainly, you just try to not look sweaty — other than that, it's a free-for-all. If someone looks rad you're like, 'How did you do that?'"


Photo: Courtesy of WireImage, Angela Weiss

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