Q&A: Alexa Chung talks about her long-running relationship with Superga, shopping in L.A. and the women who inspire her

“I didn’t pursue fashion. It pursued me,” said London’s model-turned-designer Alexa Chung over the sound of Britney Spears music blasting in the background. Chung was holding court in a corner room at the Butcher’s Daughter in Venice last month to talk about her recently launched Superga X Alexa Chung capsule collection. The fashion designer says this, mind you, while dressed in the denim Midi Apron Dress ($490) from her namesake label and a pair of 2493 Alexa Chung off-white satin high-top sneakers ($89) from the new Superga X Alexa Chung spring and summer 2018 collection.

For that footwear collection, Chung re-imagined the classic Superga silhouette in a variety of luxe textiles (satin and towel terry, among them) and colors ranging from the subdued (white, black and burgundy) to eye-catching shades such as sky blue and Kermit the Frog green. The Superga X Alexa Chung sneakers are priced from $79 to $89 and are available now in select Superga stores and online at Superga.com.

As the launch party was heating up outside, we spent a few minutes chatting with Chung about her background in fashion, shopping in Los Angeles and her new collaboration with the “People’s Shoes of Italy.”

How did you get involved with Superga?

In the past [in 2011], I modeled with them [as a brand ambassador], but they asked me to collaborate with them. And I said yes. This is my first collection I designed for them.

What’s your background in fashion?

I started as a fashion model at 15. Then I was a TV host for a music show in England and later for MTV in 2009. Around that time, I started being photographed a lot, and collaboration offers started to come in as a result. With each collaboration I learned more in terms of design tactics, fabrics and the overall construction of a garment and [I] used this as education.

In 2015, I also co-created and hosted an online Vogue series called “The Future of Fashion” where I explored the inner workings of the fashion industry and asked a lot of the unanswered questions I had always wanted to know. With every job, I try to learn something new and I continue to learn daily with my own brand and our team of talented designers.

What was your inspiration for this collection?

For this collection I wanted to celebrate the Superga originals that I wear the most but decided to make them off-white with a little toe cap added to make them fresh and luxe without compromising the elements that make them Supergas. Aside from that, I wanted the shoes to be playful and irreverent so we have made some in terry-towelling. We have backless slip-ons and cool satin high-tops in sherbet colors.

What is your favorite sneaker from the new collection?

My favorite would be the high-top off-white satin ones. They are unexpected.

What’s your design process like?

I like to think about a certain time period/place and build a world around that scene. I also design around particular themes and characters that inspire me. Currently, some [of the] women who inspire me are Patti Smith, Lauren Hutton and Tracee Ellis Ross.

When you are in L.A., where do you like to shop?

American Rag Cie on La Brea and Scout on Melrose.