I won this book titled It through a Goodreads giveaway, otherwise I probably would have never picked it up. I’m not a typical girly-girl, I do not devour fashion magazines and talk with my friends about make-up and clothes. I do like dressing up once in a while and looking good in general. So why I participated in the giveaway for this autobiography of sorts by fashionista Alexa Chung, I will never know for sure.
I want to be positive, I really really do, I promise. But. This is not a book. Calling it a book is a disgrace. And it’s not because I don’t like biographies, auto or not, because I do. I can really enjoy a good (auto)biography and I love memoirs if the person interests me. Of course, Alexa is not a person that I’m interested in, but even then. This is not a book. it’s a diary where Alexa wrote down some of her ideas and impressions. There’s no logic or order to it. Fashion tips on one page, a childhood memory on the next and boyfriend advice on the next. She is basically writing about how great she is and how she got where she is now.
Now, I’m sure that Alexa is an important person. Online research showed me that she is a British fashion model, television presenter, writer and editor at fashion magazine Vogue. She has a very specific style, is the inspiration for several fashion designers, appeared on best-dressed lists and she won the British Style Award (whatever that is). This must mean that she is pretty important and influential in her chosen world. I like her short, messy hair and I would see myself wearing some of her styles. Just as every model, she is sometimes dressed like a normal person which I like and would wear as well (first row of pictures), and other times trussed up in the craziest things that I wouldn’t want to be caught dead in (second row of pictures). But then again, I’m not the most fashionable person. Just to show that I’m not hating on the woman.
But this is not a book. It’s a collection of stories, memories and short stories that prove how great she is. She is self-obsessed and shows through It who isnpired her to become the great person she is today. The “book” couldn’t interest me and I had to struggle to get through the whole thing.
Would I recommend it? To fans of Alexa, fellow fashionistas and people interested in the modelling and fashion world: yes. To everyone else: god no. What do you think?
Happy reading,
Loes M.