Do you like being called a style icon?
I think it is very flattering but it’s also something I’ve got to be wary of because it puts me in a position where people are going to be even more hypercritical of what I’m wearing when I don’t really take it all that seriously.

Tell us about the Mulberry Elkington bag you were carrying.
I saw an Elkington in oak at Liberty’s and it was so beautiful I found myself wishing I could carry it. Then I thought, wait, I can. I may be a girl but I’m allowed to carry a man’s bag.

What influenced your style as you were growing up?
I grew up in the countryside and my style was influenced by that, as well as by my two older brothers. I also had a pony, so there was an equestrian influence too. I was always in jodhpurs and my brothers’ hand-me-down T-shirts and riding ankle boots.
My mum would wear loafers or ballet pumps, a Burberry trench and a satchel. Without knowing it, I started emulating her style.

How would you describe your dressing?
Menswear, countryside - it’s quite a British way of dressing. I also like pretty tea dresses but when you are in the country, you can’t wear a pretty thing without a big chunky jumper over it.
Also, everyone in England wore school uniforms, so that explains the classic V neck jumper, navy cardigan and pleated skirt. I quite like conservative things.

Tell us your top style tips.
1. Don’t try to be anyone else. Express your own vibe.

2. Dress for your body type. I’ve got skinny legs so when I was in school, I used to wear three pairs of tights to make them look bigger. But then I thought, heck it, it doesn’t matter.

3. Invest in classic pieces that will last you a long time. Don’t be frivolous.

4. Have fun with fashion. Be playful and experiment and do your own thing.

What is the one fashion faux pas you would never commit?

I’d never buy anything from the 1980s. For me, it’s just too sexually aggressive. All the clothes are about power and sex.
I think of 1980s clothes as what a groupie of all those Los Angeles bands would wear - people dressing like hookers.

How do you feel about being called an It girl?

I don’t mind it. Let’s call a spade a spade. I’m told I’m one but I don’t feel like one. I feel like a girl who sits in the bath and gets anxious about things.

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British celebrity stylist Gok Wan also said in an interview with Urban: ‘She is honest, down-to-earth, has impeccable personal style, doesn’t conform to what fashion industry thinks is in, is painfully beautiful, very versatile and an all-round nice girl.’

While most of us dream of merely owning a Mulberry handbag Alexa Chung has had one named after her…

We love a bit of Alexa Chung style; her tomboy twists on girly looks, her clever way with a brogue or a ballet pump and her entirely effortless brand of red carpet dressing have all turned her into a fashion hero.

SEE ALEXA CHUNG’S STYLE HITS

So perhaps it was no surprise that Mulberry have decided to make a bag and name it after her. Inspired by Alexa’s quirky personal style, the Alexa is an up-to-date take on the iconic Bayswater classic.

The Alexa comes in a range of different hues – the classic oak with brass hardwear (£695) will appeal to the traditionalists, while the smudgy leopard in dark oak with pale gold hardwear (£795) is one for those who love a bit of animal print. Our fave has got to be the nude-hued lambskin with snake trim (£895, pictured), a luxurious modern classic.

And Alexa is lucky enough to have her bag made in a variety of sizes so there’s one for every occasion… There’s a clutch, a roomy outsized version and the standard size which has a long, detachable strap to be worn cross-body or over the shoulder.

The one season It-bag has well and truly had its day… What we want now are modern classics that will last and last. This cool new take on a Brit classic is just the thing to update your look for 2010.

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