TONE UP OUR TRAINERS!

WEAR

Model, presenter and designer Alexa Chung (below) has been the poster girl for iconic trainer brand Superga before, but for S/S 18 she’s taking the relationship to the next level by designing a collection for the brand. We caught up with Alexa to chat about her foray into footwear. WHAT WAS YOUR INSPIRATION FOR THE COLLECTION? I have always gravitated towards the classics. It’s one of the reasons I was first interested in Superga – my mother wore them and so, to me, they seemed evergreen. I wanted to celebrate the original Supergas but update them with an off-white colour and a toe cap to make them fresh and luxe, without compromising what makes 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 colours. HOW IMPORTANT IS IT FOR YOU TO BE INVOLVED IN THE DESIGN PROCESS? When you put your name to something you have to imbue it with your point of view. The collaboration with Superga, though, is with the AlexaChung brand, not just me as an individual, so there was teamwork involved. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE WAY TO STYLE YOUR SUPERGAS? With jeans, which sounds snoozy but looks great. I think they’d look good with cropped trousers, too, or maybe a miniskirt – something that accentuates the play on proportion. WHICH IS YOUR FAVOURITE PAIR FROM THE NEW COLLECTION? I love the mid-top off-white pair (above) because they’re my dream trainers come true. Sometimes the hardest thing to do in design is show restraint and have confidence in more muted things, and these are beautiful because they’re so classic and minimal. AlexaChung x Superga trainers, from £67, superga.co.uk The V&A has made cruising cool again. Its recently opened exhibition explores the romance and luxury of the age of ocean travel. It’s hard not to get swept away with it all.