Alexa Chung Tells Us How To Dress Like Her (‘Wear Stupid Shoes!’) and Elle Fanning and Kate Bosworth Gush Over Her New Collection for Madewell

Photo: WireImage

LOS ANGELES–When it comes to personal style, there’s no better embodiment of a brazen fashionista than Alexa Chung; and it’s no wonder that Madewell tapped her for a second collaborative collection (sales of her debut collection went through the roof) this fall. InStyle hosted a celebratory soiree in her honor last night, the eve before the collection hits stores, at the Chateau Marmont and packed the house with a stylish set including Amanda Seyfried, Diana Agron, Abbie Cornish, Jena Malone, Zelda Williams and more.

A pop-up shop displaying the entire line occupied guests for hours, while we made the rounds to see just what it is about Chung’s style that’s so decidedly addictive.

“She’s my favorite kind of sexy,” said Kate Bosworth, hot off her European run as the face of Vanessa Bruno. “I think Alexa is so chic and unique and playful. That tomboyish femininity…like she’s not trying too hard. You can tell she’s sharp, totally a smart girl.”

Clad in a prim ivory lace dress from the collection, Elle Fanning excitedly fawned over the fashion before embracing Alexa in a sweet hug to congratulate her. “Everything is so cute! I love Madewell and I love Alexa…having them together is like heaven!” enthused the young actress, who first met Chung at the Met Ball months ago. “She’s really, really fun. I love how she sort of wears baby doll dresses but still has the tomboy thing going on. It suits her so well.”

So what did the girl of the hour have to say about all of the fashion flattery? “Yeah, it’s true. I like to kick against the mainstream. When people hate what I’m wearing, or just don’t get it, it’s like validation that I’ve got it right. It’s like cool, I didn’t want you to anyway!” the style icon laughed. As for the collaboration, she elaborated, “It’s like a dream world to work with Madewell because we have the same vibe, we appreciate the same visual aesthetic. I’m very happy with everything, but the leopard print boots are my favorite because they came out exactly as I drew them. They were missing in my closet. I dreamt them up and now they’re on my feet!”

And after all that, we had to ask, what are the tenets to dressing like Alexa Chung? Without missing a beat, she outlined the following: “Have fun. Don’t take anything too seriously. Try a bit of irony now and again. Don’t wear anything too tight. Borrow things from your brother, boyfriend or father’s wardrobe. And wear stupid shoes!”

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This Week’s Parties: Alexa Chung at Mulberry, Karen Elson Sings and Designs Shoes and Mischa Barton Looks Really Good

This week’s party highlights were for two very different brands, but both drew a similarly fabulous crowd (especially stylish Brits) and memorable music performances. Hayley danced the night away and drank margs with Alexa Chung Monday, while Dhani took in an amazing performance by Karen Elson and chatted with Mischa Barton Tuesday. Read on for deets and pics!

On Monday, Mulberry celebrated their 40th birthday in only the way that the quirky-cool English brand could pull off: With an all-out rager atop the Skylight Studios and all of fashion’s cool crowd in attendance.

We could hear the party’s heavy base from about two blocks away. Once inside, we were excited to find the party already booming, with a packed dance floor (which was a classic Seventies style, with lit-up squares and all), and party-goers enjoying margaritas and yummy snacks like mini grilled cheese sandwiches and delicious cupcakes. Once the band, Kasabian, went on, we saw Alexa Chung (wearing a trench tied around her waist, and a blue ribbon in her hair) and Harley Viera Newton get down on the dance floor.

Guests were treated to balloon animal hats (yes, like the kind you got at sixth grade birthday parties) and Rumi Neely and Bryanboy both treated themselves to some festive balloon sculptures, we’re particularly partial to Neely’s balloon fairy wings!

We capped off our night by taking a picture with Mulberry’s infamous blow-up bag, which for this momentous night had been made in shiny gold. Happy 40th Mulberry!

Last night, further downtown, Karen Elson and Nine West celebrated the launch of their collaboration with a soiree hosted by Paper magazine at hipsteraunt Beauty & Essex.

The highlight of the evening began around 10pm when Karen Elson and her band took the stage, but not before a glowing and accurate introduction by Sarah Sophie Flicker, who described her friend as a “quadruple threat”: model, singer/songwriter, designer and dancer. And she’s pretty remarkable at everything she does. We were blown away by her performance. Girl can sing. Her voice reminded us a bit of Neko Case and when she closed her performance with Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” we got goosebumps. That is one hard song to sing and she completely did it justice.

Unfortunately, I had to tweet about how that song will forever remind me of The O.C. and oddly enough, after she show ended, I turned around to see none other than Mischa Barton (whose very dramatic death on the show was scored with that song), who we hope is making a comeback. She looked AMAZING (seriously, see below for pics). Obviously, we had to talk to her.

She and stylist June Ambrose were being dragged out, but she had just enough time to tell us, in her subtly British accent, that she was wearing a Phillip Lim dress, those Miu Miu shoes, and a bag of her own design. She had just gotten into town to do “some stuff” for said bag line which is apparently in its ninth season. She wasn’t sure if she was going to any shows. Then, I told her about how that song always reminds me of The O.C., to which she replied, “Oh wow! No totally…um, that resonates for a lot of people.” June offered, “See, I think of Shrek.” Click through for more pics of Karen and Mischa.

**Photos via Getty and TK Stuart-Deely

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Hey, Guys: Buy a Girl You’ve Never Met a Pair of Shoes and You Can Have a Date with Her

Forget about Match.com or meeting someone in a bar. Buy your lady a pair of shoes instead, and be guaranteed a date! Winning for “weirdest press release of the day” is Chocolate Sole Lounge, who promises you will “Get a Man and Get a Gorgeous Shoe.”

First some background on the company. Chocolate Sole Lounge is a direct selling company, sort of like Tupperware or those sex toy parties. Women who have a Chocolate Sole biz have the option of having live “shoe parties” or an online shoe boutique. Start-up costs are anywhere from $299 to $1,000. The company advertises that it sells “designer shoes,” but when we checked out the site the prices range from $55 to $136 and include the likes of Vince Camuto (at the high end) and Dollhouse.

Now this is where it gets strange. According to the press release:

The first ever “Get a Man and a Gorgeous Shoe” is coming to NYC this September 2011. Designer shoes will be used as the vehicle to break the ice and bring progressive men and women together. Men will ditch their usual tactics of “flowers, dinner or drinks” and woo women by indulging in their shoe fetish instead. Men agree to personally select and buy a pair of shoes for the woman he connects with. And the special lady agrees to a meet up again, within 48 hours, wearing the shoes he bought her. It’s a practical yet unexpected way to get a woman’s attention. Carol [the owner] says, “It’s simple. We throw parties where shoes are always in the mix; the women come for the gorgeous shoes and the men come because they want to be wherever the women are.”

Is this weird and creepy, or no stranger than allowing a man to buy you dinner and a movie? Dinner and a movie are probably more expensive than these shoes, but accepting a gift from a relative stranger in return for a date seems really…prostitutional. Or something. The company didn’t return our calls or emails to get some clarification and more information.

If this sounds awesome to you, go here to sign up. They won’t disclose the exact location of the NYC-based event until you register. Please report back if you get an amazing pair of shoes and an amazing man.

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Scarlett Johansson, Olivia Palermo and Other Celebs Designed Some Shoes For Stuart Weitzman–Would You Wear Any of Their Designs?

Co-designed by Olivia Palermo

Red carpet regulars Olivia Palermo, Scarlett Johansson, Hayden Panettiere and Michelle Trachtenberg have all teamed up with Stuart Weitzman to try their hand at shoe design.

According to the release, proceeds from what Weitzman has dubbed the “Young Hollywood Cares Collection,” will benefit Marsha Moses’ research in ovarian cancer at the Folkman Institute in Boston. They range in price from $425 to $498 and will be available online and in Stuart Weitzman boutiques come September. Panettiere and Trachtenberg (who co-starred in Ice Princess!) will be at Stuart Weitzman’s Madison Avenue flagship on Fashion’s Night Out to celebrate the collection’s unveiling.

So could a footwear design career be in any of these girls’ futures? Well, Olivia Palermo, the only one who isn’t a Hollywood actress, designed the only shoe without a platform and the only one we really like (Trachtenberg’s is made out of denim, crystals and snakeskin). Which is your favorite? Click through to see all four.

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