Career Guidance

There is a beautiful Alexa spread in May’s Harper’s Bazaar. Styled by Alison Edmond and shot by Guy Aroch, the photos capture the frothiness of full-length Nina Ricci and Giambattista Valli gowns whilst combining them with harder pieces like a Charles Anastase leather jacket or a pair of All Saints boots. Accompanying the dreamy spread is an equally fanciful interview in which Alexa discusses, once again, her varied career ambitions. The decision to turn down a place at Kings College is obviously mentioned - I don’t think there has ever been an Alexa interview that didn’t refer to it – which begs the question “WTF is the big deal about turning down a place at Kings College?” I turned down a place to study English at Trinity but I rarely/never mention that because eight years later it isn’t in any way relevant to my life.

I suspect that perhaps one of the reasons Alexa brings it up so frequently is because she feels slightly intellectually inferior. Although one would think that hanging out at Bungalow 8 with Peaches and Pixie all the time would actually make you feel really smart. Comparatively, at least. Anyway Alexa plans to make up for it – when asked where she sees herself at 30 she answered, “I want to write columns and I want to have studied literature and just be really clever, have an excellent vocabulary and just be really eloquent.” She also discusses her dreams of holding an exhibition of her photography and becoming an actress. Not in plays or Casualty or anything but in “some really cool hip thing. Juno or something.”

As somebody who has earned a living as a waitress, actor, shop assistant, drama teacher, runner in a post-production company, TEFL teacher and most recently production assistant/researcher type person, I am really in no position to judge. In fact, I am just jealous. Jealous of somebody who has pretty much everything I want in life - a column in The Independent and an incredibly long pair of legs.

Harper's Bazaar May 2009