Former teen model proves she's all grown up

The daughter of a Chinese-British graphic designer and a British housewife, the 174 cm Alexa Chung was "discovered" when she was 14 by a London-based modeling agency. The experience that many girls her age dreamed of, however, didn't sit well with the teenager. According to Chung, her parents were unsupportive of her taking up modeling as a profession, she was asked to pose seminaked when it was unnecessary and she was also deeply affected by criticism about her appearance.

Chung's career took off when she started to appear in a slew of music videos and TV shows in 2006. Her playful personality, witty dialogue and spontaneous reactions on camera earned her celebrity status. She debuted her own US show on MTV in 2009 - a daily, live talk show called It's On with Alexa Chung - followed by the show Gonzo with Alexa Chung on UK screens a year later.

Her personal style brought her as much attention as her TV appearances and she was hounded by photographers for street snaps. She loves to mix and match styles, and she often wears masculine pieces that exude a touch of femininity, such as an oversized suit combined with a shiny pair of Mary Janes. Her love of flats, as well as her iconic play-it-cool gesture - crossing one foot over the other in front of the cameras - made more and more people call her "It girl", a term originally used to describe beautiful young women who don't flaunt their sexuality.