It’s always a curiosity meeting celebrities, especially ones you’ve already formed opinions of well before you’ve ever actually ever seen them in person or talked to them. I get a huge kick out of times when I expect someone to be one way, and they turn out to be completely another. Meeting stylesetter Alexa Chung at Madewell on Thursday night was sort of in that “didn’t expect that” category.

Former MTV host, model, and designer/it girl Alexa Chung at Madewell in San Francisco. Photo by Michelle Drewes.
In town for a personal appearance, on a national tour, to fete the launch of her sophomore capsule collection for the prep-meets-indie-hipster retailer, the 27-year-old model/host/designer/it girl surprised me with her quirky personality (at one point she was doing the Charleston in between signing autographs) and her rather relaxed attitude (she’s a New York transplant but didn’t seem the least bit rushed even as crowds were hovering during our couch interview).