Alexa Chung puts on a perfectly made-up face as she heads to a book signing amid scathing reviews of her ‘scrapbook autobiography’

By Joanna Crawley

Published: 05:52 EST, 31 October 2013 | Updated: 09:00 EST, 31 October 2013

She released her first book to great fanfare back in September but despite glowing endorsements from her celebrity pals, Alexa Chung’s foray into literature hasn’t exactly been a hit with the critics.

The 29-year-old follower of fashion has been busy promoting her book, It, for the past few weeks and on Wednesday it was New York’s turn to get in on the action.

Alexa was spotted heading to a book signing in Manhattan, as she launches her venture Stateside, amid scathing reviews of her publication back home.

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She's in fashion: Alexa Chung looks chic in a jumper and glitzy skirt as she arrives for a book signing of her scrapbook autobiography It at Bookmarc in New York

The brunette showed off her impeccable style in a chic outfit for her NYC event, which was held at the suitably fashionable location of a Bookmarc shop, designer Marc Jacobs’ chain of book stores.

Wrapping up warm against the chilly New York temperatures, Alexa layered a cosy cable knit sweater over a statement black and gold sequinned skirt.

The midi length piece was paired with a pair of classic black pumps, whilst the star carried a vintage navy bag. With her lips painted a bright red and her new darker locks clipped back, Alexa certainly looked the part as she strolled to her signing.

New venture: Alexa released her book in the UK back in September and has been busy marking it's Stateside launch this week

It’s been a busy couple of days for Alexa as on Tuesday she hosted another signing to mark the official release of It in the States. 

Dressed in a floral dress with white collar and cuff detail, the style queen clutched a copy of the pink tome as she posed for pictures.

All dolled up: Alexa looked gorgeous for her NYC signing, finishing her mismatched outfit off with a slick of bright red lippie

  

The TV presenter and style icon’s famous friends have done their best to promote the book, with Rosie Huntington-Whiteley recently Instagramming a picture of herself tucked up in bed with the book, writing: 'Spent the morning devouring every last page and learning to be as cool as Alexa Chung.'

The high praise hasn’t extended to the critics though with many pointing to the book's confusing layout, combining doodles, uncaptioned photos and musings.

Published by Penguin Books, the tome features the fashion muse's own sketches and hand-picked photographs of friends and style icons, like Jane Birkin, who have inspired her.

It girl: Alexa hosted another signing in New York on Tuesday, looking pretty in a floral print dress as she clutched a copy of It, which combines musings, doodles and photographs

Alexa describes her offering as an 'image-heavy autobiography' that provides an honest insight into heartbreak, boys and, of course, style.

‘I went to Penguin and said, I would like to write a book please and they were like, OK, what kind of book? And I was like, not sure! Sort of like . . . things. Like my diary,’ she told Vogue recently.

She adds that she had an unusual method of composing the title, emailing passages to her editor:

‘The text in this book isn’t complicated or dense,’ she says. ‘It’s almost a stream of consciousness about several topics, so it was fun to write. I composed it in emails to my editor, because I don’t have Microsoft Word.’

Celebrity fans: Alexa's first book has had glowing endorsements from her famous pals but has received mixed reviews from critics

With such pearls of wisdom as ‘look in a mirror after you get dressed in the morning’, Alexa also ponders on the book's pages that her trademark laid-back style is actually really tricky to get right:

‘Looking effortless takes a lot of effort,’ she complains. ‘When I get new Converse I dedicate some time at home to shoving mud on them so they don’t look squeaky clean.’