"The short shorts are a bit tricky, aren't they?" Alexa Chung wondered aloud when talking to StyleList at the debut of her new collection for Madewell. Tricky or not, the line is chock-full of denim hot pants.

Chung told us that the collaboration came about simply because she was asked. "I really love the brand and actually wear it, so it seemed like an easy-peasy choice," says the stylish Brit, who is also a fan of Madewell's parent company, J.Crew.

What was the DJ-turned-designer's inspiration? Both a "Pamela Des Barres 'I'm with the band,'" groupie vibe and a 1960's schoolgirl touch. "Aside from the hot pants, I think you can sort of mix and match everything else with your wardrobe," said Alexa. "That was kind of important to me."

Chung's Madewell gig left her with little time to attend Fashion Week. Among her favorite New York designers are Alexander Wang, whose designs she describes as being "relaxed and cool," and Phillip Lim. "The brilliant thing about [Lim] is that everything he does is quite practical."

See the designer bag inspired by and named after Alexa Chung.