Alice Dellal: From Royal Romance to Fashion Royalty

The British model on being a Chanel muse, working with Karl Lagerfeld, and staying punk forever

By Kristina Moskalenko
Photography: Nikolay Biryukov
Styling: Elena Bessonova

With her signature half-shaved head and ripped tights, Alice Dellal never tried to become a fashion icon—she just was. Long before “it girl” became an Instagram cliché, Dellal embodied the title with unfiltered edge. It didn’t take long for Karl Lagerfeld to take notice. The legendary designer made her his Chanel muse, and the rest is fashion history.

In this exclusive with L’OFFICIEL Russia, the British model speaks about her years with Chanel, a whirlwind trip to Moscow, and her ever-evolving look.

A Fashion Legacy

Born into a family of taste and wealth, Dellal’s mother, Andrea de Magalhães Vieira, modeled for Valentino and YSL in the 1970s. Her father, Tyrone Dellal, is a London financier, and her late grandfather, Jack “Black Jack” Dellal, a real estate tycoon with a passion for roulette. Her siblings are equally accomplished: Alex is a gallerist, Charlotte founded cult shoe brand Charlotte Olympia, and Max is still finding his way.

Almost a Princess

Alice’s teenage romance with Pierre Casiraghi, now seventh in line to Monaco’s throne, made headlines. But the rebellious beauty was never meant for royal duties. She later dated James Jagger, but it was her fashion path that would prove lasting.

Chanel’s Rebel Queen

It was Lagerfeld who turned Dellal’s punk look into haute couture gold. Their Chanel campaigns were electric—pairing tweed with tattoos, pearls with piercings. “Karl let me be myself,” she says. “That’s what made it work.”

Though her look has softened slightly (yes, she’s growing out the buzz cut), Dellal remains fashion royalty—raw, real, and still impossible to imitate.

Kristina Moskalenko: You’ve been working with Chanel for quite a while now—you’re the face of the Boy bag. Has Karl Lagerfeld become like family to you?

Alice Dellal: Karl’s… Karl. He is always kind to me, really supportive, but not in a big showy way. Just being around him, you pick up so much—even when he’s not trying to teach you anything. I didn’t really grasp how huge he was when we first worked together, which was probably a good thing. It meant I wasn’t intimidated.

We weren’t “hang out” friends or anything. We didn’t go for drinks or call each other up. But there was a trust. And that sort of quiet understanding you get when you’ve worked on loads of things together. I always felt comfortable around him, which I didn’t expect at all—if you’d told me beforehand, I’d have imagined him to be more like a Michael Jackson figure. Completely untouchable.

Kristina Moskalenko: You mentioned he taught you things—like what?

Alice Dellal: Just how focused he is. He knows exactly what he wants—always. No fluff, no second-guessing. That kind of clarity is rare, especially in creative work. He never stops. Like, constantly thinking, sketching, making. It isn’t a “9 to 5” thing for him. It is all the time.

Kristina Moskalenko: Did you ever meet Choupette?

Alice Dellal: [laughs] No. I think only a select few ever did. He keeps his private life private, which I respect. I never tried to cross that line.

Kristina Moskalenko: What about Kristen Stewart and Vanessa Paradis—your fellow faces of the 3 Girls, 3 Bags campaign?

Alice Dellal: We shot our parts separately, but we’ve crossed paths at events since. Kristen and I both did that haute couture show—you know, the one where the Grand Palais became a casino.

They’re both brilliant. What I like is, they’re just themselves. No act. I always pick up on that straight away. Vanessa’s been doing this since she was twelve—I used to look up to her when I was a kid. Kristen’s in all those massive films, but when you meet her, she’s chill. No ego. They’re real, you know? They do not behave like… Madonna. [laughs]

Kristina Moskalenko: Right, on to divas. So let’s talk Chanel. What do you think connects you and Coco?

Alice Dellal: Before I started working with Chanel, whenever I thought of Coco, I pictured her silhouette—timeless and elegant. But once I learned more about her, I realised she was actually a bit of a tomboy at heart. Same as me, really. Though, of course, I’d never compare myself to her!

Kristina Moskalenko: What about the word revolutionary? She changed fashion forever, and you’ve definitely shaken up hair norms—you helped popularise the urban undercut.

Alice Dellal: That’s a bit of a stretch! I mean—she came from an orphanage and built a whole fashion empire. We’re still wearing her jackets, shoes, and bags today. I didn’t even invent the undercut—it was big in the ’80s. I just brought it back, I guess.

Kristina Moskalenko: So how did you end up shaving your head?

Alice Dellal: Oh, that again! [laughs] Honestly, it wasn’t even my idea—my sister convinced me. I’ve always listened to her. I think she wanted to do it but chickened out.

Our dad and brothers used to shave their heads every summer, so Charlotte and I would joke that we’d do the same when we grew up. Then one day, I was seventeen, some friends were over, and that was it—they shaved one side. It started as a tiny strip, and slowly it turned into half my head.

Kristina Moskalenko: And why did you finally grow it out? Style evolution?

Alice Dellal: I had the undercut for seven years. After a while, everyone had it. When people started saying, “Oh wow, you’ve got Rihanna’s haircut!”—I knew it was time. I even thought about shaving both sides, but that already felt done. So I just moved on.

Kristina Moskalenko: Long hair suits you too! Speaking of Charlotte… in fashion, you’re almost always associated with two things: your sister’s iconic Alice boots and the Chanel Boy bag. Which one feels more you?

Alice Dellal: I probably wear the boots more, but Chanel bags are just next-level. They’re proper statement pieces.

Kristina Moskalenko: How many Chanel bags do you own?

Alice Dellal: Not that many, actually! Definitely fewer than people think. Let’s just say: enough.

Kristina Moskalenko: What about fashion shows—do you prefer being in the audience or walking the runway?

Alice Dellal: I’d actually love to walk more. It’s fun, high-energy, and takes way less time than a full-day shoot. But I’m not tall enough, you know? Once a year, I’ll get pulled into something wild, like a Pam Hogg show—which is less fashion show, more fabulous freak show. And that’s exactly why I love her. Walking for Pam is like being in a piece of theatre.

Kristina Moskalenko: So you’d pick runway over the front row?

Alice Dellal: Obviously! Don’t get me wrong—when it’s Chanel, I’m happy to just sit and soak it in. It’s not a show, it’s a production. But doing the full Fashion Week circuit as a guest? That’s not really me. I’d rather be part of the process. Recently I walked in a show for my friend, Grace Wales Bonner. It was a menswear collection—only two women were on the runway. That was brilliant.

Kristina Moskalenko: Let’s talk music. You used to play drums in Thrush Metal and Spilt Milk—what’s happening with that side of your life?

Alice Dellal: Honestly? It’s not happening. The music part of my life doesn’t really exist at the moment. We did one show with Spilt Milk for Chanel at Versailles—but that was more about the venue than the band. We never actually recorded anything.

Fashion and music were always separate for me, but people would treat the band like it was “Alice Dellal’s band,” and that kind of killed it. We kept getting booked for fashion parties when what we really wanted was to play proper underground gigs. I get it—if it weren’t for my modelling career, no one would’ve even heard of the band. But they didn’t really hear us anyway. They just wanted me. They wanted the image, not the music. That’s not what we were about. We wanted to play for people who actually liked what we were doing—more rock festival, less rooftop cocktail party, you know?

Kristina Moskalenko: Still, you were pretty serious about the band—most people would be thrilled to play at fashion parties.

Alice Dellal: Totally. But imagine being one of the other girls in the band—suddenly we’re getting attention, but not for the right reasons. They’re super talented, and it didn’t feel great to be seen as just passengers on the “Alice Dellal express.” It messed with the vibe.

Kristina Moskalenko: Let’s switch to something a bit lighter—your zines. You make them yourself, right?

Alice Dellal: Yeah, punks love anything handmade, and I’ve always been into punk culture—it’s a big part of British identity. So it felt natural to get into zines. I started by creating a collage for Thrush Metal’s album cover, and I got hooked on the process. My boyfriend makes zines too, so he helped me with the layout. It’s a proper breath of fresh air—everything’s so digital and commercial now. When you make something by hand, just for the joy of it, it feels real.

Kristina Moskalenko: You even made a zine about Moscow, right?

Alice Dellal: Yeah! My sister and I went to Russia to celebrate our dad’s birthday. It was November—freezing cold. I had my film camera with me, shot a couple of rolls, and used the photos for the zine. I really liked Moscow. The people too. It felt like stepping back into the late ’80s or early ’90s.

Kristina Moskalenko: Not sure if that’s a compliment…

Alice Dellal: I think it is! I love the ’90s. If Moscow had been all shiny and modern, I probably wouldn’t have found it as interesting—or photogenic. Sure, it wasn’t polished, but it had real charm. We were only there for three days, but I’d definitely go back. I just can’t remember what we ate…

Kristina Moskalenko: Borscht?

Alice Dellal: What’s that?

Kristina Moskalenko: A traditional soup. Everyone makes it differently, but it usually has loads of veggies and some meat.

Alice Dellal: That sounds exactly like my kind of food! I love mixing all sorts of things on a plate. And I’m obsessed with fish and chips. Like, truly obsessed.

Originally Published in L’Officiel Russia / October 2016