Published on 19 January 2022
A budding fashion journalist from the University of Sunderland is living her best life – after bagging an exclusive interview with one of Sex and the City’s newest stars.
The SATC reboot, And Just Like That, featuring Manhattan icons Carrie, Charlotte and Miranda in middle age, is now showing on Sky Comedy.
But for third-year Fashion Journalism student and Fashion North editor Lucy Britnell, one character stood out for her experimental style and discussions of gender identity – Charlotte’s daughter Rose, also known as Rock.
Alexa Swinton, the 12-year-old who plays her, has spoken exclusively to Lucy from the US over Zoom, sharing her experience working alongside Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristen Davis and Cynthia Nixon, as well as chatting about her character’s style and her personal connection to the north of England.
Lucy, 20, from Teesside, said: “As a huge fan of Sex and the City and the reboot, it was a big moment for me.
“Alexa was so lovely and friendly and went into so much detail on every question I asked her.
“I couldn’t believe she is only 12! She is very well spoken, and you could really see her passion for her career and how important it is for her to play a complex character like Rock.
“Her stories about the cast were such a nice touch to the interview.”
Lucy’s article has been published on Fashion North, a fashion and beauty website created and run by students studying Fashion Journalism at Sunderland.
Carole Watson, Programme Leader for Fashion Journalism at the University of Sunderland, said: “We set up Fashion North 10 years ago for students to practise their journalism and have their content published in the real world. “It’s the best way to learn and a real buzz for students to see their names on their stories, and to then share them on Fashion North’s social media platforms.
“I always teach the students that ‘shy bairns get nowt’ and to aim high, so Lucy’s story just proves it’s worth thinking big and trying to scoop the big name fashion titles for exclusives.
“I used to work at Grazia magazine and I’m sure they’d have been happy to publish such an in-depth exclusive interview with Alexa too.”
Read Lucy’s article here.
Check out more of the University's Fashion Journalism success stories
Madeleine Bowden
Celebrity stylist Madeleine Bowden, who graduated from Sunderland’s BA (Hons) Fashion Journalism course in 2012, has styled stars such as the Pussycat Dolls and Jessie J, and worked for brands and publications including Superdrug, Marie Claire and Cosmopolitan.
Madeleine transitioned into celebrity styling when working as Nicole Scherzinger’s assistant stylist on The X Factor. However, it wasn’t until she joined Jessie J on her arena tour that she went from an assistant stylist to a stylist in her own right. This led to her becoming Jessie’s personal stylist for every event you could think of, including her time on The Voice, music videos, tours and red-carpet events.
With a strong portfolio of work, Madeleine then started to expand her styling work by working on campaigns and adverts for well-known commercial companies, such as John Freida, Arcadia, L’Oréal and New Look.
Paige Mooney
In the fast-moving world of fashion, Paige Mooney is making a name for herself with all the right brands.
The Sunderland graduate has worked for some of the biggest names in the industry following her three year degree in Fashion Journalism, securing internships with Marie Claire and Vogue magazines.
Paige also spent time working for other well-known publications, including Grazia, Red, Glamour and In Style, before landing a full-time job in public relations for fashion label Jimmy Choo.
The graduate dealt with designers, organised press meetings, worked on social media and got an incredible grounding in the industry.
Paige built her reputation and went on to bag herself a dream job with Victoria Beckham’s fashion label.
The University of Sunderland is supporting MadeAtUni: Creative Sparks, a national campaign to showcase the creative talent produced by UK universities and encourage the Government to promote and support the importance of creativity and creative courses.