In August, Alexandra Shulman won praise after sharing a candid bikini photo of herself during a summer holiday. The former Vogue editor, who was branded "beautiful," "brave" and "normal" by fans as a result, admitted she was surprised by such a reaction in her column for Business of Fashion. On Thursday, the 59-year-old spoke out about her decision to post the photo, writing: " I thought the bedroom looked pretty in that typically Greek way, faded blue paint and ironwork, and that the slightly fuzzy image had a free-spirited appeal." She continued to add: "Never in my wildest imagination had I thought that sharing a picture of myself looking very similar to how many women of my age look on holiday was something remarkable in any way."
Alexandra Shulman spoke out about the reaction to her bikini selfie
Alexandra went on to question why fans were intrigued by her "normal" appearance given her former role as a fashion editor. "Of course, as a card-carrying member of the fashion industry for over a quarter of a century, “normal” is not how you are expected to look. Why would someone who is part of the fashion world do such a thing?" she said.
The former editor of Vogue at her leaving party last month
Alexandra also revealed that she had taken the photo before going on a boat trip during her trip to Greece. The well-deserved break followed her last day at Vogue on 2 August. Her departure came as a surprise to many, having spent 25 years at the helm of the fashion bible. Speaking of her departure from the fashion bible, the fashion editor said: "It has been very hard to find a rational reason to leave what is unquestionably a fascinating and rewarding role but last autumn I realised that I very much wanted to experience a different life and look forward to a future separate to Vogue."