Who Was Hilary Alexander? TV Fashion Expert, Journalist And Inventor Of ‘Supermodel’ Dies Aged 77

Hilary Alexander was a New Zealand fashion journalist known as a one-time director of the Daily Telegraph and the first journalist to use the word “supermodel”.

Born on February 5, 1946, Alexander was close allies with the likes of Gianni Versace, Zandra Rhodes, Lee McQueen, and Julien Macdonald.

She was named Journalist of the Year at the British Fashion Awards on two occasions, and was former fashion editor for Hello Fashion Monthly.

Alexander’s fashion media career began at age 16 in Australia, where she worked for the Ballarat Courier, the Wollongong Mercury, The China Mail and the Hong Kong Standard, and Daily Telegraph.

In 2007, Nottingham Trent University, confered on her an honorary degree title Doctor of Design.

Alexander’s experience spans across notable media houses such as the BBC, Channel 4, and other national channels in Germany, France, Spain, Russia and China, serving as host for Designer Catwalk show, and for Britain’s Next Top Model.

In 2011, Alexander won the CFDA’s special Eugenia Sheppard Media Award, and in 2013, she was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE).

Alexander passed away on February 5, 2023, from an unknown cause. She was aged 77.