Prada Infusion d'Iris perfume - my mother wears it, so it feels like home away from home. It's lovely to smell her scent at all times.

I always think about my lifestyle when designing, so that's being a mother, being a career woman, being a wife, and being a woman who loves to entertain.

I've had women buy their entire wardrobes from me; from suits to full-length evening gowns and sophisticated day dresses, they buy everything.

I was very aware of the fact that I was a young designer, and I didn't want to fall into the trap of 'mother of the bride' dressing and 'occasion-wear.' I wanted to make sure that girls my age were wearing it and that there was a cool factor to my clothes.

Once, four friends and I cut all our hair off, like boys. A couple of them cried afterwards, but I thought we looked really good.

Here in London, you can go for picnics and have a barbecue; you can go to a park and wear bare feet, much like New Zealand. But there's just so much buzz going on; you can be inspired by anything and everything. There's always something to do. Always.

I feel like British designers are having a real moment; there's a lot of freedom to be different, and I think that that's what so unique. There's no expectation of what you're going to see at London Fashion Week, and I think that's why you get such a mixed bag of sweets.

The most wonderful thing about having a small business is that every person we dress gets a really intimate process.

I love seeing a woman in a beautiful dress and pairing it with a light shoe that shows skin - I really believe in toe cleavage.

I'd like to think we can make a nice, glowing change to British dressing.

I attended speech and drama classes with a nun to help me gain confidence in speaking without my face turning red each time.

It's quite funny. I grew up with my mother: as a designer, she was always working, and I actually used to say to her, 'Whatever you do, never leave me your business.'

Old images and films are my main source of inspiration.

I love wearing interesting shoes that work well with my outfit.

As for design, I gravitate to traditional styles but mix it with an element of surprise. Whether it's a big sash bow in the back or an unexpected fabric, it all needs to work together.

There is so much talent in British fashion: a real cookie jar of different aesthetics with designers like Mary Katrantzou, Erdem, Christopher Kane, J. W. Anderson, and Simone Rocha.

I want to offer a wide range of classic and contemporary bridalwear to suit all personalities, readily available to try on.

I wore one of my own designs on my wedding day.

I don't like the word 'ladylike.'

We're creating a brand image which didn't exist in the beginning, and I want to grow that. And in the way that the clothes and services we offer are a luxurious niche, I want to be doing that with accessories.

I was so young when I started, my taste has changed and developed, and I've gone from being a little bit safe to trying different things.

I don't come from family money, and neither does my husband.

It's almost like a chintzy floral that I play on, and sometimes it can get a bad rep. It doesn't necessarily feel modern, but with different silhouettes and cuts, it can.

The AW14 collection is inspired by Film Noir. Elements of masculinity and femininity were reflected in the fabric, tailoring, and features.

I saw a niche in the market where made-to-measure wasn't being done in a modern, fresh way or in a short period of time. Traditionally, bespoke orders take a very long time, but I thought, 'Here we are with all these fashion-forward ideas - why not?'

I put myself into another world and another identity, and I design not for how my life is but for how my imaginary life is.

If I'd really known how hard I was going to have to work behind the scenes to have any kind of business, I think I would have stopped.

My grandmother, Amalia Pia Emilia Vignola, whom I called Nonna, brought out the fairy tale in everything. She used to tuck me into bed so vigorously that I never felt anything less than comforted, and then afterwards, she would sit on a cane basket box next to my bed and read Hans Christian Andersen to me.

From the age of 11, I was taught the importance of earning my own money. I would babysit, walk dogs, clean cars, and work at the local corner shop and the butcher's. If I wanted to buy something, I always bought it myself.

There are many bespoke services in the U.K., but everything's quite old-fashioned. There wasn't anything young and modern and fresh. We're this young service, where a 25-year-old might come and get some great skirts and her mum could come in for some linens.

New Zealand is such a down-to-earth place.