When I think of the people I've worked with, all of them have great passion, and the passion is what keeps people inspired.

The Brits always favor the underdog. There's an eccentricity to us, and I think you can see that through the fash- ion and the music and the way people look.

Fashion was a very insider industry then - it was very closed. So I didn't really know what I wanted to do.

Fashion now is just so confusing. It doesn't feel as easy. Fashion seems to be in a much more eclectic place.

I try to be aware of technology and Japanese animation and old Belgian paintings, and get all my references from bits of everywhere.

I got into hairdressing and moved from Dorset to London, where I got an apprenticeship at Vidal Sassoon. This was around '83 or '84. I was working on South Molton Street, which was then the epicenter of all the shops. It was like a catwalk. So I did my apprenticeship there, but I wasn't successful.

I worked in salons, where you do learn the basic sort of thing. But I didn't know anything about the kinds of things I'm doing now. I learned how to put hot-rollers in.