Men always look smart in a well-fitted, tailored suit. Conversely, they can be incredibly handsome in jeans combined with a cashmere jumper or a beaten-up leather jacket or even just a cotton T-shirt.

I often get the question from people, "well how can you sell luxury at that price?" What I'm explaining to everyone is I'm still paying the same factory cost as I paid when they were $800. I pay the same as my competitors who are in the luxury space pay, I just don't mark them up as much because I haven't put them in a wholesale channel. I don't have to put that extra margin on them.

In the past there were two things that motivated me then: independence, and passion about what I was doing. And those are still the things that motivate me now. I still have that passion for creating a product. And I will never be dependent on a man. I will never be dependent on a husband or a boyfriend or a father. That's one thing that's really important to me.

My worst date would be with someone nervous who has nothing to say. I like people who inspire me.

I always knew I wanted to make my own way; I never wanted to be dependent on my father.

It's amazing how much resilience you can have when you're passionate about a project that you're doing.

I tried to put direct to consumer through a wholesales channel - the industry was just not ready to adapt and change. The other issue I had was with Jimmy Choo.