"So many designers now look to the past for their inspiration when creating new looks, but if you get..." — Dawn O'Porter

In Hollywood most of the films we see are all about the relationships between lovers, but as massively important as that is in someone's life, my relationships with women have always been really dramatic and powerful.

When I read my own diary, a lot of those feelings came flooding back, such as the idea that the first boy you fall in love with will be your last. You can never imagine that you could ever love anyone else and that they're just the one.

I couldn't keep up with trends, I couldn't really be fashionable. But I really loved clothes. And then I discovered a vintage shop, and realised that I could dress for myself rather than for an industry or trend.

My aunt and uncle, who bought me up, were big players in the fashion industry in London during the 60s. They were furriers and designers, and my aunt dressed some of the major windows on Oxford Street.