I do like designing clothes that are - not exactly lofty but intellectual in their sexiness.
— Giles Deacon
I've been a fella in the fashion industry for a very long time now, and the industry has been very good to me.
When I was younger, I wanted to be a marine biologist, among other things.
I can be very modern and experimental.
My parents weren't into fashion. I didn't have an eccentric granny who mixed lace mantillas with tweed.
If a piece is individually made to measure, then it's couture.
I go to contemporary galleries all around the world when I can. There's always something historical and something contemporary; those are my rock references.
I didn't set out wanting to be a fashion designer from the age of 3. It wasn't that kind of dream.
We want to be the go-to business for super-special daywear and eveningwear, to focus on what we are known for and what our customers want from us.
I very much like Christopher Kane. He actually did a work placement with me, and you could spot his talent straight away.
I don't like acres of faceless girls walking.
'Irony' is such an over-used word.
Women I've known have always been quite strong and confident women. Sure, I've got some friends who aren't so overtly confident, or at least don't appear that way. But when you get to know them, they are very much so.
You take it very seriously when you start any project, but not everything in life ends up where you think it's going to be.
I don't really have a mentor.
With couture, the great thing is that each piece has its own character, and you have space to explore and continue themes season after season.
I like women to have life, personalities. Women who would perhaps cause some trouble on a night out and have a lot to say for themselves.
Single-sex private schools, especially in the middle of nowhere on a bleak hill in County Durham - I don't think they make sense.
The effort you put into anything when you're a designer is 100% because it's all about what you get back out from it.
I love historical references.
My mother was a housewife. My father worked in the agriculture business, but they were very encouraging about everything. When I said I wanted to do art, they were very supportive.
I don't like po-faced fashion.
It's important to offer well-thought-out pieces at lower prices.
I have an art-school background, not a fashion background where it's like, 'Oh, we're going on holiday to Miami.'
I did an art foundation course, and I knew I wanted to do something in a creative field. And fashion just seemed like the most fun.
The women that wear my clothes would want a pink BlackBerry in their handbag.
I love London. Wherever I've lived, I've always had my flat here.
DAKS is a much more restrained silhouette, and there's a real emphasis on daywear, outerwear, and tailoring. It's more stripped-down.
For me, green is more about cycling than recycling.
Everybody's got a lot to their personalities. You're not just one element. There are some days you want something that can be a bit stricter or a bit more disciplined or something a bit more floaty and a bit freer.
I don't believe in a recipe for success. You have to work hard; you may not always get it right - you have to bounce back from situations, and you have to be really focused and determined. It's important to have fun as well. Work shouldn't be a torture.
I went to public and state schools - not at the same time. I did my art foundation course at Harrogate College of Arts. This brilliant tutor suggested I apply to Central Saint Martins. I adored it.
If you've invested money in buying a piece, you don't want it to just disintegrate. We all have that first wash anxiety, when that great t-shirt you've just bought shrinks away to nothing.
I like characters in life, generally; I don't like to see a collection modelled on a homogeneous look. That terrifies me.
That era of designers being away with the fairies is gone... You've got to live in the real world.
I had a great teacher who was really encouraging and said I should go to Central Saint Martins. So I worked my socks off, and I managed to get a place there. It was there that I developed a real love for design.
I think a bit of jewellery that cheers you up for the day isn't a bad thing.
I am more interested in people's attitude than someone who is a perfect face. Every time I walk the streets of London, I see someone who interests me. It doesn't matter how old they are.
I believe in the democracy of design.
I'd really love to dress Lauren Bacall. She's incredibly interesting - a gorgeous, stylish woman with a strong personality.
Some things can be quite stupid yet interesting. Life can be like that.
With couture, it means I get to show fall in July with delivery in September. My clients will be getting their pieces in season.
Due to the hectic, non-stop nature of my work, I'm always using my BlackBerry to stay in touch with my studio, wherever I am.
I'm interested in women who have got character and experience and an opinion about things.
I liked the fact DAKS was an unknown quantity. It's more like Gucci before Tom Ford got there. There's a lot you can do.
Making your own clothes is great - but don't make everything, or I'll be out of a job!
People often think that the world fashion is so full of a certain pretense that it can't just be about going for something because it suits you and looks great, and it's nicely cut and is made of beautiful fabric. You know, if it has a bit of lightness and playfulness to it, then I think people just respond to that really well.
My longest collaborative working relationship is with Katie Grand, the editor-in-chief of 'Love' magazine. Katie's an inspiration and a sounding block. She's got such great taste.
The name Holly Fulton has become synonymous with daring, bold graphic prints which you just know if you wear you'll have a brilliant time in.
Rooney Mara is someone I'd like to dress; we've not worked with her before and she certainly has very interesting personal style.
