Designer Bella Freud.
What was the inspiration behind the ‘Ginsberg is God’ sweater? Ginsberg is God was my first Word sweater. It started off when I was making a film about beatniks with John Malkovich. I wanted it to be like band merchandise, 1950’s style. Your ‘1970’ sweater was one of the most coveted pieces of 2015. What influenced it? A lot of the music I like is from the 1970s, I like the rawness and unpolished sound and look of that time. I like the word ‘1970’ – it suggests something against the grain. Your designs play with both femininity and masculine elements; has this always been your vision? I was a tomboy growing up, I’ve always loved the straight lines of boys’ clothing, and the simplicity. I find that a girl dressed boyishly is very feminine. As I am not very curvaceous myself, I can relate to it easily and enjoy adding the girlish to the boy or the boyish to the girl in my designs. Who do you think epitomises a timeless sense of style today? I think the way Kate Moss dresses is the most exciting and fun as she doesn’t stick to a formula, she often surprises us with something utterly new and seductive. She is not bound by constraints and seems glamorous in everything she puts together. It is quite awe-inspiring. Your aesthetic has a very British-meetsFrench girl appeal. Has this been influenced by your life? I have been a big fan of French films and I love the way French women are chic in whatever they do. They seem to imbue the most mundane activity with smouldering sexual tension under a veneer of polish. I love this combination! That mixed with British scruffiness is very alluring. What’s next for 2016? More!