Top 40 Matthew Williamson Quotes

Debenhams has a strong track record for developing exclusive designer brands.

I guess I will always be known as a designer who references Ibiza, even though I’ve only been to the island a couple of times in my early twenties.

I got my fair share of stick. But I surrounded myself with fabulous girls, and they all loved me because I made them clothes. I remember making them all leopard print tops and tartan skirts for a party we went to once. It’s scary to think about it now, actually.

I’ve always felt like a designer of lifestyle that has a certain spirit and bohemian quality.

I approach any collaboration I do differently.

I’m drawn to the way Havaianas capture playfulness and light-heartedness in their products – there is clearly an element of fun.

My parents knew there was no point in pushing the football thing. I hated the boots.

I love taking elements and colours from nature and then distorting them somehow.

I try to go to Marrakesh if there’s a Bank Holiday weekend.

The V&A is an amazing museum, and the collections have always been a great inspiration to me.

You can’t deny the experience of a store. It’s fantastic if you’re a global brand and you’ve got the power or the funds to support that bricks-and-mortar space, but we certainly weren’t and aren’t.

Pucci was always my favorite brand when I was in college. It has a similar DNA as my label, both in the sexy, uplifting point of view and in the use of color and surface pattern.

London has a very specific kind of style; it’s very different to Milan, Paris, and New York. It’s nice having that personality that we haven’t lost. It’s the English quirky style that people like to see when they come to Fashion Week.

As the label has developed over the years, more and more structure and tailored pieces have been added, and so, whilst the core values of the brand have remained, I feel it’s important to try new things and add more layers and dimensions to a collection every season.

It’s always better when travelling to be in a place where your friends know the area well.

My clothes and my interiors are about making people smile.

A catwalk show is just how it’s done; it’s just what you do – it’s central to the presentation of a collection. It will be a very brave designer who gives up the catwalk entirely in favour of a digital show.

I think Galliano returning to London Fashion Week at some point would be hugely well received by the industry.

We know what the customer wants, and so we’re buying in a totally different way.

London Fashion Week has always been very special to me.

Developing a new designer colouring book with Laurence King has been a real passion project of mine.

Of course I owe so much of my success to my parents.

I’m curious about the mix of the effortless bohemian thing with the very modern.

I grew up in the dark ages, pre-digital, when everyone would wait for a magazine each month to see these models who became legendary and iconic, like Kate Moss.

I wanted to create a collection of leather handbags which would not only reflect the brand’s DNA but also appeal to a busy cosmopolitan woman.

My collections are full of adaptable pieces: within the energetic lifestyle of L.A., they are able to take you from the beach in Malibu to the red carpet in Hollywood.

I am shocked and deeply saddened by McQueen’s death. He was a genius, and his talent was second to none. Like many others, I always cited him as a hugely inspirational leader of world fashion. He will be greatly missed.

I’m a bit of a digital imbecile.

I did candles because I wanted a candle to put in my home. I couldn’t find one I liked.

I’m an independent fashion house.

I’m not one to pat myself on my back, but I have had a career for 20 years, and if people are interested in how I did it or if I can give any advice, then that’s lovely.

I’ve been fascinated with interior design for as long as I can remember.

We’re not waiting for the fashion cycle to have 180 buyers come in and see the collection and go, ‘We like it, we’ll buy it, and we’ll have it in June.’ The only one we’re selling to is Net-A-Porter, and the rest is through our site.

I think the woman who buys my dress also wants a beautiful pillow.

People think of me and think, ‘Ibiza and hippy look.’ I’m trying to expand.

In a digital age, I still love sending and receiving cards, hand-writing notes, and wrapping gifts.

I’ve been to most parts of India over the years, but Jaipur is my favourite city. Inspiration can be found at every turn.

I had a whistle-stop tour of Havana in a horse and carriage and couldn’t stop taking photographs of the decaying yet enchanting buildings and people.

It’s just fantastic to have someone like the Duchess of Cambridge wear the brand. I think there are often misconceptions about who the brand is for, but it’s not just a 20-year-old blonde girl on the beach, and Kate is testament to that.

Madonna is untouchable. She is absolutely lovely. On a personal level, she’s everything you would expect. She’s so down to earth.