What is your favourite V& A object?
I don't think I have a favourite object in the museum, I sort of feel like I'm exploring it still. However, the unique thing that the V& A has to offer is that it really embraces the past and the present, both hold equal importance, from the armoury room that I'm obsessed with… I am… I just am, I've got this Joan of Arc fetish. I suppose I've always played quite strong female characters in my work and believe it or not I've worn quite a lot of armour and worn lots of swords and military gear, so it's quite nice to go back an re-live the memories.
What is your definition of good design?
My definition of good design is that form should follow function, like a great pair of stilettos.
What is the most important piece of design in your daily life?
It would have to be my Siemens coffee machine because I think it literally brings me to life every morning, a bit of a necessity. I mean it's a really sexy piece of equipment, it's slick and it's simple and I don't know if coffee machines can be sexy but it's a necessity but it's also a joy to use, it's rather powerful.
What is your favourite colour?
My favourite colour should be green given my Irish roots and I did go through a bizarre stage in my childhood of having to have everything green, green leotards, green plates, green cutlery, it was a bit of an obsession. I think black is actually a great colour because it's universally accepted in so many guises from religion to design to art and it never goes out of fashion it never dates.
If you weren't a model what would you be?
If I hadn't accidentally become a model one day on a school trip when I was discovered, that was 13 years ago, I would have been a school teacher, a very happy one actually I think. I probably would have been the tallest schoolteacher in the world.
What is your motto?
My motto is or rather should be is "to be humble is to stay sane"
What V& A exhibition are you looking forward to most?
I'm very much looking forward to my friend Stephen Jones next year, next February. He is the man. I think any milliner that can make hats sexy and have a whole exhibition entirely to himself at the V& A has really done ok in his life and actually I'm going to be opening that so that'll be a good night I reckon.
What are you wearing today?
The clothes I'm wearing today are my favourite designers, the smoking jacket is by Moschino and the silk dress is by Dries Van Noten, an amazing Belgian designer and I think he's best known for his use of textiles and colour, the way he puts colour together it sort of shouldn't be allowed but it works, it's gorgeous. Boots, freebie today by Rupert Sanderson (a) very current designer known for his graphic approach.
What size are your feet?
About a size 17… no a very modest size 7 for a frame of 173cm. I'm 6 foot and a bit which is very annoying for sleeve lengths actually, you have to do weird things like roll them up constantly, so people think that you fit into your clothes.
