Quotes from Dawn O'Porter

I read a lot until was about 12, then as a teenager I was more interested in kissing boys. But I kept a diary for a few years, so words were a big part of my teenage years.

Couture is also a term used for top-of-the-range, to-order clothing - but not to the level of intricacy and expense as haute couture. And without the 'haute', the word 'couture' itself isn't protected.

I'll admit, my fascination with Lesley Hornby is entirely about her looks. I don't feel unfeminist saying that, because she was a professional model at a moment in history that I am mildly obsessed with.

We exist in a media that's obsessed with feminism, but as soon as there's an opportunity to bring down a woman at the top, we'll do it.

Wiggle dresses today are certainly around, but variations have been made to make them more practical. A genuine wiggle really does make walking a challenge, so often you find them with a vent in the back so you can at least move your legs, or cut more like a pencil skirt.

In my opinion the essence of the 'wiggle' shape is one of the most flattering styles a woman can wear, and I urge you to give it a go even if it terrifies you.

When you're writing in first person, like I do, you can't give a fluffy version of someone's thoughts because even the most prudish woman in her head will go to dark places, whether she says it out loud, you can still have these kind of thoughts.

I do haggle. It's easier when you buy in bulk, so I will up my arms and then tell them what I think I should pay. We go back and forth until we find something we are both happy with.

They are wild animals that live in your house - that's the only way to describe a toddler.

I'm often asked who my style icon is, and almost every time I try to think of someone current who excites me. And although there are a few women who interest me - Tilda Swinton, Michelle Williams, Julianne Moore - the real answer is Twiggy.

My aunty used to dress windows on Bond Street in the 60s and my family were furriers by trade, talking to me about dress making, quality, the 60s and shops in general throughout most of my childhood.

I love winter fashion like woolly coats, hats and boots and being cosy by the fire. Autumn and early spring walks in the park are lovely, but rainy walks with our dog Potato every morning are just too much.

Cooking and writing were my two forms of personal therapy and when I was doing over one or the other, I was in control of my day.

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.

It's really important for women in the public eye to be open - these pop stars who don't look, behave, speak like real women - that's not fair on women. Being real, honest, authentic - too many women in the public eye are afraid to be authentic because they are afraid they will be judged.

One of the big things that I have realised since styling people is was how many women, size 14 and above, think that covering up in lots of fabric is the best way to dress. I literally could not agree less.

But deleting work is sometimes the best decision you that you can make. Because you try and make this thing, that you know in your gut isn't right, and you just have to let it go. You have to be brutal.

When I wrote 'Goose' I gave my assistant my password, she locked me out of Twitter, and I wrote the book in five weeks. Sometimes I fantasise about how wonderful life would be if I went offline, but I can't - because I really need affection and adoration from strangers!

There are many wonderful things about 80s trends. The clothes were emulating what was going on in society at the time, women were elbowing their way into the work place, earning big cash and being boss.

Chuck away all of those unsightly wire hangers that damage your clothes, and invest in some thicker wooden ones and some padded fabric ones for your more delicate pieces.

But as the years have gone by, I've got such a thrill out of shopping for other people. Every time someone tells me they have purchased something, I feel so happy.

More women have come out of the changing rooms slagging off their knees than any other body part. I recently developed a complex about my own knees, so I totally get it.

The 60s was nuclear for women. New laws gave them stronger standing in both marriage and divorce. They went back into the workplace so had their own money, and the pill spurred a sexual revolution that they needed to dress appropriately for.

After the baby boom of the second world war 40% of the population were under 25, and it was London that realised they needed to be dressed for their age and state of mind.