If someone hadn’t heard of you business, how would you describe it?
I would describe it as a unique selection of individually sourced and authentic vintage treasures. A perfect place to find that finishing touch for your outfit echoing this season’s trends. The great thing about vintage is that as fashion trends evolve, different eras are put into the spotlight offering us an opportunity to be constantly inspired and influenced by the past. Our range includes the largest selection of designer vintage jewellery in the UK also so its a great place for everything!

What designers have you worked with this season?
This season is all about Chanel. Again! I love working with vintage Chanel pieces. Each season they just become more popular. I also really enjoyed working with Elizabeth Taylor’s pieces before the festive period because of the excitement that surrounded her auction. Naturally, though, my most excitable moment of 2011 was sourcing the vintage Versace body harness that went into my collection at Selfridges. Versace experienced (and is still experiencing) a huge revival of interest. The collaboration with H&M and the news of their couture show in Paris projected the fashion house to the forefront of fashion news and I curated a small collection of vintage Versace pieces to coincide with that wave exclusively for Selfridges, London. The harness went into that. I loved the echoes from Gianni Versace’s ’92 bondage catwalk collection. One of the Versace cuffs that sat within the collection is actually featured in the ’92 campaign image.

How did your fashion career start? My fashion career actually began from my antiques career. I realised a gap in the market for quality vintage jewellery whilst I was an antiques dealer so I began to supply to one UK department store. Very soon I realised just how big the demand was for this product category and the brand was rolled out to a number of stores up and down the country. I love what I do – I have a great excuse to look at beautiful jewellery (designer and unsigned) all day long.

What are you most excited about at the moment? I’m most excited about the brand’s plans for 2012. It’s still very confidential but there is an exciting project that we are working on – it should be launched in the middle of the year. Keep your eyes peeled!

Do you have a daily uniform? I’m often running around outside of the office and so I need to be comfortable. For this I’m usually in muted colours and statement earrings. My earrings of choice right now are by Alexis Kirk from the 70s. If I have an appointment in the showroom I usually reach for my fail safe Diane Von Fustenbergs. I’ve loved her designs since I was in my 20s and she never disappoints with tailoring or print. I’m a big fan.

Who is your right hand wo/man? I actually have a few! By that I mean that I couldn’t do what I’m doing without my team. They all share the same passion that I do and we very well together. We’re like a family.

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The inspiration: a quintessentially English girl returning home after a sultry summer night out.
The look: Natural, soft, floaty hair that can be worn down comfortably during a hot, summer day – and carried through to the evening. “This look is all about the summer under-cut,’ said Peter. ‘The summer under-cut removes weight from the hair outline, making it more transparent and encourages more movement.”
How the look was created:
– I first applied Moroccainoil Hydrating Cream to dry hair and brushed it through with the Moroccanoil Paddle Brush to prep and condition the hair.
– (The Under-Cut) I took away a 1.5inch section of hair from above the ear, and around to just below the crown. This section and all of the hair beneath was braided into flat corn rows.
– To achieve this, I sprayed each section of hair with Moroccanoil Luminous Hairspray to create strong braids that were then looped onto themselves and secured tightly to the head using small hair grips – this is what creates the invisible under-cut look.
– (Floaty upper layer) The rest of the hair was worn loose favouring soft, natural partings. I used a 1.5inch curling iron to create a very soft, lazy wave to the hair and to add a natural movement.
– To finish, I ‘striped’ Moroccanoil Light through the fringe and the surface area of the hair using my thumb and forefinger to create tendrils of hair. This reduces frizz and adds texture and dimension.
– Lastly, I used the sectioning divider from the end of the Moroccanoil Paddle Brush to break up and separate the tendrils of hair around the face.

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How did your fashion career start?

I suppose in a way you could say my ‘career’ (I feel funny saying that word) started at the Bricklayers Arms, when I met Hazel and Pablo of House of Jazz! They were the first designers I’d ever known, and became a massive inspiration to me. I was lucky enough to be working at The Old Truman Brewery whose owner got behind the idea of setting up Fashion East and bankrolling it. With the help of the panel, I soon found myself putting on shows and throwing parties. I jumped in headfirst (quite unaware of the politics of the industry), with a desire to help look after designers, and the rest kind of looked after itself. I don’t really have any ‘formal’ training, and not even so much as an internships on my CV, so it’s quite odd and very lucky I’ve ended up in fashion. I love what I do.

What are you most excited about at the moment?

Tie dye sequins! Natascha Stolle made some razzy little dresses out of them with for Lulu & Co SS12; and I’m gagging to wear them this Christmas on the beach in Mexico. Kind of Rainbow Family meets Rihanna. Super hot!

Do you have a daily uniform?

No but I probably should, it’d make getting out the house much quicker. I tend to have obsessions on things for a while and wear them constantly, then stop wearing them for ages, then rediscover them. At the moment it’s my House of Holland for Lulu & Co polka dot jeans. They’re superfun and seem to go with everything I own, which is perfect!

Who is your right hand wo/man?

Beth. But she’s leaving soon to have a baby. It’s due right on London Fashion Week in February – crazy timing or what?! I’m gonna miss Beth so badly as my co-pilot in crime/voice of reason/chief problem solver, I’m trying to make her agree to stay on as a ‘strategist-at-large on the end of the phone’. I’m not good at facing the fact she’s leaving…

What could you not live without?

My jeep. I know it’s a bit wrong to love an inanimate object, but I can’t help it.

Words: Becky Davies

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There is history.

About a decade ago, a fabulous party at either London’s Yves Saint Laurent or Gucci store – I don’t remember, and it was so long ago the event can’t be Googled, – we pretended to hate his meticulous attention to detail, (everything was black from the canapes, to the drinks, to the goody bags), but really we LOVED it! Nothing was ‘amazing’ back then, it was ‘dreary.’ Even when it so obviously wasn’t.

So here is the newest amazing thing, that is in no way dreary. Tom Ford’s beauty range.

Attached pics: Tom Ford Purifying Gelee Cleanser, £45.00; Tom Ford Intensive Infusion Ultra Rich Moisturiser, £165.00.

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When you launched Diesel Black Gold in 2007 what was the main ambition, and has the brand reached your initial expectations?
It’s always hard when you decide to create a new line from the bottom-up. But it was challenging that’s why I did it and to be honest with you I am very proud of the product. We still can do a lot more, but this is a really good beginning.

With the launch of a stand-alone store in NYC and Diesel Black Gold showing during New York fashion week: what has prompted you to throw yourself into New York this season; and how is Diesel currently received in America?
It’s not that easy to find so many successful stories in our sector in America. After all these years I think we have now the right features, the knowledge and the management to become a strong brand in the USA.

How is it having your son Stefano working for you? 
You cannot describe it. I feel the adrenaline of sharing opinions, ideas and strategies with him, it’s amazing

You did a collaboration with Adidas last season, what do you have up your sleeves next?
The next one is the collaboration with Ducati, in November we will launch a capsule collection with them. 12 styles mixing fashion design and Diesel DNA with a biker look.

Do you have any holidays planned this summer?
Ladakh and Kashmir in India, Beijing and 10 days in the Greek islands

What are you currently reading?
A lot of stuff on internet to do research about art, fashion and general themes

Tell us something that might surprise us about you?
People think I look a rockstar but what they don’t know is that I don’t usually like events, I do prefer to stay at home and enjoy my hometown Bassano del Grappa.

Interview by Becky Davies

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