Hamish Bowles Quotes

I saw a lot of haute couture all my childhood, and without knowing it I've learned from when I was a child to recognise beautiful fabrics.

Mariah's fashion game is definitely on a different level than mine. She actually knows Roberto Cavalli and Dolce & Gabbana. I didn't know those people actually existed; I thought they were just names.

I love all Helmut Lang. I love Alexander Wang and Alice+Olivia.

My favourite designers are Alexander McQueen, YSL, Eskandar, Donna Karan and Lanvin.

I started collecting couture when I was about 10 or 11 years old, and the very first piece I bought was a Balenciaga suit from 1962.

I find my dress sense tends to be a bit of a mixture between high fashion and unique vintage pieces with a little bit of street trends. For example, I might find a really nice, suede dinner jacket that I'd wear with a basic plain white shirt and some chinos and a pair of Nike trainers.

I love wearing designer pieces with something I found at Target.

The best thing I ever bought is a vintage Oscar de la Renta short gingham dress that I wore to my rehearsal dinner the night before my wedding.

I love cashmere. For casual, I like Juicy Couture. I love the beading in Badgley Mischka. I like Dolce & Gabbana. There's such a lot to choose from.

It took me years to get out of the bargain basement. I always wanted to walk into a men's store and buy a cashmere sweater.

I think my style is definitely urban chic. I love mixing street style with the high-end luxury brands, like Gucci, for example. Quite fun.

I wear a Zegna suit and tie every day, pretty much.

I love the opportunity to get properly dressed up. I've worn three Lanvin dresses, and they've all been a dream. They're so well made, with the most beautiful craftsmanship. I don't tend to go with things that are ornate - just beautifully made pieces and some classic jewelry. Let the work speak for itself. I love that.

I like doing slightly masculine, Savile Row tailoring. A nice jacket. Wearable - it's almost a dirty word in fashion, wearable, but that's what I do.

A bespoke shirt is one of the true luxuries that you can acquire. There's nothing better than a fitted shirt. Once you've picked up your first one, you'll never stop buying them - providing you can pay for it.

So Colleen Atwood introduced me to Armani for the fabric and the dyes - what made Armani, Armani, beyond his motion-picture credentials. It was Cerruti after that. And then Zegna.

I've worn over 6,700 gowns. They're all borrowed gowns, designer samples.

I rarely, rarely - unless it's a big red carpet - wear all one designer.

Hugo Boss is my kind of label.

I love to go into John Varvatos and look at the beautiful leather jackets. They're beautiful and soft. I try them on, and then I look at the price tag and go and pick up a t-shirt. It's just the way I am.

I like Tom Ford a lot because it's so classic and has great quality. I wear a lot of Rag & Bone.

Creating a bridalwear collection was a natural progression from my evening wear collections, which are well known for their softly draped and diaphanous silk gowns.

I shop everywhere from Maxfield to antique stores. I love Alexander McQueen and Vivienne Westwood, and I love vintage. Golyester has the best selection of mint things and dead stock. I collect 1940s to 1970s platform shoes, and that's where I got a few of my best ones.

Anybody can make a thousand dollar garment because you find the finest fabric and the finest mills, and you churn that out.

I search for items that have history, like vintage finds - I love fur kitten-heel house slippers from the 1950s - and pieces from fashion houses that have been around for a long time, like Chanel and Dior.