Essentials: Katharine Hamnett, Fashion designer

Hamnett says she dresses very practically and classically with the odd touch of lunacy

I would prefer to be invisible, but failing that, I'd love to dress in haute couture from head to toe every day. The reality is that I dress very practically and classically with the odd touch of lunacy. My style has become slightly less mad over the years, though.

I love Izzy Lane's English cashmere goat, made-in-England, oversizedV-necks (www.izzylane.com) and organic cotton jumpers, dresses and skirts from my last women's collection.

My favourite designs are early Dior (pictured right) and 1960s Courrèges, but I also love contemporary designers such as Gareth Pugh (www.garethpugh.net) and Isabel Marant (www.isabelmarant.tm.fr) simply because they make clever, gorgeous, "forever" clothes.

Above all, I like to buy vintage because you will never see anybody else wearing the same thing and the clothes are generally more exciting. The best hunting grounds that I know in London are Portobello Market on a Friday, Broadway Market on a Saturday and Camden Passage on a Wednesday.

A large part of style is down to shoes and hair. I get mine done at Barnaby's in Highbury Barn by Liz, Martin and Hattie, who are all brilliant (tel: 020 7226 2177).

My style inspiration comes from Hannah, our office pixie, who wears a stunning new nightie-based outfit every day, as well as from Indian women, older French women and West Indian "Sunday best" outfits.

Good old Nivea cream in the classic blue pot is my beauty must (pictured right, www.nivea.co.uk), but I would also advise anyone who wants to look and feel good to get into Chinese medicine, cut out dairy and alcohol, do yoga and smile a lot.

www.katharinehamnett.com