This collection, Romantic Excess, is a big melting pot of what I love in terms of design, literature and illustration. I took elements of styling and silhouette from romantic bygone eras – particularly those dominated by the creations of Christobal Balenciaga and Paul Poiret.

Essentially it's about a woman who has been so deeply in love and heartbroken that she loses her sense of reality. Like Miss Haversham in Great Expectations. A passionate eccentric. I also drew on some characters from Lewis Carroll. Their quirkiness has no boundaries and I love that about them.

I always knew I would design a bold couture collection. Demure subtlety has never really been my thing. I think I can partly thank my degree in theatre for that.