The world of Louise Wilson, fashion professor

The Central Saint Martin's teacher talks to Sophie de Rosée about her most prized possessions, her OBE party and her tidiness obsession

BY Sophie de Rosee | 19 May 2014

Photo: Marcia Chandra

This article was first published in November 2011 and has been republished after the death of Louise Wilson

Louise Wilson OBE, 49, is the director of the Central Saint Martins fashion MA course, whose former students include Alexander McQueen, Hussein Chalayan and Mary Katrantzou. Ninety per cent of her students either go on to work for a fashion house or start their own label, and she has been described as the most influential person in British fashion. She lives in north London with her partner, Timmi, and their son, Tim, 21.

Routine I get up before 6am, have a cup of tea and then I embark on the Dukan diet (with some oat bran), which by 11 o'clock has been broken. I've been on a diet for 30 years and it hasn't worked. I lost four and a half stone on Dukan and then put it back on again. I get to work by 8.30am, an hour and a half before the students. I go through emails once they're printed off - I can't do it on screen. I always thought it was a good trick that I never learnt to type, because hopefully I'd always manage to hang on to a secretary.

Outfit I have a uniform; it's the same outfit every day so I don't have to think about it. As the outfits get older they go from being best to everyday to gardening. No one else could tell the difference, but I can. I have a large jewellery collection but I invariably wear my Hermès watch and strap. The only thing I have to think about is my bag. Unfortunately I don't even have a shoe choice, just FitFlops, because I suffer from plantar fasciitis, that dreadful heel pain, which all young people are going to have because they're wearing ballet flats. I feel like going around with a sign warning people.



Her Hermès watch and strap. Photo: Marcia Chandra

Ambition I always thought I was going to be a professional horse rider because I rode horses competitively from zero to 17 years old. I was very successful at three-day events, point-to-points, Pony Club and gymkhana. But then I went to college and because I had really good horses they weren't going to be left in the field, so they were sold.

Ghana Timmi and I have been together about 25 years. We met in a nightclub. His parents are from Ghana, but we had never been there until 10 years ago when he inherited his father's company. We've now got a house there and I am absolutely obsessed. I love these Ghanaian fertility dolls because they remind me of Brancusi sculptures. They are very hard to find in Ghana, even though they are everywhere outside the country.



Fertility dolls from Ghana. Photo: Marcia Chandra

On the wall There are 210 frames on the walls. The breakdown is: family photographs (shit quality but meaningful), fashion-related photography (not quite so shit), and original art (relevant, contemporary, one-offs). I love this self-portrait of my son that he did when he was eight years old because it really does look uncannily like him. If I have any guilt, it's about the time I never spent with him as a child because I did work hard in those days.



Her son's self-portrait. Photo: Marcia Chandra

Drug boxes These drug boxes from Persia were given to my mother on her 21st birthday by her father, and she gave them to me on my 21st. I loved them as a child. I've always kept them beside my bed so they're near me. Inside is a rolled-up note that she wrote for my birthday.



A 21st birthday present from her mother. Photo: Marcia Chandra

Goldfish We have a goldfish called Edward, named after my son's teacher. He's actually the third incarnation of Edward. The last one died a week ago. Timmi was upset because I told him he'd killed it by overfeeding it. Edward is good feng shui and he doesn't look bad in his bowl. If he looked bad, he wouldn't be there.

OBE To celebrate my OBE [for services to the fashion industry and education] in 2008 a group of dear friends organised a fabulous surprise party. I've never been married so it was like my wedding, only better because I didn't have to organise it myself. All my favourite people turned up: friends, ex-students and people I work with. My former students made me this book and everybody did a page. My mother always said that OBEs were 'Other Buggers' Effort', and it's true. I reaped the reward, but it was the students' effort and a whole team of people.



Her OBE book. Photo: Marcia Chandra

Me Me Me In the kitchen are three framed words, me me me, which were a present from my friend Fleet Bigwood, a textiles designer and fellow teacher, when I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007. It has two meanings. It's 'me me me' because it's always about me. My colleagues come into work and I spend 20 minutes talking about what a terrible week I've had, and they put up with it. But it's also 'me me me' because at that time I was supposed to start looking after myself, which is impossible because I've never done it, so I'm hardly likely to change now.

Tidiness I have very tidy cupboards. I do like a cupboard to look nice when you open it, with the labels facing forward. I was told by my heart doctor recently that if I allowed something in my life to get out of control, then perhaps I would be able to control my overeating. He suggested I leave my clothes all over the bedroom floor one night, so I did. It took about 40 minutes before I had to get out of bed and pick them up.