Theatre

Ever since I was a little girl I’ve loved bodices and period dresses. On ‘Mary Poppins’, everything was very corseted and the costumes were cut fantastically well, which probably influenced my love of Vivienne Westwood. Things like hipsters make me look awful and I’ve always found it hard to find clothes that fit me, but she designs for a womanly body, and there aren’t many people like that. I’ve got the most vivid imagination – I always imagine myself in history being in the French Revolution or something – and she seems to think along the same lines. I’m happy about the new fashion focusing on the waist and accentuating the hips, but Vivienne has always done that. She doesn’t follow trends. Anyone who is a designer should express themselves, and she’s obviously not afraid of doing that. She’s so controversial.

Punk skipped me, I wasn’t around then, but I think it’s nice that she has class yet has an edge too. I’m just looking at a picture of her with her bum out! I know that she’s had a lot of different relationships in her life which have affected her. I’m sure she loves life and goes for the wildest ones. I’m sure Malcolm McLaren was crazy, and I can see why they were drawn to each other. I saw a picture of her recently with little horns on – it’s just so her. She’s got comedy, sexiness, courage, and she’s proud of London and England, which I like. She is so patriotic. London has such a mix of cultures and she represents that, because she puts so many different influences into her designs. She is the queen of fashion and we should be proud of her. She was ahead of the times in the ’70s and ’80s, but I know people see her now and think: Look at the work she’s done and the influence she has had. Feature continues

One of my favourite days ever was when I had to find a dress for this year’s Grammys. I turned up at her shop at 44 Conduit Street and they said, ‘Try on anything you like.’ It was all couture stuff – just amazing. They hardly ever bring them out, so I felt incredibly special. I thought: I might never get this chance again, so I chose a lime green dress with a bodice. It made me a fan for life. I feel so special in her dresses.

Every time I’ve worn one I’ve felt like a princess. If I’d had the opportunity to borrow a designer dress when I got married, I would have chosen a Vivienne Westwood dress. They are just beautiful. I do buy her clothes, but I’ve gotta say, I’m happier in the sales! They are horribly expensive. Some of the couture stuff isn’t even for sale. They are like museum pieces. I’ve never met her, but I’d like to. I guess she’s probably ‘been there, done that’ on everything, which would make me feel I wouldn’t have to put up any false fronts with this woman. I’m sure she could see right through it. I bet she can be conservative sometimes, though. She’ll go home and put her slippers on, but I bet they’ve got bloomin’ Union Jacks or tartan on them.

I don’t have her courage with fashion, which is why I love her so much. When you see something that you aspire to, it makes you want to be bold. I want to dye my hair, even shave it off completely one day. Maybe I could go a bit crazy after that, but I’m always fighting against the sensible values that my mum brought me up with. When you leave this world you want to leave something that was original. Vivienne does what she feels in her heart. She has given a lot of women confidence and inspired people to be expressive with their bodies, to trust their own personality and make their own stamp on things in life. She is a really good role model, because she’s not afraid.

Laura Michelle Kelly’s new single, ‘Communication’, is available now to download from iTunes. Her album, ‘The Storm Inside’ (Angel/EMI), is out now.