"I have a fully formed character, then I break it down."

Fancy a peek into Luella Bartley's LFW diary?..

The best moment for me was seeing the first look for my show come together-the hair and the make-up was done, the shoes and the bags were there and suddenly, I saw the character, I was like, "Oh, yes! It's brilliant!" At the beginning of the season, I have a fully formed character, then I break it down into fabrics or whatever. At the end the doll comes alive again-that's always the most exciting bit.

You do end up staying up all night preparing, but there weren't any real hardships this season-although the shoes were very tricky. When we were doing all our fittings, everone was tripping over. Luckily, when push came to shove, the models were very professional. I was literally imprisoned in my studio with the same people for five days. It was quite surreal. I didn't go to many parties-you can't party like you want to because you are so focused. I feel so boring, single-mindedly thinking about a look. And I didn't go to any of the other shows because it can be intimidating. I've learnt not to compare. It's safer just to do your own thing and not be involved in the fashion thing.

An hour or so after the show, I felt normal and part of the real world again. I was so desperate for the show to be over,but now I miss it; it's quite anti-climatic. I went to a karaoke bar to celebrate-nothing glamorous. Last year, I had a big party at Claridge's and it was nice not to have to perform again. You have to become a personality and it can get a bit much.

Seeing the reviews is hard-I've just stopped feeling nervous and then it all starts again. I'm going back to the countryside to chill out with my kids. I won't look until I feel strong enough. Denial is always best for me.

from Mary Meyer's "Backstage Pass" article from The Sunday Times Style Magazine, 24th Feb. http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/fashion/article3386581.ece

now playing: don't let him waste your time by Jarvis Cocker