Hippy childhood inspired Luella Bartley

Luella Bartley was inspired to become a designer because of her hippy upbringing.

The writer - whose fashion label Luella folded in 2009 after ten years when it lost its backer - grew up in a creative household which led her to aspire to a life in fashion.

She told UK's Elle magazine: "The home I grew up in was inspiring. Mum was a hippy but also had a punk thing going on. We always had lodgers so there were lots of young, creative people in and around our house."

Although Luella's brand dissolved she advices wannabe fashion designers to stay true to their own vision if they wish to make it in the business.

She said: "My advice to aspiring fashion designers is try to stay with the thing you originally wanted to do. It's hard but you've got to go on your own path."

Luella has three children - Kip, seven, Stevie, five and three-year-old Ned - with her husband, fashion photographer David Sims and said having them was the most rebellious thing she has ever done.

She explained: "I'm an accidental rebel. One of the most rebellious things I did was having kids - I was 30 and in the middle of a career that was going well, so people were shocked."