Philipp Plein has never been invited to a fashion show.

Philipp Plein

Philipp Plein

The 39-year-old designer admitted he "didn't have a clue" what to do when he first showcased his creations with a catwalk event because he's never experienced the style extravaganza's first-hand as an audience member.

He said: "I've never been to any fashion show by myself.

"I've never been invited to any. So I don't know how it really is to go to a fashion show.

"I started as an outsider to the fashion industry, and from the beginning, I didn't have any clue how to set one up. So we just did it our way."

And Philipp compared his shows to a "happy funeral", because they signal the end of one collection and the beginning of a new one for him.

He added to BBC News: "A fashion show is a bit like a happy funeral.

"You work so hard for months on putting a show together, and then the moment you reveal the collection to the public, you've buried it, because then you have to start working on a new one."

The German-born designer doesn't worry about having to seek inspiration for his creations because he can get ideas from anything from a game of chess to an interesting piece of wallpaper.

He said: "Inspirations are everywhere. Some people say 'I go to India, I go here, I go there' - that's all [rubbish].

"You can have inspiration watching television at home, reading a book or playing chess.

"You could see wallpaper and say 'that's a great print for a dress'. Or you could see a painting and say wow, I like the colour combination.

"You have to be open-minded."