My secret life: Henry Holland

Fashion designer, 25

The home I grew up in … was down a private road in the middle of a forest, in Ramsbottom, Lancashire. It was very rural with lots of fields and trees, and a bypass right next to it.

When I was a child I wanted to be … I suppose I was heading towards something to do with fashion, but didn’t know what. From the age of three I’d tell my mum what to wear.

The moment that changed me for ever … was moving to London. I’d just turned 18 and it gave me insomnia for a short while. My eyes were opened to what is possible.

My greatest inspiration … is my mum. A classic gay-man answer!

If I could change one thing about myself … I’d have a bigger head. It’s really small, which is why I have big haircuts. I shaved my hair off once when I was 12 and looked like I had a key on top of big shoulders.

My real-life villain … is the taxman.

At night I dream of … stress dreams. I used to email a synopsis of my panic dreams to [the founder of Fashion East] Lulu Kennedy every morning during Fashion Week.

What I see when I look in the mirror … Laughter lines and wrinkles.

My style icon … is my little sister, Alice. She’s 13 and has the same haircut as 15 of her friends. They wear anything slutty: short, revealing, tight things are quite popular. They’re really cool.

The shop I can’t walk past … is Pret a Manger. I can’t resist their white Americano.I have between two and four a day.

I ride … the Tube, and I got a night-bus home the other night.

I wish I’d never worn … a leotard. I used to be a gymnast, and had a variety: neon, velvet and for competitions, a black and red one with matching shorts and tracksuit.

The best invention ever … is a sleeping bag with separate legs in it. I’m not big into camping, and the past few festivals I’ve been to I’ve stayed in a Winnebago, but I’d like to walk up and down the aisle of a Winnebago in a sleeping bag with separate legs.

My favourite item of clothing … At the moment, my black and white brogues from Church’s.

You wouldn’t know it but I’m very good at … hula-hoop on the Nintendo Wii.

You may not know it but I’m no good at … stopping talking, which gets me in situations. When I get nervous it’s the worst, and that’s when I should shut up. I tell people things I shouldn’t, just to make them like me.

If I have time to myself … I would like to sleep. I love long-haul flights as no one can expect to get hold of me.

All my money goes on … drinking.

My house is … tiny and has been “being decorated” since I moved here, five years ago. I just finished the kitchen and bathroom, but the walls still aren’t painted. There are random strokes of colour all over the place.

My most valuable possession is … my Blackberry. My mum lives in France and it’s my lifeline to her. I need constant contact with the outside world; I get panicky without it. I’m very needy like that.

My favourite building … is the Pacific Design Center in Los Angeles. It’s made from blue, red and green reflective glass.

Movie heaven … is trashy films. I’m not very highbrow like that. One of my favourite films ever is ‘How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days’.

A book that changed me … is one about cosmic ordering that my mum got for me; it’s about controlling your own destiny. My mum writes “every penny I spend comes back to me tenfold” on the back of every cheque she uses. She swears it works. She’s a bit of a hippie.

My favourite work of art … is a picture of me that my niece drew; it’s on the wall in my house.The person who really makes me laugh … is Agyness [Deyn]; the way she trots around just makes me laugh.

The last album I bought/downloaded … was Girls Aloud’s ‘Out of Control’. I love them.

My greatest regret … I don’t have any. People should just learn from their mistakes.

In 10 years’ time, I hope to be … retired.

My life in six words … work, play, family, friends, fun, bread.

A life in brief

Born on 26 May 1983 in Lancashire, Henry Holland was working on the teen magazine Bliss when he produced a collection of T-shirts, bearing cheeky, fashion-related logos like “I’ll show you who’s boss Kate Moss”, and shot to fame alongside his childhood friend, the supermodel Agyness Deyn. The founder of House of Holland, he now lives in Primrose Hill, north London. He has joined forces with hand bag essential Wrigley's Extra to create two special-edition Extra Big One packs of gum available from WH Smith Travel and Sainsbury’s Local