Marie Claire meets Holly Willoughby

In the opulent surroundings of Claridges' ballroom, we caught up with the glamour goddess to find all about her sexy AW/12 collection for very.co.uk

In the opulent surroundings of Claridges' ballroom, we caught up with Holly Willoughby to find all about her sexy AW/12 collection for very.co.uk. Over celebratory bubbles we grabbed the small screen siren to chat style, designing and hold-in knickers!

What's your favourite piece from your new collection? 'It has to be the contrast collar dress (£65). I love a black dress but this has a naughtiness to it. Collars are also a huge trend for AW/12. It's got a bit of a playboy bunny feel which is fun.

Sum up your style in three words? 'I find that next to near impossible to do. For me when it comes to style the most important thing is having something which is incredibly comfortable but without losing any of that glamour. In the morning you should put on an item of clothing and think about it at that moment but then not think about it for the rest of the day. That would be my style in a nutshell.'

So how has your style evolved over time? 'I've learnt things that work and things that don't work and I stick to them. I might do slight variations but the same rules apply. For me I look much better in pieces that have shape around the waist and skim over my hips. I wear pattern on top but not on my lower half. My mum could have told me all those things and saved me going through the embarrassing teen stages but I guess I didn't listen.'

How has becoming a mum impacted on your style? 'I've had to learn to wear jeans again. You realise tea dresses are great and and really comfortable but not very practical if you're in the playground and a gust of wind blows your skirt over your head. For me skinny jeans are better but I know I need a longer top to balance them out.'

Has your little girl trashed your wardrobe yet? 'She's only one but loves lipstick. I've got a couple I have opened and discovered a finger mark wedged on the top. I'll have to get used to it I guess.'

How involved are you in the design process of your collection? 'The whole thing is mine. I could never do it if it wasn't, that's really important to me. I absolutely love it! I get to design my whole new wardrobe every season, who wouldn't want that. Seeing it all today is incredible, to think it's gone from that initial idea to being showcased on a gorgeous model. It's so much fun.'

What was it like the first time you saw someone wearing your designs on the highstreet? 'I remember I was with my husband and spotted this lady wearing one of my dresses. I was like, 'oh my goodness, she's wearing my dress, this is for real'. You play shop as a kid and sometimes it can feel a bit like that but then you see real people in your designs and realise they are actually buying it and looking great in it.'

Is there any friendly competition between you and Fearne Cotton, who also designs for very.co.uk? 'We talk about it constantly. She tells me what bits and bobs she's doing, there is no competition, just friendly banter. We're so different in what we wear day-to-day so that's why it works so beautifully.'

If you could be a piece of clothing what would you be and why? 'A pair of hold-in knickers because I've got the strength of character needed to do that and, at the end of the day, I'd have really good job satisfaction because of what I'd done all day. I'd be like I made her ass look amazing and feel so proud of myself! The sense of achievement would be great.'

The collection is Holly's eighth for Very and features 24 pieces in sizes from 8-24 with prices starting from £29. Check it out now at very.co.uk

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