Kate Halfpenny is nothing short of a British fashion icon. Having cut her teeth at Central Saint Martins and Vivienne Westwood, she went on to style some of the biggest celebrities in the world, before founding her eponymous luxury bridalwear brand in 2005.

Now in its twentieth year, Halfpenny London remains a go-to for stylish brides everywhere, who can’t get enough of Kate’s signature modern-romantic dresses and regularly sold-out separates—all of which are designed and made entirely in the UK.

To coincide with Halfpenny London’s impressive 20-year anniversary—and the exquisite new Twenty collection designed in its honour—we sat down with the brains behind the business to discuss her nine-to-five, design inspirations, secrets for success, and highlights of an impressive, glittering career…

I can’t start my day without… Hot water and lemon. It’s a relatively new thing for me, since I started fasting. It wakes me up, and then I’ll have a cacao with coconut milk, and those keep me full for the whole morning.

I have a rotation of three looks that I wear for work. Issey Miyake Pleats Please trousers with a wide turtleneck cotton top and a little puff-shoulder Simone Rocha jacket, or it’s one of two different Comme des Garçons skirts, with a shirt. I get such joy out of wearing these brands, they make me feel great, and they can be dressed up or down easily. When I’m in the boutique in back-to-back bridal appointments, I tend to wear all black—it just makes me feel smarter, and I think it gives an element of “I know what I’m doing”. But I’ll often have a bold-coloured, interesting knit tied around my shoulders, too.

I tend to do all business on my iPhone, even though I have a laptop at home and a laptop at work. I always always always have a Smythson notebook on me; I have them in different sizes and styles, the full range basically, and I switch them up depending on the handbag I’ve got. The paper is by far the nicest to write on.