Ben de Lisi: doctor style

His celebrity fans include Kate Winslet, Helena Bonham Carter and Angelica Huston, but designer Ben de Lisi has also earned a place in the hearts and homes of the British public. He talks to iVillage.co.uk about British women, Gok Wan and the untimely death of designer Alexander McQueen

Ben's long-running partnership with Debenhams has given him a successful range of high street fashion and homeware and his interior design ventures are ever-expanding. The intrepid designer's latest projects include redeigning the NHS gown, reviving Principles and making a dress out of Kleenex...

Tell us about the Kleenex dress:

Ben de Lisi: It took about three days to make the dress. I made a base and had to drape the tissue over it and it was all hand stitched. It fastens with a zip and hooks and eyes and all of the tissue that sways along the bodice was hand tucked up to the edge of the zipper.

It's a posing dress rather than a wearing dress, it's fragile. The tissue's ultra fine and your fingers can go right through it, I had to double it up as well.

This month you relaunched British brand Principles, how did that come about and what can we expect to see?

Ben de Lisi: I'm creative director, it's sort of Britian's answer to Michael Kors - Banana Republic. It's a beautiful, covetable collection. Principles was very much loved but it lost its way and I've brought it back with a vengeance. It's a chicer, more polished collection with an American slant and it's been phenomenally well received. There are Ben De Lisi stores in Debenhams all over England and by September it'll be in all stores plus Europe. You'll love it!

What age is the rejuvinated Principles woman?

Ben de Lisi: I think she's probably 38 or 40. But it will work on a 17 year old and a 70 year old. It's that kind of collection.