It was with the above message that Sir Paul Smith took to the stage at the Vogue Festival. ‘This bit is quite serious,’ he said. ‘A lot of you out there are in the creative industries. And please don’t take what I’m about to say negatively. There are a lot of designers out there,’ he mused. ‘We don’t need any more designers, so you’ve got to have something that makes you stand out. You’ve got to have a point of view. You can find inspiration in everything and if you can’t you’re not looking properly. Look and see – don’t just look.’

And in one magical hour last weekend, he showed us how to see as well as look. Beginning the talk with a mini lecture offered an intriguing insight into his own methods and the hot topic of the day – inspirations. ‘Think laterally and have a point of view – look at other brands or magazines, at what’s already going on. That’s like buying yesterday’s newspaper.’

The audience hung on his every word – what’s his secret? Where does he store this mythical pot of inspiration and how can we all get a bit? Of course, he had already given the answer – everywhere. ‘All sorts of things can bring inspiration. Art, architecture, travel, humour… Don’t just keep looking at those screens all the time because you’re not observing life on the street’.

After more than 40 years at the forefront of fashion – a career that was itself a lucky accident – his passion for design and love of life is infectious. The two are very much connected for him I feel. Rather appropriately the talk was entitled ‘Fashion and Personality’, an adjective that sums up Paul Smith, man and brand. The word ‘brand’ always sounds like ugly marketing speak, but in this case I feel the clothes are the man personified. His boundless energy, sense of fun, joie de vivre and colourful character shine through in every garment, and have earned him the title of ‘one of the country’s most successful designers’, as he was described in Vogue Editor-in-Chief Alexandra Shulman’s introduction.

Sir Paul’s interviewer was another of fashion’s big personalities, much to the audience’s palpable excitement – broadcaster and style icon Alexa Chung. They proved the perfect duo, bouncing off one another as Chung quizzed the designer on what it takes to reach the forefront of fashion – and stay there. Sir Paul’s articulate responses to her questions made it clear why, demonstrating most significantly his deep understanding of the role of the designer, which I think definitely anticipated the now multi-faceted nature of the contemporary role. ‘It’s about many things, not just designing’ he explained. ‘Communication – talking to people, spreading the word. Individualism is vital; every street in the world now is looking the same. Personality, of course, and quality, never underestimate the quality of your work.’

It would be easy to see how such a positive, spirited character might become jaded by a notoriously critical industry or wearied by its relentless pace. Not Sir Paul – who remains level-headed and diplomatic as ever. ‘It’s very much about life, being successful in creative industries. It’s about understanding that the river flows in a different direction all the time. Fashion’s about today and tomorrow. Nobody cares how good you used to be.’

The way that Sir Paul looks and sees has developed a unique vision, without pandering to the whims of fashion. This clarity and true understanding of the world around him has ensured his longevity and will continue to do so.

Quizzed about becoming a Sir (‘It’s a bit weird’), being put on the spot about his successor (‘I’m far too young to even start thinking about it!’), talking lovingly about his wife, Pauline (‘She’s always been very inspirational.’) and being upfront about the bitchiness of the fashion industry (‘Theres a lot of bad behaviour in this industry. People have got to realise we’re all on the earth and we’re all equal. They need a good slap round the head a lot of those people!’) – I fell for his charm. He’s just a lovely, refreshingly normal man with a cracking sense of humour and an attitude to life we could all learn from.

As part of my job, I’ve been lucky enough to attend some amazing events in the last year – the most recent of which being the Vogue Festival, in association with Vertu, where I was reporting on behalf of the sponsor.

One of the hottest ticket talks of the weekend was also the first of the festival, ‘So You Think You Want To Be A Designer?’ where Vogue Editor-in-Chief Alexandra Shulman led a discussion between Jonathan Saunders, JW Anderson, Mary Katrantzou and Erdem Moralioglu. It was a crash course on the trials, tribulations and triumphs of a young designer, covering all areas from inspirations and influences to the realities of running a business.

It was fascinating to hear about the designers’ diverse backgrounds and differing routes into the industry. Erdem wanted to be a fashion designer from a young age – he even recalled being inspired by the Nutcracker as a child when he was just six years old. On the other hand, JW Anderson initially wanted to be an actor. ‘It was an organic process of rejection – I ended up landing in the costume department and then fell in love with it, with the idea of duplication. I became obsessed by it.’

Discussion quickly turned to the designers’ adopted home of London and how the status of the city as a fashion capital, with a growing reputation for its creativity and innovation, is impacting on their work. ‘I think there’s so many eyes looking to London now,’ explained Erdem. ‘When Burberry started to show here so many things changed, the press and buyers that would come, and with this comes a certain amount of pressure. I think after every season all of us feel that more. It’s like trial by fire, you learn as you go along.’

There was certainly an obvious camaraderie between the designers. ‘The wonderful thing about London is that you can start a business without a structure, we started from our bedrooms, you’re able to start a brand from nothing here,’ said Saunders. ‘You’re suddenly put out there, you start the business when you have no business skills and have to learn very fast. It’s wonderful to have the support network from press and stores but you quickly have to fit into an existing infrastructure.’

JW Anderson spoke articulately about the allure of London and the creative spirit it embodies. ‘In London, there’s a risk element, it’s not dictated by a trend book. London has never been out to please. For young designers and growing companies it’s the best platform in the world. Creativity will always win.’ Erdem agreed that the calibre of teaching in the UK nurtures this creativity, and Katrantzou spoke about the appeal of Central Saint Martins’ Professor Louise Wilson. ‘She was the one that helped me find my own style,’ she said of the influential fashion figure.

The balance between creativity and commerce seemed to be a bit of a theme of the weekend (more on that later) and all four designers are at an interesting crossroads in this respect. As Alex Shulman interestingly added in her introduction, the major fashion conglomerates are now looking for their very own Christopher Kane. The four designers discussed the topic of expansion, and working within a growing team. ‘You reach a point where you’re forced to delegate, whether you want to or not, because of the way your business grows,’ said Katrantzou. ‘I hate letting go but as you get more you find the right people who can see your viewpoint and make it easier’ added Anderson.

It was certainly clear that while talent, hard work, geography and sometimes sheer luck play a part in success as a fashion designer (however you want to measure that is another post in itself), the designers’ unwavering commitment to their vision and true understanding of the people they design for really shone through. ‘I think for me print and especially coming out of London, where so many designers work with print really successfully, has really helped me push the boundaries of print,’ Katrantzou said of her hyperrealistic aesthetic. ‘I think women buy print for more than its properties, they make an aesthetic choice and a design decision.’