The fashion designer and Biba founder, 87, on the best business advice she’s been given, why she wears black and the reason she never cries

As a child living in Jerusalem, we used to visit churches and convents. I always wanted to redesign the nuns’ outfits – they just weren’t dressed correctly. Jesus wasn’t a very good designer.

I have no temper. I like people too much. I really love them. I think it’s from living in a big family.

I had a mum who was so beautiful it was embarrassing. I used to stand outside the front door and give away all her clothes from Paris to anyone who needed them, which was not very popular.

There’s nothing I’m scared of. When you’re younger you’re scared of dying. As you get older, it seems rather fun. I can’t wait – there must be a big party going on on the other side.

Finding the person you are going to spend the rest of your life with is so instant, it’s so obvious, it’s absolutely amazing. It doesn’t often come. You’re very lucky if you get one such person in your lifetime and I had one. It was so wonderful.

“Slowly, slowly, catchy monkey!” Our first accountant at Biba gave me that advice and it’s the best advice I’ve ever been given. We should have put that on a T-shirt.

When I was very, very small I used to follow my father around like a little dog. He was the biggest person in my life and I get very angry that I didn’t have longer with him.

The thing to do with grief is to bottle it and it just keeps. You don’t want to be a bore to people. They’ve got their own problems.