Matthew Williamson is exhausted. The slightly rumpled designer is lounging on a chaise in his hotel suite. Dressed eclectically in a turquoise printed knit jumper, plum shirt and corduroy trousers, he is in Japan for less than 24 hours to celebrate Emilio Pucci's 60th anniversary.
As creative director of the iconic Italian label as well as his own eponymous line, Williamson says a tightly packed schedule is a small price to pay for being able to live out his dream.
'Designing for Pucci is a dream come true,' says Williamson, a loyal fan of the brand since he was a youth growing up in Manchester. In particular, he remembers a Pucci scarf his mother owned, with its vibrant prints, colour and patterns - characteristics that would later become a signature in his own work.
'The area I grew up in was very grey and monotonous and Pucci to me embodied everything that was the opposite of that,' he says.
At 17, he left Manchester for London's Central St Martins College of Art and Design, and completed a degree in fashion design and printed textiles. In his second year, he travelled to India where he learnt about embroideries and embellishments.
'While I was there I met many craftsmen and visited many factories, many of whom I still use to this day because their expertise is incomparable,' he says.