Mary McFadden

Even when I became the editor of 'Vogue' - America, I kept moonlighting for a garment store.

Designing was an effortless exercise and something I always enjoyed.

I would like to call India a gold-mine of art. It's really the richest in the world.

In my own creations, the earliest influence came from the ancient civilisations of Egypt, China, Africa and Persia. In fact, one of my earlier creations was a range of tunics, made from silk procured from the islands of Madagascar.