Lulu Guinness OBE, famous for her unique and glamorous British handbags and accessories launched her company in 1989. Instant praise in the fashion media paved the way for Lulu Guinness shops in London, New York, Tokyo and Seoul. Her unique creations are also sold in department and specialty stores worldwide, including Harrods, Selfridges and Fortnum and Mason in the UK, Brown Thomas in Ireland and Lane Crawford in Hong Kong.

Lulu never had any formal design training apart from a year’s foundation course at art school and her success is proof that ambition, drive and a deeply ingrained passion for your product are all you need to succeed in the cut throat business of fashion.

Her iconic designs have surpassed the role of mere fashion accessories. The Collectable bags have been described as ‘tomorrow’s treasures’, becoming permanent fixtures in museums worldwide. The Florist Basket is in the permanent fashion collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London and has also been exhibited in Sotheby’s London and New York.

Lulu is the living, breathing personification of her brand: You will never catch her without her trademark red lipstick. The central motif, the distinctive Dali-esque lips clutch, remains the brand’s staple accessory, transporting the Surrealist art movement into mainstream popular culture.

Here Lulu gives us an insight into her life online.

My Favourite Website... Luluguinness.com - Of course! The website has really come on leaps and bounds over the last twelve months, which I’m really proud of.

My Favourite App... YouTube - I just can’t get enough. From hilarious ‘You’ve Been Framed’ moments to expert make-up tutorials, it’s all on there. Whatever did we all do before it came along?

My Favourite Blog... Nicolette Mason - That’s a tough one, as there are many, but I’d have to go with this US based blogger. Nicolette has got such great, unique style and a confidence in herself that I wish every woman had. She’s a huge fan of the brand and the feeling is most definitely mutual.

My Most Recent Buy Online... Bill Brandt’s ‘Nudes’ Photography book - He’s one of my all time favourite photographers. Such beautiful, yet simple, photography.

My Favourite Instagrammer... Manolo Blahnik - I love Manolo’s instagram feed. They never fail to create fun and imaginative imagery. And My Favourite Tweeter... Paloma Faith - Paloma's tweets always keep entertained, she’s an incredibly funny woman.

My Pet Hate About Life Online - It’s something I both love and loathe, that technology is moving so fast it’s often hard to keep up. It’s very exciting though and I enjoy the challenges it brings.

Social Media Allowed Me to Meet... - People that buy my bags on a daily basis. It puts you in touch with fans of the brand and allows you to get feedback from them, whether good or bad. It’s always lovely to receive a tweet or Facebook post saying how much someone loves their new birthday present of Christmas gift. That will never get old for me.

My Stand Out Online Memory... when we first went live with the ‘Lulu’s World’ section of the website. - It’s the part of the website which gives visitors more of an insight in the day-to-day action at Lulu Guinness HQ and where I share my personal thoughts and opinions on the current news agenda.

Most Worthwhile Newsletter... Never Underdressed - They’ve achieved a superb combination of beautiful fashion shoots and interesting and humorous news articles. The layout of the site and their use of imagery and GIFs is second to none.

18 December 2013