of costume involved in all of this, we're decorating ourselves. A third dynamic of fashion is sexual perception. A person may want to be perceived as available or unavailable, they may wish to be perceived as mysteriously sexual.... a strong man... and so on. You're sexuality always comes through in how you dress. These three things synthesise together - shelter, status and expression. Q: How does fashion relate to our sense of identity? [Claudia Schiffer] It's different for everyone - often in our teens and early 20's you want to be part of a group and are influenced by what your friends wear, the style of the bands you like, the films you are into, your cultural background. As you mature this tends to fall away - you dress more for yourself, your style evolves and you understand what suits you. We are complex as individuals and fashion caters for all our needs so differently. This is what's so great about fashion - ultimately it's whatever you want it to be. Q: How does fashion relate to wider culture? [Robin Givhan] In modern fashion, it's interesting to see how designers are inspired by the visual arts and music. Yves Saint Laurent was inspired by the world of art... Mondrian... ballet and all those things. It was considered a wildly inventive and interesting way of expressing style and design. I think it's virtually impossible for any designer to not be influenced by wider culture, everything is so entwined. In some ways