He celebrated his 10 year anniversary in fashion in 2007 by curating an exhibition about his work at the Design Museum in London. During his London Fashion Week show, musician Prince staged an impromptu performance. He closed down the fashion business he’d built with his partner of 30 years Joseph Velosa (the two now have a daughter, and live between London and Mallorca) seven years ago, after decades as a household name. He looks exactly the same today as he used to in the tabloids and fashion magazines, suave and feline, nipping for cigarettes out of the window while we chat. In the 90s Williamson’s face was as recognisable as his clothes – “boho-chic” party dresses in dazzling colours, worn by Kate Moss and Sienna Miller and all their fellow it-girls. As he was launching his career, American Vogue editor Anna Wintour, looking at a dress he’d made by patchworking pink sari scraps together, told him, “You should have a pink dress in every collection.” He took her advice.

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I’m also drawn to quite earthy, crafty, humble things’: Matthew Williamson in his kitchen. Photograph: Sophia Spring/The Observer One of the key considerations for my collection of rugs was an element of craftsmanship,” Matthew says. “I am an admirer of craft in all its forms, celebrating the natural material used in the process. From mesmerising woodwork to the brutal beauty of ironmongery, these quintessentially human skills can have a hugely uplifting presence in the home. Oh So Sisco rug by Matthew WilliamsonEverything has to have a little bit of a worn and torn quality’: the mint green bedroom, with floral bedspread. Photograph: Sophia Spring/The Observer As befits a fashion designer with decades of experience, Matthew Williamson knows exactly how to put together the perfect look, whether for the red carpet or a room. “Starting a room with a rug makes a lot of sense,” he says. “It can really anchor the room.” Palm Circular rug by Matthew Williamson A simple list,” says Matthew Williamson. “Twenty questions. Like,” counting on his fingers, “What’s your design icon? What’s your favourite restaurant? Do you have a treasured possession? Who’s your favourite artist? That sort of thing.” This is how fashion designer turned interior designer Williamson begins every project, sitting down with his client, creating a moodboard, before going away and thinking quite deeply about, say, the colour pink. Do you have a favourite decade? What’s your favourite scent? What’s your earliest childhood memory? But the list, he points out, isn’t just for wealthy clients – it’s useful for everybody. “If you’re renovating your kitchen and you’re struggling, which people obviously are because there’s so much choice out there online, such a barrage of visuals, it’s quite nice to use these questions to really ask yourself: what do I like?” Born in Manchester, as a child Matthew was dazzled by his stylish mother’s choices of clothing and decor. After graduating in fashion and textile design from Central Saint Martins in 1994, he launched his fashion label in 1996 and became hugely successful worldwide. Majestic Trinity rug by Matthew Williamson

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He launched his coffee table book, Matthew Williamson, in 2010 at a star-studded event at Somerset House. The book included an introduction by his friend and muse, Sienna Miller, and contributions from Anna Wintour, Alexandra Shulman and Diane Von Furstenberg. Just like his fashion designs, Matthew’s new collection of rugs features colour combinations and original patterns with global influences inspired by nature. He collaborated with Obeetee, the largest handmade rug-maker in India. Iris Ikat Circular rug by Matthew Williamson In 2005, he joined Emilio Pucci as creative director - a natural progression with his reputation for kaleidoscopic colour. The same year, he was awarded the Moët & Chandon Fashion Tribute Award.In 2009, he opened stores in New York and Dubai before returning to London Fashion Week for its 25th anniversary. In 2023 Matthew was commissioned by The Design Museum in London’s Kensington to create a space within the iconic John Pawson modernist building. The space inspired by it’s park views is now bathed in shades of green and includes an edited selection of mid century vintage furniture along with hand blown glass lighting to create the perfect resting spot for art and design lovers. Having pivoted in recent years from the world of fashion to interiors, Matthew says: “Putting an outfit or a room together that brings a smile to your face and the faces of others is the objective in any project I undertake.” I describe my style as rustic decadence’: vintage furniture and a chandelier in his ornate living room. Photograph: Sophia Spring/The Observer Embrace the colours that resonate most strongly with you’: pictures brighten up the kitchen walls. Photograph: Sophia Spring/The Observer

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In the same year, Matthew Williamson teamed up with Vinterior, the online marketplace for vintage and antique furniture, to create a series of online, shoppable Edits to point customers in the right direction for a one-of-a-kind, totally personal living space. Antiques play a significant role in Matthew’s interior design projects, allowing personality, uniqueness and charm to flood the space, especially when paired with contemporary wallcoverings or artworks. The same year, he collaborated with H&M on a summer collection which featured model Daria Werbowy in the advertising campaign.