You dress a lot of celebrities. Who gives you the biggest thrill when you see them in your swimwear?
“I’ve been dressing Barbra Streisand for the beach for the past two years and she is my icon. She was staying at a private resort with a friend, who was wearing all of my things, and they contacted me and now I make all her swim and beachwear. She likes very classic styles and loves everything. I’ve done everyone from Beyonce to Rhianna, but Barbra is my idol.”
You’ve got two stand-alone boutiques in London – with the rise of online sales, how difficult is it for the retail market?
“I hate seeing independent stores shutting down and we have to do something about business rates. I think there’s a move back to bricks and mortar; women love walking around a store, feeling fabrics. Mine have been there a long time and are doing great. People still like to come in and try things on. There’s still a joy in strolling around, window shopping.”
Tell us about your pop-ups?
“I’m doing more pop-ups, which involve a lot more work than people think as you have to fly stock all over the world. I’m always doing something somewhere, and have some coming up in the Caribbean in the winter.”
With your full-on schedule, what are your travelling tips?
“I pack light all the time, drink lots of water and always get a spa treatment when I arrive somewhere, usually a massage to help de-stress. I’m so used to getting on a plane, it’s like my daily commute.”
Are you strict about separating your work and home lives?
“Definitely. I leave my office and shut off. People don’t want to hear about my [work] problems. It’s family time. I started my business before social media existed and was in your face 24/7. When I was living in Italy, the work ethic was completely different. There’d be four-hour lunches and you’d leave work, open a bottle of wine and eat a bowl of pasta. In August, all the factories would shut down. I still go by the Italian schedule and go away for the month of August to my house in Miami. I haven’t changed anything – I just don’t have the four-hour lunches anymore! I’m not a corporate person at all.”
Tell us about your charitable work?
“I design a mastectomy range for the Future Dreams Breast Cancer Charity – this is the fourth year with 100 percent of the proceeds going to the charity. I want to grow the Odabash Foundation, which my father started when I was a kid, and help give grants to new designers. When Future Dreams gave me gave me a humanitarian award two years ago, it was much more fun than winning designer of the year.”
What does success mean to you?
“Good health. If you don’t have your health, you don’t have anything. I’ve always looked after myself.”
www.odabash.com