The 5-minute Interview: Sarah-Jane 'Sass' Clarke, Fashion designer

'Life is fragile. We should appreciate every moment of every day'

The fashion label Sass & Bide successfully made the transition from its home market of Australia to Europe in 2002 when it showed at London Fashion Week to considerable acclaim. The following year, it became the first Australian house invited to New York Fashion Week. Since then, its founders Sarah-Jane Clarke (Sass) and Heidi Middleton (Bide) have launched a number of lines, including a new resort line available from this month.

If I weren't talking to you right now I'd be...

Having wine and watching the sun set over Sydney Opera House.

I wish that people would take more notice of...

The delicacy of life. It is so fragile. I just think we should appreciate every moment of every day.

A phrase I use far too often is...

Don't worry, it will all be fine.

The most surprising thing that happened to me was...

My first pregnancy, and then my second. That I became pregnant twice still surprises me.

I am not a politician but if I were...

I would shine a spotlight on the future of our children and prioritise education and tackling child poverty. I would focus on trying to make it a greener world, with rooftop gardens and save the forest campaigns – all those green things.

A common misperception of me is...

That I'm always very relaxed, but there are times when I get in a tizz.

I'm good at...

Character judgement. [But] I occasionally get it wrong.

I'm very bad at...

Lying. It would be good to be able to tell little white lies but it is a bad thing at the end of the day.

The ideal night out is...

Having fish and chips and a bottle of wine with my husband and our boys.

In moments of weakness I...

Eat barbecue crisps.

The best age to be is...

Eighteen or just over. That's when you can really become your own person. But every age is a great age.

You know me as a designer but in another life I'd have been...

A curiosity collector.

In a nutshell, my philosophy is this...

Beauty is in perfection.

Alice-Azania Jarvis