Designer Alessandra Rich on yoga, the Veneto flatlands and vintage hosiery

My personal style signifiers are skinny black Flex jeans from Acne that I live in. I usually wear them with a T-shirt or a simple cashmere knit. I’ve had a stone cuff from Bottega Veneta for about seven years and wear that every day too. I go from this to an ankle-length dress – there is not much in-between. bottegaveneta.com. Flex jeans, £150; acnestudios.com

An object I would never part with is my vintage gold Rolex made in 1977 – an Oyster Perpetual Day-Date President with a brown vignette-diamond dial. It was my husband Stephen’s, but when I saw it I put it on and I immediately removed two links so that it wouldn’t fit him any more. I’ve worn it ever since. rolex.com

The books on my bedside table are The Lover by Marguerite Duras and Moon: Nature and Culture by Edgar Williams, a small book that I discovered in Waterstones; I find the moon absolutely fascinating.

The people I rely on for wellbeing are Dr Jerome Malzac and his wife Dr Beatrice Cosi, both homeopathic doctors based in Milan. I have been seeing them regularly for the past three years – they are quite amazing. I also see their daughter Janelaure Malzac, who is an osteopath. In London I see nutritionist Tatiana Rodriguez. I am not super-strict with food but at some point you have to listen to your body’s needs. dr.beatrice.cosi@gmail.com. dr.malzac@gmail.com. janelaure.malzac@gmail.com. Tatiana Rodriguez, lightcentrebelgravia.co.uk

An unforgettable place I’ve travelled to in the past year is the tiny island of Burano in the Venetian lagoon. When I am working in Italy I often try to go on quick trips and love this place. All the little houses are super-colourful and, once the shops shut at 7pm, it’s like being back in the 1950s; it’s very cute and so uplifting.

A recent “find” is La Vecchia Latteria near the Duomo in Milan. A friend of mine had a dinner there. It’s a tiny vegetarian place with only a few tables, usually only open for lunch. Everything is so delicious, like a perfect pasta with ricotta and spinach. It’s really quite plain but this is exactly what I love about it. Via dell’Unione 6, Milan 20122

The last music I downloaded was Max Richter’s Sleep album. It’s eight hours long and very relaxing; we play it in the studio.

The beauty staple I’m never without is Line A Eye Cream from Susanne Kaufmann and her herbal Whey Bath Milk, which is gorgeous. I don’t wear make-up but buy a lot of perfumes – it’s another of my obsessions – although I always wear the same one: Frédéric Malle’s Musc Ravageur. Susanne Kaufmann Line A Eye Cream, €193 for 15ml; Whey Bath Milk, €40 for 300g; susannekaufmann.com. Frédéric Malle Musc Ravageur, £160 for 100ml EDP; fredericmalle.com

The best gift I’ve given recently was a silk dressing gown from Olivia von Halle that I got for a friend in Italy. I think everybody should have one. It is a beautiful object. oliviavonhalle.com

The one artist whose work I would collect if I could is Alexander Calder. I love that his sculpture is not static, so that it moves and changes into something else – it’s never the same. calder.org

In my fridge you’ll always find C-Amaro chocolate from Marco Colzani, which is a super-niche brand based near Lake Como. It produces chocolate with its own cacao, as well as with fruit juices, jams and spreads. Then there will be white wine for my husband Stephen; Marmite, which I have on crumpets with butter, although I try to resist them; and almond butter, which I love on apples. Marco Colzani C-Amaro chocolate selection, €28 for eight tablets; marcocolzani.it

My favourite website is Calm.com. You put it on and you decide what sort of scenery you need to calm you down – a lake with the sound of the water lapping, for example. It’s very useful.

My style icon is Diana Vreeland because of the jewellery, the red lips and the tea dresses she wore – altogether, she was an extraordinary woman.

An indulgence I would never forgo is yoga. When I go to Italy I do classes with my brother in the evening, rather than going out. He’s an architect but he’s also a qualified yoga teacher. It puts me on a completely different level mentally and makes me feel focused and strong – it really helps. I wish he could come to London.

If I had to limit my shopping to one neighbourhood in one city, I’d choose the area around Mount Street in London, near where I live. There is Phillips if you want to see or buy some art and McQueens florist at Claridge’s – just to look at the displays is a delight. Then there’s Linda Farrow – I love her sunglasses – and the beautiful bags at Goyard. My neighbourhood is quite complete. We quite often go to Scott’s for dinner. My favourite thing to have is the oysters or the Cornish sole goujons. Goyard, 116 Mount Street, W1 (020-7478 9900; goyard.com). Linda Farrow, 91 Mount Street, W1 (020-7499 6336; lindafarrow.com). McQueens at Claridge’s, Brook Street, W1 (020-7629 1508; mcqueens.co.uk). Phillips, 30 Berkeley Square, W1 (020-7318 4010; phillips.com). Scott’s, 20 Mount Street, W1 (020-7495 7309; scotts-restaurant.com)

The last thing I bought and loved was a thick gold chain necklace from Hardware – run by an American lady who sells vintage jewellery. It’s a little bit tacky, a little bit vulgar, which is exactly what I like. Wherever I go, from markets to antique shops, I buy vintage costume jewellery, particularly from the 1980s. Hardware Vintage Jewellery at Topshop, topshop.com

And the thing I’m eyeing next is any photography by Wolfgang Tillmans – he does these pictures of clouds that I would love to have. tillmans.co.uk

My favourite room in my house is the living room, which looks out over the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Mayfair. The church is lit up in the evening so you can see the stained glass – it’s quite a spectacular view. And in spring there is the most amazing cherry blossom on the trees in Mount Street Gardens.

The best gift I’ve received recently was an original Polaroid Land Camera Model 250 that Stephen bought for me. Apart from being an iconic film camera, the Land is wonderful because it slows you down; it connects you with real moments. The prints are often magical and always one of a kind and that serendipity is part of the charm.

The site that inspires me is the flatlands in Veneto where I come from – the Pianura Padana. You can see the Dolomites on the horizon and it’s so beautiful – you see all this green as the land stretches out and then the pink of the mountains, which are often covered in snow. This is probably where I feel most at home.

If I didn’t live in London, the city I would live in is Milan, especially as we are currently turning an old studio space there into an apartment. I love the Fondazione Prada; when you walk in it’s like a dream, almost surreal. The Cimitero Monumentale di Milano – the city’s cemetery – is like being in an open-air museum because there are so many monuments. And Milan has so many wonderful places to eat, like Trattoria Arlati, where you have to knock on the door to get in – you can’t see inside the restaurant from outside. It’s very quirky but with typical Milanese trattoria food; I like the risotto Milanese with ossobucco. Cimitero Monumentale di Milano, Piazzale Cimitero Monumentale, 20154 (+3902-8844 1274). Fondazione Prada, Largo Isarco 2, 20139 (+3902-5666 2612; fondazioneprada.org). Trattoria Arlati, Via Alberto Nota 47, 20126 (+3902-643 3327; trattoriaarlati.it).

The last item of clothing I added to my wardrobe was some hosiery – I have a real fetish for tights and hold-ups and because I do the styling for my lookbooks I am always searching for them. I buy them everywhere I go, often from vintage shops where I can find hosiery from the 1960s and 1970s.

The best souvenir I’ve brought home is probably the pictures I’ve taken. I’m not someone who likes to buy things to remind me of a place.

If I weren’t doing what I do, I would be doing anything that involved being surrounded by beautiful things – maybe a gardener or photographer. But I am so new to doing what I do now that I am still very excited about it.

The last meal that truly impressed me was a dinner that Browns hosted for me at Harry’s Bar during London Fashion Week. It was quite something; when you entered it was like a magic box. The table was beautiful – full of flowers and candles on pale lavender tablecloths. And the food was amazing; I had sarde in saor, a classic Venetian dish of sardines with caramelised onions, pine nuts and raisins. 26 South Audley Street, London W1 (020-7408 0844; harrysbar.co.uk)