The glorious Dame Vivienne Westwood turned 70 last Friday … Happy belated birthday!

The doyenne of British fashion gave a wonderful, insightful interview in Wall Street Journal and I honestly wish I could be this cool by the time I hit her age.

In the morning, I practice 15 minutes of yoga. 

I very rarely watch my own fashion shows, but the makeup for my Fall 2011 show was just brilliant. Andreas [husband & creative director] went to the makeup artist and told her, “Make them look like horses.” They looked like they came from another planet, it was like this amazing parallel universe.

 I call 1970 “The Beginning of the Age of Nostalgia.” The hippie movement politicized my generation. When it ended, we all started looking back at our own history, looking, in my case, for motives of rebellion. So Malcolm McLaren and I invented this urban guerilla look. One of Malcolm’s slogans was “Rubber Wear for the Office.” It really was alternative at the time to take S&M and pornography and turn it into fashion. You can’t do that anymore. But, when I look back, it was only a look, and it was just a marketing opportunity.

 My beauty secret is absolutely no sun.

 Now, I don’t put any faith in youth. I do to the extent they’re always idealistic, but the last lot of them have been brought up to be heavy consumers.

 I think men are much more insecure than women. In history, women had an awful lot more power and influence, from Greek prostitutes to the women who ran the salons right up until the first World War. I think that feminists have definitely underestimated the role that women have had historically. I think I would be insecure if I were to be a man; there’s so much pressure on you.

 We would like to live in Paris. We’d love to get a little apartment; it’s quicker to go to Paris from London these days than to go to Oxford.

 The signature dish I make at home is beef Wellington.

 The best way to get exercise is cycling.

 The secret to a good marriage is tolerance. Don’t expect anything. I’m quite secure in my marriage. I could be wrong; if I am, I don’t really care, actually, because I am so committed to this relationship.