Milliner Victoria Grant on Daphne Guinness, London’s black cabs and mesmerising LA

My personal style signifier is my Kiss beret. I feel naked without a hat – I’ve worn one every day for the past 10 years. This has a really beautiful tailored shape and a little pull-down veil for night-time. I’ve got one in every colour. From £330; victoriagrant.co.uk

The last thing I bought and loved was a prism-shaped crystal from a boutique in Abbot Kinney in Venice, LA, which hangs in my window. I love the way it projects rainbows across the wall when the sunlight shines through. 

And the thing I’m eyeing next is a Mark Powell three-piece suit. I adore tailoring and I’ve got a plain suit jacket from him that I’ve worn to death. Now I want a chalk-stripe suit à la Winston Churchill, with flashy buttons. Bespoke suits, from £3,000; 2 Marshall Street, London W1 (020-7287 5498; markpowellbespoke.co.uk)

An unforgettable place I’ve travelled to in the past year is Maratua Island, Borneo. It was the most remote place I could access for a holiday. That feeling of being alone in the world is extraordinary. I stayed in a little guesthouse and spent five days counting stars, swimming with manta rays, watching monkeys and walking in the clearest aquamarine sea.

And the best souvenir I’ve brought home is a ceremonial Thai headdress I picked up at Chatuchak market in Bangkok a few years ago. I love its intricacy and symmetry. chatuchakmarket.org

The last item of clothing I added to my wardrobe was a cape jacket from Temperley London. I love the rich colours and contrasts of the tattoo-inspired swallows and padlock embroidery. 27 Bruton Street, London W1 (020-7313 5280; temperleylondon.com)

The beauty staple I’m never without is Make skincare. I am obsessed with its all-natural products, especially the Face Glow oil, which smells wonderful. And Azzi Glasser’s Sequoia Wood fragrance – it puts me in a really good mood. Make Face Glow face oil, £22 for 30ml; makeskincare.co.uk. The Perfumer’s Story by Azzi Sequoia Wood, £95 for 30ml EDP; theperfumersstory.com

A recent “find” is Derek Mogford, an amazing art-furniture maker. Everything shows incredible attention to detail, with beautiful inlays and mirrored interiors. I’d love one of his cocktail cabinets with hidden drawers. derekmogford.com

The last meal that truly impressed me was the 20-course tasting menu at Sushi Nakazawa in New York. Each course was like a work of art and the sushi was the most melting I’ve ever eaten. 23 Commerce Street, New York, NY 10014 (+1212-924 2212; sushinakazawa.com)

In my fridge you’ll always find stiffeners, feathers and sculpting clays. There’s rarely anything edible – I’m a useless cook.

The best gift I’ve received recently is an enormous print by one of my favourite fashion photographers, Diana Gomez, from a shoot we did in Los Angeles. She has such a warm Venezuelan spirit. dianagomez.com

If I had to limit my shopping to one neighbourhood in one city, I’d choose Notting Hill in London, where I’ve lived for 20 years. I go to a really special Italian deli, Valentina, for truffle oil, and Coffee Plant for its powerful almond-milk lattes and a chat with the locals. Mario’s Shoe Care repairs my shoes after too much dancing, and I love everything at Jonathan Adler; it’s always useful for presents. For jewels for my hats, Portobello Market is my treasure trove. Coffee Plant, 180 Portobello Road, W11 (020-7221 8137; coffee.uk.com). Jonathan Adler, 287-289 Westbourne Grove, W11 (020-7727 0600; uk.jonathanadler.com). Mario’s Shoe Care, 26A Colville Square, W11 (020-7221 5288). Portobello Market, Portobello Road, W10. Valentina, 145 Notting Hill Gate, W11 (020-7702 1181; valentinafinefoods.com)

My favourite websites or apps are Shazam for music and Moda Operandi for fashion – it is so well curated and you can order hot off the catwalk.

My style icon is Daphne Guinness. Her style is completely unique – I call it “quintessential futuristic”. She is a pioneer – with her rock ’n’ roll band but constantly in haute couture. I first saw her at a Tim Burton premiere and couldn’t take my eyes off her.

An object I would never part with is a painting of the Queen that my grandpa, Leonard Stanley Fearnley, painted. She sits in my fireplace and I feel she is always watching over me, checking that I do everything to the highest standard.

The item in my wardrobe I’ll keep to pass on is a pair of patchwork flares I bought at Hyper Hyper on Kensington High Street when I was 14. They still fit and keep resurfacing because they are so cool. 

The last music I downloaded was Blue & Lonesome by The Rolling Stones. I recently saw them at Desert Trip in California: they were amazing but I was really blown away by the wardrobe changes – it was like a progressive rainbow.

The sight that inspires me is that incredible sky tour of London you get when you fly home – it’s so easy to pinpoint all the historical buildings and architecture. I just find it dreamy. 

An indulgence I would never forgo is black cabs. Nothing beats sitting in the back of a taxi, enjoying the banter and wisdom of our ever-cheerful London cabbies. You never know what tales you will hear.

The best book I’ve read in the past year is If I could tell you just one thing… by Richard Reed. It’s a collection of advice and snippets of wisdom from everyone from David Attenborough to Marina Abramovic. I love hearing different people’s views, so this is right up my street.

The people I rely on for personal grooming and wellbeing are Coco Nail Bar, for my fierce metallic-gold nails; Core Kensington, where the trainers are amazing; Koia London for massages and osteopathy – I practically owe my life to them; they are always unravelling me – and my hair stylist Robin Pawloski, who is incredibly imaginative and a real character. If I’ve got to sit down for four hours then I enjoy no one more than him. Coco Nail Bar, 267 Portobello Road, London W11 (020-7243 1113; coconailbar.com). Core Kensington, corekensington.co.uk. Koia London, 32-34 Notting Hill Gate, London W11 (020-7229 8686; koia.london). Robin Pawloski, robinpawloski.com

The best gift I’ve given recently is one of my silk art scarves with tasselled ends and “Peace and Love” handwritten across the middle, which I gave to Paul McCartney. The idea is that you are rocking around in your scarf, but it’s also an instant protest banner. £90; victoriagrant.co.uk

The one artist whose work I would collect if I could is Antony Micallef. He just keeps on evolving. I loved his show Self at Lazarides gallery, with the lashings of paint that reminded me of Frank Auerbach. antonymicallef.com

If I didn’t live in London, the city I would live in is LA; I am mesmerised by its different atmospheres and environments. Chateau Marmont attracts an array of eccentrics and you can feel the history almost seeping through the walls. I love the Hauser Wirth & Schimmel gallery that opened last year – it’s on the pulse of the downtown art scene. The setting of Little Beach House in Malibu is breathtaking and the number of actors there is shocking – it’s like walking onto the set of all the best movies you’ve ever watched. The Griffith Observatory has exquisite views across LA, and I love the Rose Bowl vintage market in Pasadena for treasure-hunting. Chateau Marmont, 8221 Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood 90046 (+1323-656 1010; chateaumarmont.com). Griffith Observatory, 2800 East Observatory Road, Los Angeles 90027 (+1213-473 0800; griffithobservatory.org). Hauser Wirth & Schimmel, 901 East 3rd Street, Los Angeles 90013 (+1213-943 1620; hauserwirthschimmel.com). Little Beach House, 22716 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu 90265 (+1310-456 2400; littlebeachhousemalibu.com). Rose Bowl Flea Market, 1001 Rose Bowl Drive, Pasadena 91103

My favourite room in my house is my bedroom, which has lots of soothing golds, like a jewellery box. I love sleeping because I get a lot of my inspiration from my dreams, when the mind doesn’t have any boundaries. 

If I weren’t doing what I do, I would be a screenwriter. I love stories, and every day I see little scenarios in all the places I go.