I am fascinated by the stories clothes can tell about the people who made, sold and wore them. My latest non-fiction book is 'The Dressmakers of Auschwitz', revealing the lives and fates of a remarkable group of mainly Jewish women who sewed to survive in a fashion salon established by the camp commandant's wife. It has been a privilege to bring these stories into the light. 'Women's Lives & Clothes in WW2' is a global overview of the 1940s, drawing on interviews with veterans and items from my vintage collection. History is also the inspiration for my YA novels, including 'The Red Ribbon', 'Sunmerland', 'The Burning Mountain' and 'The Glittering Eye' In between all this writing I give presentations on costume history - such a fabulous job: www.historywardrobe.com @historywardrobe I love switching off with crime thrillers (Lee Child, Agatha Christie...) or with biographies