What inspired you to make the transition from your career as senior creative director for Donna Karan, to setting up your own children’s lifestyle brand? Did your previous experience influence your approach to your own brand?

When I gave birth to my children, I found that there was a large void in the market for children’s products. I began making things for my own children and that’s how the company was born.

When friends of mine began asking me to create pieces for their children too, I thought “why not turn this into a business”. I was still working at Donna Karan at the time and Donna was very helpful and supportive in helping me get my business off the ground. Of course, my experience with her has influenced me greatly. I was very fortunate to work with the best fabrics, patternmakers and factories in the world, as well as a leading talent of our time. She was my mentor and I suppose my experience will always influence me. There is a sense of aesthetic perfection in everything I do, which I definitely learned from Donna.

Do your children ever have any input in what you design? Can you give an example?

My children and their friends definitely influence my designs. When we do fittings I can tell by the expression on their faces if the style will be a bestseller. If they don’t want to wear it, there is a reason and so it doesn’t go on the collection.

Children love fabrics that feel good. Many people don’t realize the importance of amazing fabrics in children’s clothes - they love my stretch silk satin pieces because they feel so good. My daughter has her own style and puts in her requests. My studio is attached to our home and they are always around with friends while we are designing so they constantly give their opinions.

Your children’s collections have received great acclaim, why do you believe Bonnie Young has been so successful and who do you think it appeals to?

I think that my collections have been well received because they are unique. My clothes appeal to a customer who wants the same beautiful pieces for their children as they wish for themselves.

Your book Colors of the Vanishing Tribes documents some of the most beautiful places on the planet. Is there a particular part of the world that you love the most, or one that you find creatively inspirational?

Tibet and South China were the most incredible places that I have been to. The Xishuanbanna area of China has so many minority tribes that people don’t know even about, each one wears incredible tribal costumes to this day. The physical beauty of the Tibetan people is unforgettable. I learned about true style through the tribes that I was fortunate enough to encounter around the world.

How have your travels influenced the way you have decorated your home - have you discovered any real treasures while on your trips?

I have collections of furniture, artifacts and fabrics from all over the world. Our loft is quite modern, but our bedroom is like a shrine.

The fun part is that I can constantly change because I have so many things in storage. I would say that my favorite possession in our home is my oversized Corian Boffi bathtub. I have a fetish for beautiful bathtubs - they are like a meditation shrine for me. I used to have a 200 year old copper tub that I bought from a castle in France. I also have many beautiful bedspreads which are antique embroidered white on white coverings from India, Asia and Africa.

In Jerusalem, I acquired some Roman stone goblets from B.C. - they are not very practical or usable, but they are incredibly beautiful artifacts that I keep on our shelves. I tend to like anything exotic - practicality doesn’t come into the equation which drives my Capricorn husband crazy when it comes to our living space.

You have designed a range of t-shirts in aid of a number of children’s charities. Can you tell us a little more about the causes and how the project came about?

The first phrase on the charity t-shirts actually began in 2000 after September 11 when my husband made cards to hang on our Christmas tree from our daughter’s pictures that said “Make Toys Not Bombs”. Two years later we bought an Aurora Lopez necklace for my mother’s birthday and my daughter wanted “Sparkles of Life” stamped on the necklace.

When I launched the company, I created these t-shirts with the same phrases and linked each one with a children’s charity. I wanted to use my company and these fun t-shirts to get my voice across and to communicate a message to the public about the catastrophic issues that children throughout the world are facing today.

The issue that I am most committed to at present is the growing epidemic of the trafficking of children for sexual exploitation. I am working closely with the charity Innocence in Danger which is committed to protecting children from these terrible crimes. Other charities include Reach Out to Asia (ROTA) - a Qatari based organization committed to the education of children throughout Asia, SFK (Spirituality for Kids), Free Arts for Abused Children and Save the Children. Having seen the horrors around the world which affect children, my dream is to one day make a significant change through my voice and my creations.