'Vintage is very important to me'

This much I know Zufi Alexander is a London-based designer of luxury handbags.

Though her milieu is urbane and jet set, the designer Zufi Alexander appreciates "quiet areas with a villagey feel".

Zufi Alexander is a London-based designer of luxury handbags. I live in Battersea, London. Since moving to London, I've always lived in the south-west, because it's calmer than the other areas. It's not that well known but there are new developments and some really nice restaurants opening up. Also, Vivienne Westwood's studios are there, and there are many designers and musicians living and working there. Everything is handy - there are plenty of grocery stores nearby, but the King's Road is just 10 minutes away for real shopping. I like nice, quiet areas with a villagey feel.

I'm not high-maintenance except in what I eat, because I will wake up every day knowing what I crave, and it needs to be done exactly the same way as last time - if the arrangement is not exactly like last time, I can't settle for it. I only make salads for myself. I like Marks & Spencer organic food and I like making salads during summertime. My favourite is Lebanese, especially Abdel Wahab in Beirut (El Inglizi Street, [phone]). In London I go to Noura (www.noura.co.uk), the little cafe behind Harvey Nichols, next to the Sheraton. This guy has known exactly what I like for the last five years and he always makes it for me perfectly.

There's a great restaurant near my home called Butcher & Grill (www.thebutcherandgrill.com). I like the steak there, and I also like their breakfast. I'm not even really a steak fan - I prefer vegetarian food - but the Butcher & Grill is really good. It's like a butcher's market but with a restaurant. You choose your meat or fish and they grill it for you. The one in Battersea is in a great spot right next to a canal that goes into the Embankment. In the summertime, everyone sits outside.

I go to Baker & Spice (www.­bakerandspice.com) at the weekend, which is a cafe and patisserie behind Joseph on Draycott Avenue. It's like walking into someone's pantry - it's just a huge dining table and you have to find a place to sit down. The desserts are fantastic and the bread is good, so I go there for brunch. Again, it's the village feel. When you're travelling you're so into commercial restaurants that when you're at home you want to just take your newspaper and ­relax somewhere. It's the opposite of what I grew up with in Dubai.

I haven't done the cafe scene in Dubai yet. I left 10, 15 years ago, so everything has changed. I love staying at the Park Hyatt, because although it's a commercial name, it doesn't look commercial when you go in - it's like staying in a sheikh's house! It's so quiet and the environment is very hushed. I like the Arabic restaurant there and the spa is great as well. I travel to Los Angeles quite often, especially in August. I like shopping in America - I love "American casual", so I go to Fred Segal (www.fredsegal.com) and Kitson (www.kitson.com) - though it's quite expensive. In London I tend not to shop as much but if I have time I go to Joseph and Matches, which is great for research - they have a part of the shop called Spy where they have lesser-known brands.

I used to work at Christie's, so the whole vintage thing is very important to me. I love the Fifties and Sixties, when fashion went from simple chic to bling bling and extravagant - it was statement luxury, and I always look out for products like that. I collect antique and vintage bags, especially in crocodile with beautiful frames, which speak about a time when luxury was ­presented in the most elegant way.

The antique jewellery and handbags in Portobello Market in London's Notting Hill are beautiful. There's a stall right at the front owned by a guy called John, who collects a lot of vintage crocodile bags. His stall is always busy. Some is affordable but some is really expensive - he'll be like, "It's all in crocodile darling, it's £700 [Dh5,000]," and I'll say, "You do know it's second-hand?" and he's like, "Yes, that's why it's £700!"

I don't get my vintage bags mended - I wear them as they are. I think if you style them well, with a good pair of jeans, a nice T-shirt, a beautiful pair of shoes, they will look good. My favourite shoes are by Giuseppe Zanotti (www.giuseppe-zanotti-­design.com), which I first discovered when I was in Dubai. I loved them so much that I knocked on his door to do a collaboration with him. He's a very nice guy - down-to-earth, ­humble, not a snob at all.