CK's global creative director, Kevin Carrigan, answers fashion editor Claire Low's questions.

CL: What's your earliest fashion memory?

KC: I was probably six years old and I remember my grandmother, who was a tailor, cutting straight into fabric and draping a dress on a stand for my mother. I remember just standing over her and watching in awe.

CL: Describe the light-bulb moment of when you discovered style.

KC: Again, I have to say my grandmother, who was always put-together in her own creations. She was an amazing inspiration and a fearless, global traveller. She was South African but thought nothing of jumping on the QE2 for a two-or three-week voyage around the world. I was always aware of her individual style and her worldliness.

CL: How do you try to fit in with Calvin Klein's overarching mood and history, while making it your own?

KC: Being English and studying fashion at the Royal College of Art has had a big influence on my personal design aesthetic. I discovered the Bauhaus and the modernist movements pretty early on in my design career and the ideas of form, function and beauty are always the three elements I constantly reference. The Calvin Klein aesthetic of modern, pure, architectural design is the perfect match for my design point of view. I constantly try and push this design aesthetic by making it seasonally relevant and by combining innovative and modern fabrics with noble, classic fibres in sexy, pared-down shapes and cuts.

CL: Why does minimalism still rule? Are we seeing a decline in minimalism with the rise of opulent fabrics, detailing and the likes on red carpets?

KC: For me, minimalism is a way of life; it's not just a fashion term. It's about living in the present, whether it has to do with architecture, art, or digital design. I do not see a decline in minimalism at all, in fact, designers in Paris and Milan are continuing to be influenced by minimal design in a new, thoughtful way. The true style icons on the red carpet, such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Naomi Watts and Claire Danes, whom Calvin Klein Collection has dressed on numerous occasions, epitomise this effortless, minimal look.

CL: Who do you think of when you design? A particular model, a celebrity, your clients, someone else?

KC: Sexy, intelligent, strong men and women, who understand their own sense of style and aesthetic. I have also always loved and been inspired by the young Kate Moss who, for me, began such a revolution when Calvin used her in his early advertisements. She was cool and she summed up a new sense of effortless beauty.

CL: Do you benchmark yourself against other designers or creative directors?

KC: I can't compare myself to other designers. I benchmark myself against my selling numbers. I'm a designer but an extremely aware businessman.

CL: What's your overarching, all-consuming fashion dream?

KC: That's a hard one, it seems to change every week. At the moment it's not about fashion; it would have to do with architecture and art.

CL: In what design direction are you taking Calvin Klein Jeans?

KC: For fall [autumn] 2012, I wanted to bring the sex, seductiveness and sensuality back by launching our metallicised, stretch skinny jean. It caresses and curves the body almost like liquid mercury. My goal is to keep designing in this innovative and provocative way.

CL: What was the inspiration for the fall 2012 CK Jeans collection?

KC: For fall 2012, Calvin Klein Jeans has a seductive, urban appeal. Reminiscent of Andy Warhol and Factory Girl, the women's line features liquid-metal finishes in gold, silver and bronze. The lustrous skinny jeans are edgy with a subtle touch of glamour. For men, a unique wax coating on straight-cut styles adds texture and a sexy, modern feel.

CL: How does good design start for you?

KC: I always begin the season with words, poetry and emotions. Then I work with fabrics, choosing materials that represent my words and have a similar mood. Colour comes next. Finally, I transform the two-dimensional sketch to the three-dimensional form – always while thinking about functionality and how to make the clothes feel cool, effortless and sexy.

CL: What is the best thing in fashion, as far as you're concerned – seeing a woman walking down the street in something you made? Big, intense parties?

KC: For me, it's the whole, complete process. I just love designing 24/7.

CL: Who has a type of style you can't stand?

KC: Women who think that they need too much and are over-styled [with] too much make-up, too much jewellery. This, to me, is just not elegant.

CL: Do you believe in high-low collaborations? Do they dilute brands?

KC: If it is designed with integrity, then yes. Collaborations in general are cool, one-off projects and can inspire you to think differently.

CL: What's your best advice for up-and-coming fashion designers?

KC: Understand your craft and learn about draping, fabric, pattern-making and the two-dimensional sketch to the three-dimensional form. Today's designers also have to multi-task and learn about the business side of fashion as well.

CL: What is fashion to you?

KC: Constantly in motion, evolving and fundamentally about design.