FROM MARKET STALLS TO CATWALKS, PREEN HAVE GONE THE DISTANCE.

An art foundation course on the Isle of Man seems an unlikely birthplace for one of British fashion's coolest exports, but for Justin Thornton and Thea Bregazzi, it wasn't just the beginnings of their design label Preen, but also the start of their relationship.

Fast forward a few years and the couple, who set up Preen in 1996 and a year later opened their Portobello boutique, are a firm favourite of both fashion editors and celebrities alike, dressing everyone from Gwyneth Paltrow to Alexa Chung, and being heralded by Vogue as "the go-to label for knock-out party looks".

Despite being the toast of New York Fashion Week, their Portobello boutique remains home - with their design studio just around the corner. "I really like market areas like Portobello," says Bregazzi, "with an eclectic mix of stalls it makes shopping such a great experience. You never know what you might find, which always makes it exciting."