Erdem Moralioglu allowed his ''imagination to run'' after realising he was gay.

The 43-year-old fashion designer realised he was gay during his childhood, and Erdem feels his closed-off outlook helped to fuel his imagination.

Erdem - who is married to architect Philip Joseph - explained: ''When I first realised I was gay, as a child, I was so totally closed.

''If you told me I would be happily married one day I would never have believed it. But that feeling of being closed also allowed my imagination to run.''

Erdem was encouraged to participate in teams sports during his childhood.

But ultimately, he settled on ''drawing and daydreaming'' to pass the time.

He told The Guardian newspaper: ''As a child in the suburbs, I tried to avoid anything that was team-related. I had a very brief career, from the age of eight, on a football team, and I tried ice hockey.

''My father dreamed I might be the first half-Turkish hockey pro. It came to nothing. I spent most of my time drawing and daydreaming.''

Erdem was raised in a household with different cultural influences.

And, over time, the designer has learned to embrace his ''heritage''.

Reflecting on his upbringing, Erdem - who was born in Montreal, Canada, but was raised in England - recalled: ''My mum's family lived in the Midlands, my dad's in Eastern Turkey. They had different accents and I had a different name to everyone else. That was uncomfortable.

''Now I see that acute contrast of heritage is not only a wonderful thing, it's who I am.''