I prefer white to black. The sun to the moon. I prefer dogs to cats. Silence is better than noise. I find Baroque more beautiful than the Renaissance. Summer over winter. And tall, comfortable cars over low, uncomfortably flat ones. On the other hand, I prefer low heels to high ones. Ever since it became possible (henna became available in shops in the 1980s), I started dyeing my hair red.

As a child, I didn’t like the color pink or blue. When it came to clothes, of course, you couldn’t be picky – you had to wear what you had. My grandmothers sewed dresses and knitted, and later – probably from the age of 13 – I started sewing for myself, knitting various things, making patchwork skirts, sweaters, bags, and dyeing fabrics. My parents gave us the freedom to be creative. For example, my younger sister and I were allowed to paint on the walls of the room we shared – once it was a dragon, and later a painted brick wall. It was great. However, this didn’t mean “do whatever you want” – there were boundaries, and we knew what each of us was allowed to do and when.