Loves

Spending time with my family - They are the most important thing. I have three boys and three step-daughters, my mother and three brothers. I was raised in a very close-knit family and I definitely want to teach my children. I have one nine-year-old son and then identical twins that are 12-years-old. My stepdaughters are 21, 24 and 25 years old – I helped raise them since they were little. My children come first and they're everything. It's amazing because they love that I work. I think it's a nice example to set for children to see that it's not easy to raise your family and work but it's possible.

A sense of humour - I like to think I'm funny but I don't know. But I think humour gets you through many different things. I appreciate humour and my father had an incredibly dry sense of humour, and so spending time with him was amazing and funny.

Our inspiration trips - I'm inspired by the world and so we travel a lot. Last summer I went to India, spending three whole weeks there. Two of my stepdaughters came, as well as four people from my design team and my sister-in-law. It was just fantastic on a work level but also inspiring to see different cultures. We've done a Moroccan trip, and this summer hopefully we'll be going to Egypt –we do everything from going to museums to meeting local artisans.

Going to concerts - I'm obsessed with music and have been my whole life. I think there's such a great correlation between music and art. I do these charity CDs where 100% of the proceeds go to a charity. This next one that comes out in May has everyone on it from the Smiths (right) to Kanye West to new artists. It's a very eclectic mix, and a nice way to donate $15 to charity.

Sushi - We recently opened a store in Tokyo and I love Japanese food so I go for it any chance I can. I like exotic – I love uni [sea urchin], monkfish liver, stuff that most people don't really love but I love.

Loathes

Flying - I detest it. I'm terrified of it and I have to fly a fair amount. It's debilitating for me, so I'm trying to figure out different ways of dealing with that. I've been trying meditation. My mother's brother had a plane and was killed so I think I grew up with that fear. But I was never really scared until I had children, and then it kicked in.

Chewing gum in public - It's something I was taught was very bad manners and a big no-no. It's amazing to watch the Oscars and see all these incredibly glamorous people chewing gum.

Negative people - I think that in general positivity can get you through any situation and no matter how difficult a situation might be, if you look at it in a different way and turn the corner, it always seems to get better.

Garlic - I love Italian food but garlic is something I've never liked. I think I might be allergic to it ? it makes me sick. I'm a foodie and I love food, especially Italian, so it's hard at times.

Facebook - I have a problem with it. I don't loathe it but I am wary of it, and the internet in general because of my children. I suppose it's not Facebook I dislike but what can happen to children – it takes them away from what's important sometimes. On one hand, social media is obviously our life and our future and amazing, but it's a very dangerous thing for children, particularly young impressionable kids, and as we all see there are a number of things that can go wrong on the internet. One thing that I always talk to my children about is no matter what you put on the internet, it's always there, regardless of whether you delete it or not.

Tory Burch's Fashion Targets Breast Cancer bag, priced €45, is available from Brown Thomas