With her oversized bling and dramatic outfits, it’s hard to miss Sharel Ho, 35, managing director of DeFred Jewels, at the most exclusive balls and parties. Originally from Ipoh, the Singaporean PR is married to Fred Ho, 49, CEO of DeFred Jewels. They have two daughters, Khai Lie, 11, and Khai Ling, 7.

What was your earliest memory of fashion?
I am the youngest of four girls in my family. My mum loved to dress me up and when she learned how to sew, she was always making pretty little dresses for me.

How would you describe your relationship with fashion?
I read fashion magazines religiously and I shop almost every other day.

The sales assistants at the boutiques take photos of the new items when they arrive and SMS them to me.

Whenever I have new clothes, I feel very happy for the day. A modest estimate of how much I spend in a month would be $8,000 to $15,000.

What are some of your favourite labels?
I favour clean designs with interesting details.

One of my favourite casual tops is a plain, sleeveless Alexander McQueen tunic with blue faux hair sewn on the neckline. I love the clothes from Lanvin, 3.1 Phillip Lim and Herve Leger.

I also buy clothes from budding Korean designers and the whimsical Tsumori Chisato. For formal events, I love drama, so I always have fur or feathers on my custom-made outfits from Nam Nam.

Do you shop as much for your husband and daughters?
My husband buys his own clothes because he’s quite fussy.

Every month, I spend a few hundred dollars on clothes from Zara and Kids 21 for my daughters. If I look good, they have to look as good, right?

I also like to buy them accessories, like bejewelled hairbands that can cost a few hundred dollars, even though they often end up broken or lost.

What is your secret weapon when it comes to wearing body-conscious clothes?
Besides going to the gym three times a week, I also wear girdles.

I’m a big fan of them: I wear them every day except on weekends. I once bought a girdle in Japan that cost $1,000 because it was made of a comfortable, breathable material.

How do you organise your wardrobe?
My domestic helper who has been with me for eight years knows exactly where all my clothes are in each of my eight wardrobes, and they are categorised by colour.

When I have no more space in the wardrobes, I just leave the purchases in their bags on the floor.

What do you do with your clothes once the season is over?
I don’t wear a gown more than three times (for different occasions like events and weddings).

So I have to “detox” my wardrobe every three months, otherwise I’d have no space for all my new clothes.

I send about three boxes of clothes that I no longer wear or don’t intend to wear – 30 per cent of them still have price tags attached – to my sisters and my 18-year-old niece in KL and Ipoh.

There are also clothes I loved on sight at the store, but lost interest once I got home!

Are there outfits you will never part with?
I love babydoll dresses because I think they make one look young and they are evergreen.

I have many beautiful pieces with lace, tulle and embroidery from Stella McCartney, Dolce & Gabbana and Luella, which I intend to pass down to my two daughters.

1.Get a copy of the May 2010 issue of Her World, Singapore’s No. 1 women’s magazine. Her World is published by SPH Magazines and is available at all newsstands now. 2. Gladys Chung is a features writer with Her World magazine by SPH Magazines. 3. Check out more stories at Her World online, www.herworld.com.