Fashion: These are a few of my favourite things: The Fashion student: Money doesn't matter. If it's more than pounds 100, forget it

Which will it be for Christmas Day: the Armani jacket you bring out on really posh occasions, the glittery party top, or that chunky jumper you found on holiday years ago and love to death? We asked an actress, a headteacher, a nurse and a student to be photographed in the outfits they will be wearing this Christmas, and to tell us about the rest of their wardrobes, from designer items to heirlooms, hand-me-downs, sales bargains and impulse purchases.

Samson Soboye, 27, is a fashion student at Central Saint Martin's School of Art. He worked in the civil service and then in banking before realising that fashion was his vocation in life.

ALTHOUGH I am close to my family, who live in Ilford, I don't think it's natural to be flung together at Christmas every year, so this time I'm spending the day itself with friends. We're making it a day for waifs and strays and I'm inviting any friends who will be on their own in London for dinner. They each have to bring a dish. Well, that's the idea, anyway. I'm expecting about a dozen people.

Since I've been a student, with an income of about pounds 2,900 a year, I haven't been able to afford to buy clothes on a regular basis. I probably spend about pounds 200 a year. My most recent purchase was a white frilly shirt I bought for my birthday from Hyper Hyper for pounds 38.

My outfit for Christmas Day is quite typical of what I wear normally. I made the waistcoat myself from patches of fabric. The trousers were made by a friend, Richard Conway Jones. They are army surplus, hand-painted with fabric dye.

My hat is essential; I don't feel dressed without one. I must have more than 30. If I decide to get dressed up for dinner, I might wear something a bit more flamboyant.

Colour is very important to me. I loathe blue and black denim - it doesn't say anything about a person's personality, as though they couldn't give a damn. I like ethnic-inspired things - not in a kitsch way, but used subtly, like on my Mexican scarf.

I wear the same clothes for day and night. What I wear depends on the mood I wake up in. If it's sunny I go for colour, and if it's gloomy I'm as grey as the day.

I have one jacket that I would wear only for special occasions. It's purple silk with mirrored suns embroidered on it. My favourite jacket at the moment is snakeskin-printed velvet. It's really me. Very much the hip dude from the Seventies.

I inherit my love of clothes from my mum. She's a big one for getting dressed up in traditional African dress on special occasions. I have one piece of African clothing: a traditional Nigerian agada that belonged to my grandfather. It's a basic shape, but the embroidery shows that it would be worn for special occasions. I've worn it to the Notting Hill Carnival.

Many of my clothes are from pre-student days. I don't hunt for clothes - I usually just stumble upon them. I have one rule - if it's more than pounds 100, I have to forget it. I never see anything I want to buy in magazines. I don't think the clothes in men's magazines are within the reach of most people. They are too expensive and very designer oriented. If I had lots of money, I still wouldn't change my wardrobe much.

Having said that, the only time I've ever really craved something was for this yellow jacket by Jean Paul Gaultier. The lining is really brilliant and it looks great on. It was about pounds 300 from Harvey Nichols, but I'll always like it and always wear it.

I've never had a wardrobe. My clothes are scattered all over the place. This clothes rail was a cast-off from a press office I once worked in. It makes a lot more sense because it comes apart easily and I can wheel it wherever I want to.

I'm not planning any new additions to my wardrobe in '93. Actually, I think I should aim to get rid of some of it.

(Photograph omitted)