Even as a young boy, my passion was to design, and I have been very lucky to be able to do what I have loved all my life. There can be few greater gifts than that.
I started to work with cotton fabrics. I used cotton because it's easy to work with, to wash, to take care of, to wear if it's warm or cold. It's great. That was the start.
Sofia is so active, and she made The Virgin Suicides, which I thought was great - all these things are inspiring to me, not in terms of creating a particular dress, but just in terms of knowing that there is this type of woman out there.
Good men, whether they be Christians or rationalists, do not desire to discriminate between races, but the distinctions implanted by Nature are too conspicuous to escape the observation of our senses.
I like tough relationships. I think relationships with conflict are good for you - you learn. But you can't listen too much. I have a strong point of view, and it's important that I fight for my ideas.
I am comfortable giving people direction. If something is not good enough, my job is to find a way to help them learn from their mistake, and understand that next time I expect better.
You feel like everyone hates you if you've got a good life, now I feel maybe it's allowed because I've had my share of sadness.
My work in general involves getting over my fears that are deeply embedded since childhood: Fear of darkness, fear of dangerous activities in general, and fear of dirt - I had a considerable obsessive compulsive disorder as a child.
I have an innate fear of fame. I've never thought being famous looked like such a good place to be. I love being incognito.
Our challenge for the future is that we realize we are very much a part of the earth's ecosystem, and we must learn to respect and live according to the basic biological laws of nature.
I don't think, 'Gee, I'd like to dress this person.' There was a picture in Us magazine. It was a jersey dress, and Courtney Love was wearing it. I have this thing about Courtney Love, this funny worship.
I tell girls all the time that the men that have fallen in love with me, have all fallen during a man repeller stage... funny how life works out like that.
You know, having raised animals all my life for 50-something years, I would say that you know, I'm fascinated by cats.
I think of many people and no one as a muse. I love the way Sofia looks always, and I love the way Kim looks always. Fashion may be part of their world, but it's not their whole life. It's not everything.
I like the Hotel Costes, on rue Saint Honore, a boutique hotel near the Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre and the Tuileries. I love the dark, moody decor as well as the fantastic scented, candlelit pool in the basement.
I love trawling through markets and vintage shops, and I make super-quick decisions about buying clothes. I also have my usual haunts I go to when in specific cities.
A woman should be less concerned about Paris and more concerned about whether the dress she's about to buy relates to the way she lives.
A bad investment is going for quantity over quality. If you're trying to be careful with your wallet, especially with the economy right now, you have to choose staple pieces.
Fabrics and lining make a big difference in the garment. If you're buying an expensive trench coat, and it's lined in something cheap, it doesn't feel as nice.
There are still places to go, there are still dinners, there are still parties, and you can still get dressed up. That's part of having fun in fashion.
One of the big luxuries of being in Antwerp is that I can easily walk in the city. In Paris and New York, I am more recognized.
