I'm not the only one; most people's mothers are the most influential person in their life. But my mother survived the camps, and she was very strong. She made me strong, but she wanted me to be strong. That's more important.
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.
One of my favourite actresses is Kate Winslet. She plays strong female characters and seems like she has a strong political awareness. I really like Naomi Watts and Juliette Lewis.
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.
Be who you were meant to be and not what you've allowed yourself to become," Kate said to Mavis as she wavered over following her dream. from 'Lifesong
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.
Ever since I was little, I really loved boyish clothes - I had a real obsession with strict clothes, like uniforms. They really got me going.
I mean, you can't walk down the aisle in Westminster Abbey in a strapless dress, it just won't happen - it has to suit the grandeur of that aisle, it's enormous.
My clothes are built to show off the woman who wears them. I like them to be simple... to move well, to move with the times and a little ahead of the times.
One glass of water doesn't equal another. One may just appease the thirst, the other you may enjoy thoroughly. In Japan, people know about this difference.
That's the fun thing about fashion: it changes. One day, we're into short, the next we're into full length for day, or half short and long.
I would buy Barbies and take them apart and then remake their looks. I used them for hairstyling. It was a whole process. I had a lot of dolls - like 150.
I worked 10 years as a toy designer before I started my career as a fashion designer. It's something I just fell into and really liked.
We need to encourage designers and agencies to be responsible. We need to make sure everyone is sensitive to the issues. But to calculate the girls' body mass - I personally think it is demeaning.
I find great happiness in my relationships with old friends, living mirrors that reflect histories of laughter and sorrow, triumphs and failures, births and deaths, on both sides.
I’ve never met a woman who is not strong, but sometimes they don’t let it out. Then there’s a tragedy, and then all of a sudden that strength comes. My message is let the strength come out before the tragedy.
