I think there is something about luxury - it's not something people need, but it's what they want. It really pulls at their heart. I wish I had invented blue jeans. They have expression, modesty, sex appeal, simplicity - all I hope for in my clothes. Attention to detail is of utmost importance when you want to look good. I think there is something about luxury - it's not something people need, but it's what they want. It really pulls at their heart. Fashion is made to become unfashionable.

A woman has the age she deserves. Fashion is a very stressful place to work because of the demands of doing the shows - no one expects a writer to produce two books a year on the dot - but it's also a very toxic place to work. Age and size are only numbers. It's the attitude you bring to clothes that make the difference. What I hate is nasty, ugly people. I never like to think that I design for a particular person. I design for the woman I wanted to be, the woman I used to be, and - to some degree - the woman I'm still a little piece of.

Dressing is a way of life. Elegance is not the prerogative of those who have just escaped from adolescence, but of those who have already taken possession of their future. Over the years I have learned that what is important in a dress is the woman who is wearing it. Men don't want another man to look at their woman because they don't know how to handle it. I have my permanent muses and my muses of the moment.