I like things simple. It’s sometimes said that I’m rebellious and I do things to push people’s buttons, but I just like the challenge. It pains me physically to see a woman victimized, rendered pathetic, by fashion. You can’t just buy things for the label – it’s ridiculous. We live in an era of globalization and the era of the woman. Never in the history of the world have women been more in control of their destiny.
The important thing is to take your time and not get stressed. I feel that things happen for a reason and open up new opportunities. It’s sometimes said that I’m rebellious and I do things to push people’s buttons, but I just like the challenge. Elegance is not the prerogative of those who have just escaped from adolescence, but of those who have already taken possession of their future. Fashion fades, only style remains the same.
I want to thank all the women who have worn my clothes, the famous and the unknown, who have been so faithful to me and given me so much joy.
It’s really easy to get colors right. It’s really hard to get black – and neutrals – right. Black is certainly a color but it’s also an illusion. There is always an emotional element to anything that you make. I try to contrast; life today is full of contrast… We have to change. For me, art is about learning and about living with people. It’s alive.
You cannot be creative with people around you. I couldn’t love a woman who inspired me to be totally disinterested. If I fell in love with a woman for an artistic reason, or from the point of view of my work, I think it would rob her of something. A woman is never sexier than when she is comfortable in her clothes. I can’t get sucked into that celebrity thing, because I think it’s just crass. Fashion fades, only style remains the same.
He’d still feel the urge to pick up a brush!
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. Fashion should be fun. It shouldn’t be labelled intellectual. I would like to be a one-man multinational fashion phenomenon. Go to a place where you’re not going to be stressed, because a honeymoon itself can be a stressful thing.
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. Brides today are increasingly sensitive to the tastes, feelings and finances of their attendants. Instead of buying six things, one thing that you really like. Don’t keep buying just for the sake of it. You have to stay true to your heritage; that’s what your brand is about. You’re only as good as your last collection, which is an enormous pressure.