Designer

I love white shirts because they feel like a security blanket. You can wear them with anything. It's the person and the way that they wear it that makes it different. I have been designing white shirts forever, but I don't get tired of it.

I rarely go into a shop on holiday, because fashion and design are what I'm involved in every day. I need another world.

Life is hard. It is not too short, it is too long. But you have to learn how to live; you have to have a sense of humour.

I love books; my suitcases are always full of them. Books and shoes. I read when I am sad, when I am happy, when I am nervous. My favourite British author is Jane Austen, and my favourite American one is John O'Hara.

I didn't long to be a designer. I always liked fashion, but it was always a bit sleeping in me.

Sometimes the simplest things are the most profound.

Elegance isn't solely defined by what you wear. It's how you carry yourself, how you speak, what you read.

Luxury will be always around, no matter what happens in the world.

I very seldom compromise. I am a Capricorn.

Unfortunately, there's a lot of confusion today over what is sexy and what is vulgar. It's horrifying. They say, 'Oh, that girl is so sexy,' and she turns around and the dress is four sizes too small. Or she's wearing so much stuff, you wonder how long it took her to get ready.

Perfection does not exist - only God is perfect.

I don't like trends. They tend to make everybody look the same.

Keep in shape: if you look good, you will feel confident.

Age is something only in your head or a stereotype. Age means nothing when you are passionate about something.

I have always loved trouser suits. It's something I absolutely believe in for women.

I'm not going to say that I'm perfect. I do have fashion crises.

I prefer clothes that are simple, well-cut, but with one major extravagance. Something with the sleeves, with the skirt, but nothing too fussy, too flashy.

It's not my aspiration to appear on a reality show. That's the last thing I need in my life.

Don't wear excessive make-up as you grow older. Young women can wear whatever make-up they want, but if you are older, you will regret it.

I don't get my inspiration from books or a painting. I get it from the women I meet.