At Yves Saint Laurent, I felt like the son-in-law - like I was part of the family, but not quite. When I was fired, I felt like the widow.

I like having the freedom to dress as I desire.

I always wear a dinner jacket. I never have this definition of what goes for the morning or the evening or what works for the weekend.

I've always said fashion is like roast chicken: You don't have to think about it to know it's delicious.

I adore women, and the one thing I want to do more than anything is to see a transformation of personality when someone puts on one of my dresses.

Making them feel gorgeous and comfortable is my way of making women's lives easier.

I was thinking recently, If the body really is the new dress, as some are saying - with women buying boobs, butts, faces - then who needs a dressmaker? So I started designing spring like a plastic surgeon - everything stretchy and nude. But after three weeks, I was so bored with myself and the world, I began adding diamond butterflies and chiffon and colors. I realized that fashion is not about second skin. It's not the perfect white shirt or camel jacket. What women need is a dream.