When a woman buys shoes, she takes them out of the box and looks at herself in the mirror. But she isn't really looking at her shoes - she's looking at herself. If she likes herself, then she likes the shoes.

The heel is engineering in itself. This little thing that supports the human weight has to have a precise balance.

A lot of men said they were jealous of me because my shoes excite women in a way they can't.

I like Adele, Mika, Natacha Atlas and a beautiful old record, 'An Evening with Belafonte/Mouskouri,' starring Harry Belafonte and Nana Mouskouri. What they have in common is they all have incredible voices. I am very much into voices. I would say I'm a fan of voices, not of sound. I'm a fan of singers, not of bands.

When I started to work on perfume, I could not reduce the idea of a woman to one smell.

If you are not bored by life, and your primary motto is enthusiasm and if you like your friends, family around you, it all translates into your designs. That's what keeps the creativity alive.

I don't repeat that many styles if I can help, although some have become classics. I try not to repeat. I'd rather surprise people.