What was called extreme 20 years ago definitely isn't extreme anymore. When I started, I remember people saying, 'Oh my God, I can't walk in that!' It was like, three inches - they look like kitten heels now.

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

I'll do shoes for the lady who lunches, but it would be, like, a really nasty lunch, talking about men.

Passage Vero-Dodat - I started my company on this passage. It feels as much home as it can!

I mean, the shoe - there is a music to it, there is attitude, there is sound, it's a movement. Clothes - it's a different story. There are a million things I'd rather do before designing clothes: directing, landscaping.

I sort of don't believe in trends. I know that they exist, but what is important at the end of the day is to remain independent

For women raised in the '70s, high heels can still carry a stigma; they're associated with being stupid, with just wanting to please a man. Other women find them empowering.