My first introduction to fashion probably came through television: I was obsessed with Elsa Klensch, who used to cover fashion for CNN.

When I was a little boy, I was fascinated with how women looked and carried themselves.

I loved cinema from a very young age. I was also obsessed with Hitchcock and actresses like Kim Novak in Vertigo. They all played heroines and were strong, powerful women, yet they were very feminine.

I've always been intrigued by things that insinuate femininity, so in my designs, something like a flower is never about the fact that it's a flower. It's more about what that repetitive motif implies.

The biggest compliment to me is being able to dress so many different women from so many different backgrounds.

Before my sister, Sara, and I went to bed at night, my mom would show us books on Manet and other artists. Even then I was always really interested in how the women looked in the images.

My first introduction to fashion probably came through television: I was obsessed with Elsa Klensch, who used to cover fashion for CNN.