I could never before say that I loved color or that I understood color. But Oscar de la Renta opened up a side of my brain.

I never liked sleeping; I always think I am missing something.

I wasn't a club kid. I wasn't an artist. I was just a foreigner, trying to soak it all up. I had quite a lot of fun.

I don't listen to music when designing. We create in silence. I go through a torturous process because everything has to be precise and right.

I came to New York in 1986. My father didn't think it was a good idea. I didn't know how I found it, but I went to Hunter College. I had no money and I couldn't speak English.

I cannot live without art: it excites me, it challenges me, and it leads me to the next thing.

I wanted to be involved with fashion, though I didn't know what being a designer meant.