I hope the average woman feels she needs practicality but with a little bit of fantasy. Otherwise it's just not fashion.

I get so much inspiration from my travels, but I also started an exercise where I write down so many words every week. Then I begin crossing them off. We create a grid of words and also images, but words for me are more ample because you can interpret them your own way.

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.

Being sexy is not about what's on show, it's all about suggestion, or insinuation. I'm interested in the way a garment hangs on a woman's body and the way it moves when she moves.

I like cold. I really like to go to cold towns. I love gray. I love winter.

I came to New York when I was 21, 22. I couldn't speak English. I knew I wanted to go to fashion school.

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.