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

You can't compare us, but I do think that Calvin Klein influenced his way of working. Calvin created this whole aesthetic with imagery - the whole sex thing. I can see that Calvin influence on his work. What Calvin has created is untouchable. My legacy, whatever it is I'm doing here, is miniscule compared to what he has done. It's just like an update deal.

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.

People don't really go to museums in Rio. I shouldn't say it's not sophisticated, but, you know, they go to the beach.

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.

Mid-'80s in New York was fantastic. I remember my first Gay Pride parade in the city. Where I grew up was very sheltered, so when I got to the city, there was this freedom and so much happening. At the same time, there was this pressure of AIDS and everything else. New York is so different today.

My parents had a factory, so I was linked to the textile and fashion industry.