I have no tolerance for boredom. I spend so many hours in the office, and I still love it.

I only do what I do. For me, it is a craft. It's got to be my own thing - otherwise, I would never be successful. I could easily go to the archives and pull 1987 or 1991 collection by Calvin Klein. But when you look in there, you realize that it was never about one piece. It was about the collections as bodies of work.

You think of luxury when you think of Calvin Klein. He created this lifestyle that's really desirable, so our whole project has that quality of being lasting.

I didn't even have a portfolio, but I went to Tom Ford the next morning. He said, "I'd love you to come in with me. Get a lawyer." It was quite exciting, obviously, because it was a complete departure. But mind you, what he was looking for was the exact opposite of what I thought. My first collection for him was Cher-inspired. It was flower trousers, California, hippie cool, all the stuff I did at Oscar. It was making me sick. I wanted to see the other side of the spectrum. Tom was always very secure about the way he did things, so it was quite interesting for me.

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

I just hate people who are lazy. To be on my team, you have to have energy and a sense of wanting to learn. That really excites me.

Each season I strive to design a forward-thinking and effortless collection with a very clean minimalist aesthetic.