The problem is that resuscitating old labels doesn't work anymore. I think it is very important to give hope to a new generation of designers, so that one day they really can put their own names out there.

My clothes are for the international jet set. They are very much for the red carpet.

I have made bouquets of pleats, bouquets of flowers, bouquets of ruffles, bouquets of feathers. Often I design in mousseline, held tightly around the waist, and with something else going on all around.

Rome holds my psyche in balance. Whenever I'm there, it's like a holiday.

The hardest thing in fashion is not to be known for a logo, but to be known for a silhouette.

I like things that are kind of eclectic, when one thing doesn't go with another. That's why I love Rome. The town itself is that way. It's where Fascist architecture meets classic Renaissance, where the ancient bangs up against the contemporary. It has a touch of everything. That's my style, and that's what my work is about.

I'm a label that wants to sell. I believe in clothes.