Remain true to yourself and your philosophy. Changing in the face of adversity will in fact diminish your credibility with your customers.

All my work at Armani is based primarily on my personal vision of style, and while I differentiate between the look and mood of my various labels, I am never overly concerned with being 'on trend.'

Of course, the muscular build of athletes is always a challenge for a designer, but my clothing's softness and comfort, which are central aspects of my stylistic vision, allow it to adapt to various physical builds effortlessly.

There are always protests, whether you do something good or bad. Even if you do something beneficial, people say you do it because it's advertising.

Clean lines have always been important to me, both in terms of interiors as well as fashion. For interiors, I am more interested in textures and surface treatments than bold color or print - the vein on a wood or the shine on a lacquer, for example. I know immediately when something isn't working - usually it's a question of consistency - and I make instantaneous decisions on how to remedy the situation.

Remain true to yourself and your philosophy.

I design for real people. I think of our customers all the time. There is no virtue whatsoever in creating clothing or accessories that are not practical.