I was an observer. I liked to listen rather than openly express myself. This trait is something that I've retained over the years.

Today, people no longer go out with a total look or ensemble taken straight from the runway. Customers mix and match between labels and between price points. The idea is to create something for yourself: what you want, and how you want it. I realize that shoppers want more flexibility and choice now.

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.'

I wanted to dress the woman who lives and works, not the woman in a painting.

Sì is my tribute to modern femininity, an irresistible combination of grace, strength and independent spirit.

Elegance does not catch the eye. It stays in memory.

Luxury is obviously the direction that interests me the most, but there is a lot of confusion between luxury and exhibitionism. For me, the concept of luxury is more traditional, more exclusive, more sophisticated than luxury for the masses.