I don't like women who follow fashion in the sense of becoming victims of it. I like women who have elegance, who have allure, who use fashion, rather than the other way around.

The world is changing and so is fashion.

War taught me that not everything is glamorous.

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.

I started to take care of my body after I turned 50. I never liked how I looked physically because I was too cute, short, with coloring only on my cheeks, the perfect little nose, and then the blue eyes. But I would have preferred to have the look of a tough guy from the wrong side of town - one of those fascinatingly ugly looks.

I like to think that I can introduce people to the idea of simplicity and elegance.

I know that people who have been closely involved with my work for many years are terrified of having to answer to someone else, someone who is not me, and that it won't be me to help them in their problems. This is my real problem.