My mistakes have been some of the best teachers of my life.

If people decide thin is out, the fashion industry won't have thin models anymore. Have you spent time with fashion people? They are ruthless. They want money. And the one thing they know is people want clothes to cover their bodies. Unfortunately, most people aren't comfortable with their bodies.

People should just express themselves and not worry about trends - try to use fashion like a compass, an indicator, examples of things that you can be. It's not to be taken so seriously. It's just clothes.

My life is not balanced and not everything is perfect all the time.

There are a bunch of different ways to look at the fashion industry. Is it shallow to work in fashion? Yes, it can be. But does fashion transform a woman who might feel like nothing and unimportant to glamorous and gorgeous? Yes, it does. Does it employ a huge sector of America? Yes, it does.

Stop sharing your dreams with people who try to hold you back, even if they're your parents.

People want to express themselves - that's what fashion is for. You can go to Target and get something that Rodarte designed for $34, but would you want to go buy the higher version for $3,400? I think most people would say no.