I think of my life as divided between a lot of different periods. I grew up in the country, but as I got older I became more of an urban person. That's really when I started to become more of a creative person who was interested in fine arts, painting, drawing, and music. I studied jazz for a long time. Looking back, all those things were great training.

I think sometimes you get too caught up in the business side, and you make compromises, and then the brand becomes unexciting. I think in the early stages you have to be bold. You have to define yourself. Everyone wants to understand who you are and why you're here. I think the best brands are forever surprising people.

I feel lucky to love what I do. It doesn't feel like working. I do all the projects I do because I like doing them, whether it's a book or a photo shoot. For me, my work and my life are the same.

When a silhouette or shape is as beautiful as it is functional and relevant, that's true luxury.

I'm attracted to that mix of things that are very refined and polished, and things that are almost accidental. I feel like the best things happen when you're on the path to making something, even if where you end up is not where you thought you would.

I think it's so important that you understand what you're trying to accomplish, what you're trying to say. Timelessness is never a thing I think about. If you try to make things timeless, you can end up with things that are neither exciting nor timeless. It's sort of like aiming for the middle in a way. At the same time, I never want to have to use the word trendy because it's not really what interests me. That's something that is gone tomorrow.

Museums that aren't perfect are the ones that I love. Museums that aren't overdesigned. I always like to visit the strange, odd museums. In New York, the Frick is absolutely my favorite, favorite place because I like to think that it was someone's home not that long ago.