Great fashion is all about surprise. It should always be about doing something that isn't by the book.

Having your own store is one of the most immediate ways to connect with the customer, to really get to know her and develop a more intimate relationship.

Fashion for me is the perfect combination of all the things I love. There's an element of history to it. I love understanding why people wear what they wear, why during certain periods in history women looked the way they looked. There was always a strong reason behind it, whether it was because of what was available to them or because of what was happening in the world politically or sociologically. Fashion is like an amazing blend of commerce, travel, and creativity - of studying what people were about during a particular time.

I don't want to have a singular vision. I don't have that kind of discipline. I love the randomness of my life - how I have five, six, seven projects going on at one time.

The collection under my name is an exciting opportunity to really express my own aesthetic and connect with a very different consumer.

One can never have too many books.

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.