It's super-essential. Even though I don't have a very big team, for me, the word muse may be démodé or not. I adore it, but I am also one, in my delirium, to be quite classical. For a designer - especially a male designer - he absolutely has to have that female voice by his side, which he listens to, he filters, he digests. It's a huge need, because when you see through the eyes of a man, you see a woman a certain way, and how they have little tricks of their own.

My great strength, which I very much believe in, is family. For me, family doesn't simply mean components of DNA. I mean family in the sense of siblings. My mom and my sisters are the energy and inspiration in my life.

I tried to never exclude people. I know what it means to be left out.

What I very much admire about the Versace maison, and what I am still trying to learn to do myself as I am still young, is that from day one until today, Versace is the peak of sexy but never crosses that red line into the vulgar.

My life has changed financially and I have a name, but I try to never forget people on my journey.

I try to destroy taboo in fashion-which is something I learned as a kid. I come from the street, and you have to be a survivor.

I come from a very poor family, with sisters. I never really knew my father, so I miss this strong image of a man in my life.