With Spurr, I like to think we're a modern, European-influenced brand that does luxurious, handcrafted, and wearable pieces.

When I started, I had that naïve mentality that you shouldn't have to dress celebrities if your product is good. But when you're an emerging brand and you don't have millions for advertising and marketing, it's a good vehicle to penetrate the demographic that doesn't read GQ - or Interview. But if they see Milo Ventimiglia in one of my leather jackets in Us Weekly, that's a new audience for me.

With Spurr, I like to think we're a modern, European-influenced brand that does luxurious, handcrafted, and wearable pieces.

I'll never know - I'll never profess to know - anything anywhere near it all. It'sall a journey - life, work, and relationships. Mistakes and learning, and learning not to make your mistakes again.

From working with Ralph Lauren, I started to understand what it meant to build a brand. There were times when I was working there that it seemed so repetitive. At the time, I didn't understand what was happening. But when I stepped out of it, I realized what he was doing was achieving a signature look and reiterating that. That's why when you think about a polo shirt you think about Ralph - he owns that garment.

I'm not sure that being a man in the fashion industry has any advantage over being a woman. Why would it?

What's great is that there are a lot of brands - like Thom Browne, Michael Bastian, and Rag & Bone - but they're all doing their own thing. That's what's important: to remain true to your own DNA.