To make a perfect t-shirt is hard - all you have is white cotton and fit. that's where experience comes in.

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

There are so many fashion shows during fashion week, and the fashion show has almost become theater. It's all about the wow factor. And it's easy to make a name when you're shocking people all the time. But when you just make really, really great clothes, it can be difficult to get press and build a brand. What you do when you pare things back and make something timeless, though, is build a foundation to have a longer career and a stronger clientele.

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

To make a perfect t-shirt is hard - all you have is white cotton and fit. that's where experience comes in.

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.

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.