You know, the more grown-up you are, the more you like Proust.

I was influenced by the hippie movement in San Francisco and by the feminist movement, which had arrived in Paris.

I have the feeling I've always done what I wanted throughout my life.

As a young girl I was a real tomboy, only listening to myself. I carried on with this attitude even as a woman and when I first launched the Sonia Rykiel line, and said to women to remove their bras or when I designed sweaters with stitches inside out, everybody said to me that it was crazy and risky, but I ignored what they said and I did what I felt was right at the time.

My shows are about the complete woman who swallows it all. It's a question of survival.

Design job fell on me. I didn't want to do it. It was an accident. For the first 10 years I said, "Tomorrow I'm stopping."

At hotels, you are an actress. Absolutely. You can do what you want. Go where you want. I love my home too. But I love to arrive in a hotel. They have books, chocolate, food. I put things in the little refrigerator.