I was the girl who nobody thought would ever get married. I was going to be a fashion nun the rest of my life. There are generations of them, those fashion nuns, living, eating, breathing clothes.

I'm not really a girl who likes to go out to lunch or cocktails or store openings.

Every woman hates her own body. I don't know a woman who doesn't . . . well, I do know a few who love themselves but in the case of most women it's like, "ugh." And when I dress a woman, my design intention is to give them an attitude or a grace, no matter whether it's a wedding gown or ready-to-wear.

Fashion to me has become very disposable; I wanted to get back to craft, to clothes that could last.

I think fashion is intensely personal. It should be. It should give a woman a creative outlet, it should give her a little bit of an escape, and it should give her a little bit of individuality that she can add to her life. I don't mean redoing your entire closet. I mean that a great shoe or a great handbag or a great top or a great coat or jacket can change everything.

Brides today are increasingly sensitive to the tastes, feelings and finances of their attendants.

I make things of my own that aren't that glam, but I'm not known for that, which has always been a bit of a frustration for me.