Accessories are important and becoming more and more important every day.
War taught me that not everything is glamorous.
My aesthetic is about simplicity, elegance, and comfort, whether that is interpreted in a man's suit or a track suit.
I wanted to dress the woman who lives and works, not the woman in a painting.
My philosophy has always been to help women and men feel comfortable and confident through the clothes they wear.
I've tried to find a new elegance. It's not easy because people want to be shocked. They want explosive fashion. But explosions don't last, they disappear immediately and leave nothing but ashes.
Elegance is not standing out, but being remembered.
Today, people no longer go out with a total look or ensemble taken straight from the runway. Customers mix and match between labels and between price points. The idea is to create something for yourself: what you want, and how you want it. I realize that shoppers want more flexibility and choice now.
The human body is something that I truly love, above all else.
Remember that, in the end, the customer doesn't know, or care, if you are small or large as an organization - she or he only focuses on the garment hanging on the rail in the store.
The interesting thing about basketball is that it is played recreationally all over the world in playgrounds where people shoot hoops. Perhaps it is because of this that the look of the game seems to have been able to cross over into streetwear more easily than that of some sports that are confined to more specialist arenas.
The goal I seek is to have people refine their style through my clothing without having them become victims of fashion.
When I go on my boat or to my vacation houses, where I still unfortunately spend very little time, I don't go with the celebrities I know but with a close group of friends and people who have worked with me for a long time.
When I was younger, I never laughed. I was always sour. If I look at pictures of me from the past, I never see a smile. I think it came out of my insecurity. I had a lot of complexes.
Italy is not widely thought of as a pioneer of youth culture in the way, say, the UK is.
Accessories are important and becoming more and more important every day. They can completely change the look of an outfit, and women like the idea of having a wardrobe that's versatile. For instance, a strong piece of jewelry can make a simple outfit look elegant.
Retailing has become fiercely competitive. Today there are many large global fashion companies who have opened up mono-brand stores in major cities around the world. When I first opened my boutique in New York, in 1985, there were almost no other European luxury brands present with their own stores. Now Fifth Avenue is packed with huge stores from major Italian and French labels.
You have to have doubts. I have collaborators I work with. I listen and then I decide. That's how it works.
Never in my wildest dreams did I entertain the idea that I would become a fashion designer.
In the beginning, I thought that women needed protection, on a style level, to have the right impact to let them realize their desire for success. Now, many years later, women no longer need a masculine uniform. Women have changed.
There is a danger in becoming an icon, as people can see you as remote and untouchable, and they are less willing to tolerate you doing things that don't fit with their preconceived idea of you. Iconic status can be like a pair of handcuffs, especially if, like me, you wish to continually stretch yourself creatively, as Warhol did.
I sensed that women wanted to be a little different. My fluidity gave them a way of interpreting their bodies in a more personal, individual way.
The stars I have worked with not only look good in my clothes, but they also embody a spirit of dedication and hard work that I relate to and admire.
China approaches fashion with strong enthusiasm. And I believe that this enthusiasm can be translated into something interesting, economically speaking. Not only for my brand, but also for other brands.
There are always protests, whether you do something good or bad. Even if you do something beneficial, people say you do it because it's advertising.
