I don't buy art. I'd rather buy a beautiful location or a beautiful site than buy art. A beautiful home is like owning a beautiful painting, except you can live in it.
You can't run a business without taking risks.
I'm always looking over my shoulder, needing to stay ahead of the game.
People put 'study abroad' on their resume. I actually like when they don't study abroad because that means they aren't entitled.
I think the key to success is vision that adjusts on the way, but doesn’t at all falter. It’s about not compromising and following your gut to a certain degree, based on knowledge, instinct, etc. And not listening to the naysayers.... You develop strength through adversity. You have to keep moving towards your goal through huge obstacles.
Everything has a trend to it; I don't care if it's appliances or engines. I always ask: What has a company done in the past five years that somebody's noticed?
Most obstacles are inspiration.
I'm an agent of change all day long, and I want to meet other people like that.
Good taste shouldn't have to cost anything extra.
I spot detail quickly.
A merchant is someone who figures out how to select, how to smell, how to identify, how to feel, how to time, how to buy, how to sell, and how to hopefully have two plus two equal six.
America's companies are built to destroy creativity.
What matters is hard work, and emotional intelligence.
I consider a merchant someone who has a certain intuition and instinct, and - very important - knows how to run a business, knows the numbers.
If you don't get trained for your SATs in America today, you are at a disadvantage. Training is expensive and a lot of kids don't get trained, perhaps. So I also identify with the kid or the person who has grown up in environments like I've grown up in.
I'm looking for best practices constantly. Apple has beautiful design, beautiful product, incredibly functional. But mostly it's about picking product, getting behind it, marketing it and introducing it to a customer. What they've done just inspires me.
I like to prove things wrong.
Creativity runs on automatic, no matter what's happening in other parts of my life. I can't help myself. It's been in me, and it evolves in me over the years. It's a condition in me.
The first thing you see when you walk into a store is color.
I love to work. I have a passion for what I do.
People like consistency. Whether it's a store or a restaurant, they want to come in and see what you are famous for.
Ann Taylor - great name, great real estate, shitty business. Gap -great name, great real estate, declining business. J.Crew - Hellooo? Great name, better fashion image than the Gap.
