It's very passe to think women want to spend a fortune on clothes.
I never go out during the day without sunglasses.
I've been writing an ongoing letter to my children since they were born, full of recollections of their childhoods. I've filled two journals. It's a great thing to do as a mother - you forget a lot as you go along, but reading over what you've written brings all the memories back.
I think women have a lack of confidence. They often apologize; I was guilty of that too. When people have said, "Oh, look at your success," I would downplay it.
I like being behind the scene.
For me, if I can design beautiful things that have the price be lower, I am thrilled.
I'm very forgiving so I forgive most things, really.
I could eat gazpacho three times a day.
Ambition is not a four-letter word and women have to embrace that.
I wanted to create a new way of looking at retail.
I think women do work differently; it's important to have both men and women. They offer different things.
I wanted to help women and their families.
Big businesses can help by engaging aspiring entrepreneurs and promoting initiatives which support small businesses from within.
I'm always perpetually out of my comfort zone.
It's a gift to be able to give access.
Each job I had wasn't necessarily the perfect job, but I always talk to young women about how you really have to take certain things from each job and learn from that and then move on to something you really want to do.
I would love to do special products for specific countries. As we go ahead and learn the territories, we're going to do exclusives for each area.
The inspiration starts with the armor my parents collected. The references are subtle, whether in the mix of textures (woven, quilted, pleated) or in the tapestry brocades and florals. The focus is on clean, strong silhouettes with bold embellishments. Accessories reflect the mood - belts with chain details, lace-up ghillie heels and muffs.
When I started my company, many people said I shouldn't launch it as a retail concept because it was too big a risk. They told me to launch as a wholesaler to test the waters - because that was the traditional way.
The easy glamour of the French Riviera in the late 1960s - inspired by Romy Schneider's character in La Piscine - mixed with garden elements. Blueprint, botanical, lattice, Queen Anne's lace and folly prints are paired with cleaner silhouettes and proportions in a fresh palette of green, white and coral.
I grew up on a farm in Pennsylvania, where my parents raised German shepherds - we had about 30 dogs at any given time.
I've learned time management, organization and I have priorities.
I just love the energy of going into different areas of New York.
