Never in my wildest dreams did I entertain the idea that I would become a fashion designer. The great thing about fashion is that it always looks forward. I think it’s an old fashioned notion that fashion needs to be exclusive to be fashionable. Beauty is perfect in its imperfections, so you just have to go with the imperfections. I love things that age well – things that don’t date, that stand the test of time and that become living examples of the absolute best.
Fashion is made to become unfashionable. Over the years I have learned that what is important in a dress is the woman who is wearing it. Age is something only in your head or a stereotype. Age means nothing when you are passionate about something. There has to be a balance between your mental satisfaction and the financial needs of your company. If I had the power, I would ban leggings.
When I was young, I lived like an old woman, and when I got old, I had to live like a young person. Age and size are only numbers. It’s the attitude you bring to clothes that make the difference. Men have got more of a discerning eye. They appreciate cut and details, things that aren’t so obvious. They like things that have cachet and gentlemanliness. Confidence. If you have it, you can make anything look good. Design is a series of creative choices – it’s a collaborative effort, an evolutionary process. You choose your fabrics depending upon what you want to say, then you work with mills to get those fabrics. Through the process, you realize what you want it to be.
