I was not a very popular kid in high school, and I had this idea that the way that I dressed would change how liked I was. It was that kind of Pygmalion story. I think, ultimately that's probably why I became interested in fashion, its transformative power, and how it can change your identity.

I try to think about items that can be worn in different ways so they can be worn more than once.

I think designers are starting to realize that we're all in the same industry. We're making clothes - we aren't saving the world. I'm not saying that designers aren't artists, but at the end of the day, we make clothes.

Starting your own business and thinking about how you can grow something and fulfill both expectations and needs of your retailers and still stay exciting for the runway, you sort of become this left brain-right brain person pretty quickly.

You can build a brand very fast now, especially with bloggers and how fast images can get out - the message just goes out faster and stronger than ever before.

It's important not to take all this fashion stuff too seriously, and I kind of love the idea of cheesiness.

I think women want to feel beautiful. They want to feel seductive.

In architecture and interiors, as well as fashion, there is an interaction that is both functional and aesthetic.

I was also very lucky to be able to work with talented people while I was learning. I didn't actually go to fashion school. I worked with Riccardo Tisci at Givenchy which was a really pivotal experience for me. He taught me a lot about being faithful to your own voice and to really believe in your own voice and that's made a big difference.

That's a big part of being a designer now: going out, having dinners, meeting people. Being in an ivory tower, you can feel very removed.

Ballet teaches you how to hold yourself.