I am not the kind of designer who is racing to the finish line, so while collaborations are important for our growth, each and every one has to be strategic and well-timed with what we have going on internally.

I came from Bill Blass, where it was a well-oiled machine and if I said I needed a fabric, it was done. Now, I have to budget everything. I have to take on the role not just as a designer but a business. But Im a glass half-full kind of guy.

There is one universal truth: All women, all over the world, want to look beautiful. That is always the theme of my designs.

I think I'm just really in love with women, and I love to see them looking incredibly, truly beautiful. I think every time a woman wears one of my dresses, you know, in a matter of speaking, I'm having a little love affair with her!

Because you have very limited time and you have to be very judicious and wise about how you spend it. But otherwise, I've always been - ever since I was a kid, I've always been coming up with ideas. So I'm able to come up with crazy ideas twice for two collections! It's fun.

My goal is: I'm not trying to be snobby, but my clothes are not for everyone, not for every Hollywood celebrity. There is a designer for everyone, and a celebrity for every designer.

I'm not a believer of luck. I think opportunity and hard work becomes luck.

It saddens me to see the reality-television shows that are getting so much fanfare that are a celebration of stupidity and the degradation of women. And those women are consistently wearing too short, too tight dresses. I hope the trend of aging gracefully returns.

Nails are the period at the end of the sentence. They complete the look

I want to make clothes that make women feel beautiful.

I mean, I can cook, but I'd get very nervous having my food being judged by dinner guests.

I'm fascinated by furniture design and interiors, and I want to try designing all that stuff.

A modern Woman is not necessarily...s omeone who just buys expensive stuff... ...a modern Woman is someone who buys intelligently.

I just think the idea of moving away from the body and discovering sensuality by skimming the body, not tightening the body, seems rather new to me. Especially in this world where we're living right now, where the idea of giving freedom to women, especially in politics what's happening, it seemed so appealing to me, so that was the starting point.

I make 98% of my collection in New York City and am generating jobs, so fashion isn't just frivolous for me. I understand levity about it. I also understand the depth of it.

There's such a feeling of satisfaction when something you imagined turned into something real.

Girls who wear certain kind of dresses, who show certain areas of the body, are not going to like my clothes. You can't please everyone.