THIERRY MUGLER

A photograph must come from imagination and not be a reflection of what is.

The reason I quit fashion was that I had had enough of spending time always being on my knees, making other people look amazing and fabulous. I used fashion to express myself as much as I could. But at some point it was not enough

I made clothes because I was looking for something that didn't exist. I had to try to create my own world.

To create something to dream about, I need exceptional women, locations and architectures.

I survived on sandwiches, and I was on stage every night for six years of my life. I was working 16 hours a day between class, rehearsal, being on stage.

Fashion is a movie. Every morning when you get dressed, you direct yourself.

You're working with models who are looking at their watch, and it didn't work for me. I wanted to have relationships with amazing people.

I want something mouthwatering and tasty which reminds me of childhood. The scent of a fairground, candy floss, little cakes, chocolates and caramels. Perfume must not be linked just to fashion because that means that one day it will go out of style.

I have always tried to sublimate the body and to make people dream.

The reason I quit fashion was that I had had enough of spending my time always being on my knees, making other people look amazing and fabulous.

I realised I was living in my own universe with lots of assistants. I didn't have a cell phone; I didn't know how to use a computer. Everybody was doing everything for me. So I left and moved to New York. It was the end of an era, and I must say I found myself a bit lost. I wasn't in the protected Mugler universe any more.

Hindu sages say that you should concentrate while eating. But, we don't have time anymore. Fast food is not quick enough for me. I would like super-fast food in the form of pills.

The potential of your body is endless.

You're working with models who are looking at their watch, and it didn't work for me. I wanted to have relationships with amazing people.

I survived on sandwiches, and I was on stage every night for six years of my life. I was working 16 hours a day between class, rehearsal, being on stage.

I am not trendy. I am not 'in fashion.' I am simply a positive human being who has a positive outlook on life.

I have always tried to sublimate the body and to make people dream.

The reason I quit fashion was that I had had enough of spending my time always being on my knees, making other people look amazing and fabulous.

I want my models to be bigger, stronger and taller than common mortals. I need superwomen and supermen.

I used fashion to express myself as much as I could. But at some point, it was not enough.

Being a dancer I've got the idea that through discipline and hard work, you can develop the ability to be in a different dimension within seconds. You can be vomiting, you can detest who you are, detest the world, detest every single thing, and the next moment you are in the light and you glow. You forget everything, and you are just flying. When you're onstage, you are someone else. Beyoncé is very conscious of this. She said to me, "I'm another person when I'm onstage." And I said, "Oh yes, you are! You are an animal when you are onstage. You are a stage animal."

The fact that perfume is so close to emotion, that's why I really love it. It's such a good connection between people. When you fall in love with somebody, smell is very important. It could be your memory of the person - it's touching. And it's also playful, because sometimes you choose a different perfume every day depending on your mood. I like to help with that. I like to give a little joy to people.

I built a global brand Mugler, and we did things that inspired so many people. I'm proud to have helped some amazing people express themselves in new ways. What I appreciate most in the world is to have met and befriended incredible geniuses, like David Bowie and Cyd Charisse and Celia Cruz, who was the goddess of salsa. I saw people kneeling on the streets for her. Which they did for me in Japan. That was really embarrassing.

I think now it's the money who tells the artist what to do - it's not the artist who tells the money what to do. And things move very fast, which is hard, because sometimes you need more time to be creative. I guess no one has a loud mouth like I did. They don't dare to scream loudly what they think. But you can't take fashion too seriously. The whole thing is about giving the woman who wears your clothes some power, some fun, some service. It's great to make it as art. But first, it's a service for someone.

A photograph must come from imagination and not be a reflection of what is.

I made clothes because I was looking for something that didn't exist. I had to try to create my own world.

Perfume must not be linked just to fashion because that means that one day it will go out of style.

I want something mouthwatering and tasty which reminds me of childhood. The scent of a fairground, candy floss, little cakes, chocolates and caramels. Perfume must not be linked just to fashion because that means that one day it will go out of style.

I want my models to be bigger, stronger and taller than common mortals.

To create something to dream about, I need exceptional women, locations and architectures.

Fashion is a movie. Every morning when you get dressed, you direct yourself.

The reason I quit fashion was that I had had enough of spending time always being on my knees, making other people look amazing and fabulous. I used fashion to express myself as much as I could. But at some point it was not enough