Alber Elbaz Quotes

With an evening wear collection, each piece has to be quite individual.

Designer Marc Jacobs ended his sixteen-year tenure at Louis Vuitton with a spring 2014 collection that celebrated fashion in its purest and least complicated form - as majestic, superficial beauty.

Britain has the most creative, dynamic and nimble fashion industry in the world.

Haute couture is like an orchestra, for which only Balenciaga is the conductor. The rest of us are just musicians, following the directions he gives us.

I only take risks in couture, but I don't take risks in athleticism.

I don't like the collusion between high fashion design and high street. You have to know where you stand. I belong to luxury fashion. That's what I've always felt and embraced. I like the best quality, the best fabrics and the most creative field in fashion. I will stay consistent. I belong to this world.

It's what I've trained for, from the first sketch to the fabric. Making dresses that are different from the usual style, and a lot of fun to wear.

I really like the Chloe Sevigny for Opening Ceremony collection - all of those kind of laser-cut leather dresses.

Designer' is meant to mean whatever it means.

Schiaparelli was almost like a pop artist. Even the first sweater had a naive visual impact. You immediately get it, and you love it or you hate it. There's nothing in between. But she had a proper upbringing, so she also understood about quality and luxury.

With a wedding gown, I have to make sure that people fall in love with it and that the details are very specific and special. There has to be a big story behind it and a great deal of integrity when it comes to the design.

I don't make clothes for the critics.

It's an art installation to put out a collection, with the people behind the scenes who are inventing and creating these designs and making sure they're realized on the catwalk, and just how much hangs on it for the designers. Their livelihoods hang in the balance, as far as whether this year's collection works for them or not, and there are so many people's jobs on the line, as a result of that. I just had no idea.

With Dior Haute Couture, the dream is already there.

Haute couture consists of secrets whispered from generation to generation, If, in ready-to-wear, a garment is manufactured according to standard sizes, the haute couture garment adapts to any imperfection in order to eliminate it.

What's the point in fashion if nobody can wear it?

For me, couture is the kingdom of imagination, creativity and experimentation, and this is how I approach it. I do, however, remain pragmatic and realistic.

For me, starting each collection is always about what I really want, what I really need, and I was personally dying for sensual comfort. I think when you think of Donna Karan, you think of sensuality, but it's a different kind of sensuality. A kind of comfort sensuality that is one with your body and the way clothes feel on.

I only saw one collection of Victoria Beckham, and I thought it was very much like Pierre Cardin or Marcel Rochas dresses. She's thought about it, and she knows what she wants. And people buy it, so that means she works. She has this incredible will power to do something that she likes to do. And I love that. I respect that.

Collage – SS13 offers a very controlled and pure do-it-yourself attitude. The collection shows a juxtaposition of very different materials, prints and colours, therefore giving the wearer a possibility to combine the garments in different ways.

I just think of couture clothing as wearable art. So from - to that extent I, you know, I love having the opportunity to just even be able to touch and look at, you know, these pieces of design. In terms of, you know, is it stressful and does it take a lot of time. It's mostly stressful because you're there because you're nominated.

You know the bodysuit that I built my line on? . . .That was about me being able to go directly from work to yoga class. It just wasn't as accepted to talk about then.

Fashion is always silly, for, before it can spread far, it must be calculated for silly people; as examples of sense, wit, or ingenuity could be imitated only by a few.

With men, you need to anticipate all your ideas at least one or two months before the next women's collection, so you need to create a feeling that links with what will happen a few months later. To me, a man and a woman are really a couple. They live together. They grew up in Italy together. So, not just in the stores or the campaigns, but also in real life, it's very important for me to create a connection between them.

I didn't even have a portfolio, but I went to Tom Ford the next morning. He said, "I'd love you to come in with me. Get a lawyer." It was quite exciting, obviously, because it was a complete departure. But mind you, what he was looking for was the exact opposite of what I thought. My first collection for him was Cher-inspired. It was flower trousers, California, hippie cool, all the stuff I did at Oscar. It was making me sick. I wanted to see the other side of the spectrum. Tom was always very secure about the way he did things, so it was quite interesting for me.