When I arrived to study at Oxford in October 1963, the bohemian style was black plastic or leather jackets for women and black leather or navy donkey jackets for men. I stuck to cavalry twills and a duffle coat, at least for a few months.
I used to hate stilettos. It took me a lot of time to understand how to walk in them and look graceful. And eventually, you realise their importance.
My Aunt Linh had to reimagine her life after she was diagnosed with RMS, especially when she was faced with certain challenges related to her fashion and beauty routines.
It's like, what happened, I was always leading fashion, and then the grunge thing kind of came along. And because I've been so on top in the '80s you know, I, you know, what can I do? Suddenly go grunge?
Dressing is like modelling - you can constantly adapt.
Style must be adapted to the woman and not vice versa. The same can be said of clothes.
I think the success of any brand reboot is to acknowledge the heritage but to embrace and interpret it in a way that makes it relevant and wearable to the modern consumer.
I don't avoid trends. You do definitely want to be on-trend, but I do like to pick and choose the things that I'm seeing. And not every trend will work on every client of mine.
I was born in platform heels. I actually always fall down when I'm wearing flip-flops.
I'm from Italy, but when I'm in L.A., I dress a little bit rock and roll.
I used to design for my body, which was flat-chested with big hips. That's why my clothes were tight on top with full skirts.
I'm like any other woman - my weight fluctuates. I have a pair of jeans one size bigger than the other just in case that week I'm a little bit heavier.
I'm short, and I always need to alter everything, and I alter a lot of what I wear.
Obviously when you're a teen you have no money, so you make, like, three outfits out of one dress. You're like, 'OK cut the arms here. Alright: New party, cut them to here.'
You have to interpret what's hot to make it work on yourself. If tweed suits are in, but you're not a suit kind of girl, wear the jacket with jeans and a pair of Converses.
There was a time when we would pick up Women's Wear Daily and couldn't wait to see what it read. And now, you get it five minutes later on your iPad or your phone! The same has to apply to fashion.
For me, perfume, must be adapted to fashion, not the other way around.
I don't think fashion week will go back to what it used to be because people are realising that the industry is completely changing. It's not just in Bryant Park any more, people are figuring out who their audience is, where they want to show, they aren't really playing by the rules. It's not so much about these editors, these buyers.
Fashion will last forever. It will exist always. It will exist in its own way in each era.
A style does not go out of style as long as it adapts itself to its period. When there is an incompatibility between the style and a certain state of mind, it is never the style that triumphs.
I do enjoy fashion - a lot of runway clothes are pretty unwearable, but if moderated, the trends can be worn by just about anyone.
