I looked at my competitors and I thought that, "If they could do it, I could do it. And if, they are popular and doing well, I could compete with them."

My mother was kind and forgiving and would take in all the waifs and strays in our neighbourhood; we always compared her to Mother Teresa. She taught me a lot.

Winning a trophy is always nice, but my personal satisfaction comes from reflecting on the passion, motivation, and determination that went into getting me there.

I think it is really important to have a sense of business. As a designer you can get so wrapped up in the design and fashion side that you forget the business side.

I disapprove of lots of decisions made by George Bush: the war, the meddling in the affairs of other countries, the conversations with dictators; it was a dark time.

Women were wearing the men's button-downs so I added men's touches into women's shirts. They're basically the same - just sexier. They're reshaped to the female body.

The best city for fashion is Tokyo. You see styles there you won't see in London, Paris, Milan or New York. I also like the fashion scene in Los Angeles - it has a unique look.

One of the most important things to me is to make things real, not have models who are perfectly groomed or clothes that are too perfect. It all has to have a twist because that's how people live.

Consumers around the world always want something unexpected and exciting, and that's what drives me. I love the challenge of reinterpreting my designs in new ways each season to keep the "prep look" modern and fresh.

We are really living the American dream, to be a successful brand in the States and in Europe and to steep ourselves in our heritage. But we do it with a sense of humor. We don't take ourselves too seriously in fashion.

I looked at the rap community like street kids wanting their own brand. But now I look at that period with the rappers in the 90s as a trend of the moment. What it taught me was never to follow a trend, because trends move on.

My rule of thumb is to strike a balance by sticking to the classics and playing with color, texture, and print to give them a modern update. On any given day, I keep it simple with jeans or chinos and a comfortable dress shirt.

I had eight brothers and sisters. Every Christmas my younger brother Bobby would wake up extra early and open everybody's presents - everybody's - so by the time the rest of us got up, all the gifts were shredded, ribbons off, torn open and thrown aside.

Other than a couple of moments in time, I always thought that, some way, I'm going to make it. I'm just going to make it. And I'm not going to give up. And I'm going to realize that dream. So, I never gave up. And I have realized the dream, and I enjoy every moment of every day.

There are many more important things in life than fashion. But fashion, to me, is part of pop culture. And I'm an art collector. I'm obsessed with art and pop culture. And I say that there is fame, fashion, art, music and entertainment, including celebrity, that really moves the needle in society.

I don't think generally speaking, there are a lot of innovators and inventors. Many of the designers take what exists already and update it or make it relevant for today. But true inventors have never been seen before. Bill Gates is a real inventor. I don't think fashion designers invent anything new. They innovate new ways to make fashion.

I think if a young person is passionate about something specific, he or she should follow their passion. You look at Bill Gates or Steve Jobs, all of these successes in Silicon Valley, these people have had passion in a specific area and have therefore succeeded. College isn't for everyone. If you don't have that passion or that specific focus in mind, I believe you should go to university and get an education.

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