It's hard to balance everything. It's always challenging. You can't just buy things for the label - it's ridiculous. War taught me that not everything is glamorous. Fashion is a very stressful place to work because of the demands of doing the shows - no one expects a writer to produce two books a year on the dot - but it's also a very toxic place to work. Vanity is the healthiest thing in life.

The difference between style and fashion is quality. I think it's the responsibility of a designer to try to break rules and barriers. Dressing is a way of life. Fashion fosters cliches of beauty, but I want to tear them apart. The market is like a language, and you have to be able to understand what they're saying.

I have a fantastic relationship with money. I use it to buy my freedom. Everything I do is a matter of heart, body and soul. I think there is something about luxury - it's not something people need, but it's what they want. It really pulls at their heart. I always loved aesthetics. Not particularly fashion, but an idea of beauty. I was the first person to have a punk rock hairstyle.

I always thought what you wore underneath was as important as what you wear on top. I am what I am. Before I was not so proud to make fashion. My family thought fashion wasn't very interesting. So I hid that. Sometimes the simplest things are the most profound. Design and style should work toward making you look good and feel good without a lot of effort so you can get on with the things that matter. I never look at other people's work. My mind has to be completely focused on my own illusions.

You can hide so much behind theatrics, and I don't need to do that any more. We look our best in subdued colors, sophisticated cuts, and a general air of sleek understatement. I think God is the most fantastic designer. I am never satisfied with myself and that is what keeps me going - I have no post-satisfaction. I've treated the waistcoat as if it were a corset, so that it becomes the first layer in the process of putting clothes on the body. There is constant motion between layering and revealing.

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