I never like to think that I design for a particular person. I design for the woman I wanted to be, the woman I used to be, and - to some degree - the woman I'm still a little piece of. Over the years I have learned that what is important in a dress is the woman who is wearing it. If you cut a painter's hands off, he'd still feel the urge to pick up a brush. First I made a dress because I was pregnant and I wanted to be the most beautiful pregnant woman. Then I made a sweater because I wanted to have one that wasn't like anyone else's. We must never confuse elegance with snobbery.

You have a more interesting life if you wear impressive clothes. Even Michelangelo got paid for doing the Sistine Chapel. To those artists who say they're doing it for the love of art, I say: Get real. Go to a place where you're not going to be stressed, because a honeymoon itself can be a stressful thing. There is always an emotional element to anything that you make. I have an obsession with details and pattern.