Michael Kors

There's a whole generation of women who never really heard the word investment before, when it came to fashion. They've been buying things because they were cheap.

I wasn't Barbie-obsessed. I think my mother might have been my Barbie.

Give me Caviar Kaspia and give me a hamburger. I love the two extremes.

I am the oldest young designer in New York City.

Americans are always a little bit insecure.

I wear the same thing every day. I always pack two black jackets, loads of black T-shirts, loads of white jeans. I feel a little fresh and glamorous and graphic.

People want to look taller and thinner. No one says, 'Ooh! Let me buy that dress because it makes me feel matronly!'

I know what women look good in. I don't think the rules ever change.

The '90s will be looked back on as ushering in an era of comfort.

I don't even think of going to Europe as going to another country now.

People always think that designers hate each other. And we're certainly a competitive lot, but we also enjoy each other's company.

American women often fall into the trap of, 'Oh, these are my weekend clothes. These are my work clothes. This is what I wear at night.' It's so old-fashioned.

The biggest lesson that I've learned is that fashion is this tightrope where you have to be consistent but inconsistent. You need the connective thread but at the same time you need a sense of surprise.

In the '80s, it got to the point where we'd have shows with a hundred looks. You'd want to order a pizza before it was over!

I can sketch up a storm, and I'm very involved in how clothes are constructed, but I have a short attention span.

When you try on something, you have to ask yourself, 'How many ways could I wear this? Could I wear it to work? To dinner or drinks? Will it span the seasons' If you have to think too hard about those questions, then skip it.

I think the older I get, the more I realize that the ultimate luxury is time.

Because of what's going on with the economy, I think women are realizing that maybe they don't need a closet full of clothes. They just need the right clothes.

I can't dance and I can't sing too well.

I grew up in a family of people who were obsessed with fashion.

There are two kinds of designers: ones who are very happy locked in their office surrounded by their coterie. The last thing they need to do is to go to a trunk show; they'd go running for the hills. I not only enjoy it, I think, how do you design things that are applicable to life - unless you live it?

North Americans as a whole need to embrace having clothes altered to their body. I hear it all the time: why do the Europeans always look so good? They have a relationship with their tailor and spend the time and money to make their clothes look their best.

A man in a well tailored suit will always shine brighter than a guy in an off-the-rack suit.

Learn to invest in the best quality you can afford and wear pieces in different ways.

I think a lot of women have too many mini skirts in their closets.