“Black-and-whit e always looks modern, whatever that word means.”

Clear thinking at the wrong moment can stifle creativity.

The smell of a freshly printed book is the best smell in the world.

My only ambition in life . . . is to wear size 28 jeans.

Luxury is the income tax of vanity. But it is so pleasant.

The most important piece in the house is the garbage can.

I am a black diamond, unfaceted. Black diamonds are rare, hard to cut, and therefore uncommercial.

The flat shoe makes the woman equal of men. When they have high [shoes], they play a part like a geisha, and they can’t be expected to be taken that seriously.

A respectable appearance is sufficient to make people more interested in your soul

Bears are very nice, as long as you are nice to them.

Sunglasses are like eye shadow: They make everything look younger and pretty

I don’t know what “normal” means, anyway.

With expensive fashion, the inside should be as perfect as the outside.

As a child I wanted to be a grown-up. I wanted to know everything – not that I like to talk about it. I hate intellectual conversation with intellectuals because I only care about my opinion.

I think it’s horrible that people have to be told. Don’t smoke! Everybody knows it’s bad for the health. But they have to forbid it.

Seduction is, first and foremost, an art form. And seduction should not always be treated as a wild celebration. In fact, it’s more of an evocation of what you do. It’s more an evocation of seduction.

Chanel is composed of only a few elements, white camellias, quilted bags and Austrian doorman’s jackets, pearls, chains, shoes with black toes. I use these elements like notes to play with.

A lot of guys and people in our society think that chicks just love dudes with money.

When I say things that sound insane, like only the smartest million people should have the right to vote, well, I mean that.

The main thing that I learned from my horrible job experiences was how horrible they were.

I mean, it’s hard to talk about death without realizing that’s our end too, right? I am constantly aware of death.

As I said in my last book, birds are mean. They’re the only pet that, when they escape, the owners are relieved. You can tell a species is evil by doing this simple math.

A problem is something you can do something about. If you can’t do something about it, then it’s not a problem, it’s a predicament. That means it’s something that must be coped with, endured.

There are two kinds of people in the world – those who have a horror of a vacuum and those with a horror of the things that fill it. Translated into domestic interiors, this means people who live with, and without, clutter.

It’s not that I want to be, but it’s a fascination of the mind and it plays a role in why I want to live my life a certain way.