“I am not interested in shock tactics. I just want to make beautiful clothes.”

A fragrance is like a signature, so that even after a woman leaves the room, her fragrance should reveal she’s been there.

Oh, the terrible struggle that I have had against sleep so often of late; the pain of the sleeplessness, or the pain of the fear of sleep, and with such unknown horror as it has for me!

There is always an emotional element to anything that you make.

When I went to see Mrs. Clinton and we talk about the inaugural dress I ask her what would you like to achieve with this particular dress? And she said to me what I would like is – that when I walk into the room and people will look at me and say wow you look great.

Love. Be curious. Always try to do your best.

He is racist, he’s homophobic, he’s xenophobic and he’s a sexist. He’s the perfect Republican candidate. [California Democratic Party chairman about Pat Buchanan.]

I’m a misunderstood genius.” “What’s misunderstood?” “Nobody thinks I’m a genius.

Excess is not really something I consider a bad thing; especially when you are talking about living.

The flag represents all the values and the liberties Americans have and enjoy everyday.

War subjects itself to transportation in a way that we find acceptable.

When I leave a room, it’s gonna be footprints of funk wherever I stepped, because I’m a soul-funk crusader.

A strong man can handle a strong woman. A weak man will say she has an attitude problem

As far as preference between fall and spring collections, I have none that I prefer to design. With fall you have a lot more items, but of course I am from the Dominican Republic, so I love the warm weather.

If you want to establish an international presence you can’t do so from New York. You need the consecration of Paris.

When some unworthy thought pushes into your mind, replace it with your delete key. Worthy music is powerful and can help you control your thoughts.

I would like better to be known as the Godfather of Fashion, with all the implications that that word has.

The test for whether or not you can hold a job should not be the arrangement of your chromosomes.

I was born because my mother needed a fourth for meals.

Never be afraid to laugh at yourself, after all, you could be missing out on the joke of the century.

I had decided early on that if I couldn’t dress elegant, I’d dress memorable.

The interesting thing about movies, it’s not always – y’know, you have to have structure etc and all those things, but an audience responds, in many ways, we walk away and certain things stay in our heads that are memorable.

Giving frees us from the familiar territory of our own needs by opening our mind to the unexplained worlds occupied by the needs of others.

If you can’t dress expensive, dress memorable.

Thank goodness I was never sent to school; it would have rubbed off some of the originality.