The dark side of social media is that, within seconds, anything can be blown out of proportion and taken out of context. And it's very difficult not to get swept up in it all.
Fans don't lie. They just tell you what they really think, and they see details that even people in fashion don't.
My muse is the digital world.
Social networking inspires me a lot and how we are related and connected to each other.
Having plants and flowers in my space makes me feel very calm and Zen. For me, it's important to meditate every morning to be very clear in the head, and nature really helps me do the same thing.
I'm not a designer, I'm a creator.
It's so important as a creative person to go out and look for things. Go to galleries, talk to people, read books. Yes, you can just type something into Google, but if you read and interact, you'll have a deeper understanding of the world.
I think old people should just be old and go away.
Actually, I never liked the idea of bags. I would say, 'Why do so many of my friends spend so much money on these bloody bags?' But once I started designing them, I was completely hooked. There are all of these blogs about bags. It's a whole other industry, and I'm really excited to be a part of it.
I'm half-Japanese, so I collect toys, like a Yayoi Kusama stuffed pumpkin.
Uniqlo as a company has always developed new fabrics and is always trying to be innovative. The design is simple, so the fabric is important.
I was born in Japan, so for me, Uniqlo is a family brand. My granny used to wear Uniqlo. And my Italian dad wore Uniqlo. I wore Uniqlo, of course.
I live between Europe, America and Asia.
Style has replaced elegance. Before, I believed that style is something a person embodied. But now it's so easy to buy good style if you have the money.
I think when you start talking about money, it stops the whole creative process for me.
My uniform is usually just comfortable clothing. Being a stylist, you spend most of the day at photo shoots covered in safety pins.
I like places where you can dance to crazy music, like Bedlam or Eastern Bloc in the East Village.
The Internet shapes my life and work so completely that I couldn't imagine living without it.
Fashion is such an insider's club, but slowly, the playing field is evening out. Through social media, everyone can have a front-row seat.
My mom was my muse - she would buy me Italian 'Vogue.' I was this little fashion boy.
