I believe in a democratic approach to fashion: if you feel good, then great. You may not look good, but it's not the problem.
Somebody can feel elegant without being elegant. It's a personality.
The success of a hat definitely lies with balancing the personality of the wearer with the type of occasion. Don't listen to those rules about face shape.
Try on 100 different hats if you can, until you find the one that suits you best. It's a trial and error thing.
Fantasy hats give you the possibility to dream.
I want to excite the eye through hatmaking.
People, when they buy a hat, they can't explain why they want to buy it or why they want it, but they do. It's like chocolate.
I do say I'm a specialist in divas. Name a diva - I've worked with 'em.
The classic hat image was during the Forties and Fifties, and Elizabeth Taylor was the epitome of that; she was the ultimate celebrity of excess and glamour, and she worked major sun hats.
Every day, I like to make hats that make people dream.
Not long ago, a hat was a conformist accessory. Then the 1960s came along, and young people didn't want to wear hats.
Hat-making is laborious and time-consuming. It's a very tactile medium, and you can develop the skills, but it's one of those things: you either have it, or you don't. I love bringing something to fruition with my hands that gives people pleasure.
Hats are really for ultimate occasions, so when I make one, I try to do something different, something noticeable.
When you're wearing something on your head, you feel beautiful.
What I love most about Her Majesty is that she has kept hats alive in people's minds for more than 60 years. You can't think of her without imagining her with a hat or a crown. I would, of course, love to design one for her.
Gaga is an entertainer, so a hat for her is part of the illusion of entertaining.
I empathise with the fact that people want to look their best. A hat is all about how it makes you feel - it's so much better than a nip and tuck, and a lot less painful.
I love the shape of cars. They are very inspiring as modern pieces of machinery. I can't drive, but I do like the look of them.
I grew up in the west of Ireland, and Galway was our local seaside resort. We'd go for one day of the year during the summer, and I have enduring memories of the sand and the sea.
I particularly like to travel for work because you see a completely different side of the country you're visiting.
