It would be very easy for us to do a collection that everybody would like and not criticize. But criticism is a part of life. You have to take it.

During the eighties and nineties, people wanted to be chic, elegant, bourgeois.

I'm a designer, and I work very hard at that. People sometimes want to put down fashion by saying it's frivolous or superficial, but it's not that way at all. It's actually very hard work.

It's very important for a brand to have an identity through the years, but it's very important as well to evolve because times change so fast.

I love Alexander McQueen. I like the construction of his suits. I think it's fantastic.

I studied at a university in Florence and finished my degree. My mother was very strict about this recipe: You need to get your degree.

In order to be responsible, you need some discipline in your life.

I have worked with wool all my life as a designer. There's so much more to it than knitwear - it's an amazingly versatile material and can be used in so many different ways from chic to rustic.

I don't like balance. Balance is not a word you can use in Versace fashion.

I like perfume and flowers.

I'm a feminist. I want to fight, but I don't see many people with this desire to fight for something. Women don't help each other, especially in fashion.

Plus-sized women shouldn't think of themselves as a size. They should think of themselves as women with rich goals in life. Size doesn't mean, really, anything. You can carry your size with pride and dress in a way that you like.

In my life I had no other choice than to become a strong person.

I've learned how to appreciate what I have. And it's a lot. I'm very lucky.

Many young people don't know what Versace represent. I want to show what makes Versace an iconic brand.

I think my own look makes people think I'm tough, but when they get to know me I'm very different.

I think men know to seduce women though words and conversation and nice gestures. That's much sexier than when a man uses muscle.

To be Catholic puts a lot of fear in you. It's a great religion, but also one that can limit your experience. You fear experience because everything is a sin.

On a hanger, no dress is sexy. It's just fabric on a hanger.

Scent is very important. Strong fragrances suit some men, while citrus types suit others. I like my men to smell fresh and woody, but also like a man.

You can have small moments of happiness in life. You certainly can't expect years and years of it.

I always wear high heels - I simply feel naked without them.

In Italian there is an expression: We don't sleep on the fame.

My style is not that big. I wear heels, tight pants, and I wear diamonds.