Alexander Wang

“It's hard sometimes to take a step back and realize what's happened because you're always trying to move forward. You're always looking at the next palette.”

“I think everyone shares a fear of failure - that you're only as good as your most recent collection. That's definitely a fear, but it's a fear that fuels me, that makes me want to work harder, that makes me take on more challenges.”

“I don't think fashion week will go back to what it used to be because people are realising that the industry is completely changing. It's not just in Bryant Park any more, people are figuring out who their audience is, where they want to show, they aren't really playing by the rules. It's not so much about these editors, these buyers.”

“I never really did sports growing up. Maybe that's why they intrigue me. The technology that goes into that clothing is steps ahead, so it's always been something I look towards.”

“I feel so thankful that I'm able to be a part of something that I love to wake up and run to work every day.”

“I thought I would attend school and get an assistant position and work my way up but being in NY and seeing the pace of everything, is very inspiring.”

“A lot of my work is a matter of reacting to surprises in life.”

“I'm not like most designers, who have to set sail on an exotic getaway to get inspired. Most of the time, it's on my walk to work, or sitting in the subway and seeing something random or out of context.”

“The industry's changed so much that you can't just design something, put on a great show, and say, 'Okay, my job is done.'”

“My friends always joke that I run on batteries.”

“I love layers!”

“When you focus on the consumer, the consumer responds.”

“My mom would put me in these preppy little suits and slick my hair to the side. I have these baby pictures of me where I'm this little preppy kid with a sweater tied around my neck.”

“No one ever taught me, and I never had formal classes in pattern making, so I was like, Okay, I'll just drape, and I'll sew as I pin it.”

“My mom would take me to restaurants, and the first thing I'd ask for would be a pen and a napkin, and I'd sketch shoes and shoes and shoes.”

“In the beginning I pushed toward perfection, but it takes time to get to certain places.”

“Any style that Nike makes in all black, shoe, sweatshirt, onesie, doesn't matter, I pretty much need to have.”

“I think sometimes there are negative connotations for those who have a business mind as well as a creative side.”