Ines de La Fressange

“I had no luck when I started out as a model. I keep telling people that it's the only career in the world that you can't choose for yourself - you have to be chosen.”

“Buying a matching blouse and skirt from the same store is a crime. A clever mix of chic and cheap hits the jackpot. Know how to mix styles and labels.”

“Even if you live in a tiny village, there's an Internet site. It's quite easy to find clothes, but sometimes women don't know how to mix them.”

“Often something more simple would be better. Sometimes I put things together - a shirt, a sweater, a jacket - and it's too complicated. I would have worn only a v-neck sweater, it would have been better. It's not the clothes but it's how you wear them sometimes.”

“I would love to live in India or in the South of France, but Roger Vivier doesn't have offices yet in New Delhi or Jaipur.”

“Matching shoes and bags immediately age you by 10 years.”

“It is true that in France, women put on less things. If they have a necklace, they don't put on earrings; if they have nail polish, they don't put on all their rings and all their bracelets.”

“Overall when you work in fashion, you're always in a rush. You're always a little late, always in a hurry. Every single moment's important, so you never have enough time to do what you want to do. It's ridiculous.”

“People imagine I am always in a Bentley with pearls and diamonds and black glasses and Karl Lagerfeld next to me.”

“If you don't feel comfortable in a plunging sweater, skin-tight jeans and killer heels, go home and change.”

“I saw a lot of haute couture all my childhood, and without knowing it I've learned from when I was a child to recognise beautiful fabrics.”

“One thing Della Valle taught me is the power to say no if something isn't right. That mattered even over sales.”