Karen Elson

“I tend to sort of over-accessorize, but to feel empowered, I strip it all down and become minimal so that it's almost counterintuitive.”

“There was this moment, particularly after I had my first child, where I felt like, 'I don't know if I'll ever make a record, or if this is always going to be something just floating around in my head.'”

“I'm a fan of creating the mood and vibe with flowers, candles, and music. I love making my guests feel like it's not formal and they can relax in my home.”

“I've been in a New York City-based cabaret for the past seven years called The Citizens Band. It's possibly one of the most brilliant things I've ever been involved with.”

“I was always singing as a kid. That's honestly all I've ever wanted to do.”

“I feel like somehow I'm living my life mentally in reverse. It's taken me to my 30s to feel relaxed and comfortable in my skin. I think I'm going to be dancing on tables when I'm 50. I really hope I am.”

“The interesting thing with fashion is that it's really a massive daydream.”

“Trends come and go, and style evolves. It's important to have pieces of jewelry that are timeless and look chic despite ever-changing fashions.”

“I had a diary full of lyrics and whatnot and a little voice recorder of guitar riffs.”

“It's time to give back; you know, I've lived in this beautiful world of fashion for so long, and it's time to really get my hands dirty and get in the trenches and see the world for what it really is.”

“Even though I have lived in the States since I was 18, in my head I am still very British, and I do have this romance for towns in Middle America that nobody gets to see.”

“As a model, I am at the mercy of everybody else. It's much more of a situation where I go to work, put the clothes on, get in front of the camera, and then go home. But in that process, I never really have control over any of it.”

“Ultimately, I've learned to pride myself on being quirky. I very much adore people who are outcasts, and I've always loved to be around interesting, circus-type people.”

“I would go home and be this insular girl who listened to music and brooded in her bedroom.”

“I like those stories that capture the brutality of life, but there's still some kind of melancholy romance.”

“At some hotels, I feel like I have to be dressed to the nines - perfectly eccentric - to walk out the door.”

“I knew I had more in me than just standing up and having my picture taken... Being in the studio, I have to have an opinion.”

“Think about your menu, and if you're not a skilled chef - which I'm not - follow a recipe. You can't go wrong if you don't cut the fine print.”

“I am a woman. I go on set, and I'll be who I am, and I'll represent who I am. I think it comes with age.”

“It's just this huge sense of relief I have with myself right now... It took me to be 31 to go, 'Wow, I'm really happy being a model.'”