The World According To Michael Kors

He's known as much for his one-liners and straight-talking interviews as he is for his "sexy, sporty, glam" creations (look up Project Runway on Youtube to lose a good hour of your day). Here, we look back at some of his most profound musings on everything from family and fashion to fame.

On his rise to fame...

"It was like Oz. One minute, you're in school and you're obsessed with fashion, and the next thing you know, you're sitting in a banquette with Nan Kempner at Studio 54. It was an amazing thing."

On his design ethos...

"The reality for me about everything I design is that women want something that is luxurious, glamorous and indulgent. But at the same time we are all conflicted. She also wants something that is comfortable, pragmatic and practical. If you combine it all - that is how I work."

On casting his campaigns and shows...

"I don't like it when the models all look the same. To me it's so incredibly boring to turn them into mannequins, it's so much more interesting if we have different ages, ethnicities, body types, heights."

On looking effortless...

"I think the trick is, how do you spend time doing it but make it look like you haven't spent time doing it? Over the years you look at women like Lauren Hutton and everyone says: 'She just pulled her hair back and ran out of the door.' I've been in fittings with Lauren and she definitely thinks about it. She just knows how to make it look easy."

On the Michael Kors look...

"I like streamlined but glamorous at the same time. I like simplicity but I hate minimalism. I think with minimalism, the next thing you know it has no personality. I'm always appreciative of the things we use every day being great to look at."

On his husband, Lance...

"We are very well-balanced. I am louder, more outrageous, a New Yorker; he's low-key, methodical, and from the West. I'm a Leo, so I'm about the big picture. But Lance, being a Virgo, is all about detail. And I think the combination of the two together is great from a fashion point of view."

On his beauty regime...

"Well as a blonde I'm a flag waver for men who are naturally blonde, of a certain age. I have been a propagator of Klorane camomile shampoo for many years. My hair can get really dull and start to look like dead beige hair, so that's a must. I travel like crazy so my lips are always dry so Crème de la Mer lip balm is a guaranteed success and I use it actually to groom my eyebrows - great for an unruly brow!"

On bringing sexy back...

"Sexiness is all about self confidence. Many people think that sexiness is about wearing a provocative dress or looking plunged to the waist, but to me sexy is more of an attitude or a mood."

On his legacy...

"My legacy would be that you don't have to give up anything. You can be chic but have a sense of humour, you can be sexy but comfortable, and you can be timeless but fresh."