To me, eyewear goes way beyond being a prescription. It`s like makeup. It`s the most incredible accessory. The shape of a frame or the color of lenses can change your whole appearance.

I adore the challenge of creating truly modern clothes, where a woman`s personality and sense of self are revealed. I want people to see the dress, but focus on the woman.

I work with structure, but I go outside the box and give it my own spin. I adore the challenge of creating truly modern clothes - where a woman`s personality and sense of style are realized.

I find it a wonderful challenge to give interviews after spending all those years backstage. I always try to be honest and real.

When I design a wedding dress with a bustle, it has to be one the bride can dance in. I love the idea that something is practical and still looks great.

All those years of skating and dancing have carried over. I can`t design anything without thinking of how a woman`s body will look and move when she`s wearing it.

A woman is never sexier than when she is comfortable in her clothes.

When I decided to get married at 40, I couldn`t find a dress with the modernity or sophistication I wanted. That`s when I saw the opportunity for a wedding gown business.

It`s a remarkable exercise to sit and look at you own work over the years.

I see myself as a true modernist. Even when I do a traditional gown, I give it a modern twist. I go to the past for research. I need to know what came before so I can break the rules.

I wanted to define the vocabulary of a wedding both visually and intellectually. The book is about more than weddings or wedding dresses. It`s a metaphor for women`s lives, their creativity.

Fashion offers no greater challenge than finding what works for night without looking like you are wearing a costume.

As the mother of two daughters, I have great respect for women. And I don`t ever want to lose that.

Don`t be afraid to take time to learn. It`s good to work for other people. I worked for others for 20 years. They paid me to learn.

I`ve been designing since I was 8. I started sketching dresses I could wear when skating. I was always involved in all aspects of skating, not just the technique, the choreography, the music, but the visual aspects, too - what I should wear.

It`s for all the women who embrace my aesthetic, but can`t afford a Vera Wang dress. If women can get anything out of it - a little bit of me or a lot of me, that`s what`s important.