I don't think my parents know what I do.

Failure's a natural part of life.

I've permitted myself to learn and to fail with some regularity. And that is probably the one thing I was given, and that I'm still grateful for.

And may the best of you - for it will only be the best of you, and even then only in the rarest and briefest moments - succeed in framing that most basic of questions, 'how do we live?'

Nothing you do particularly matters. But I'm not sure that's a great excuse for doing it poorly.

I don't have a saviour or a royal family.

Art is not disposable. If you want it, you have to hold it and smell it and touch it and read the credits and enjoy it and put it on your wall.

Imagine how asleep or utterly unperceptive and clueless you would have to be not to see yourself as absurd for the most part.

I'd hate to see any film I'm involved in fail, especially artistically but also business-wise.

I think 1973 was the nadir of fashion. When you watch the coverage from that era, you're struck by the astonishing ugliness of the clothes.

It's not a gift of mine, but one given to me, to be able to criticise myself and not be crushed, by myself or by others.

Never hide your fear because it will become your own God, hidden inside you.

Forgiveness has to be repeated, the bible says seventy times seven.

I want to be the purveyor of a certain silhouette or a way of cutting, so that when I am dead and gone people will know that the twenty-first century was started by Alexander McQueen.

Business is tough, and the fashion industry is particularly tough.

The feathered arrow of satire has oft been wet with the heart's blood of its victims.

I gambled at the crap table all night and finally lost $8, but during that time the house gave me four drinks and two cigars, so it was still a lot cheaper than renting a room.

Unlike diamonds, watches were practical. They were for people on the run, people with appointments to keep and schedules to meet.

Years later we were watching 90210 [with my sister].

I can now say that the more I learnt about Islam, the more tolerant I became.

All of my shows involve men in tights. It's a bit bizarre, really.