Am I famous in Japan? I don't know, and I don't really think of myself in that way.

I am not really brand-conscious; I pick out clothes that appeal to me regardless of the label, but I consider my style very American.

It's a Japanese way of thinking, that I give value for my merchandise. So I don't want to sell unnecessarily expensive dresses and make just 10 or 20 and then feel satisfied. I want to design for real women who can afford my dresses.

So many designers only sketch and leave pattern-making to others. Pattern-making is important so you know the structure. Then if someone tells me, 'I can't make a pattern from that sketch,' I can tell them, 'I will make it' and then they are quiet. If I can't make it, I don't design it.

I do not discriminate about size. I design dresses to accentuate a woman's positives, whether you are a size 0 or a size 3X.

Using a forecasting company is like going to a fortune-teller. If you believe the company and the color does not sell, who do you blame? The forecasters? No, you blame yourself.