The wisdoms of Michael Kors: 'Spend all your money on a fabulous black jacket'

I started my business in the 80s, when we got to the 90s, everything changed. Fashion in the 80s [was] very much an insider thing, fashion shows were only for fashion professionals. The public never saw them. Fashion had always felt so elitist. And then the 90s came, the models brought incredible personality and attention. Hollywood at the time was not particularly glamorous, so fashion became the place for people to get the glamour. I think it was the first time that we in fashion realised we were finally acknowledged to be part of pop culture.

The borders between countries disappeared. The next thing I know, I'm in Paris designing Celine, Galliano is at Givenchy and then Dior. It didn't matter if you were British or American, the Japanese were showing in Paris. We became this truly global influence. That wasn't the case before. As an American designer, I never thought that I would design a collection in Paris and be showing at the Louvre.