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"1. You&amp;#039;ve described T-shirts as &amp;quot;anti-fashion&amp;quot; and jeans as &amp;quot;democratic fashion.&amp;quot; Are there equivalents for the home? And how do you feel about democratic design for the home?  I believe that different types of customers should be able to access the same design philosophy\u2014 that is why there are many facets to the Armani brand, from Armani Jeans to Armani Priv\u00E9 couture. I am not an elitist. I really want all sorts of people to be able to experience the Armani look, which is based around the idea of elegance and sophistication. And as the Armani design philosophy is essentially a luxury design philosophy\u2014in that I believe all my products, whatever the price point, deliver quality and design excellence\u2014then I do subscribe to the idea of democratic luxury. Where the home is concerned, the equivalent of jeans and T-shirts are the smaller decorative items with which customers can make a difference in their homes without having to spend large amounts.  2. What inspires you? And how has that changed over the years?  Inspiration is something that comes when one least expects it. I can be inspired by almost anything: It can be a book, a film or something as simple as the smile of a child walking down the street. That said, I am strongly drawn to the spirit of Oriental art deco at present, and so you will see elements of this movement reflected in my work\u2014in certain prints and fabrics or in finishes like lacquer. So a dress may be made of shiny silk or a table may feature a lacquer effect.   3. Fashion and home design: Which inspires which for you?  My inspiration comes from many things\u2014from travel, films, art, architecture, books, photography and principally from observing people&amp;#039;s behavior. Over the years I have developed a very strong aesthetic based on an idea of sophistication and timeless elegance, and this aesthetic drives all my design work, whether I am creating a dress, a chair or an apartment. So it is not that my fashion inspires my home design or vice versa, more that my general inspiration affects my work in both areas.  4. You&amp;#039;ve designed eyewear, electronics and football uniforms. What&amp;#039;s next? A car?  Today, more than ever before, fashion has expanded to encompass our way of life\u2014not just how we dress, but where we live, which restaurants we eat at, which car we drive, where we go on holiday and which hotels we stay at. I have actually collaborated on a car design in the past, for Mercedes. However, at present I must say that a major development for the future of my company is the Armani/Hotels project. I strongly believe that for people who enjoy the Armani fashion and home furnishings collections, the opportunity to stay at one of my hotels or resorts will be welcome.  5. Is there such a thing as too much good taste?  The important thing with taste is to reflect your own character. Clothes should never disguise the character of the wearer, nor should an interior overwhelm the occupant. In this sense, real good taste is not about an abstract ideal, but about a personal ideal. If you understand this principle, then you cannot have too much good taste.  6. Which everyday object do you wish you had designed?  Maybe I wish I could have designed the first pair of jeans ever.  7. You support the movement to save the environment. How does that philosophy translate to your designs?  In fact, when designing my home collections, I have always preferred to use natural materials like stone, wood and leather for their look and their sensuality. At the same time I have always paid attention to respecting the environment (for example, the Brazilian sukupira wood I use for many of my products does not come from protected areas).   8. You&amp;#039;ve said that the &amp;quot;difference between style and fashion is quality.&amp;quot; How does that relate to your designs for the home?  Fashion is often about trends, whereas style is about more eternal qualities. The essence of good design for me lies in the consistency of approach. I believe that a designer should have a point of view and be passionate about pursuing and developing it. As a designer I believe that there is nothing to be gained by following transient trends, as this can lead you in all sorts of different directions and you can easily lose your own distinctive voice. Good design should aim to produce things that are both beautiful and functional\u2014your work should deliver what it promises to the customer. If it&amp;#039;s furniture\u2014say, a chair\u2014it should be well made and a pleasure to sit in; if it&amp;#039;s a kitchen, then you should be able to cook in it with ease; if it&amp;#039;s a leather bag, it should hold its contents well and be comfortable to carry. In fact, comfort is a key quality in everything I do. People want to look chic and smart and well dressed and beautiful, but they also want to be comfortable. The same, of course, is true for furniture. If I design a bed, I want people to sleep well in it. Then there is the promise of quality. If you are in the business of creating things for a discerning clientele, you have to produce your work to the highest of standards. Great quality is related to great design; you rarely get one without the other.  9. What emotions do you like people to experience when they walk into a room you&amp;#039;ve designed? And is that the goal of Armani/Casa?  I want them to feel welcome, calm and relaxed. Armani/Casa is a collection designed to make a living space look and feel comfortable and relaxed. If people feel relaxed, they also feel secure, and the best living environments make us feel safe and protected.  10. What does the word &amp;quot;home&amp;quot; signify to you?  In my homes I require a feeling of warmth and tranquillity, as a home should be a place of physical and mental refuge. I believe a house needs to provide a protective, intimate environment where we feel at ease and where we can simply be ourselves. It needs to create a particular atmosphere of sophisticated comfort through an interaction of factors: warm lighting, sensual materials and comfortable and functional furnishings. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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