I’m more inspired by things which I don’t like … nothing is so boring as something beautiful. I prefer ugly things, I prefer things which are surprising … You force yourself to ask yourself questions. Quite often I make a collection and I say, `Here’s a color I really don’t like.’ … My assistants will say `Okay, you don’t like lilac,’ [that means] this season will be lilac. It’s like you see a color, and you think, `Why don’t I like this color?’ Maybe the composition is wrong, maybe the lighting is wrong — it would be beautiful in silk, but not the synthetic fabric … That for me is the fun, to play with all the [fabrics]. Dries Van Noten – Elle – 2012