the movie was the cook, the thief, that one -- with helen merrin, who is absolutely fabulous -- helen mirren, fabulous actress. he showed me some painting of rembrandt and said, "uc that? could you do the in modern, in today? and i said i will try. yes, but it is part of the job. so i tried. i worked with a dutch artistic director, and i get to work with him. he was very specific and fabulous man.

also, they were very specific about the color. in reality, they asked me because the color is a little like in the spirit. it is something in common. i was flattered to do that, but it is beautiful to see how much they are -- our work, our demand is to make a beautiful movie. i should not be able to do anything. i never thought about it, but when people ask me, you have to be so clever. >> tom ford made a movie, so why not you? >> because my brain is not that sure. you have to think about so many things.

truly, it is a big work. you have to be strong. you have to take care also of the physiology of the actor which is, like, oh, my god. you can be depressed. also, you see the depression of everybody. i do not want it. i have enough of my own. >> i hope you will be sharp enough to answer the questions the audience has for you. rather like the academy awards. [applause] these questions have come through on various means. can we have the first question? >> the first question -- i am going to compile a group -- a lot of people are asking what is currently inspiring new? from different cultures, the internet, textile design -- what exciting things are you seeing in contemporary textile design? and what are you reading?

>> definitely, that is very sad, but i have not enough time to read. that is the very sad part. so i'm not enough reading, but i'm getting older and getting closer. now that nobody is doing any more reading, i will read. no, i think honestly, it is a question of time, but reading, to bring inspiration, but that is the problem. i get into a book and say that i can make a collection of that after, like, three lines. one time i did an existentialist collection years ago, and i was thinking, so i read a book to no

more, to get into it, and sometimes, the explanation can teach you. i read about it and i learned and understood. so i did the collection with my interpretation. i tried to understand the base, the concept, so it is good. you have to read, definitely. >> creativity is so difficult to define by creative people because you just do it instinctively. you were telling me that last night, something inspired you, and you went back andrew your next collection until 4:00 a.m. what inspired you? do you know what set it off? >> i think it is image sometimes. one that you do not expect can

be also a surprise. it was not the case here today. yesterday during the night, it was more like an image that i have seen or received little and i did not know how to treat it. something making me think about it yesterday. after it came and i wake up, instinctively it came like yes, i could do it like that, so i wrote that to remember, and after i was into it, it was very exciting. yes, i find it because always, you are looking for something, you did not know what. until it becomes more concrete, it gives you -- i need to have that direction. it is a real pleasure.

sometimes also like some things in fashion that you get a reaction, can be somebody walking, moving in a way where there is no pocket, but it should have been a pocket. you see the desire or what should be good. food is visual for me. >> can you think of one single example of something that you saw -- i do not know, a green leaf or something on the internet or something in a movie -- something that directly inspired you that you were almost drawing a minute later from it. >> i think it was years ago when i did my constructive collection.

my graphic assistant had a book with her. i loved everything, but it is like a physical reaction. like if i want to eat it. but he made me think about food. it was truly like a beautiful color. it was constructivist, you know. it was so beautiful. they were so perfect that i wanted to have it all. so i make a photo of all the book, and i wanted to have all around me to get into it and to see through that, so it was -- that is one thing. another thing -- >> one is enough.

>> you know what, there is too much selection on the internet. i like the motion, which i mean like surprise. i go somewhere and find something i did not expect, it is there that i have the real shock. i have my reaction. sometimes it does not happen. sometimes it happens late. what i do in that case, i will not tell you. [laughter] >> that might lead to the next question -- what scares you? and then maybe not to be more in love with my were. fashion. >> maybe you are scared that there might be one day -- i'm sure it will never happen -- when you do not have the energy anymore? that scared of a piece of blank

paper and a collection coming up in six weeks -- that does not scare you? >> yes, but i tried to protect myself. for example, i go to a flea market, and nt place. when i see something that i find interesting, even if i have no interest in anything at the moment, i say that one day i will do something from that. i know that there was work on it. i think i have to burn it, because at the end, i take too much time to look at it. but, yes, i mean, to be honest, i think will realize what time that i have no more of the passion, which will mean i will stop. i think it is better. honestly, before i was doing that profession, because i was

not at peace with the fact that i was rejected, so i was inventing a lot of things. at the moment, i started to work -- i finish. because i do the things that i'd love to do, why should i live now. there's no reason to lie? because i am accepted through my work? why should i lie? because i do not want to live again in my old days. but i will always interested in fashion. >> the next question is for both of you -- how is it in the fashion world for larger size women? >> i will answer this first. i was so happy when beth ditto

appeared in one of jean paul's collections. she is a terrific woman and quite rotund in size. i have not quite caught up with her yet, but i certainly am no little stick. i personally thinks one of the things he should be admired for is not to bring the tyranny of fashion to women. he has, as he has explained, done a lot for diversity in terms of skintight but also diversity of styles and shapes, and i think that was the reason for a round of applause. [applause] >> there is one diversity also which is important, age. i should explain because you know in fashion, a terrible because there is always racism

about age. one of the races and is in fashion which i am absolutely against. how could i be against age when i have a grandmother that let me do anything and what it, gave me optimism and positivity? i think people that are old and have experience, you can learn a lot from them, and there are maybe sometimes more sweet than the grandparents. i think age also is something important. i remember, i wanted to do what a collection one time with only old people, and they told me not to do that because we do not like to see ourselves projected as old. and i did not do it. sometimes i did not listen, but

at the moment, i knew i had to do some testing, and i had to show the beauty through the edge, so i will do it one time. maybe it will be my last collection. i will be part of the show, and i will walk. >> your final question comes from a twitter question. what advice do you have for young artists and designers to be successful in the world with so much competition and talent? >> i do not like to give advice. i know only my passion. what i can say is if you truly love fashion, you want to do a profession with fashion, you see -- they will find solutions. the things in fashion is to be right of with the moment with

the society, with the desire, with what people need, and to understand also economically. of course, now, we have a moment where economically, there are a lot of things. it is reality. so knowing all that, you have to make the decision and find a solution about it and propose the right things. the ones who say that what to do the right thing for now, they will get it. only courage and love what you do. it is marvelous work. i am lucky because i do the work i love, and doing it, i love it even more.

it permits need to be accepted and loved. if you receive love, you can give love. [applause] >> we cannot really have a more beautiful ending than that, but iam g ng to use my chance just to ask one last question. do you believe that you have marked fashion history? >> it is difficult to say. is it my purpose? i do not know. i think that's everybody is marking fashion history in a way. as much as journalists because they show the people. what is fashion history?

some old clothes that you can find may be in the free-market? books, magazines, newspapers? i think that i am part of that, but to think that me, i'm mark -- i do not think so. it is not exactly my purpose. it really seems very selfish to do what you love. >> i'm glad i managed more or less to silence you with my question. [laughter] i would like to say that i believe you have marked fashion history in the best way by creating clothes, which have been a mirror to society as it changed and as it happened, and you will be known for that as much as for the beauty of the close. thank you so much for giving us the chance to talk to you. [applause]

>> good evening. welcome to tonight's meeting of the commonwealth club of california. i am your moderator for today's program. it is my distinct pleasure to introduce today's special guest.

rush limbaugh. [laughter] hang on. i agree with rush that katrina is a force of nature oherself. none of the destructive capabilities, but a great deal of power. she brings a driving passion into her work. the flame has gotten brighter of late. we will talk about the progress of perspective -- progressive perspective. little seems to have become toxic and passe -- liberal seems to have become toxic and passe at the same time. a few years ago, the proposition we have to defend was "good riddance to mainstream media."

we each had an interest in this. katrina made our case forcefully. she did it without a hint of an edge or snarky humor or even questionable taste. twe won and were not shy about celebrating. we were exuberant celebrators. the sense of grace combined with her intensity and style. in a world of kardashians and other circus acts in the media, she is a giant gusts of

intelligence and class. it makes me feel old to say this, but i know her mom, and equally fascinating woman, a great writer. her grandfather founded the music corporation of america that defined culture and music today. having said that about her mother, i feel i should balance that by saying i cannot count on my fingers and toes together all of the otherwise party intellectuals and regular people who have confided [unintelligible] [laughter] i am wondering. she is the editor and publisher of "the nation." she is summa cum laude from princeton. she is here with her first collection, "fighting for

progress in the age of obama." i do not always agree with her personally when it comes to politics. we are here to find out from katrina how we're going to save the world with barack obama. let's start there. [laughter] >> i do not know how you learned by worked at national lampoon. saving the world. let me begin by saying how low they must be to go that low in new orleans. i would not put in the same sentence president obama and saving the world. it is very much about movements

and the power in our history to bring about a fundamental change. you do need people inside, political leaders inside. it captures the imagination of the nation. through the turbulent history, it has been movement and the power of movements. franklin roosevelt was moved by later movements. lyndon johnson had the civil rights movement. i think we begin with that.

this book comes out at a moment when the country sees the power and possibility of occupy, 99%, and how that has shifted. it is still evolving. it has shifted the center of political gravity of our dialogue. the issue has been off the radar for so long. >> roosevelt surfed and harnessed those movements. he used them to get legislation passed to initiate programs. obama is still getting on his wet suit. to read the essay she wrote in 2008, there was a sense of exhibits -- exuberance. you say that hope is not optimism that expects things to turn out well.

it seems like he confused those two things. >> i will come back to what i write about in the book. the expectations were so great and high. go back to 2008. the back to the election and year when we are fortunate region were fortunate enough to be living with debates that were not cruel reality shows. every week, there were debates among the democratic candidates. barack obama embodied change. it seemed he brought into politics a generation of young people and minorities who never thought of the electoral system as a vehicle for change. so many people saw in him the possibility of change that would come quickly. my sense is that it is so

corroded that we need to take back a government that has been rigged against working people, ordinary people, the poor. we need to understand it will take more than one election cycle to bring about fundamental change in this country. it will take wind at the back of the president and political system to bring about change. president obama -- this is not a political time when roosevelt lived in. the labor movements are not as strong. today there was a story about the tea party move -- losing its mojo. we're seeing overreach that has led people to this tipping point moment where millions of people have said enough.

the obscene inequality in this country colliding with downward mobility that people feel in their gut, they see it among their family and friends. that has led to this moment where there is the possibility of space. organizers can move into it. we could see some real change. it will not come about through just one leader. >> it helps to have a leader who is effective. >> in traveling with the book, i am reminded about what candidate obamas said when he said i am a were shocked -- rorshack. people bring to him their views

of the country, their anger and pain. feel he has done what he could in a system where you have a republican party that was determined to take him down. they did not want to govern with him. my sense is that he wanted to bring a different kind of politics to the country because of the nature of who he is. you come into washington and want to play kumba ya politics. you look in the eyes of mitch mcconnell, jim demenint, and realize they are out to take you down. you need a plan be. there was no plan b. there was not a. it. -- there was not a pivot.

he had extraordinary skills as a speaker during the campaign. he moved this country, millions of people. he angered millions and made them think he was a socialist and other matters. but he has not used those skills in a consistent, powerful way to tell a narrative about the challenges, what the country is going through, and where he is taking the country. by playing on the republican field of deficits and debts instead of joblessness or say we're all trying to compromise, you make people feel everyone is equally involved in a gridlock that has led to a point where congress has a lower popularity rating than the banks. that is a feat. 9%. it is dropping even though there

are good people inside the congress. there is a progressive congress. they put out a people's budget. bernie sanders has exposed the fed giving out trillions of dollars in addition to the tarp bailout. >> barney frank has taken a hike. >> that is worth talking about. you see in this congress michele bachmann and michele bachmann one of these -- wannabe's. there are fights about redistricting. >> use of the one strength the president obama, his rhetorical skill, is not sufficient. >> it has not been used at the scale necessary in this time of crisis. america is in a crossroads. this is a moment comparable to coming out of the great depression. this was a moment coming out of the finaia