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 i am going 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]

>> i am the founder and chair of the heritage committee. today is may 1. [applause] many of us have said every month of the year should be asian- american month. we're very happy to have legislation so the entire country can celebrate the contributions and history of pacific asian americans in this country. we would not be here today or have this celebration without having a major that has always made time for us -- without having the mayor that has always made time for us and been so supportive everything we do. without further delay, and like to invite our mayor to help launch the celebration this year, mayor edwin lee.

[applause] >> thank you, claudine, for your wonderful work. it is my pleasure to join the board president chu, jane kim, eric marrs. have i missed anybody? school board members, yes. norman yee, everybody. [applause] [laughter] you know, i am getting up there. 60. it goes downhill afterwards. it is great to join everybody to kick off. we could be elsewhere. we could be protesting today on something. but we're here celebrating our asian pacific heritage month. it is a month-long celebration and recognition of things we have been doing to promote heritage. this year's theme is advancing education.

it is sorely needed by everyone. is something we naturally do. i want to welcome everything here from japantown, the southeast asian community, the philippine committee, the samoan community, all of our asian populations working together to promote this month and be able to tell more stories about who we are. it is a wonderful country. i just came back from seattle, my home town. i have my own homegrown seattle jokes i could tell you. they will ruin your day. it is great to link up roots. i went back to my high school in beacon hill where i grew up. i rethought the steps of how i got to san francisco. i met with housing groups that resonated with our international hotel struggle.

a lot of community groups that were part of my own personal history but have become part of our whole west coast history that we celebrate because it is really the same thing. every city whether new york, chicago, or san francisco, the asn populations have grown and matured beyond the immediate immigrant groups, but they still have strong ties. i am reminded of this constantly. we have an inner. population that wants to be involved in everything we do and the side. they know with the leadership we have at the board now and with our other elected officials, there is much more than just being part of an immigrant group. more and more, we are part of the american foundation of

freedom and life. it is up to us to take our position. in everything we do, whether we are heading up a non-profit, a department head, it is our responsibility to represent everyone. that is the greatest story for asian-americans. everybody now looks to us to be part of everyone else's leadership and community building, building bridges with business, building community safety, all of the cultural connections. we can readily understand other groups that struggle easily because we come from the history of struggle. that is why i wanted to mention the international hotel. that unites us. it is something we want to build on. whether we are heading up the greatest museums, it is world

renowned. we get to represent our culture in so many ways. i want to thank you for doing your part in joining the rest of the city by celebrating this. we will have a month long. i think it takes a whole month to recognize all of the different subgroups part of the asian-american experience. i am excited to do that. i am excited to be part of this great city. welcome to everyone. it is a great opportunity for everyone to participate. i am looking forward to ted's street celebration. all of you will have your own individual connections to the asia-pacific american experience. i will try to get to as many as i can. it will be celebratory and educational at the same time. most importantly, i think we have to make sure that we speak to all of our youth. they are now responsible for carrying on these traditions we

have. i love it every time i see more of our youth embrace that culture. they can help to create the immigrant experience, growing up in our immigrant communities and then celebrating that as they take up more responsibility in bed -- business, education, community leadership. it would be wonderful to carry that on for all asian american groups in our great city. that is why we're working hard with our school district to make sure the cultural connections are always going to be there. if you understand where you came from, you will note where we're going ahead. you know how we can create more connections for people to come together. thank you for celebrating ata month. this is just the beginning. i look forward to going to every

neighborhood and celebrating with you. a [applause] >> thank you. we look forward to seeing you at our proclamation signing ceremony. i would like to ask our elected officials to come forward as a group so that we can be efficient with our time. the school board members, sandra, i would also like to acknowledge the 2012 celebration co-chairs because they have been doing a lot. tobin/[applause] everything else we need to do, we call rose chung. [applause] i would like to invite our board president david chu forward

followed by the various other supervisors. david? >> good morning. look behind me. just a couple of years ago when i ran for office the first time, there was only one asian official that have an office on the second floor. now we have so many. eric marr and i get confused all the time. carmen and jane get confused all the time. we're here because of view, because of all the work done across all the sectors, because of all of the diversity of communities we have represented. i will not even go through the list. we represent the world diaspore, the world immigration story for the country of asian-americans.

i want to say welcome on behalf of the board of supervisors. we look forward to a month of celebrations. next week in addition to the ceremonies across the street, at the board of supervisors next tuesday, we will be acknowledging each district supervisor, the asian american heroes in our midst. thank you for being part of this committee. we look forward to continuing here in the year of the dragon. [applause] >> thank you. it is not just those of us standing up. it is your leadership that makes the asian pacific americans so strong it was such a strong voice. i wanted to say the theme of advancing education has been really important. a lot of us who have served on the school board serve part time. many of us are here. asian pacific heritage month allows me to think about how it

was 30 years ago on june 19 when someone was killed and the movement grew among many grass- roots organizations. i was a student at uc-davis. it transformed my life. it made me find a purpose to use my legal education and training and work i had done, to put into leadership and helping with grass-roots organizing to make sure there are new generations of people who keep coming. it is made day today. -- it is made day today. 30 years ago on may 1, we found it an organization honoring philip veravruz and many others in our country and those in our country. may day 30 years ago, is

standing on the shoulders of many organizers and leaders. we have so many stories to tell in asia pacific heritage month. when i was in the classroom, stories of his struggle and how he empowers young people to turn their lives around are so inspiring. we need to count. to keep telling those stories. we need to keep telling those stores. my daughter is now the same age as a number of other kids of our families. part of asia pacific heritage month is making sure she knows about them and a dancing justice in the asian-american communities. i first met mayor lee when he was a hard-working attorney at the asian law caucus. they just celebrated their 40th anniversary with the founders and other organizations

throughout the country. key part of the justice movement. my daughter needs to know about the stories and be proud of who she is. she needs to have a pan-asian consciousness about her. i am so proud to be here with you leaders and my colleagues as well. thank you, everyone. [applause] >> supervisor charmen chiu has joined us as well. i was born a month before the evictions. a lot of our filipino and chinese seniors were evicted from the hotel. it is amazing to be at the organization that got to rebuild the development center. last year, we celebrated a lot about the newness of asian- pacific leadership. or able to say we have our first