Shirt collars are very important to me. Putting a very soft shirt collar with a formal suit doesn’t work for me at all. – Ozwald Boateng
Film has always been a really good tool for me to communicate emotion about why I create a collection. I’m probably one of the first designers to make short films. – Ozwald Boateng
When I started, department stores were either very fashion, or very tailored, so the two never mixed. I mixed it, and they said you’re too tailored for fashion and too fashion for tailoring. So I had to move the market. So that’s what I did. – Ozwald Boateng
Anyone can wear any color. The question is about finding the right shade. There is a momentary trend to dark colors because when the financials are not that great, people go for black, navy and grey. – Ozwald Boateng
You come to me and it’s my job to make you look the best you can look. From an image point of view, would I prefer to dress Jude Law instead of Rolf Harris? Of course. But it’s my job to make them both look great. – Ozwald Boateng
Tailoring was considered to be a world that was very traditional, and basically going out of fashion. Fashion designers did not have a real link with tailoring or tradition, so I fused the two worlds together. – Ozwald Boateng
I’m doing a lot of things in Africa. I’ve formed a company with two friends of mine called Made In Africa and we are doing a lot of important things across the continent. – Ozwald Boateng
I had a suit made for me when I was five. It was double-breasted, mohair and purple. My mother was very particular about clothing – it always used to have to go back into the plastic and it used to drive me insane. – Ozwald Boateng
Film is such a very good tool for communicating emotions, and all designers and creative people look to inspire an emotional response. – Ozwald Boateng
I’m ready to do womenswear. You’ve always got to be inspired by something new – women have so much more shape and I’m about finding what to engineer around those shapes. – Ozwald Boateng
I’m not into street clothes. Don’t understand it. I don’t understand those over-exaggerated jean sizes so they hang off your back… I just don’t understand it. – Ozwald Boateng
If I’m going to do something, I’m going to do it well. That’s just my character, that’s just the way it is with me. – Ozwald Boateng
My wife and I have a tradition of popcorn and videos with our kids on Friday evenings. – Ozwald Boateng
If you’re a designer, there’s got to be some films that you’ve seen that have inspired you creatively. There’s no escaping that. – Ozwald Boateng
When things happen – you ask yourself why today, why not tomorrow, why not yesterday? That’s the most amazing thing about time. – Ozwald Boateng
I haven’t been to a job interview since I was 16 years old. When I was approached by Givenchy it was more like a courtship. – Ozwald Boateng
In Los Angeles, I’m always in Fred Segal. It’s become a ritual. I have lunch and then buy lots of things I don’t need. Usually tons of clothes for the kids that they grow out of in 10 seconds. – Ozwald Boateng
