I never really did sports growing up. Maybe that's why they intrigue me. The technology that goes into that clothing is steps ahead, so it's always been something I look towards.

Designing a product and understanding how it filters through into the market and into the rest of the company is very important to me.

You know, when you go to high school or, you know, when kids are younger and there's not an understanding of differences. But I built up a very strong, thick skin.

The industry's changed so much that you can't just design something, put on a great show, and say, 'Okay, my job is done.'

My husband was working as principal of an urban transformation high school - the kind of public charter school determined to do whatever it takes to give its mostly minority, low-income student body the education they need and deserve to be successful in life.

Success starts in the household and with education.

As a graduate student at Oxford in 1963, I began writing about books in revolutionary France, helping to found the discipline of book history. I was in my academic corner writing about Enlightenment ideals when the Internet exploded the world of academic communication in the 1990s.

I didn't take the typical path and go to college after high school. Instead, I saved up money from teaching dance classes and moved to L.A. But my family was so supportive - I never felt pressure from them. It's crucial to find a support system, even if it's not your family.