In the beginning, you always need some sort of an inspiration boost. Be it an exhibition, not in a sense that it gives you the main direction or the bigger concept but I need something to get me going. For example, I need to see another artist’s work, where I see his ardour and passion, and this pushes me to do something. Doing is important. In a lecture I gave recently at Estonian Academy of Arts I elaborated on the fact that I am not that kind of a designer who waits on top of a mountain to be hit by lightning in order to get inspiration. I just need to get on with it. If I don’t do anything with my own hands, then nothing comes from it. 

 

'I go and sit behind the knitting machine or pick up the knitting needles and take the yarn and start from the beginning, letting the mistakes to happen - that is the biggest inspiration and source of ideas.'

 

Sometimes on my way to work, I still think ‘oh my god I’m working for Yohji Yamamoto’ and it really is a great honour. I’m so glad there is a designer with that kind of a worldview as Yohji san. He has seen and done everything, he has tried everything and shown everything at the shows and yet he still comes up with some sort of a new quirk.