GQ: You know that show Sex and the City?

MP: Embarrassing! I was thinking New York is like that. I have the impression that the people are like that—the women, the bitchiness.

GQ: The thing is, too many women see that show and they think that's how their life should be. Rather than create their life, they imitate a stupid show. And that's the worst thing you can do. Right?

MP: Oh no, it's terrible. Also the way of total and sure unhappiness. It's what I say all the time to my girls in the office here: The more they dress for sex, the less they will have love or sex. These girls throw away so much energy in this search for beauty and sexiness. I think that the old rules were much more clever and better than the rules now. The trouble is, most people are not so generous. Everybody wants love for themselves. I hear this all the time from the women I work with. I hear them say, "I want, I want." I never hear them saying what they want to give.

GQ: Do you tell them that?

MP: Yes, of course. They don't listen. With women, the more unhappy they are, the more undressed they are. This is true. Dignity's another very important part of this. Sex and the City is the opposite of dignity. You have to have dignity for your body—this is with men and women. You need to have dignity towards how you are, how you dress, how you behave. Very important. Men are always much more dignified than most women.

GQ: Why?

MP: Because women have the stress of being beautiful, of age and youth. Men don't have all that. And with women, that stress causes a lot of mistakes and bad choices—a lot of not being their true self. You know, the older I get, the more I prefer to talk to old people. Old people or kids.

GQ: So you want me to leave?

MP: [laughs] Because what they say is more spontaneous.

Labels: fashion notes, manolo blahnik, prada, tv