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My grandmothers are Irish-American and German-American; my grandfather is from the Caribbean. My father is African-American. My family looked funny. I just started naturally imitating whoever I was talking to. I didn't want to be a phony, but I felt very authentic in the moment.

I want my family to resemble the family I came from.

By virtue of my traditions, and my community, I worked hard to ensure that I was accepted as part of the traditional family of America.

I think there are two ways to depict a family. One is what it's really like, and one is what the audience would like it to be. Between you and me, I think the second one is what I would prefer.

My family brought me up to be very respectful of people.

Finally, everything that has been part of my life, whether I wanted it to or not, has expressed itself in my dresses.

I reproach so many things about my family, but on the other hand, I kept asking them to be my family.

My Southern heritage is a big part of who I am. I grew up around people who seemed like characters but are actual, real people. My grandmother made sure I had manners and all that stuff.

You can always tell a person's real character and personhood by those who closely surround him, especially if they're family.

I never thought I would be such a family-oriented guy; I didn't think that was part of my makeup. But somebody said that as you get older, you become the person you always should have been, and I feel that's happening to me.