What makes you happy?
Kate: John Cage, Walter De Maria, The Smiths, orchids, cola light, J.D. Salinger.
Laura: White gumdrops, James Joyce, Patti Smith, Snow White, Metropolitan, violets.

Things you can't live without...
Kate: Sonic Youth concerts, San Francisco, white Converse gym shoes.
Laura: Espresso, sequoia trees and wave pools.

Why are you crazy about fashion?
Kate: Fashion is the lens through which I see the world; it is a continuous spectrum that is always alive and fascinating.
Laura: It inspires, it can be breathtakingly beautiful. It's emotional. It's a process.

What was the message of your most recent show?
Fall '07 is an investigation into ‘ghostly' women. The collection's point of departure was an article in the newspaper about the history of the Mona Lisa and the secret layers in that painting. We became obsessed with Da Vinci's sfumato technique, using various layers of colour to evoke a semblance of depth. The key to achieving this effect was mysterious women dressed in white.

What's the status of fashion today?
Fashion takes over everything.

What's your happiest moment so far?
Kate: Johnson Hartig's Christmas party.
Laura: Growing up in Muir Woods, surrounded by the most insignificant and marvellous organisms. Fields of mustard, apple trees, ranches, running past eucalyptus trees and along white beaches. Northern California is breathtaking.