Steve Madden (born 1958) is an American fashion designer and businessman. He is most well known as the founder and former CEO of Steven Madden, Ltd., a publicly traded company.
Growing is an important part of the business, but more important than that is to get better.
I'd like to work with Damien Hirst.
I am guilty of stupidity, arrogance, and greed.
What inspires me is what I see people wearing on the streets of the world from New York to London and beyond. I get my ideas and inspiration from pounding the pavement all over the world. Today, fashion is dictated by individual style. To me, the fashion of the future is anything that a young guy or girl feels good wearing as long as it's put together in the right way.
My strengths as a businessman lie in the design and sale of women's shoes, and I have never been comfortable with complicated or technical legal or business documents.
I'm a New York story.
I don't fret much about the natural life spans of shoe companies. If stores don't do the right things, they cease to exist, and that doesn't trouble me at all.
There are a lot of people who get support from a thriving business.
I've been making shoes my whole life.
So much of design is context.
You have to be a little contrite to get redemption.
I have been in the field working with my birds for 36 years and I don't think a day goes by that I don't see or learn something new.
I could design an $800 shoe line it's easy. You use the best materials and you can make beautiful shoes. It's easier than making great shoes for $90.
People are afraid because I'm candid. They're always worried I'm going to get into trouble.