What Is Quality? – WWD
“Quality to me means especially commitment, hard work, responsibility. It means never taking anything for granted, constantly setting for yourself new limits to surpass and impeccable standards. This refers not only to the intrinsic characteristics of products, but also to the creative and production processes. To do this, I rely on local resources — Italy in this regard is still a real excellence — while taking into consideration high-quality production abroad. In a context such as this one, I remain convinced that less is better, at the risk of going against stream. I work to reduce the environmental impact of my production while I propose quality products, made to last. I am against the single-use, of-the-moment trends. Quality means also to create value, realizing outfits, accessories and objects capable of creating a link, an emotion in those who own them.” — Giorgio Armani
“I often reflect on the issue of human quality, which, I believe, is obtained by constantly being aware of the distinction of our actions. But then, how do you achieve this? On this matter, I am helped on the one hand by Greek mythology and on the other hand by a great 19th century philosopher. One of the main mythical truths was that of the temple of Apollo in Delphi: ‘Nothing too much.’ After centuries, in such a different scope, that of reason, [Georg Wilhelm Friedrich] Hegel thought that ‘quantity determines quality.’ So, if we put them together, we notice that too much or too little hinder the possibility to achieve quality and it is evident that this is reached only with ‘the right measure,’ moral and material, of our human actions.” — Brunello Cucinelli
“Quality in anything and everything we do, should be the ultimate standard. It’s the essence of excellence and my constant north star.” — Tommy Hilfiger
“To me, quality is something made with love and purpose.” — Wes Gordon, creative director of Carolina Herrera
“Honesty and time.” — Matthew M. Williams, founder of 1017 ALYX 9SM
“A night in or a day in with your family. It’s giving: eating some good food. And it’s giving: spending that quality time together. It’s all about togetherness.” — Adut Akech
“Attention, passion. I think ultimately, it’s about the love that you put into something. I think that’s the only way to really achieve quality: time, attention, passion, love — human qualities.” — Iris van Herpen
“Quality is going above and beyond to ensure that ‘extra’ that exceeds people’s expectations. It’s about placing details in a beautiful, well-curated and thoughtful way. Quality is about craft and carrying over those precious skills through generations. Quality is about the attentive eye that cares to impress by offering the unexpected. Quality is about striving to perfect every detail at every attempt.” — Nensi Dojaka
“Quality to me is the quest of richness and abundance in community, self care, meaningful moments, and of course… something to spoil yourself with.” — LaQuan Smith
“Quality offers a feeling of warmth long after its creation. A meal that makes you feel better the next morning. A worn wooden chair that was passed on for generations. A love that has been nurtured throughout time. All of these are signs of quality and ultimately have no price tag.” — Willy Chavarria
“Quality to me is confidence in a product or a brand that has proven itself and remains pleasing and desirable.” — Anna Sui
“Quality is work that comes from the heart. There are so many extraordinary craftspeople and artists who create with their hands, create with their heart through their hands and that’s what quality is for me.” — Jordan Roth, theater producer, couture collector and chairman of Friends of the CFDA.
“Our vision of quality applies to an extended concept, meaning the set of characteristics of a specific product. From its original idea to the design, from the choice of materials to its construction and obviously service. But the most important thing is that ‘slowness’ is quality. Our mission is to take the necessary time to guarantee the utmost quality in every phase of the pipeline. Luxury is time.” — Alessandro Sartori, artistic director of Zegna
“Chanel is the epitome of quality. The dress inside looks as good as it does outside, and it’s a pleasure to turn it inside out and see how well the finishing is. Chanel and Dior are the two houses that do fantastic work. The quality of the finishing is so good that it is possible to increase and decrease the size of a dress, whenever you gain weight or not. The fabrics are always top quality and the workmanship is quality as well.” — Mouna Ayoub, real estate entrepreneur and couture patron
“Human error, something romantic and satisfying knowing something is man-made now more than ever.” — Rhuigi Villaseñor, CEO, founder and creative director of Rhude
“For me, quality is about effort — the commitment to research, to test, and to fail, perhaps a hundred times or more. I aim to create things that look, feel and tell stories in the best possible way. Achieving that takes time, energy and diligence; it takes effort.” — Colm Dillane, KidSuper
“An expertise that you get to carry with you, or live in. And hopefully it evokes a feeling that makes you prideful and garners a conversation and curiosity.” — John Elliott
“I have always felt like quality has two things. One is about longevity and the ability of something to endure. It also has to do with materiality and to do with something that has a very human hand. Quality is something usually quite immediate, something you feel right away whether something has it or not.” — Erdem Moraliglu, designer
“The first thing you always do when you go shopping is you rub your fingers on the material. And you can kind of tell right away if that’s something you want on your skin. It’s why it’s always tricky shopping online. You want to try it on. I feel like it’s sort of the same thing with anything, you get what you pay for. There really is good stuff out there and bad stuff. In anything, there’s a lot of s–t, but there’s also some good quality things out there. It’s the same in my industry in Hollywood. There’s a lot of unfunny comedians trying to make it, but there’s also some really funny ones. I’m in a business fully surrounded by people that are the product, you know, actors, musicians, influencers, whatever. And I’ve always been pretty good at kind of being able to tell, like, ‘OK, they’ve got the thing.’ They have that je ne sais quoi. That thing. I’d rather have less stuff and quality stuff than a bunch of s–t. Forgive the language. And as I’ve gotten older, it’s quality over quantity.” — Simon Rex, actor
“Quality to me starts with raising the bar from clean. Clean is not enough. So many brands talk about clean nutrition, clean skin care. Well, clean is the absence of negative things. Clean isn’t enough if you’re talking about quality. What quality is is something that the body recognizes as nutrition. That’s the pathway to health. Quality to me is the presence of high doses of nutrition and the absence of things that provide no value.” — Peter Murane, chief executive officer and cofounder of Mox Skincare
“Quality is about beautiful materials, intricate details, and expert construction.” — Stacey Bendet, chief executive officer and creative director of Alice + Olivia
“Quality is being in the present, whether with family or at work. Really being in the present results in quality — quality time or quality product.” — Veronica Swanson Beard, cofounder of Veronica Beard
“Quality is indelible. The priceless experience that sticks in your psyche like Krazy Glue. Sensual, subtle & mystical. It’s a 2010 super Tuscan.” — Veronica Miele Beard, cofounder of Veronica Beard
“Quality is great fabrics and excellent finishings.” — Sergio Hudson
“Quality earns a place in one’s mind.” — Maxwell Osborne
“When I think of quality, and more specifically ‘good quality,’ I think of something that’s been created with one’s true and sincere integrity and best efforts. I have crafted a life filled with good quality — good quality friendships, designs made to last, and home-grown ingredients to fill quiches with.” — Laura Kim, co-creative director of Oscar de la Renta and Monse
“Quality means seeing the hand and thought [behind the product], not just the product itself.” — Amy Smilovic, founder and creative director of Tibi
“Longevity — be it things or moments that last.” — Daniella Kallmeyer, founder and creative director of Kallmeyer
“Quality is never an accident. It is the result of consideration, care and intelligent effort. I strive for quality in every aspect of my life and work.” — Paul Andrew
“Quality to me truly and simply is just spending time with my family. I don’t take the time for granted. I try to have the most excellent time with my mom and the family in Jamaica. Literally just sitting at the beach laughing in my home city, Montego Bay makes me happy.” — Matthew Harris, founder of Mateo
“To me, quality is like a sixth sense — it’s difficult to define but you know it by how it makes you feel. When it comes to material pieces, it’s the just right color, shape or weight that sparks a feeling of warmth.” — Jade Ruzzo, jeweler
“In this day and age, quality is more about the measure of cost but for me, it’s about the make and intention as well, though not mutually exclusive. For instance, an Ikea shopping bag and a Goyard Saint Louis GM: Both are thoughtfully made in their respective places and both of great quality but most won’t consider them equals because of the cost.” — Angelo Urrutia, creative director of 4SDESIGNS
“Quality is when you can get your day-to-day to quite a peaceful state. I walk my dog for an hour every single morning. I then either walk or drive to work. I sit in the car for 25 minutes and I’m alone with my thoughts. People sometimes think that routine is mundane, but actually there’s so much peace that comes with knowing what you’re doing.” — Victoria Prew, CEO and cofounder of Hurr
“Quality to me is authenticity, passion and attention to detail. Quality comes from being intentional about everything you do.” — Priya Ahluwalia, designer
“Quality for me is hidden in the detail, the touch of the finest fabric, how something is embroidered, where the seam falls, a hidden pocket, how it feels when you put it on; true quality can only be judged up close.” — Huishan Zhang, designer
“Quality is the time and care that is put into something. It does not have to be tangible; it can be relationship-building, a product, or even how you style something. To me, quality means taking your time and adding innovation or elevation to how you execute something. This is something that we pride ourselves in and love about creating Forvr Mood products. We always put quality at the forefront of how it benefits the consumer, how it makes people feel, and why they would want to repurchase. Quality is about how you treat things and people.” — Jackie Aina, content creator and founder of Forvr Mood
