<http://schema.org/articleBody>
" ELLE DECOR: How would you define your professional style?  Josie Natori: I don&amp;#039;t act like an investment banker, which is what I did before, but I&amp;#039;m not casual about how I do things\u2014I&amp;#039;m more buttoned up.  ED: What are your style inspirations?  JN: Audrey Hepburn. Also, my heritage\u2014I was born in the Philippines. I like bringing the mystery of the East and the quality of Asian antiques to my brand in a way that can be enjoyed in modern life.  ED: What is your design philosophy or motto?  JN: Be true to yourself, but keep evolving. And don&amp;#039;t limit yourself to one mood\u2014you can have things that look right for the city, the country, or the beach.  ED: What is the most important lesson you have learned about your business?  JN: I&amp;#039;ve always been very clear about our vision for Natori: the East-West sensibility and the comfort, craftsmanship, and luxury of the apparel.  ED: People are becoming increasingly design-conscious. How has that influenced you?  JN: There is more interest now in having Asian things in one&amp;#039;s homes and bringing precious objects into one&amp;#039;s life. Our approach is that whether it&amp;#039;s a pillow or kimono, it&amp;#039;s a work of art.  ED: What design trends do you think will last?  JN: It used to be that a bedroom or bath looked the same year-round. Now people are more experimental and are transforming their homes whenever they want and having fun with it.  ED: What are your three style must-haves?  JN: Without my lipstick, perfume, and handkerchief I feel naked. I don&amp;#039;t even need a handbag.  ED: Any advice for someone starting out?  JN: Your business needs a raison d&amp;#039;\u00EAtre. Be prepared to work 24 hours a day, and be willing to take risks. And you have to love it or you won&amp;#039;t succeed.  ED: What is the smartest business decision you ever made? And the biggest mistake?  JN: The smartest was leaving Wall Street. I knew nothing about what I was going into, but 33 years later my brand is still around. As for mistakes, when you have your own company you don&amp;#039;t see it that way; you view them as learning experiences.  ED: In the new economy is good design less important\u2014or more?  JN: More. Innovation is more important than ever now to get the customer to purchase something.  ED: What does value mean for you?  JN: It&amp;#039;s not about doing something just to be inexpensive. It&amp;#039;s about craftsmanship. Our fragrance is not only a fragrance, the bottle is a collector&amp;#039;s item.  ED: What new Web technology has been incorporated into the way you work?  JN: I&amp;#039;m not an Internet geek, but I realize we need to relate that way. I blog, but about my life rather than business, and I love hearing feedback from consumers. I want to know my consumer.  ED: If you could pass wisdom on to the next generation of women entrepreneurs, what would it be?  JN: My biggest assets are being a woman and being Asian-American. Both of those facts make Natori what it is today. What&amp;#039;s really important is doing something you relate to, something that&amp;#039;s personal.  Click here to see more of our Women in Design. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.elledecor.com/design-decorate/interior-designers/interviews/a2848/women-in-design-josie-natori-a-66867/?src=shelter_footer>