"I've been strong and determined all my life about many things I've wanted"
About this Quote
The phrasing does a lot of work. "All my life" retrofits destiny, turning ambition into an innate trait rather than a string of choices, risks, and maneuvers. "About many things I've wanted" is carefully unspecific, a strategic vagueness that lets the listener project: success, control, recognition, erotic charge, cultural centrality. Klein's empire wasn't built only on cut and fabric; it was built on attention. His ads turned minimal underwear into maximal controversy, testing how far desire could be commercialized while still reading as sophistication. Determination, here, is also about nerve.
There's subtext in what he doesn't mention: collaboration, luck, timing, the army behind any label. By centering "I've wanted", he frames fashion not as democratic self-expression but as a top-down act of taste-making. It's a reminder that the most influential designers aren't just stylists; they're editors of public desire, and the job requires a stubbornness that can survive backlash, boredom, and the brutal churn of trend cycles.
Quote Details
| Topic | Perseverance |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite | Cite this Quote |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Klein, Calvin. (n.d.). I've been strong and determined all my life about many things I've wanted. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/ive-been-strong-and-determined-all-my-life-about-13459/
Chicago Style
Klein, Calvin. "I've been strong and determined all my life about many things I've wanted." FixQuotes. Accessed February 1, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/ive-been-strong-and-determined-all-my-life-about-13459/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"I've been strong and determined all my life about many things I've wanted." FixQuotes, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/ive-been-strong-and-determined-all-my-life-about-13459/. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.







