You probably remember that Isabella Blow spoke about her ulterior motive for wearing hats, and that Kate Moss has a motto to sum up why she rarely speaks in public. But can you remember their words accurately?

From Tom Ford to Grace Coddington, the most successful people in the industry are often those who can casually whip out a witticism, or spin a great yarn with no effort at all. They’re the good interviewees: the ones who always have a wise comment or a naughty observation to share, and who you’d love to bump into at a cocktail party. And as cocktail parties are a weekly occurrence in fashion, it’s no surprise that they find themselves in demand.

What follows is our round-up of the best pithy quotations from 50 big names. Whether you’re in search of a meaningful style insight (Anna Wintour; Coco Chanel; Bill Cunningham) or a great one-liner (Karl Lagerfeld; Joan Rivers; Iris Apfel), you’ll find it all here. And from now on, you can throw a few witty words into conversation like they just came off the top of your head.

Click to gallery and get parrotting