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Quote by Francisco Costa

“My birthday is May 10. I'm so Taurus, you would not even believe. All the Tauruses I know have this connection to the earth and the environment. We are very curious people, very loyal, very aware of and respectful of our surroundings. Also we're stubborn, but that's our way. We understand what we want, which is not bad.”

Quote by Francisco Costa

Author

Francisco Costa

Francisco Costa (born May 10, 1964) is a Brazilian-American fashion designer best known for his role as the creative director of Calvin Klein women's wear from 2003 to 2016. Born in Minas Gerais, Brazil, he initially studied medicine before pursuing fashion. He worked at Oscar de la Renta and Gucci before leading Calvin Klein, where he redefined the brand with minimalist, sensual designs. Costa won the CFDA Womenswear Designer of the Year award in 2006. In 2017, he launched Costa Brazil, a sustainable beauty and lifestyle brand. His work emphasizes clean lines, natural materials, and environmental consciousness. more

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“My mom. She was quite a character. Open-minded. It was a very small town, and she started her own business, manufacturing children's wear. She was very dynamic. Her death was like the umbilical cord being cut. That's when I moved to America.”

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“I didn't know who Calvin Klein was, really. But Brooke Shields, we knew her from those incredible commercials - "There's nothing between me and my Calvins." I knew very little about American fashion then. I had no money, and Charivari was very educational to me. And Parachute. I was fascinated by those stores. I couldn't buy anything; I just went through the clothes.”

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“I wasn't a club kid. I wasn't an artist. I was just a foreigner, trying to soak it all up. I had quite a lot of fun.”

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“Mid-'80s in New York was fantastic. I remember my first Gay Pride parade in the city. Where I grew up was very sheltered, so when I got to the city, there was this freedom and so much happening. At the same time, there was this pressure of AIDS and everything else. New York is so different today.”

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“I could never before say that I loved color or that I understood color. But Oscar de la Renta opened up a side of my brain.”

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“I didn't even have a portfolio, but I went to Tom Ford the next morning. He said, "I'd love you to come in with me. Get a lawyer." It was quite exciting, obviously, because it was a complete departure. But mind you, what he was looking for was the exact opposite of what I thought. My first collection for him was Cher-inspired. It was flower trousers, California, hippie cool, all the stuff I did at Oscar. It was making me sick. I wanted to see the other side of the spectrum. Tom was always very secure about the way he did things, so it was quite interesting for me.”

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“You can't compare us, but I do think that Calvin Klein influenced his way of working. Calvin created this whole aesthetic with imagery - the whole sex thing. I can see that Calvin influence on his work. What Calvin has created is untouchable. My legacy, whatever it is I'm doing here, is miniscule compared to what he has done. It's just like an update deal.”

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“It's so hard to actually find that niche for yourself. It's like when Nicolas Ghesquiére found Balenciaga. I hate to sound esoteric, but there is something about a house that leads you to that one chair, that one corner, where you just sit and feel comfortable. I feel very comfortable at Calvin Klein. My name is associated with it enough, and we have a fantastic team here.”

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“You think of luxury when you think of Calvin Klein. He created this lifestyle that's really desirable, so our whole project has that quality of being lasting.”

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“I only do what I do. For me, it is a craft. It's got to be my own thing - otherwise, I would never be successful. I could easily go to the archives and pull 1987 or 1991 collection by Calvin Klein. But when you look in there, you realize that it was never about one piece. It was about the collections as bodies of work.”

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