Francisco Costa

Francisco Costa (born 10 May 1964) is a Brazilian designer and the Women's Creative Director of Calvin Klein Collection.

This look reflected the late 1970s styles when designers like Calvin Klein and Perry Ellis came to prominence.

Following his mother's death in 1981, he left with a friend for New York City in 1985.

He was twenty-one and spoke no English at the time.

He enrolled in a language class at Hunter College and took courses at the Fashion Institute of Technology at night.

He obtained employment with Herbert Rounick, whose Seventh Avenue (Manhattan) company made dresses for Oscar de la Renta and Bill Blass.

Costa went to work for de la Renta after Rounick's death, designing for the firm's Japanese licenses.

Costa credits de la Renta with teaching him the most about both designing clothes and life.

He remained with the company for five years.

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Klein's partner, Barry Schwartz, brought Costa's name to Klein's attention in 2001.

Costa joined the Klein design group in 2001 after working for Gucci, where he was an assistant to Tom Ford.

Their first collaboration is known as the Cher Collection.

Costa became the principal designer for the women's Calvin Klein Collection at the age of 39, in September 2003.

Earlier in the year Klein sold his company to Phillips-Van Heusen for approximately $730 million.

Costa was mentioned as a possible replacement when Ford retired from designing for Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent, in late 2003.

Costa emphasized trouser suits in the spring 2004 collections.

Costa also paired clingy, translucent daytime skirts with cashmere tops and layered cardigan over rumpled white shirts and men's ribbed undershirts with loose cotton shorts.

In the fall of 2004 Costa introduced washed silk dresses and black wool felt coats.

The clothing was given weight by the librarian brogue heel.

The style was exceedingly popular during both the Paris, France and Milan, Italy shows.

In his collection for Spring 2005 Costa showed a sea-green silk dress "wrapped like a towel".

The silk dress was coveted by many buyers and shipped to stores in the late fall and early winter.

The inspiration for this collection's uncomplicated evening dresses were primitive wood sculptures by Brâncuși.

They were based on a trapeze, combining viscose jersey with silk.

Vogue and Harper's Bazaar named Elle Macpherson to their 2005 best dressed lists after she wore Costa's lime green dress.

Costa won the Council of Fashion Designers America (CFDA) award for Womenswear Designer of the Year in 2006 as well as in 2008.

Costa's February, 2006 collection for Calvin Klein was reviewed by The New York Times fashion critic Cathy Horyn, for conveying "largely a surface beauty".

It featured dresses with many layers of black chiffon and tulle.

Costa also won the National Design Award in 2009 in the category of Fashion Design.

More recently he launched a beauty concept called Costa Brazil inspired by his native Brazil (www.livecostabrazil.com).

Costa is the second youngest of five children.

He grew up in Guarani, Brazil, where his mother, Maria-Francisca, owned a children's wear factory.

She began her business producing dresses commissioned by a traveling salesman.

Costa's father, Jacy Neves da Costa, ran a small ranch.

In his hometown of 8,000 people, Costa put on fashion shows for charities.

His size is compact and he has brown eyes.

Being civic minded by nature, his mother was like the mayor of the town.

She presided over her family.

Costa remembers there being fifteen people at his family's lunch table.