(NEW YORK) As he celebrates a decade at the helm of Calvin Klein Collection, Francisco Costa talks us through his most cherished red carpet moments.
BY EDDIE ROCHE
Does it feel like 10 years?
No, not at all.
Why not?
It feels like 25 years!
Do you have a collection you’re most proud of?
The collection with all the dots in 2006. I was very tormented by that collection. It was a complicated show to put on and it all worked out. There have been great moments throughout. When you are the most creative is when the collection is most successful, because it speaks of fearlessness and innovation.
Who’s been your unsung hero through the years?
The PR team has been fantastic. Ultimately, without our CEO, Tom Murry, I probably wouldn’t still be here. He’s an amazing leader and stood by me in many different ways.
Are you feeling more pressure with your spring 2014 collection due to the anniversary?
Fashion doesn’t change. We have this pressure every season.
FRANCISCO ON HIS FAVORITE CALVIN KLEIN COLLECTION TAPIS ROUGE MOMENTS!
Gwyneth Paltrow, 2011 Oscars
“We love Gwyneth. She’s been such a part of the house. I always wanted to dress her for the Oscars and it was perfection. We made the dress, and what was most surprising to me was that I was in Milan and you never know if an actress is going to wear it or not. It all came about very last minute that she wanted to wear Calvin. When she was on the red carpet, there was such a ‘wow’ moment for me. I was thrilled.”
Jennifer Lawrence, 2011 Oscars
“That was one of the most genius moments we’ve ever had. Winter Bones had just come out and her character was so strong and tough. She was the first one on the carpet and people didn’t recognize who she was. She was so confident and the dress looked impeccable on her. You wanted to know who she was.”
Emma Stone, 2011 Oscars
“She comes to our shows and she’s a big fan of what we do. The color alone! It’s a peach color, which was so delicious on her, and that dramatic back was a moment of perfection. She’s an all-American beauty. She was thrilled with the dress. A good dress builds their confidence.”
Rooney Mara, 2011 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Awards
“I love working with Rooney because she knows exactly what she likes. She has the ability to be bold and edgy, but can also go for a softer, more feminine look, like the first time we dressed her for the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Awards.”
Elle Macpherson, 2005 Met Costume Institute gala
“Elle is such a woman! She wore flat sandals with that dress, which was really cool. She’s such a confident woman. It was a true ball gown, but it showed her body so well. Nobody else could have worn that in such a fresh and contemporary way. I made the dress just for her. We had a variation of it for our fall show.”
Diane Kruger, 2010 Met Costume Institute gala
“She’s fantastic. She knows what she wants and how she should look. Diane looked like a sculpture. She was like a swan. It was a very Calvin moment on the red carpet because it was purity and totally sexy. She was my date with her boyfriend Joshua Jackson.”
Eva Mendes, 2009 Met Costume Institute gala
“She has a very sweet thing about her. We wanted to accentuate the body. The fabric was a 1930s vintage lurex, so it’s really metal. It was very hard to work with because it’s so delicate. There’s nobody more fun to be with than Eva.”
Zoe Saldana, 2010 Met Costume Institute gala
“Divine! So chic and so classic. The one shoulder at the time was really appropriate. It cut really low on one side. She made it look so expensive and refined.”
Katie Holmes, 2013 Met Costume Institute gala
“I was happy to get her back in the realm of Calvin and work with her again. I had made a two-piece dress for her and when she came in for her fitting, I had just finished another dress and asked her if she would mind trying it. She put on this dress and her eyes went bling! The fun thing that nobody saw was that it had an ombré color gray at the edges. It was done on purpose so you couldn’t see if it picked up any dirt. I was concerned about the amount of fabric, but she carried herself so well on those steps. And nobody stepped on it! She owned it.”
Nicole Kidman, Calvin Klein and IFP Celebrate Women in Film Event, 2013
“That was from our fall collection that we showed last February. I was thrilled to have her in that dress. It was the first time I had interacted with her. At the end of the evening she was at such ease and made the experience tremendous.”
PLUS! Karlie Kloss Weighs In On Francisco…
I’ve known Francisco my entire career. I first walked into his studio when I was 15. He’s a special guy—humble, hardworking, and talented beyond measure.—Karlie Kloss
