33 posts tagged "Francisco Costa"
Out And About On Fashion’s Night Out
As the first day of shows at Lincoln Center was coming to a close, the FNO festivities uptown were already in full swing. Michael Kors put on his own version of American Idol, turning his Madison Avenue store into a karaoke parlor for amateur contestants and bringing in Kate Upton, Nikki Reed, and Debra Messing to judge. Of FNO, Kors said, “It’s a new holiday. It’s Halloween, it’s New Year’s, and it’s all about style.”
Not far away, a more seasoned performer was taking the stage at Manolo Blahnik: Cyndi Lauper. “It’s kinky boot night!” Lauper said. (Kinky Boots is the name of the new musical she’s developing, about a drag queen and a shoemaker, which will head to Broadway next year; Lauper was wearing a red suede pair by Blahnik for the occasion.) “I love fashion, I’m sorry, I do. I like to give it a twist here and there, a little tug and a pull, deconstruct it a little. I don’t want to look in a magazine and see a 12-year-old in something I’m being pitched to wear.”
At the Calvin Klein store, Dwayne Wade of the Miami Heat was signing copies of his new book A Father First, while models including Karen Elson, Hanne Gaby Odiele, and Kasia Struss, fluttered about. “I always like to push the envelope a little bit,” Wade told Style.com as Ryan Lochte walked by. “With athletes the door is open for us in fashion, and we’re getting into it and enjoying it.” One block over at Bergdorf Goodman, Aerin Lauder (who was celebrating the launch of her eponymous cosmetics line) kick-started the retailer’s 111th birthday celebrations, which later in the night included visits from a host of boldface names like Thakoon Panchigul, Bobbi Brown, and Victoria Beckham and various festivities on the different floors. The scene at Saks was also a multi-story party, ranging from Oscar de la Renta signing fragrance bottles to manicures with Rebecca Minkoff to ping-pong with Susan Sarandon. Before her performance on the eighth floor, songstress Vanessa Carlton admitted, “I’ve never played a shoe floor—there’s some really nice shoes here. And, I’ve never played Saks before.”
It was a night of many firsts. At Bottega Veneta, creative director Tomas Maier was enjoying his first-ever FNO in New York, and over at Ferragamo, Miroslava Duma, Elena Perminova, and Anya Ziourova were hosting their first fête at Ferragamo, in honor of the Italian label’s Russian-themed Fall collection. “At first I thought it would be very overwhelming because I’ve never hosted a night before, but now I think it’s amazing,” Ziourova told Style.com while she clutched her Fabergé egg bag. As waiters passed out latkes, borscht tartar, and plenty of vodka, Duma said, “You know, Russians really love toasts. Sometimes there are people in Russia that, when they’re drunk, they’ll go on toasting for 20 or 30 minutes without reason. But tonight we’ll toast by saying good luck to the fashion industry.” A few guests at the Fivestory party, hosted by Olympia Le-Tan, Annabelle Dexter-Jones, and Arielle de Pinto, could have used that luck for the cut-throat game of Pictionary that was taking place. “I lost,” Le-Tan reported. “The first theme was ‘fashion people’ and I drew Donatella Versace. I think I did a good job but then someone on my team had to draw Mad Men and it was terrible so we lost.”
Downtown in Soho, the streets were so packed you could barely move. But the DKNY store, conveniently spacious and air-conditioned, offered some relief. That is, except where model-of-the-moment Karlie Kloss, who just signed with IMG, was standing. A crowd gathered around Kloss, who was holding a tray of Karlie’s Kookies (get the recipe here) made in collaboration with Momofuku Milk Bar. “They are fashion-week approved,” she told Style.com (translation: “There is no butter and no sugar”). And better yet, she swears she eats them. “I have been eating them all day, I just came from the bakery.” There to support a different kind of FEED was Lauren Bush Lauren, hawking her do-gooder bags.
Over on the west side at Balenciaga, the line wrapped around the store for an audience with Grace Coddington, Vogue‘s longtime creative director. She couldn’t take all the credit. Some went to Pumpkin, her beloved tabby, whom she’d illustrated wearing several seasons’ worth of Balenciaga looks for a Steidl book some years back. Her friend Nicolas Ghesquière was so taken with them that the label printed them on limited-edition bags and scarves, which Coddington happily signed for fans at Balenciaga’s West Chelsea store for FNO. What does Pumpkin think of her newfound fame? “She loves it!” Coddington reported, though, a more press-shy starlet than her owner, Pumpkin wasn’t in attendance last night. A few blocks away, black was the color of the evening—as in BLACK, Comme des Garçons’ popup-turned-permanent store on 17th Street. Only a few shoppers at a time could fit into the minuscule store space, but many more made an impromptu block party outside, fueled by ice cream from a Brooklyn churner. Near nine o’clock, the designated cutoff time, there seemed no signs of dispersal—perhaps because the plastic snap-band watches CDG offered gratis as FNO gifts were all showing Japanese time. Diane von Furstenberg, however, was running on Democratic National Convention time last night. “Let’s all meditate,” she commanded at her Meatpacking District space. “Today is a little crazy so I’m going to go upstairs to watch the President.” Cue loud cheers. “I see this is not a Republican crowd,” she quipped. “Good, we have that in common.”
CLICK FOR A SLIDESHOW of photos from the night.
His Range Is Rio
With the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Summer Olympics (just 1,548 days away for those of you who are counting) on the horizon, Brazil is hotter than ever. Macy’s is celebrating the vibrant country with its latest campaign, A Magical Journey to Brasil. Enter Francisco Costa for a collaborative capsule collection. “I felt so honored when Macy’s approached me because it is a tribute to my home country,” Costa, who is originally from Guarani, Brazil, said this morning at a preview of the new range. He went on to explain that he drew inspiration from a snapshot of sunshine hitting the pavement—inspiration that comes through in the palette of warm neutrals. Ever the minimalist, Costa’s designs for Macy’s have streamlined silhouettes and modern silver hardware accents that are characteristic of his looks for Calvin Klein Collection, rather than his native country’s more Carnaval-friendly fare. Of course, these pieces come at a fraction of the price. The new line ($135-$180) is Costa’s first foray into fast fashion; it will hit stores later this month.
Clean Lines
It’s been 19 years since John Pawson (pictured, left) designed the Calvin Klein Madison Avenue store, and he still remembers the experience well. “I think you always learn something from clients,” said the architect, who, fittingly, was celebrating his new book A Visual Inventory with guests like Amanda Brooks and Nora Zehetner (pictured, right) in the shop last night. “Working with the company over the years has been a big influence,” Pawson said. “When I signed the book for Calvin, I also wrote thanking him for changing the way I viewed things.”
In many ways, Pawson’s clean, minimal aesthetic has aligned so well with the brand that it feels like a a natural extension. He still collaborates with the current designers Francisco Costa (womenswear) and Italo Zucchelli (menswear). “He has an amazing eye that’s so modern,” said Costa. “Actually it’s beyond modern; he’s somehow able to make it warm.” Speaking of warmth, Costa has been marrying his native Brazilian sensibilities with design these days. He recently completed a collection for Macy’s inspired by Brazil’s rich architecture culture. “It started with this photo of the Museum of Modern Art in São Paulo that was sun-glazed and in a warm palette,” the designer said. The result is a collection that’s high on the sex factor but with interesting cuts. As for on-the-ground research, Costa affirmed, “Any time is a good time to visit Brazil.”
Are These Fall Gowns Oscar Material?
Hollywood stylists are forever clambering to keep their celeb clientele in the latest looks fresh off the runways, so there’s little doubt that on Sunday night, we’ll be seeing a few Fall numbers at the Oscars. Compared to many of the ostentatious front-row fixtures at fashion week, most starlets play it safe. (Sorry, Marc, the only actress out there gonzo enough to take your newest lineup for a spin is Helena Bonham Carter). A-listers often opt for classic gowns, like the teal, tie-shouldered number from Oscar de la Renta (the color would be gorgeous with Jessica Chastain’s fiery tresses) or Michael Kors‘ long-sleeved dazzler (pictured), which has Albert Nobbs star Glenn Close’s name written all over it. And with all the attention Rooney Mara attracted at the Calvin Klein show a few weeks back, we wouldn’t be surprised to see her turn up in one of Francisco Costa’s minimal black finale frocks. Many of the heavy hitters won’t be presenting until Paris next week, but it seems some designers have wised up to awards season and are strategically debuting their unseen collections on the red carpet instead of the runway. Case in point: Gwyneth Paltrow at the Emmys, wearing a sheer Emilio Pucci two-piece look that appeared again on the Spring catwalk a few days later. We’re hoping to see a few more of those fashion-forward surprises this weekend.
CLICK FOR A SLIDESHOW, and let us know which Fall designs you’d like to see on the red carpet this weekend.
A Healthy Breakfast
On the ride up to the seventh floor of the Museum of Arts and Design today, Arianna Huffington and Maria Cornejo chatted on the need for coffee and other morning matters. It was half past 8 a.m. after all, and Huffington was a panel member for the CFDA Health Initiative’s “A Well-Balanced Life” discussion. (The news magnate was joined by other busy ladies: Elettra Wiedemann, Monique Péan, Karolina Kurkova, and moderator Alina Cho, who brightened the room in a sunny yellow print frock.) The conversation covered practical tips. Huffington, for one, sang the praises of getting a full night’s sleep. “For me, there is nothing more healing,” she told the audience that included Francisco Costa, Joseph Altuzarra, Prabal Gurung, and Olivier Theyskens. She also touched on something she nattily called “GPS for the soul,” which includes activities that keep people centered (read: weekend yoga). Wiedemann, meanwhile, recommended self-development, such as enrolling in graduate classes. And Péan, a former Wall Street banker turned jewelry designer, advised carrying on-the-go protein during fashion week.
With focus turning to the show season and tough casting decisions, the mood veered in a more serious direction. Kurkova related the pressures models face with body weight and image. In her successful career, she has dealt with health issues, she said, and teared up when mentioning her husband’s devout support throughout that rough patch. Huffington talked about her youngest daughter Isabella, who battled an eating disorder at age 12. But if there was one takeaway from the morning go-around, it was that mentors help light the way. Wiedemann said her father was her rock. For example, when she had to wear a back brace as a young teen (“it was real-life Romy and Michele,” she said), he steered her toward swimming. He was also a former model and he met her mother, Isabella Rossellini, on the set of a Calvin Klein shoot. To which Wiedemann cheered to Costa, “Thanks, Francisco!”