Francisco Costa

I wonder if I would have been less organic of a designer without my background. Maybe I would be more academic about designing, more methodical. I want things to be a certain way, and I'm very precise, but school itself wasn't that relevant for me. ”

Milan, for me, is a city of discovery. You can find some amazing gardens behind some great houses; I also love finding beautiful galleries and incredible shops, but you have to explore. And the food is amazing. ”

I do go back to Brazil once a year. I miss my family. ”

I think the women that we dress, the women who buy our clothes, they have a certain strength. It could be about the clothes, it could be about themselves. It's just attractive. ”

I cannot live without art: it excites me, it challenges me, and it leads me to the next thing. ”

The bottom line is that red carpet helps us broaden the appeal of the brand. Calvin Klein used to be about a very specific woman, but we've dressed so many different women at awards. ”

I came to New York in 1986. My father didn't think it was a good idea. I didn't know how I found it, but I went to Hunter College. I had no money and I couldn't speak English. ”

I just hate people who are lazy. To be on my team, you have to have energy and a sense of wanting to learn. That really excites me. ”

I never liked sleeping; I always think I am missing something. ”

I wanted to be involved with fashion, though I didn't know what being a designer meant. ”