Costa Brava

Francisco Costa is the steward of the founder’s women’s wear runway legacy.

Five years after moving into the spotlight at Calvin Klein, Francisco Costa no longer needs an introduction.

In New York fashion circles and beyond, the women’s creative director of Calvin Klein Collection is increasingly recognized. Costa has been making a name for himself for the artistic, architectural and often softer bent he brings to the label’s minimalist DNA — and he never seems to lose respect for Klein’s own work.

“I love the craft of the clothes,” Costa said. “I love a piece that is interesting, well-made, challenging and current. When you think of minimalism, there was a school of minimalism. It was in art, in architecture. I think it has evolved today.”

While Collection isn’t exactly Calvin Klein Inc.’s moneymaker — far from it — the line nevertheless sets the tone for the entire brand, and as a result, Costa finds himself in a powerful seat at the company. His designs ultimately make their way into influential editorials, and steer the powerful ad campaigns that grace the pages of luxury magazines. The dresses he creates often find themselves on the all-important red carpet, where a celebrity endorsement can fuel the sales of better sportswear, fragrance, underwear and jeans — categories Costa has little to do with otherwise.

Today — after several runway hits and two CFDA Womenswear Designer of the Year awards — it’s hard to imagine the pressures Costa must have felt filling the shoes of Calvin Klein himself. Designer succession, after all, is one of the industry’s most challenging issues, and more than a few talents have failed at it.

Costa has remained philosophical about the daunting task he has faced, even if there have been seasons when fashion critics didn’t embrace his efforts.

Sitting in the all-white Calvin Klein Manhattan office at 205 West 39th Street, the 44-year-old shrugs off the notion replacing Klein was a Herculean task.