Francisco Costa is celebrating his tenth anniversary at the helm of Calvin Klein this season. It s a milestone, and the brand is doing it up: new Tribeca venue, A-list star power in the form of Nicole Kidman and Rooney Mara (the face of the label s just-launched perfume, Downtown) in the front row, and a glitzy party planned for later this evening. Costa, for his own part, didn t let the moment slip by. True to the house s roots, minimalism has long been the designer s signature here, but you couldn t call what he did today pared back. If he didn t exactly play against type, he certainly tried a few things that felt new. "Elevated deconstruction," he called his Spring experiment afterward. It was a gutsy show for Costa.
The collection started off much as they usually do at Calvin Klein—with white, but the exposed seam allowance on the opening look s strapless wrap top and skirt flashed pink. Color was the first difference; in addition to that pink, there was the red, mint, and brilliant emerald green of handwoven cotton tweed. A black nylon material he used for a tank top and a full, short skirt was loomed with bright threads. Yarnlike threads also appeared as a deep fringe on a woven black leather jacket. Costa has traditionally been too controlled a designer to embrace something like fringe. Here, he made it a big part of the story, and the three swishy finale dresses especially were an argument for a more freewheeling Francisco.
Not all of Costa s ideas about deconstruction were as successful. Some of the materials he used were too stiff (we re thinking in particular of those wide-cuff painter s pants), and it s also fair to wonder how many women out there want to wear their seam allowances on the outside of their clothes. But we really liked the look of a pair of dresses patchworked from graphic leather and silk basket weaves. All in all, Costa more than earned all of the celebrating he ll be doing tonight.
