Written by A Wild Dove
If you’ve been tuned into the fashion scene over the past few decades, the name Francisco Costa likely drums up images of sculptural Calvin Klein Collection separates and fluid, minimalistic silhouettes. A CFDA award-winning career and clients like Lupita Nyong’o, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Jennifer Lawrence have solidified Costa’s name as an international design superstar—and helped build a bridge for even greater creative expansion.
Seeking out different artforms and mediums, whether in the form of ballet choreographers or reknowned architects, has proven to be a natural instinct for Costa. As part of his latest endeavor, he’s serving up a contemporary mix of environmental awareness and healing rituals. After departing from Calvin Klein and returning to his homeland of Brazil in 2016, it was the Amazon rainforest that struck Costa as an untapped wealth of native ingredients and historic knowledge. And, more importantly than ever, an understanding of the need for global support in protecting its natural beauty surfaced.
With Costa Brazil, an eco-beneficial skincare and fragrance collection enmeshes responsibly sourced ingredients with the striking design instincts that turned the Brazilian-born designer into a household name. As part of the board of Conservation International, a non-profit organization devoted to protecting nature, Costa simultaneously brings awareness to the fight for our forests and wildlife while supporting the indigenous Amazonian population. In our exclusive Q&A, the designer and environmentalist opens up about celebrating ease, happiness, and the beauty of taking a moment for yourself:
We love to talk about second and third “acts” in life, aka the pivots that you’ve made within industries and personal passions to get to where you are today. What was your path to creating Costa Brazil like?
I went back to Brazil while in the early development stages of the brand, I had the idea for the brand but it wasn’t totally complete. After I took my first ever trip into the Amazon, everything aligned for me.
I found what I consider the essence of beauty deep in the jungle and learned that ingredients were the most important thing in developing my product. My vision was born during my first six months there.
Have you always found ties between fashion and beauty in your own career?
In Rio, there’s a way of greeting people, E ai, belleza?, which translates to, ‘is everything beautiful?’ Growing up in Brazil gave me an inherent appreciation of nature and an understanding of the beauty of simplicity.
In Brazil we celebrate ease, happiness.
The collection is so tightly edited and luxe—what makes the products you’re currently offering so special?
Currently we offer the Kaya Anti-Aging face oil, Kaya Jungle Body Firming oil, Breu Resin Vela Candle, and most recently, our new body cream. All of our products are free of artificial ingredients like parabens, phthalates, sulfates, etc.
Kaya, Cacay and Breu, or our ‘Jungle Complex’, are natural ingredients we responsibly source from the Amazon and act as the base ingredients of all of our products.
Our goal is for our products to benefit the body, spirit and environment.
Do you have any personal favorites from your collection? How do you use them in your own routine?
I love all of the products and use them daily. I believe taking time to engage in a ritualistic skincare routine is beneficial to the mind, body and soul.
Rituals are a time in our day where we can take a beautiful moment for ourselves, take pause, reset.
The concept of rituals and how they can enhance the day-to-day is endlessly fascinating—what are some of your personal rituals that you maintain?
I believe we are providing rituals along with our products. We want to give people a chance to experience something meaningful.
The Skin Ritual is about having the best connection to your body and feeding your skin, while the Breath Ritual is about taking time and being close to nature.
What are some of your favorite beauty and wellness products outside of your own line? Any that you can’t make it through the day without?
I love Epsom salt. I use it in the bath and to cleanse my face daily, followed by ice.
And on the topic of balance—how do you maintain your own work/life balance when schedules and responsibilities reach maximum capacity?
I remind myself that good things take time, it really is a labor of love. I have been lucky to have brilliant minds surrounding me in the process.
Images by Costa Brazil | Model Images by Sam Rock | Product Images by Marius W Hansen | Brazil Images by Victor Affaro