Francisco Costa

If you have beautiful knees, show your knees. I'm not a puritan. I love skin.

My love of fashion stemmed from my mother's passion for it.

I have no tolerance for boredom. I spend so many hours in the office, and I still love it.

I don't love reading so much, but I love book shopping.

I love to garden and cook whenever I get the chance and escape anywhere that's peaceful and quiet. My philosophy on living well is to always stay positive in life.

Rio was a period of my life, and then, poof, I'm gone. I was very young living here, just kind of floating. New York was a foundation for everything I do today. Rio was the bridge.

When I say art influences me, which it does, it's not at all in a literal form. You go and see exhibitions or collections or meet an artist. It's all a compilation. Every moment, at all times, all this information. Then all this information disappears, and it shows up later in the process.

I'm inspired by many things, from landscapes to textiles. Art and architecture always influence my design process.

My mother was very fashion-oriented, and she started a little children's wear business that became large in this little town. She used to be able to look at a picture of an outfit and just start cutting the fabric right there.

I hate to sound esoteric, but there is something about a house that leads you to that one chair, that one corner, where you just sit and feel comfortable.

My mom, she was unbelievable. She ran the whole town. She was like the mayor. There would be 15 people eating at our lunch table. She'd drag people from the street.

Each season I strive to design a forward-thinking and effortless collection with a very clean minimalist aesthetic.