We love getting inside the head of a designer, and when it's one of our favorite favorite contemporary artists doing the probing, so much the better. This month's Interview delivers a great tête à tête between Calvin Klein designer Francisco Costa and photographer Ryan McGinley that's as frank a discussion of sexuality, childhood, and creative processes as you're liable to read.
Up for discussion are both Costa's and McGinley's personal sexual awakenings, how their upbringings inspired their work, and other heavy business including family deaths. Lightening the load are a few fun revelations: Despite Calvin Klein's spartan aesthetic, Costa admits he hates the word "minimalism" (surprise, surprise) and prefers "reductionist," cops to wearing the tightest Speedos possible (yikes), used to make homes for his family cats, and hates Diet Coke even though he works in an industry seemingly fueled by it (brave man). Cutest of all, he claims that when he arrived in New York in 1985 without being to speak a word of English, he communicated with people in clubs through the "Language of love!" For a man who's famous for creating white sheath dresses, his story is all sorts of colorful. (Interview Magazine)
Photo: Via Interview Magazine.