Nothing can come between Rose Byrne and her Calvins, or that's the way it seems these days. The actress has knocked out red carpet hits ever since she came on the scene, and it's in large part due to her longtime stylist Penny Lovell and the mastermind behind these creations—Calvin Klein Collection's women's creative director Francisco Costa.
"We met in 2008, and he dressed me for the Emmys when Damages was up for Best Series," Byrne tells InStyle about the first time she met Costa. "I was very nervous; it was my first big awards ceremony, my first red carpet experience. I was 26 or something, and he made me feel really comfortable. He’s not only incredibly talented, but he’s also a really warm and lovely person. I was very lucky."
Since then, she has racked up a number of standouts from her running Calvin Klein streak, including her stunning pink separates at the 2013 Emmy Awards and most recently, a custom red lacquer embellished creation at the Met Gala. But her relationship with the brand spans decades, which can be traced back to her pre-red carpet days.
"In Australia, Calvin is iconic and I loved the Brooke Shields campaigns from the 1980s. She’s so chic," the Aussie actress says, recalling the moment she fell in love with the brand. "It was iconic, but very modern as well."
So it makes sense that Byrne would be the one to present the 2015 Fashion Visionary Award to Costa at the annual Pratt Institute fashion show Thursday night. "He is no ordinary designer; he understands the elegance of his creations, to help women feel feminine and powerful," she said in her speech. "I can't think of anyone else more deserving of this honor."
"I think our careers are put to test all the time. So a moment like this at Pratt is, for me, really special," Costa said prior to the show. "I regard Pratt as one of the most incredible schools of art and design in the world, and I'm very humbled and happy to have been selected."
And his one message to emerging designers of today? "There’s always room out there for great talent, but you have to really believe in yourself and work hard for it."
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7qrrSrbClnV6YvK57zZ6urGedpLqmutNmrqGdnmK%2FsL%2FEZpmyqp6aeqe10ayrZp6VobluuM6vnGabkaHDqrqMpKOeoZ4%3D