After exiting as the womenswear creative director at Calvin Klein in 2016, Francisco Costa took some time off and returned to his native Brazil. Here, the designer explored the sprawling Amazon rainforest for the very first time, becoming acquainted with indigenous people, their culture, and last but not least, a local substance called Breu. The latter discovery, a natural resin, eventually spawned the launch Costa Brazil, a beauty and fragrance brand offering sustainable, ethically sourced products, only two years later. Costa Brazil was briefly acquired by a bio-tech giant, but when the company filed for bankruptcy in 2023, Costa bought back the company and fully relaunched the next year. Popular with a savvy and forward demographic, the brand takes its operations to a higher level, opening its first permanent retail space at home base New York City.

The brand secured a lofty unit on the premises of Hudson Yards, the upscale, mixed-use complex in the Chelsea area, featuring a collaborative interior design by Costa and designer Alexander May. The store partially takes cues from a work by Richard Serra from Costa’s private collection, and which is displayed in the store, featuring a restrained backdrop of concrete and for meticulously configured displays and nooks that effortlessly ooze ‘architect’s townhouse’. All custom-designed, the furnishings include displays, display tables, cushioned day beds, and shelving. Adding a highly personal narrative to the settings is a curated range of books and objects, all sourced from Costa’s personal collection. The new Costa Brazil store carries the full range of body and hair care products, fragrances, and home products. The recent store opening coincides with the launch of two exclusive products—the Breu incense and Breu soap bar. © superfuture