Some things just go together perfectly…like peanut butter & Nutella, fashion bloggers and Starbucks, and of course luxury cars and high-fashion dresses. At the grand opening of the Couture Customs showroom in Scottsdale, that perfect pairing is exactly what we got! (the cars & fashion that is, just in case our analogies confused you)
Couture Customs opened their doors to the most prestige individuals of Arizona. Guests mingled around a Rolls Royce, Lamborghini (and countless other luxury cars), Elton John’s piano, and celebs galore. Every one was dressed to impress, and with good reason! Not only was there a hot crowd, there was also a haute fashion show.
Frankie Muniz of Malcolm in the Middle
Michael Costello of Project Runway Season 8, and the first ever Project Runway All Stars was presenting his spring collection, MTCostello. The crowd had a chance to browse some of the ready-to-wear pieces before the show, and with just that little taste of fashion, the air was buzzing with excitement.
The fashion show started off with lots of leather and plunging necklines. It transitioned to softer materials, but kept that same sexy vibe. We happened to be standing by Misty, of Vintage by Misty, and we both agreed that we loved the textured looks, exposed shoulders, and flowing bohemian gowns. (The center dress of the first photo was without a doubt Couture in the Suburbs’ favorite of the night!)
We had the opportunity to interview designers Michael and Stefanie Costello after the show to find out a little bit more about the collection, their partnership, and why they decided to showcase here in Arizona (totally amazing, right?)
What was your inspiration for this collection?
“The inspiration behind MTCostello, which was what you saw tonight, was prostitutes. No joke. Women who are sophisticated, edgy, on the cutting edge of fashion, who love to shop, who are debutantes with disposable income, who sleep with very rich men in high powerful places just to gain Instagram followers.”
One of the MTCostello dresses was also auctioned off to benefit MaxLove Project, a non-profit brand that supports pediatric cancer. For each hat sold by MaxLove Project, one is given to a child fighting cancer. In addition, all the net proceeds from the brand fund cancer-fighting comprehensive integrative therapies, research, and resources.
There was a silent auction full of sports and music memorabilia to benefit MaxLove Project as well. It was really amazing to see all these famous, wealthy individuals coming together to support these kids.
“I think it’s fun, just doing local little events like this and bringing awareness to the local charities, especially Max Love. Whatever way I can lend what celebrity I have to any type of event, I’m always willing to do it,” Michael Costello told us.
Michael and Stefanie Costello
We loved Michael’s positive attitude about supporting charities, and his fantastic sense of humor. He really is just as charming as he seems on TV.
How did your partnership with Stefanie Costello form after coming off Project Runway a couple years ago?
“Ohmygosh…. Well coming off Project Runway instantly went into another show, Project Runway All Stars, and then went to Life After the Runway. I turned down reality TV when they came back for other stuff, just to get more focused on the collection, cause that’s really where my passion is – in design.
Stefanie and I are cousins, and we always wanted to design together. Stefanie’s always loved fashion, I’ve always loved fashion, so we figured why not just try something together? It’s like if we had sex and made our own baby, this is it. But that’s weird because we’re family, so this is our fashion love child.”
Stefanie, what is it like working with Michael Costello, who has become such a household name?
“It’s amazing. He’s not like any other designer. Everything inspires him. He hears a song, there’s a dress he wants to make from that song, if he’s watching TV, if he’s eating something… he just always always has his mind working, his creation is working.”
Why is Scottsdale such an important place to show your collection?
“Cause I used to live here! I lived here when I was 11 years old.”
“I think a lot of people don’t realize how fun and fashion-forward Scottsdale and other parts of Arizona have become. I mean you have two of the best modeling agencies out here – The Agency and Ford by Robert Black!
It’s cutting edge and it’s fashion-forward, and I’d love to one day see more from the area. You guys even have your own fashion week international here. And it’s pretty awesome.”
This event was beyond chic. Niki Woehler and Flavor Marketing did an absolutely incredibly job making the Couture Customs grand opening the highlight of Scottsdale’s week (probably more like month, or year, but you never know what crazy stuff is going to happen next).
A huge thank you to Michael and Stefanie Costello for coming out to Arizona, and chatting with Couture in the Suburbs. J’adore MTCostello and can’t wait to see more from this super-talented duo.
