Robert Tagliapietra and Jeffrey Costello were destined to meet and become the dynamic designing duo Costello Tagliapietra. Growing up in working class families, Robert in Westchester, New York and Jeffrey in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, both had grandmothers who worked as seamstresses at Norman Norell, yet they had never met.

In the 80’s, Jeffery began designing clothes in collaboration with local New York bands, which led to a lot of video work, movies, and personal wardrobes for stars like Madonna, Debi Mazar, and Dépêche Mode. In 1994, Robert and Jeffery met and it was clearly kismet. Their first collaboration was working for Madonna’s bedtime stories video and instantly the two realized that together, they could take the fashion world by storm. They were partners, a divine designing duo that still today claims the most important and influential person in their lives is each other.

In 2005, Robert and Jeffery officially founded their company Costello Tagliapietra. They were first recognized by the Ecco Domani Fashion Foundation and were awarded for an ensuing fall collection. Both being self taught, and with no direct connection to people in the industry, they blindly sent out their 12 look collection in a look book to hundreds of magazines. Within two weeks, they received a call from Irini Arakas from Vogue who wrote a story about them in March. By June, they were a company.

Costello Tagliapietra’s trademarks are beautiful ladylike dresses and coats with inscrutable attention to detail: drapery and fabric choice. What makes their clothing so unique is that “it has always been about elegance, a return to what we like to call the ‘art of dressing’,” Jeffery explains. They continue to be on the top of the fashion radar by not trying to keep ahead of the trends. Robert explains, “We never fall for trends because what we offer is a consistent view and love of women- We love presenting our work and letting others get what they want and need from it” Everyone brings their own experience to what we see.”

Costello Tagliapietra is truly a duo, two people in the company running the entire show from their third floor studio in their home in Brooklyn where they construct the entire process from start to finish. From the sketching, to pattern making, to the meeting with buyers, to the sewing, is touched only by their two sets of hands. Sketches are on the wall hung by thumbtacks, piles of old international fashion magazines are stacked away in the corner, and mounds of large, thick fashion books are piled high along the wall. Their workshop is the true essence of dedication, fashion history, and fashion in the making. “We definitely design what is personal and important to us – it is our little universe that we have created and of course it is always the woman and how to make her feel special, elegant and confident.”

Costello Tagliapietra’s trademark is a beautiful crafted hand for jersey which lends to smooth draping and expert tailoring. They are known as masons of 70’s glamour and elegance. Fabrics do change from season to season but their dexterity lies within the calculated choice of fabric from which to build upon. This season for Fall 2009 they sent out washable ultrasuede: a cocktail dress and well-constructed jackets in a muted palette of grays and purple with a dash or burnt orange. This season, their freshest silhouette was the use of a Jodhpur sleeve. “For this season, the collection became an Avedon/fifties silhouette seen through the lens of Giger landscapes,” they explained. “It was about heroines of the cyber punk classic Neuromancer-bladerunner as much as it was Avedon,” they added. This was the first season that they introduced accessories into their collection: big chainmail ultra suede knotted necklace braided with sparkling Swarovski crystals.

Why does the duo have such loyal following despite their size? “Personalization is what makes life interesting and how you wear your clothing and what your wear with them says a lot about the wearer,” they explain. With a genuine smile they exclaim, “Every client is important to us!” This connection between the creator and customer explains not only the success of their collections, but their humble and genuine personalities. A quite refreshing fountain in fashions’ famously phony fishing pond.

Their collection is being sold worldwide, and at Barneys New York. They foresee expanding their jewelry line as well as venturing into menswear, shoes and handbags.

Sarah Sulzberger Perpich