# Michael Costello (fashion designer)
**Michael Costello** is an American fashion designer based in Los Angeles, known for glamorous evening gowns worn by celebrities including Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez, Katy Perry, and [Cardi B](https://www.edgepedia.org/cardi-b).[1](https://www.apparelnews.net/news/2019/jan/31/michael-costello-goes-project-runway-his-own-desig/) He first became widely known as a contestant on season 8 of the television competition *Project Runway* in 2010, finishing fourth, and later built a namesake brand sold at [Saks Fifth Avenue](https://www.edgepedia.org/saks-fifth-avenue) and through a long-running collaboration with the online retailer Revolve.[1](https://www.apparelnews.net/news/2019/jan/31/michael-costello-goes-project-runway-his-own-desig/) • [2](https://www.glossy.co/podcasts/designer-michael-costello-you-dont-feel-like-a-major-player-in-the-industry-until-youre-sold-at-a-high-end-department-store/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Breakthrough | Season 8 of *Project Runway* (2010), fourth place; returned for *Project Runway: All Stars* in 2012, placing third[1](https://www.apparelnews.net/news/2019/jan/31/michael-costello-goes-project-runway-his-own-desig/) |
| Training | Self-taught; he has never had formal fashion training[3](https://www.buddytv.com/get-to-know-the-project-runway-all-star-michael-costello-of-season-8/) |
| Signature look | Curve-hugging evening gowns with draped, jewel-toned fabrics, high slits, and open backs[4](https://dsandl.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Desert-Feb-Mar2025-FINAL-DSL.pdf) |
| Career milestone | Dressed Beyoncé in a white lace dress at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards, January 26, 2014[4](https://dsandl.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Desert-Feb-Mar2025-FINAL-DSL.pdf) |
| Retail | Sold at Saks Fifth Avenue since 2022; six years selling at Revolve, producing 120 to 180 exclusive pieces per month[2](https://www.glossy.co/podcasts/designer-michael-costello-you-dont-feel-like-a-major-player-in-the-industry-until-youre-sold-at-a-high-end-department-store/) |
| Studio | Design studio and store in downtown Los Angeles[1](https://www.apparelnews.net/news/2019/jan/31/michael-costello-goes-project-runway-his-own-desig/) |
## Early life and Palm Springs
Costello grew up in [Palm Springs, California](https://www.edgepedia.org/palm-springs-california), where he watched his mother design and sew and learned to make his own pieces from her.[1](https://www.apparelnews.net/news/2019/jan/31/michael-costello-goes-project-runway-his-own-desig/) As a teenager he opened his first boutique in the city, creating dresses for local clients; he credits his mother and word-of-mouth loyalty from those clients with making him a successful designer and boutique owner in what he calls a small desert town.[1](https://www.apparelnews.net/news/2019/jan/31/michael-costello-goes-project-runway-his-own-desig/) One account places the boutique opening at age 14.[5](https://www.clotheslinefinds.com/2014/04/meet-greet-with-michael-costello-and.html) He also interned for the celebrity designer [Bob Mackie](https://www.edgepedia.org/bob-mackie) at a young age, which he says put him ahead of other designers at his stage.[1](https://www.apparelnews.net/news/2019/jan/31/michael-costello-goes-project-runway-his-own-desig/)
Palm Springs has remained central to his public profile. He holds a star on the city's Walk of Stars and has been a significant presence at Fashion Week El Paseo, an annual runway event on El Paseo in Palm Springs, where for years he has shown his own collections alongside hand-picked designers from various seasons of *Project Runway*.[6](https://www.palmspringslife.com/shopping-style/michael-costello-fashion-week-el-paseo/) His 2018 El Paseo show debuted a swimwear line, described by the designer as poolside wear rather than swimwear, and featured plus-size models and women up to their seventies.[6](https://www.palmspringslife.com/shopping-style/michael-costello-fashion-week-el-paseo/)
## Project Runway
Costello applied to *Project Runway* after what he describes as hitting a wall in his career; he had already dressed [Paris Hilton](https://www.edgepedia.org/paris-hilton), Mischa Barton, Salma Hayek, and [Mariah Carey](https://www.edgepedia.org/mariah-carey), but says dressing celebrities for free was not paying the bills. He bought fabric for one dollar a yard at Walmart, made his audition samples in three days, and says he beat out 22,000 contestants competing in Los Angeles for a place on the show.[2](https://www.glossy.co/podcasts/designer-michael-costello-you-dont-feel-like-a-major-player-in-the-industry-until-youre-sold-at-a-high-end-department-store/)
On season 8, which aired in 2010, he won as many challenges as the season's winner, Gretchen Jones, and became a fan favorite, ultimately finishing fourth.[3](https://www.buddytv.com/get-to-know-the-project-runway-all-star-michael-costello-of-season-8/) His lack of formal training drew criticism from other contestants during the season.[3](https://www.buddytv.com/get-to-know-the-project-runway-all-star-michael-costello-of-season-8/) He returned in 2012 for *Project Runway: All Stars*, placing third.[1](https://www.apparelnews.net/news/2019/jan/31/michael-costello-goes-project-runway-his-own-desig/)
## Celebrity clients and runway career
The turning point of his post-show career came on January 26, 2014, when Beyoncé wore his white lace dress to the 56th Annual Grammy Awards, an event that drew nationwide attention.[4](https://dsandl.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Desert-Feb-Mar2025-FINAL-DSL.pdf) In 2018, Cardi B attended [Paris Fashion Week](https://www.edgepedia.org/paris-fashion-week) in a multicolored dramatic hat and dress combination from his Spring/Summer 2019 runway show.[7](https://time.com/5524695/cardi-b-best-fashion-outfits/) He has also served as wardrobe designer for Mariah Carey's Las Vegas residency in 2019.[4](https://dsandl.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Desert-Feb-Mar2025-FINAL-DSL.pdf)
His runway work has included [New York Fashion Week](https://www.edgepedia.org/new-york-fashion-week) shows, such as his Spring 2016 presentation at Pier 59 in September 2015, and Los Angeles events: at Style Fashion Week in March 2014 he presented two collections in one evening, the ready-to-wear line MT Costello and his made-to-order Michael Costello collection, both built on form-fitting dresses with sheer nude panel insets.[8](https://www.teenvogue.com/story/michael-costello-affordable-fashion-collaboration-designow) • [9](https://www.latimes.com/fashion/alltherage/la-ar-la-fashion-week-michael-costello-reigns-20140311-story.html) FashionDB records one runway show under his name, at New York Spring/Summer 2017 in September 2016.[10](https://model-scouting.com/brands/michael-costello)
## Business and retail
Costello operates a design studio and store in downtown Los Angeles.[1](https://www.apparelnews.net/news/2019/jan/31/michael-costello-goes-project-runway-his-own-desig/) By 2017, celebrity clients made up about half of his business and bridal customers as much as 40 percent during wedding season, and he opened a boutique at Ninth and Main streets in downtown Los Angeles to reach more consumers.[11](https://www.apparelnews.net/news/2017/jun/22/la-designer-michael-costello-expanding-retail-his-/)
His namesake brand is best known for glamorous, sexy dresses in inclusive sizes.[2](https://www.glossy.co/podcasts/designer-michael-costello-you-dont-feel-like-a-major-player-in-the-industry-until-youre-sold-at-a-high-end-department-store/) He has sold at Revolve for six years, creating 120 to 180 exclusive pieces for the retailer per month, and describes the collaboration as the accessible side of a business that also includes couture-level gowns.[2](https://www.glossy.co/podcasts/designer-michael-costello-you-dont-feel-like-a-major-player-in-the-industry-until-youre-sold-at-a-high-end-department-store/) In 2022 the brand was picked up by Saks Fifth Avenue, which he calls his "I made it" moment; he developed the 32-look Saks collection, lookbook, and line sheet in 16 days.[2](https://www.glossy.co/podcasts/designer-michael-costello-you-dont-feel-like-a-major-player-in-the-industry-until-youre-sold-at-a-high-end-department-store/) Seeing his designs sold next to those of Halston, a personal inspiration, he has said, was the first time he felt he had made his mark.[12](https://www.modernluxury.com/michael-costello-interview/)
He has also moved down-market deliberately. In 2017 he collaborated with DesigNow, a fashion community and e-commerce site, producing a $350 red cocktail dress with an optional shrug, worn by [Kylie Jenner](https://www.edgepedia.org/kylie-jenner), and a black sequin jumpsuit; his main-line designs at the time often cost ten times that price.[8](https://www.teenvogue.com/story/michael-costello-affordable-fashion-collaboration-designow) His own web store currently lists collections including OLEK, Verano Summer, NYRA, Eternity, AZTECA, Via – Costello, ROOM 1979, and Mar-Bella 2026, with gown prices ranging from roughly $1,895 to $8,000.[13](https://shopmichaelcostello.com/)
## Television costume design
Costello has worked in television costume design with the costume designer Lou Eyrich. He collaborated with Eyrich on *American Horror Story: Hotel*, dressing the character played by [Lady Gaga](https://www.edgepedia.org/lady-gaga), and joined Eyrich's team on the FX series *The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story*, creating costumes for the character of [Donatella Versace](https://www.edgepedia.org/donatella-versace), played by [Penélope Cruz](https://www.edgepedia.org/penelope-cruz); the pieces incorporated original safety pins from Gianni Versace's collections of the early 1990s.[6](https://www.palmspringslife.com/shopping-style/michael-costello-fashion-week-el-paseo/)
## Public disputes
In 2021, Costello publicly accused [Chrissy Teigen](https://www.edgepedia.org/chrissy-teigen) of cyberbullying him after a 2014 online encounter in which, he said, she accused him publicly of being a racist and then worked to hurt him professionally; he stated that the racist comment attributed to him had been faked with Photoshop and spread through an Instagram account with a history of attacking him.[14](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2021-06-15/chrissy-teigen-michael-costello-bullying-suicidal) Reporting by *PAPER* magazine examined the broader dispute, including 2014 allegations by the designer Maxie James that Costello had purchased a dress of hers, sold it as his own, and directed a racial slur at her during an altercation at a Los Angeles fabric store.[15](https://www.papermag.com/michael-costello-maxie-j-chrissy-teigen)
In 2023, the model Shereen Wu alleged that a photograph Costello posted on his Instagram Stories, showing a dress she had worn in his Los Angeles Fashion Week runway show, had been digitally altered to replace her face with that of a Caucasian woman; she made the allegation on TikTok, showing her runway image alongside the altered one.[16](https://styleonthedot.com/2023/11/04/michael-costello-unstitched/)
## Design philosophy
Costello describes size inclusivity and racial diversity as long-standing parts of his show casting, saying that at a time when the stereotype was one Black model per designer show, his runways featured eight to twelve.[12](https://www.modernluxury.com/michael-costello-interview/) He rejects the trailblazer label, saying that celebrating a woman's body should not be a trend.[12](https://www.modernluxury.com/michael-costello-interview/) He has also said he intends to keep custom design at the center of his career for all clients, not only celebrities, because of the fit and the trust-building experience it creates.[12](https://www.modernluxury.com/michael-costello-interview/)
## References
1. [Michael Costello Goes from 'Project Runway' to His Own Design Studio, California Apparel News (January 31, 2019)](https://www.apparelnews.net/news/2019/jan/31/michael-costello-goes-project-runway-his-own-desig/)
2. [Designer Michael Costello: 'You don't feel like a major player in the industry until you're sold at a high-end department store', Glossy (May 24, 2023)](https://www.glossy.co/podcasts/designer-michael-costello-you-dont-feel-like-a-major-player-in-the-industry-until-youre-sold-at-a-high-end-department-store/)
3. [Get to Know the 'Project Runway' All-Star: Michael Costello of Season 8, BuddyTV (December 16, 2011)](https://www.buddytv.com/get-to-know-the-project-runway-all-star-michael-costello-of-season-8/)
4. [Michael Costello, Desert Living (February/March 2025)](https://dsandl.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Desert-Feb-Mar2025-FINAL-DSL.pdf)
5. [Meet & Greet with Michael Costello and Project Runway All Stars at Palm Springs Fashion Week, Clothes Line Finds (April 2014)](https://www.clotheslinefinds.com/2014/04/meet-greet-with-michael-costello-and.html)
6. [Bringing it All Home, Palm Springs Life (March 4, 2018)](https://www.palmspringslife.com/shopping-style/michael-costello-fashion-week-el-paseo/)
7. [From Balenciaga to Bloody Shoes: All the Times Cardi B's Style Stole the Show, Time](https://time.com/5524695/cardi-b-best-fashion-outfits/)
8. [Michael Costello on His Affordable Fashion Collaboration DesigNow, Teen Vogue (May 31, 2017)](https://www.teenvogue.com/story/michael-costello-affordable-fashion-collaboration-designow)
9. [L.A. Fashion Week: Michael Costello reigns with fire and ice, Los Angeles Times (March 12, 2014)](https://www.latimes.com/fashion/alltherage/la-ar-la-fashion-week-michael-costello-reigns-20140311-story.html)
10. [Michael Costello — Fashion Brand, FashionDB](https://model-scouting.com/brands/michael-costello)
11. [LA Designer Michael Costello Expanding into Retail from His Downtown Post, California Apparel News (June 22, 2017)](https://www.apparelnews.net/news/2017/jun/22/la-designer-michael-costello-expanding-retail-his-/)
12. [Michael Costello Shines at Palm Springs Fashion Week, Modern Luxury Angeleno](https://www.modernluxury.com/michael-costello-interview/)
13. [Michael Costello, official shop](https://shopmichaelcostello.com/)
14. [How Chrissy Teigen bullied Project Runway's Michael Costello, Los Angeles Times (June 15, 2021)](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2021-06-15/chrissy-teigen-michael-costello-bullying-suicidal)
15. [What Really Happened Between Maxie J and Michael Costello, PAPER Magazine](https://www.papermag.com/michael-costello-maxie-j-chrissy-teigen)
16. [Michael Costello Unstitched, Style on the Dot (November 4, 2023)](https://styleonthedot.com/2023/11/04/michael-costello-unstitched/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Food, customs, and everyday culture › Clothing, textiles, and domestic crafts › Textile and clothing industry › Fashion designers › American fashion designers*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license