Wendy Costa Shows True Passion for Art

For my work study at the Communications office, I have the opportunity to write for our alumni magazines Connections and Crossroads. This story was by far my favorite, so I would like to share it with you.

“I wanted to be an artist as far back as I can remember. I clearly remember putting a smock on in kindergarten to paint at an easel thinking, ‘This is it’,” said fashion and home accessories designer Wendy Costa.

 

Fast forward through grade school, high school and the then-Sage Junior College of Albany until today, and Costa’s charming designs have appeared everywhere, from Ben & Jerry’s advertisements to Meri Meri greeting cards. Her whimsical merchandise is available at world-famous shopping meccas like Selfridge’s in London and in funky neighborhood boutiques.

 

While completing her associate degree at Sage, Costa was offered a scholarship to Parson’s School of Design by now-famous Tim Gunn of Project Runway fame, who used to attend Sage’s annual Portfolio Day to recruit students for Parson’s. But she was eager to gain professional experience and toward her childhood dream of becoming an artist. “I was busting with enthusiasm,” she said.

Costa started her business in 1987, after working for two other design studios. “I started in a small cabin in the woods in Berne, N.Y, making porcelain jewelry,” she said. “We grew to have eight employees and accounts from Disney to Neiman Marcus. It has been beyond my wildest dreams, an amazing journey.”

 

Her merchandise line includes handbags, household ceramics, stationary and more, featuring her capricious illustrations that have been described as “a celebration of fantasy, food and fashion.” Everything is cut, sewn or sculpted and finished in her studio.

 

“I paint all of the art, and the concepts and poems are my own. My boyfriend Rod helps print the fabrics and he completes the work with patterns and oversees the sewing of all of the fashion pieces,” she said.  “My most popular designs probably would be the dresses that look like food or flowers, and also shoes! Those images seemed to really take off and lead to licensing contracts.”

 

A native of upstate New York, Costa chose Sage because it offered an alternative to art school in the “big city.” She continues to call the area home. “I am close to Canada, Philly, Boston, New York City and Maryland, and these are the strongest markets for wholesale,” she said. “I am also obsessed with the past, so my Victorian home and Troy, N.Y. in general, is an amazing treasure chest for that.”

 

Her inspirations are myriad: “Who or what inspired me? Andy Warhol, Liza Minelli, Picasso, my third grade art teacher,” she said. “Then I found feminist art and that changed everything. I have always been inspired by people who lead, not follow. I am inspired by nature, color, music, fashion, package design, window design, car design, emotion, love, compassion, peace, philosophy, psychology, food, writings and vintage everything.”

 

While Costa is an artist whose creativity knows no limits, she is also a serious business owner. “Business was something I had to research on my own, which I did gladly because it was my long, loving dream to own my own art studio.”

 

And while both her artistic side and business acumen play a part, she attributes her success to something else entirely.  “I believe in the power of positive thinking, more than anything,” she said. “How else could I do this?”