“After all, there is no better way of being simply yourself than being naked.” —Costa

Carlos Fernando Faria Costa (popularly known as Nando Costa) was born in 1978 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He is a designer and artist who grew up with an artistic background in fields such as illustration, painting, and wax sculptures.

During the period of 1999 to 2002, he earned a name for himself in the United States by working in New York, Atlanta, and Chicago. Consequently, he worked in design and ad firms such as Digital Kitchen, which expanded his portfolio in print, Flash animation, and video.

In 2003, he moved back to Brazil to start a new business with his wife, Swedish artist Linn Rehman Costa. The firm was titled “Nakd” (pronounced “naked”), and their premise is about honesty and truth. They intend to be honest to themselves, and instead of allowing their clients to drive their creativity, they plan to rely on their own artistic inspiration.

This unconventional approach to the design business hasn’t kept media giants from knocking on his door. Nando has done work for clients like Nike, MTV, Diesel, and Mick Jagger.