Designer Profile: Victor Costa

Elegant, graceful lines mark the work of fashion designer Victor Costa, once known as "The Copy-Cat King," but now perhaps better recognized as the man who brings an upscale style and distinctive shape to his gowns. A designer of timeless values, Costa revels in creating looks that won't soon be forgotten, always keeping in mind that his customers "want to feel special." As a result, his designs, which include dresses for bridesmaids and mothers-of-the-bride, stand out in a field crowded with exceptional talent. Costa began his storied career in the 1950s, getting his first sewing machine at the budding age of 11. By the time he was in high school, Costa was regularly sewing dresses for his classmates. Obviously, fashion was something that came naturally to Costa, and he went to the Pratt Institute in New York and then on to Paris to further his skills and expertise in design and couture. He soon began creating bridal gowns for fashion house Murray Hamburger, and learned the value of detail when his one-of-a-kind hand-made crushed roses, which he attached to the back of his bridesmaids dresses, helped the dresses sell by the thousands.
After working for Hamburger, Costa went on to become known as "The Copy-Cat King." At a time when there was no ready-to-wear, American clothiers routinely paid for the designs of famous European houses such as Yves Saint-Laurent and Dior, copying patterns and reproducing them in the American market. In a sense, it was like studying the masters, and Costa demonstrated a skill and talent for copying couture that set him apart from the crowd. By 1973 he had started his own design house, and it's been a wedding cakewalk ever since.
These days, Costa concerns himself with creating outstanding gowns and dresses, never satisfied with "wishy-washy, plain Jane" or "nondescript things." According to Costa, "Brides have in mind a fantasy about what kind of wedding they want." So, Costa works hard to "fulfill their fantasy." He makes sure his dresses "have something going on in the back or something going on in the front. They have silhouette; they have shape."
For mothers-of-the-bride, Costa also is aware that a daughter's wedding is "usually the most expensive party a mother will ever give. And from that aspect, the eyes are upon her... she really wants to wow them -- she doesn't want to take away from the bride, but she wants to wow them." With this in mind, Costa designs his dresses to do just that; bringing upscale lines that "accentuate the good" in his customers' figures.
Costa also knows that runway fashion has little basis in reality. Designs must be able to find a home on a dress rack. According to Costa, "A woman has to walk into a store, and [a dress] has to speak to her. It has to say 'buy me' or 'try me on.' It has to have color, it has to have shape, it has to have design secrets built into it that make her body look [outstanding]. You have to do lines that are flattering."
For Costa, fashion is a two-way street: the designer has to create the best dress he can, and the customer has to recognize those features in a dress that will flatter her and choose accordingly. He has some advice for women about to select a dress or gown: "Every woman has something good about them... zero in on that. If your skin is flawless, wear a color that makes your skin look great. If you have red hair, choose a color that makes it stand out." While no one, save for some surgically-enhanced supermodels, is perfect, with a good eye any woman will be able to choose the right look, slip into the right gown, and look sensational.
And with Costa at the sewing machine, the choices become so much easier, the gowns so much classier, and the looks so much more sensational.