DALLAS — Fashion copycat king Victor Costa is 69 years old, but he wouldn’t think of slowing down.
His exclusive collections for QVC, called Victor Costa Occasion, has almost 100,000 active shoppers and takes in about $2 million an hour of airtime. And his new dress and separates line for Florida-based specialty chain Stein Mart, which hit select stores in August, is beating forecasts. Costa also is completing plans to launch a better dress line next March under his own label.
What’s certain, though, is his undiminished love of fashion, which Costa honed as a boy in Houston sewing custom bridal trousseaux from the age of 11 in his parents’ garage and later studying with Yves Saint Laurent and Karl Lagerfeld in Paris at the Chambre Syndicale.
“My passion for making women look beautiful has never been stronger,” Costa said in an interview here after appearing at a Stein Mart store. “It’s a part of my life.”
The Dallas event drew almost 300 Costa fans, who bought subtly embellished tops, bottoms and knits with a trendy attitude and a forgiving misses’ fit, from $29 sequined shells to $119 lace jackets, many of which included a nod to Costa’s current crop of favorite designer inspirations, including John Galliano, whom Costa admires for his creativity and exuberance; Karl Lagerfeld, for his directional shapes and fabrics, and Matthew Williamson, for his sense of color and fun prints.
“I can’t wait to see what Williamson does at Pucci,” said Costa, who makes frequent trips to Europe for ‘inspiration’ and who, like Williamson, is fascinated with Indian-style embellishments. “I once spent nearly three weeks in Goa, India, with Dawn Mello from Bergdorf Goodman and am still blown away by the beauty of their textiles and craftsmanship,” he said.
With Stein Mart, Costa will deliver at least one new group monthly. “It’s a wonderful collaboration,” he said. “I couldn’t be happier doing this. Jay Stein approached me about doing the line and wanted the look of expensive couture at an accessible price point. I’m definitely inspired by the intricacies of the haute couture when I produce a line, whether it be for Stein Mart or QVC.”
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Costa has been a fixture on QVC for four years and routinely generates $1 million in a 30-minute span for tops, bottoms and knits sizes XS to 3X with average retail prices of $55 to $60. Among the fall styles are lilac sequined floral sweaters at $43.98, red paisley embroidered jackets at $48.75 and pink ruffled sweaters with rosette accents at $41.50.