Victor Costa

In 2000, he introduced the Victor Costa Occasion Collection on QVC, where it attained $500,000 in sales. By 2008, that number had grown to more than $10 million.

In 1987, the New York Times reported that, along with Christian Lacroix and Arnold Scaasi, Costa "is widely recognized... as a significant contributor to the current vogue for flamboyant, super-feminine dresses that bare the shoulders, hug the waistline and billow and swirl over the hips." He founded Victor Costa, Inc. and later Victor Costa Bridal, and designed for several large retail outlets well into the 1990s. At one time, he was delivering merchandise to five different markets a year.

He moved to Dallas, bought a fashion house — the Ann Murray company — and began manufacturing his designs in a 50,000 square foot facility. His company sold $1 million in product during its first year of operation. Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus became his top customers; by 1987, he was selling them $3.6 million and $3 million worth of product, respectively, every year. He also sold more than $1 million annually to Nordstrom, Bergdorf Goodman, and Marshall Field. By 1988, his company was grossing $50 million annually.

In 1984 Costa met Clay Cope, who became his romantic partner for 28 years.

Costa married his high school sweetheart, Terry, in 1958 while studying in Paris. They had two children together, Kevin and Adrienne, and divorced after 28 years of marriage in 1986.

Victor Costa (born December 17, 1935) is an American fashion designer. Dubbed the "King of Copycats," he attained international fame in the mid-1970s for mimicking high-end European styles, tailoring them to his American audiences for affordable prices.