Costa Is His Own Best Salesperson : Designer Brings Luxurious, Value-Priced Line to L.A.
Victor Costa, the designer known for his reasonably priced, though luxurious-looking evening wear, isn’t frugal when it comes to his own wardrobe. He spent $20,000 at the Ralph Lauren store in New York for his clothes this year, including $800 for a pair of alligator loafers.
“Ralph Lauren is a security blanket to me,” Costa remarked. “I put away all my Armani suits.”
Same Psychology
The same psychology can’t be applied to the women who buy Costa’s clothes. They place a premium on value, not label--and Costa intends to keep them happy. He has built his business, with reported retail sales of $40 million, on the premise that Dallas does it better. Bypassing what he says are high-priced contractors used by all of New York’s top designers, Costa manages to keep most of his prices below $500.
All of his clothes are made in his Dallas factory, and recently Costa signed papers to double its size to 85,000 square feet so that he can service more accounts. As another cost-cutting measure, he frequently substitutes luxe fabrics with 100% polyester.
The designer also favors a personal approach with the customer. He makes numerous appearances around the country to the stores that carry his collections and functions as his own best salesperson.
Recently, in his chalk-striped, custom-made Polo suit and Polo velvet slippers, the designer shuttled between dressing rooms at Neiman Marcus in Beverly Hills, offering guidance to, among others, a second-time bride, the mother of a debutante and actress Jill St. John, who purchased four pieces from the line.
“She told me she goes to black-tie events three times a week,” he said approvingly.
Concern for Customers
Costa not only sold the mother of the deb a one-shoulder gown to wear to her daughter’s coming out party, but told her where to stand for the family photo--”to the left of your daughter so the ruffle shows.” And he comforted the bride who worried about her less-than-perfect shape. “Your hips will fit into anything,” he told her reassuringly. But even Costa has his limits. When she asked to have the gown ready in seven weeks, Costa snapped: “Well, you know, it’s not Campbell’s soup.”
Style-wise, Costa has trimmed down the pouf and joined the pants bandwagon along with the rest of the world’s designers. He offers evening trousers as wide-legged “divided skirts,” as he calls them, to be worn with satin jackets embroidered in arabesques of velvet and silk cord. Even for Costa, the jackets are expensive at $695.
Now that his business has mushroomed and his public profile has followed, Costa downplays the importance of his biannual trips to the French couture collections in Paris, a recurring practice since 1965. “The idea isn’t that I go in and copy. I just go as a worshiper and a disciple,” he said.
“We’re all caught up in the wave of the creativity of the moment,” Costa explained. “It’s amazing, when you see 12 collections, how everybody’s on the same track.”
