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Copycat
From humble beginnings in East Houston to the rarefied luxe of Manhattan's Upper East Side, Copycat unveils the remarkable journey of a boy whose fascination with the golden age of Hollywood ignited a lifelong passion for haute couture. Victor Costa, hailed by one fashion industry titan as "the greatest copyist in the world," embarked on this odyssey inspired by the glamour of 1940s films. His artistic journey began at the age of ten, sketching women’s clothes, and by sixteen, he was crafting prom dresses.
Venturing to New York in pursuit of his dreams, Costa initially found his niche in bridalwear. However, fate took a turn when a company specializing in "line for line" copying of couture designs recruited him as a womenswear designer. Over five decades, Costa garnered fame as a master copyist, offering designs mirroring high fashion at a fraction of the cost.
This candid memoir not only traces Costa's professional triumphs but also navigates through his personal tribulations with humor and retrospection. From marrying (and divorcing) his high-school sweetheart to exploring relationships with both women and men, Costa's life unfolds amidst the backdrop of a successful clothing company that ultimately crumbled amid scandal and bankruptcy. Yet, in an unexpected twist late in life, love found him once again.
Venturing to New York in pursuit of his dreams, Costa initially found his niche in bridalwear. However, fate took a turn when a company specializing in "line for line" copying of couture designs recruited him as a womenswear designer. Over five decades, Costa garnered fame as a master copyist, offering designs mirroring high fashion at a fraction of the cost.
This candid memoir not only traces Costa's professional triumphs but also navigates through his personal tribulations with humor and retrospection. From marrying (and divorcing) his high-school sweetheart to exploring relationships with both women and men, Costa's life unfolds amidst the backdrop of a successful clothing company that ultimately crumbled amid scandal and bankruptcy. Yet, in an unexpected twist late in life, love found him once again.
236 pages, Paperback
First published September 17, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 7, 2024
From humble beginnings in East Houston to the rarefied luxe of Manhattan's Upper East Side, Copycat unveils the remarkable journey of a boy whose fascination with the golden age of Hollywood ignited a lifelong passion for haute couture.
Thank you Atmosphere Press for making this book available on Netgalley as a Read Now book! I enjoyed this book. It was very interesting to read about because this book is about a fashion designer from Houston and I live in Houston. It had pictures of the fashion as well as pictures of him and his family. He made beautiful clothes. I never heard of him before I read this.
Thank you Atmosphere Press for making this book available on Netgalley as a Read Now book! I enjoyed this book. It was very interesting to read about because this book is about a fashion designer from Houston and I live in Houston. It had pictures of the fashion as well as pictures of him and his family. He made beautiful clothes. I never heard of him before I read this.
July 25, 2026
Some of the reviews on amazon'com (if not all of them) are fake--- from LLM/AI "services" where the author paid for "reviews." One fake review came from the "service" that calls itself "The Book Commentary:" this is against amazon'com's terms of service, and the book should be removed by amazon'com.
If the book was good to read, the author would not have paid for fake "reviews."
If the book was good to read, the author would not have paid for fake "reviews."
September 8, 2024
Great Memoir by Victor Costa, I was curious about it and grateful to Netgalley for allowing me to read the ARC. Thankful to Atmosphere Press as well for the opportunity to dive into their books.
January 27, 2025
Charming memoir. Victor pulls no punches, as he says “ he is an open book”. Houston native. Truly honest.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews