VICKY TIEL FASHION

AN ORIGINAL FASHION INFLUENCER

BY DENA STEWART
ALIVE ON SOUTHBEACH

Vicky Tiel’s journey is a true fashion legend in the making. After graduating from the Parsons School of Design in 1964, she and her best friend, Mia Fonssagrives, made their way to Paris. Within weeks, fate smiled upon them as they were discovered by the iconic couturier Louis Féraud, with their designs gracing his couture runway. The Mia-Vicky mini dress became an instant sensation, taking the fashion world by storm. Then, while dancing at a Paris nightclub, they were tapped to design the costumes for the hit film What’s New Pussycat. Talk about serendipity!

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Her claim to inventing the wrap dress is a notable part of her legacy, though it’s worth mentioning that this is a point of contention in fashion history, as Diane von Furstenberg is more widely recognized for popularizing it in the 1970s. Tiel, however, asserts she designed a version of the wrap dress earlier, in 1967, for the film Candy, featuring a satin wrap style with a flared bias skirt, set-in sleeves, and a side tie

Born in Washington, D.C., Vicky Kay Tiel grew up in Chevy Chase, Maryland, and developed an early passion for fashion. She studied at Pratt Institute and Parsons School of Design in New York, where she began honing her craft.

In 1964, after graduating, she moved to Paris with her friend Mia Fonssagrives, and the duo quickly made waves in the fashion scene. Tiel’s career took off when she worked as a costume designer for Woody Allen’s film What’s New Pussycat?, where she designed a memorable jumpsuit for Ursula Andress.

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CLICK ON VICKY TIEL’S INSTAGRAM IMAGE TO HEAR WHAT SHE SAYS ABOUT HER PRETTY WOMAN DRESS

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It was during this time that she met Elizabeth Taylor at Billancourt Film Studios in Paris. Taylor, captivated by Tiel’s bold, sexy designs—like a lace mini dress she wore—became a client and later a business partner. Richard Burton, Taylor’s husband, also played a role, commissioning Tiel to create pieces for Taylor, sparking a decades-long relationship.

Together with Fonssagrives, Tiel founded the Mia-Vicky couture house in 1968, backed by Taylor and Burton’s investment. The boutique, located at 21 Rue Bonaparte in Paris, became a hub for innovative designs, including miniskirts, hot pants, and lace pantyhose, which Tiel claims as her inventions.

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After Fonssagrives left in 1970, Tiel rebranded it as Vicky Tiel, maintaining the Paris boutique that still operates today. Her designs were known for their provocative, feminine flair, often blending ready-to-wear accessibility with couture techniques. Over the years, she dressed a roster of stars like Goldie Hawn, Jacqueline Bisset, and Julia Roberts, whose iconic red gown in Pretty Woman Tiel claims as her creation from an earlier design.

Tiel’s collaboration with Taylor extended beyond clothing. They co-designed pieces like “Elizabeth’s Caftan,” a flowing jersey garment that became Taylor’s signature look, perfect for her hotel-hopping lifestyle. Their friendship was deeply personal—Taylor introduced Tiel to Coco Chanel, who mentored her and inspired her to create perfumes, a venture both women pursued successfully. Tiel’s perfumes, like her clothing, became part of her brand, sold alongside her couture at stores like Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus.

In 2011, Tiel published her memoir, It’s All About the Dress: What I Learned in Forty Years About Men, Women, Sex, and Fashion, offering a candid look at her glamorous life, from 1960s Paris to her time with Taylor and Burton. She later brought her designs to a broader audience through the Home Shopping Network (HSN) starting in 2012, adapting her couture patterns for affordability. Now in her 80s, Tiel splits her time between Paris and a farm in Florida, still designing and reflecting on a career that blended creativity, celebrity, and a fearless approach to fashion. Her story is one of resilience, innovation, and a knack for turning personal connections into lasting style legacies.

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