Costumes Galore up for grabs – Plea for bidders
It’s been a popular community favourite for some 35 years and if somebody doesn’t come to the rescue quickly Queenstown Costume Hire’s collection of thousands of fabulous items will be sold off piece by piece.
It’s been a heart-breaking decision for owner of 16 years Allie Blair-Hourston, who must sell up by August to move to Tauranga to be nearer family.
Queenstown Costume Hire has become renowned regionally with Allie frequently having clients travel from Cromwell, Alexandra, Wanaka, even as far as Invercargill, to be best dressed at a function or party.
Allie bought the iconic local business off Sandy McNally in 2007 and has built up the collection to literally thousands of clothing items, accessories, magnificent hats, shoes and jewellery, covering pretty much every era in history and into the future too.
The business was started by long-time local Trish Fraser from her Arthur’s Point home in the late 1980s, early 1990s, when she just happened upon some beautiful old Victorian-style, gold mining era dresses. “I bought three and the kids were doing ballet so I was always making costumes,” says Trish. “I bought items wherever I could find them, often the Sally Army. It grew out of those three Victorian dresses. If I didn’t have it I sat up most of the night making it.” Come Easter Trish’s husband would stay up with her threading wire into bunny ears for her popular Easter Bunny outfits. “It was amazing what people had to dress up for,” says Trish, who even dabbled in hiring wedding dresses, often just for brides, some from overseas, to be photographed in. “
Allie’s become renowned for not only supplying the outfits, but her perfect eye for matching every detail with customers returning every year. “Most locals know what I’ve got and come year after year.”
The conference and incentive market also keeps her busy with plenty of Australians dropping in to be kitted out for local themed dinners and events.
She’s clothed some rich and famous too with Sir Michael Hill popping in for an outfit once, and TV celebrities like former cricketer Mark Richardson and Antony Starr from Outrageous Fortune.
Allie’s earned a good reputation with the film industry locally. “They’ll sometimes get in touch and ask, ‘Do you have a cheese cutter hat, or a pair of three quarter pants with braces’, something that’s not in their wardrobe,” she says. “Ninety-nine percent of the time I can say, ‘Yes’.”
While the 30ths and 40ths are big on the 1970s theme, and big and little kids want to dress up as Batman and Robin, Allie says she loves the huge variety. Several of her more outrageous numbers include a slot machine outfit. “Someone hired it and spent the whole night getting $2 coins posted in. He made so much money.” Her ‘Chick Magnet’ costume – a magnet with little chickens on it, is also popular with the males. She has military uniforms and, of course, an immensely popular array of 1970s gear.
TV and movies dictate what era is most popular. Gatsby era 1920s costumes became very popular when The Great Gatsby was showing and The Handmaid’s Tale, from Netflix, has inspired many another dress up party locally.
“I had an older gentleman in who was going to a Peaky Blinders – another popular theme, party at Sam Neill’s and was set on winning the best costume prize of a magnum of champagne. We recreated this look and he won. He was delighted.”
Allie says it’s a thriving little business, even full on during winter with the usual influx of conferences locally.
“I’ve got about two months to make a call on it otherwise I have to dissolve the collection and sell everything off individually, which would be such a pity as so many items team up well together.”
She has a box of 300 ties alone, about 250 scarves, and knows the perfect match for each costume. “They’re so many treasures to find, including some amazing vintage pieces.”
Anybody interested in buying the business and taking it over would only need a garage and a bit of passion. “Even if some organisation or group in the community has somewhere to store it and operate it from using volunteers, or maybe the Salvation Army could take it on as a side business,” she says.
“It would break my heart to have to sell it off in pieces.”
While Allie was selling the business for $35,000 she says she’s open to reasonable offers and would love to see this gem stay in the area.
