I live
something
of a

I live something
of a

double life

I live something of a double life – dividing my time between Frome and Paris but also between Popicoq and working as a costume designer.

Thankfully I have a dream team to help in the shop while I’m making things, because I’m happy to say that theatre still keeps me busy.

My first job in Paris, aged 26, was at the Folies Bergère where I was lucky enough to assist the doyen of french costume designers, Dominique Borg, on productions such as Les Annees Twist and La Vie Parisienne.

I then turned from the sequins and feathers to period costume, working with a wonderfully experimental and creative theatre company called “retour à la première hypothese” under the direction of Catherine Riboli. Immersed in their intensive rehearsal periods in the depths of the Dordogne, I spent a few years designing and making historical costumes with a twist, alongside weird and wonderful masks and puppets.

Then a big thing happened that changed the course of my career... I was asked to costume the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games in Athens.

This project was enormous. My first ever stadium show and a real baptism by fire!

With a fantastic team of assistants, we made 3,000 costume and props and dressed 480 performers and a choir of 650. It wasn’t without its moments of madness but I’m incredibly proud of us all for making it a success on the big day. I learned so much from that experience.

The thing is, when you’ve survived a production like that, you feel quite brave afterwards, and nothing much fazes you!

I’m grateful that’s how I felt anyway, because it gave me the confidence to go on to costume eight more stadium shows, mostly opening ceremonies, in some very exciting places.

Nigeria, Congo Brazzaville, Kenya, Morocco, Qatar, Japan, Libya and China – I feel very privileged to have been given the opportunity to work in these countries as well as destinations closer to home – Vienna, Athens, Geneva, and of course London!

While I lived in Paris, it was always rather lovely having the opportunity to come back to London to work – a chance to catch up with old English friends and tread old familiar streets.

I’ve built up a reputation for tackling unusual or tricky jobs and troubleshooting difficult ‘makes’. This has led to some interesting work at The National Theatre and to many collaborations with puppet designers, Nick Barnes, Finn Caldwell and Toby Olié. Together we’ve worked on some wonderful shows – Angels In America (National Theatre), Running Wild (Regents Park), The Lorax (Old Vic), Spirited Away (London, Japan and touring).

So you can see why I don’t want to give up working in the theatre!

Yet it surprises me how much this theatrical background actually brings to the shop.

I find myself retracing my steps around flea markets where once I’ve searched for props, to now hunt out treasures for Popicoq.

I visit wholesalers I used to frequent for costumes to now look for beautiful clothes.

And of course my experience costuming performers for the past 35 years means that I have a pretty good idea of what clothes will look good, whatever your size and shape!

Actors, dancers, singers, contortionists, acrobats – its been my pleasure to dress them all.