The aristocratic and colorful designs of “The Crown” or “Emily in Paris” with the costumes for films such as “Spartacus” or “Mulan” and an opera in the style of “Othello” are only a sample of six million. One of the pieces that since 1856 has housed the Spanish tailor shop Peris Costumes, “one of the largest in the world”.
Now, Peris Fashion is no longer an old tailoring shop, but a brand new multinational company that film, television, theater and advertising producers from all over the world bring in to employ their services, “We have one of the best ‘stocks’ in terms of quantity and quality of dress for any character,” explained Javier Toledo , CEO of the company, in an interview with EFE.
Through warehouse corridors located in several warehouses in an industrial zone in Algete, Madrid, fashion designers from all over the world wander in search of clothes and accessories of all times, “from the ancient period when the man wore an apron to the clothes yesterday”, and its stronghold was the era of the Middle Ages And the eighteenth century.
“That doesn’t mean we don’t have other colorful times like Versailles,” Toledo warns, laughing, explaining that the goal of this tailoring shop is “to serve and assist those in charge of the wardrobe.”
To do this, they have warehouses organized chronologically with all clothing suspended and accessible, “the purpose is to make it easier for stylists to work,” he explains.
They have dressmakers and model makers, documentary experts and specialists in researching textiles, as well as dyeing and antique fabric, making uniforms, and working leather in a craft or shoe making workshop.
Peris Costumes specializes in contemporary fashion and has a “house of gems,” a room with more than 20,000 gems seen in productions such as “The Borgias”, “The Tudors”, “The Age of Innocence” or “Marie Antoinette”.
The origin of this work goes back to the Spanish city of Valencia (to the east) in 1856, when, in addition to making suits, the tailor produced opera and theater costumes. “He also sold and rented,” Toledo recalls. “That’s how he started this business, which today is seeing the rise of TV series.”
Years later, he moved to Madrid, “giving first theatrical performances and operas, and collaborating with the Royal Theater,” the businessman adds while remembers that at the end of the 1950s, this family business began to participate in cinema, among other films such as “The Last Cuplé”. (1957) or “Spartacus” (1960), which won the Academy Award for Best Costume Design in 1961.
A family company that went from father to son, in very good times, just remember the eighties, when costumes were created for great opera performances such as “Otelo”, with Plácido Domingo, or “Remando al viento”, a movie in which Hugh Grant and Elizabeth Hurley were wearing Clothes fashion designer Yvonne Blake.
They have also experienced economic ups and downs until 2013, Toledo bought all of its shares as well as the name. “I am starting a new path in which I have tried to adapt to the new winds of the audiovisual world.”
It has opened branches in other geographic locations and ranks Peris Costumes as one of the top fashion companies. “Today it is one of the largest companies in the world in this sector,” Toledo says proudly, explaining that they are present in twelve countries, including Mexico, the United Kingdom, Germany, Hungary and Austria.
“We are a multinational company, we are in Europe, the United States and South Africa, and we manufacture in Spain, Portugal and Poland,” adds Toledo proudly, who has been a pioneer in this sector since he passionately created costumes for the Spanish series “Isabel”.
Remember that at the time, “a few directors and actors wanted to do TV series, and now all of them,” Toledo says as he remembers that they have participated in series such as “Elite,” “Vikings,” “Bridgerton,” “The Queen’s Maneuver,” or ” La Casa de Papel or Peaky Blinders.
Highly recognized and award-winning outfits emerged from Peres such as the French movie “The Promise at Dawn” (“La promesse de l’aube”) (2017) which won the César Award for Best Fashion in France or “Moulin”, which was nominated in the last Oscar. About a wardrobe designed by German living in Spain, Bena Daigler, also responsible for “Mrs America”, Emmy Award nominee for wardrobe.
Among the latest projects is the six-episode series “The Empress” about Sisi’s arrival at the Vienna court.
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