What I Know About Style

Costume Boutique

Costume Boutique

October
14

Costumier Tamar Zaig on the ultimate fancy dress and what inspires her designs

Who or what sparked your love of fashion and design?

Being an art student and having to buy cheap clothes from charity shops and jumble sales. And Vivienne Westwood.

You started out working on the cult TV series Spitting Image. Tell us about your time there…

It was a great experience as I learnt how to produce inventive costumes to very short deadlines. I also learnt all of the skills needed to work on a film set. It was quite thrilling at the time to handle such famous puppets and to get to know the puppeteers behind the scenes.

What are you most proud of and why?

Opening the Costume Boutique as it has broadened my horizons from just being a costume designer for the film industry.

Who or what would you most like to design a costume for?

A Halloween costume for Lady Ga Ga.

What’s been the best fancy dress party you’ve been to and why?

I’ve been to many great fancy dress parties but Bestival must be the biggest, most inventive, fun and best one ever!

What’s your fancy dress costume of choice?

Bjork’s swan dress which I made for myself for a pop star party.

What’s your favourite fashion era and why?

Probably 1970s and 1930s. I just love the way that ’70s fashion was inspired by ’30s glamour.

Where do you draw inspiration from?

Depends on the project… I refer to fashion magazines, paintings, photography. I love making mood boards to get the idea for a costume across.

If you could live in any era and any place, which would you choose and why?

Somewhere hot and now.

What’s your guilty pleasure?

Portobello Market and pasta.

How do you stay fit and healthy?

I go to Raqs Sharqi dance lessons when I can. I love the music and the fact that you can wear swirly skirts and jangly belts! (Egyptian dance).

What are you working on at the moment?

Buying in and hiring out costumes for a 1960s event for Stella Artois. Preparing my Halloween collection to hire to the public. Styling for Button Club’s Bloodlust Ball Halloween Party. Styling costumes for a commercial for Gillette involving ski wear… It’s busy.

What’s your life philosophy?

Keep going and try to have fun.

Costume Boutique, Great Western Studios, 65 Alfred Road, London, W2; www.tamarzaig.co.uk; costumedesigner@mac.com. Appointments only.

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