Q&A with Peris Costumes' founder Javier Toledo

Madrid-based Peris Costumes has been providing clothing, jewellery, accessories, and more for some of the biggest films and TV shows around. Peris provides productions with a comprehensive service for every need, with budgets tailored to specific requirements.

Having worked on features like Ridley Scott's Napoleon for Apple TV+ and HBO's The Young Pope, founder Javier Toledo tells KFTV about Peris Costumes' sustainability goals, how they overcome complicated challenges, and what makes them a unique production partner.

What is Peris Costumes’ mission statement and ethos?

We aim to be a strategic partner for audiovisual professionals and costume designers. Our mission is simple: to provide a comprehensive service that addresses both creative and logistical needs.

With our extensive costume stock, specialised workshops, and tailored solutions, we strive to help costume designers bring their projects to life with efficiency and top-notch quality. At Peris Costumes, we envision ourselves as a global leader in the costume supply industry for entertainment, recognised not just for the scope and quality of our collection but also for our ability to innovate and adapt to the evolving market.

Collaboration is key for us. We have international partnerships in 21 countries, including Wellenstein in Germany, Academy Costumes in the UK, Hero Collection in Poland, The One in Rome, Lambert Hoffer in Vienna, T&FCM in South Africa, Peris Portugal, and Peris Hungary, all contributing to our global growth.

We consider ourselves a big family of professionals who are truly passionate about this marvellous craft. Sustainability is also at the core of what we do, promoting the reuse of costumes through our policy of 'Buy Less, Rent More'.

This approach gives costumes a second, even a third life, helping to reduce the environmental impact of our industry.

What specialist costume services does Peris provide?

Peris Costumes offers a wide range of specialist services tailored to the entertainment industry. We maintain a stock of over 14 million costumes, spanning all historical periods and genres. Our stock can serve extras, principal actors, and large-scale productions. Beyond rentals, we provide custom-made costumes, including tailoring, dressmaking, and footwear, and can meet even the tightest of deadlines.

Our leather workshop is renowned for its highly specialised craftsmanship, creating custom leather garments and accessories. Peris' Jewel House boasts an extensive stock of high-quality jewellery, offering styles ranging from historical to modern, tailored to the needs of any production.

We also provide dry cleaning and dyeing services, ensuring that costumes remain impeccable throughout production. Our expert team preserves the quality and longevity of delicate fabrics, while our in-house workshops enable costume designers to adapt and finalize their projects with precision.

We're also continuously expanding our collection to keep up with the industry's evolving demands. Recently, we created three new warehouses: one dedicated to sci-fi costumes, another exclusively for shoes (housing over 100,000 pairs), and a third for children's wardrobes. This extensive kids’ wardrobe stock truly makes us stand out in the industry.

Last year, we launched Peris Digital, a project that digitizes our real costumes using photogrammetry. This allows virtual extras and video game heroes to be dressed in authentic, high-resolution scanned clothing.

What specialist skillsets distinguish Peris from the competition?

As the largest company in the industry in terms of both revenue and stock volume, we can support large-scale productions with thousands of costumes from a single period.

Unlike many costume houses that focus solely on rentals, we manufacture costumes, produce fabrics, and craft shoes in-house, offering a comprehensive solution for all costume-related needs. With 250 employees, 70 of whom are based in Madrid, we source fabrics and haberdashery materials from all over the world, ensuring a rich diversity of materials and designs.

Not to be overlooked, our jewellery section is renowned for iconic pieces such as the crowns from The Borgias and Cleopatra, and the crosses worn by Jude Law in The Young Pope. Our ability to supply and create unique, high-quality jewellery adds a distinctive edge to our offerings.

These capabilities ensure that Peris is not just a costume provider, but a strategic partner in the costume design and production process.

 
What is the most challenging element of a production you’ve been part of, and how did you overcome those challenges?

One of the most challenging yet rewarding projects we’ve been part of was Napoleon, where Peris, in collaboration with The Hero Collection, contributed over 3,000 meticulously crafted uniforms.

These uniforms played a key role in authentically recreating historical moments like the Battle of Waterloo. Each uniform was created with an eye for detail and historical accuracy, helping to bring the era to life on screen.

Another significant challenge was the production of Gladiator 2 in Malta. The logistics were intense, as we needed to provide costumes for an enormous number of extras in a short timeframe.

This required impeccable coordination, but we succeeded, demonstrating our ability to manage large-scale projects while maintaining high standards of detail and accuracy.

What are the biggest differences between the types of productions that Peris works on?

Peris Costumes caters to two primary types of productions, contemporary and period.

For the former, we maintain a collection of over one million contemporary clothing pieces. This collection is regularly updated to align with the latest fashion trends, ensuring that costume designers have access to a relevant and dynamic selection.

Our expertise in historical productions is unmatched. We focus on delivering meticulous accuracy, adhering to the costume designer's vision and ensuring that every piece accurately reflects the fashion of the era. This involves deep research and a commitment to authenticity.