The Cosprop collection predominantly features period costume for adults but it covers all ages.  We have a wide range of children's clothing which covers pre-eighteenth century clothing through to the 1960s.

With originals and authentic reproductions available, our collection of children's costumes extends to include period clothing for toddlers and babies and features accessories including headwear and babies blankets.

Current Exhibitions

Below is a selection of current and upcoming exhibitions to which we have contributed. Details may also be found on our Facebook and Twitter pages.
For more information on attending an exhibition, please contact the venue directly.

Plague, Poverty and Prayer: A Horrid History with Terry Deary
31 March 2013 - 31 March 2014
Barley Hall, York
visit website

Hollywood Costume
24 April 2013 - 18 August 2013
ACMI, Melbourne
visit website

Costumes from Austen
25 May 2013 - 26 August 2013
Belsay Hall, Northumberland
visit website

Dress to Impress - Fashion in Early Photography
22 June 2013 - 31 August 2013
Annan Museum, Dumfries and Galloway
visit website

Cut! Costume and the Cinema
23 October 2103 - 19 January 2014
McNay Art Museum
visit website

Hollywood Costume
9 November 2013 - 17 February 2014
VMFA, Virginia
visit website

 

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Themes

Should you be looking for inspiration for your exhibition, here are some themes from previous exhibitions which you may wish to explore:

 

Costumes from Downton Abbey
An incredibly popular show, renowned for its use of stunning period costume and compelling characters.

Heroes and Heroines
This exhibition showed the strength and endearing nature of some of our stars, including Heath Ledger in Casanova (2005) and Sean Connery in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003), along with Keira Knightley in The Duchess (2008) and Dame Judi Dench in Cranford (2007).

Jane Austen
We have examples of the Regency costumes from many of the most well-known of the film and television adaptations of Austen including Emma Thompson and Ang Lee’s Sense and Sensibility (1995) and the BBC's production of Pride and Prejudice (1995) with Colin Firth as Mr Darcy.

Dress to Kill
A blend of some of the darker moments in film history, with costumes worn by Jacqueline Bisset in Murder on the Orient Express (1974) and Nastassja Kinski in Tess (1979) and impressive dresses including the Little Maharaja from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984).

Wedding Dresses
We have an array of wedding dresses, from Frances O'Connor's in Madame Bovary (2000) to Kate Winslet’s in Sense and Sensibility (1995); costumes which celebrate romance and love and illustrate the changing fashions of marriage.

Star Struck
An opportunity to showcase as many star names as possible into one exhibition, displayed chronologically to highlight the changing face of fashion through the years.

Titanic Hats
An exhibition which looks back to the elegant teens and focuses on the flamboyant, sublime and memorable hats and accessories of a fantastic period.  Specially put together to compliment an exhibition which focused on the filming of Titanic (1997).

Masquerade
From fancy dress to masked balls, fantastic fantasy costumes including Uma Thurman as Cleopatra in The Golden Bowl (2000) and Drew Barrymore as Cinderella in Ever After (1998).

Cinematic Couture
An exhibition which majored on film costumes, showing the creative skills employed at Cosprop.

Drama Queens
Some of the best loved characters from recent film and TV productions including Maggie Smith in Downton Abbey (2010-) and Helena Bonham Carter in The King’s Speech (2010).

These FAQs relate specifically to our exhibitions department.
If you have a general enquiry, please see our Terms section.

Planning

Where can I stage an exhibition?
We are always open to working with new venues, however we do insist that the costumes are properly insured, cared for in correct temperature and lighting conditions and not touched by the public.  If you would like to discuss this further please contact us.

How many costumes are in an exhibition?
This is entirely up to you.  You can choose the number of costumes appropriate to the size of your venue and budget.

We have no experience exhibiting costumes, is it difficult?
To ensure an exhibition is of the highest quality, we would recommend hiring a member of our staff to display the costumes at your venue (we can dress and style 8-10 costumes a day, more with the help of your staff).  However, if you have experience, we would be happy to discuss you dressing the exhibition yourself.

Staging

Does an exhibition include display stands/mannequins?
You can hire our display stands if required.

Do you provide information labels?
We provide the costume description and details of production, character and actor for you to source your own labels.  We can provide Cosprop labels with this information on at an additional cost.

Can you provide film stills of the costumes?
Due to copyright issues, it is unliekly that we will be able to provide film stills of the costumes for your exhibition or for promotional material and the stills copyright holder should be contacted directly with this request.  We can however usually provide images of our costumes displayed on dress stands for you to use for advertising.

Do the costumes need to be displayed in cases?
No, the costumes can be on open display with adequate security, but we do ask that lighting levels, humidity and temperature be controlled.

Hire and Transport

How much does an exhibition cost?
This is dependent upon the quantity of costumes hired, the period of time that they are required for and any additional items which you may require.

Do you take a deposit?
Yes.  We require a deposit before any costumes are released to you.

How much should we insure the costumes for?
Each costume should be insured for £4000; from the time they leave our premises until the time they are returned.

Do you provide transport services?
No.  We ask you to arrange suitable transportation for the costumes, but we can offer advice and help you by packing the costumes in the way that is easiest for you to transport.

How do I ensure I get the costumes I want for my exhibition?
We work on a first come, first served basis.  If you have your eye on a particular costume, please get in touch with us as soon as possible so that we may ensure that it is available for the period you require.

General

Do you supply costumes for historical re-enactments?
No, unfortunately not.  We are only able to make and hire costumes for professional film, television and theatre productions and for exhibiting.

Can we hire Exhibitions costumes to wear?
No.  This is strictly prohibited; our exhibition costumes are unique artefacts and are therefore to be used for static display only.

 

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Please note that these are not definitive hire terms but are intended to answer some of the general queries which we regularly receive; if your query is not answered on this page please contact us.

Overview

Cosprop supports costume designers in the realisation of their vision by providing authentic period costume for hire. Costume plays a critical role within productions.  Everyone from principal characters to extras must be provided with a costume. Costume contributes to the overall scheme or mood of a production and it can suggest personality, age, class, wealth and status of the character in addition to suggesting the period which is being depicted.

The creation of a costume often begins with a discussion between the production's designer and our costumiers.  Our costumiers consider the requirements of the project and assist in selecting appropriate items from our stock.  They will advise on the correct underpinnings and accessories for the garments and prepare the costumes for fitting.  Alterations may be carried out by our makers to ensure each garment is fitted perfectly to the actor and, for any one particular production, we may provide costumes for principal actors, crowd (extras) or both.

Our makers, dyers, embroiderers and milliners create bespoke items.  We pride ourselves on accuracy, detail and quality.  Before creating a new garment, thorough research is conducted to ensure authenticity in the work we produce.

Cosprop owns and runs Hampshire Street Studio in Camden and offers an exhibition service to museums and historical houses.  Cosprop employs a staff of approximately forty and has been managed by John Bright since its inception in 1965.  

Museum & Library

Our museum contains an extensive collection of original garments and accessories dating from the mid 18th Century to the late 20th Century.  It is available to designers as a reference facility, enabling them to familiarise themselves with the cut, construction, colours, fabrics and trimmings of dress from the period of their production.  Our library, which houses a large collection of books covering a wide range of relevant subjects, is also available as a resource for designers.  Please enquire in advance if you would like access to the museum or library when working on a production with Cosprop.
 

These FAQs relate to our general hire terms.
If you have a query relating specifically to our Exhibitions Department, please see our Exhibitions FAQs.

Hiring costumes

Do you provide fancy dress?
No, we are only able to provide costumes for professional film, television and theatre productions.

Who do you hire to?
We work for a range of clients within the film, television and theatre industries.  We cater to full-scale, professional productions.  We are, unfortunately, rarely able to supply costumes for amateur productions.

What are your hire charges?
These can vary from production to production as they are dependent upon the labour involved in the preparation of an item and the duration of the hire period.

Do hired costumes need insuring?
Yes.  Once, costumes have left our premises and until the time at which we have received them back within our premises, the client is responsible for them, inclusive of time during transit and they must be insured on an 'all risks' basis.  Cosprop’s valuation of each costume should be used in effecting such insurance.

Who arranges the transport of your costumes?
It is generally the client’s responsibility to arrange the collection and return of costumes hired.  We are able to recommend couriers and can often assist with documentation for shipping overseas.  Couriers must always be informed of the production title for items which are being collected.

What happens if an item is lost or damaged?
We should be informed immediately if one of our items is lost or damaged whilst on hire.  Additional fees may be charged to ensure we are reimbursed for any losses or damages.

How do I return items to you?
Deliveries should be reported to our Reception upon arrival and then made via our Returns department.  All items returned to us should be clearly labelled with production title and production company and should include an inventory of the items being returned.
 

Visiting Cosprop

What are your opening hours?
We are open 9.30am - 5.30pm, Monday to Friday.

What are your visitor policies?
Visits must be arranged in advance and all visitors must sign in at Reception upon arrival and sign out upon leaving.  We close promptly at 5.30pm.

Do you provide tours of your premises?
Unfortunately, this is not something which we are able to offer.

Do you have parking spaces available?
We do have some parking available for visitors, but it is limited. 

Do you have Wi-Fi?
Yes, Wi-Fi is available for our visitors’ use.

I need somewhere to stay whilst in London, do you have accommodation available?
We are able to recommend local accommodation, please ask in advance for details.

Which public transport routes can I take to get to Cosprop?
You can plan your journey using public transport in London with TfL's Journey Planner. 

The nearest Tube Station is Archway, on the Northern Line, which is approximately ten to fifteen minutes' walk.
Holloway Road Underground Station, on the Piccadilly Line, is approximately fifteen minutes' walk.
The nearest Overground station is Upper Holloway, approximately five to ten minutes' walk.
The following buses stop by Cosprop: 17 (London Bridge via King's Cross), 43 (London Bridge via Islington), 271 (Liverpool Street).
Buses to/from Euston and Leicester Square also call nearby.

TfL provide downloadable maps of London bus routes and London Underground lines.
 

Working at Cosprop

Do you offer work placements?
We are sometimes able to accommodate work placements to those with proficient tailoring skills, but only very rarely.  If you would like to be considered for a placement, please send a cover letter together with a copy of your CV to enquiries@cosprop.com.  Please note that, unfortunately, we are not always able to respond to all applicants.

How can I get a job working at Cosprop?
Vacancies will be advertised in the national theatrical press.  We have a team of loyal and dedicated staff and we are committed to ensuring that they enjoy their time spent here.  Due to this, vacancies at Cosprop arise very rarely. We also rely on a small pool of freelance tailors to help us with our makes and alterations during particularly busy times.  If you would like to be considered to join our pool of freelance staff, in the first instance please send a cover letter (stating your availability) with a copy of your CV to enquiries@cosprop.com.  We are unable to reply to all applicants.
 

General queries

Are your costumes available to buy?
Our business relies on keeping our stock regularly updated and therefore costumes are available for hire only.

Is your museum open to the public?
Many of our original costumes are very fragile and are therefore only available to designers working on projects with us.

How can I give feedback on this website?
We welcome any feedback relating to this website; please email your comments to web@cosprop.com. 

 

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Please note that these are not definitive hire terms but are intended to answer some of the general queries which we regularly receive; if your query is not answered on this page please contact us.