Beloved owner of one of Hollywood's last costume shops dies at 90

Ursula Boschet, the illustrious Hollywood costume designer, whose store draped celebrities and civilians for much than fractional a century, has died. She was 90.

Boschet died Monday day of pancreatic crab surrounded by household astatine her location successful Chatsworth, a spokesperson for the household confirmed.

In a vocation that defied the predominant churn and vagaries associated with the amusement industry, Ursula’s Costumes became a section institution. She estimated that implicit 5 decades, she made much than 100,000 costumes for television, films, plays and backstage customers.

Boschet garnered a estimation for her well-crafted, originative threads — and for not making a fuss implicit celebrities.

“She was special. She was a truly large portion of my family’s life. She had a passionateness for creativity and she volition beryllium missed,” said Jamie Lee Curtis, who began coming to Ursula’s Costumes implicit 30 years ago, successful an interrogation with The Times.

Kathleen Uris, a costumer who worked with Boschet for much than 20 years, described the acquisition arsenic a “master people with a genius costumer.”

In summation to her amusement enactment specified arsenic for the astir seven-season duration of the 1980s tv amusement “Cagney & Lacey,” Boschet was the go-to decorator for a fig of costume parties successful Los Angeles, including the yearly Labyrinth Masquerade Ball, held astatine the Biltmore Hotel.

For decades, radical lined up astir the artifact during the period of October, erstwhile the store was unfastened 7 days a week to support up with Halloween customers.

Many of her clients became similar extended household members. The walls of her store are covered successful framed autographed photos of scores of actors including Bruce Willis and Curtis, each addressed to her.

She made costumes for Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver’s children. When Michael Keaton came to the store with his small canine aft starring successful “Batman,” Boschet said she made a miniature Caped Crusader costume for the pooch.

Steve Martin, whom she met portion moving connected his 1984 movie “All of Me,” asked her to make hidden suit pockets from which helium could propulsion things retired for 1 of his magic acts. In the aboriginal 1990s, helium appeared arsenic the Great Flydini, who retrieved items specified arsenic scarves, eggs and a telephone from the alert successful his pants.

Curtis recalled visiting the store each twelvemonth arsenic aboriginal arsenic April to statesman consulting with Boschet astir her family’s Halloween costumes.

“We had agelong discussions astir what this year’s costumes were going to beryllium and the accouterments,” Curtis said. “She had specified a breadth of cognition and however to physique thing retired of nothing.”

Later, erstwhile Curtis’ youngest girl became progressive successful gaming and cosplay, Boschet became an invaluable ally.

“When I deliberation of teachers and those who appreciated and saw my children’s gifts and made a difference, Ursula is 1 of them,” Curtis said. “She is idiosyncratic who made an interaction connected our household beingness done her enactment with our daughter. She was special.”

Despite a bid of wellness troubles, up until recently, the diminutive nonagenarian continued to travel to the store and store that bears her sanction successful Santa Monica 5 days a week, moving 8 to 10 hours a day.

However, Boschet announced successful the summertime that she planned to yet unopen down aft a tempest of manufacture woes that included the pandemic and the labour strikes. She besides cited her property and health, and the information that she had nary 1 to instrumentality implicit the concern (her children were uninterested).

“There was nary wealth coming in,” she told The Times. “I couldn’t wage the rent anymore. And I person bills to pay.”

The quality near her legions of customers bereft. “I’m heartbroken,” Kate Beckinsale said successful July, adding, “Ursula is 1 of my longest relationships successful L.A., including my marriage.”

Kate Beckinsale, right, with Ursula Boschet astatine Ursula’s Costumes.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Beckinsale came successful astir erstwhile a period to formal up and rent costumes for herself, friends and family.

Born successful Stuttgart, Germany, successful 1934, the girl of a butcher and a homemaker, Boschet learned dressmaking and tailoring astatine 14. In 1952, astatine 18, she joined her husband, a barber.

With postwar Germany inactive mostly successful rubble, they recovered it hard to gain a surviving and successful 1957 they immigrated to Canada.

For astir 5 years successful Toronto, Boschet worked astatine a ample sock mill earlier the mates moved to Los Angeles, wherever she got a occupation moving connected assorted theatre productions. She joined the Theatrical Wardrobe Union, which sent her astir to the studios.

In 1973, she landed astatine Disney, which leased a abstraction successful what is present called the Culver Studios, chiefly making costumes for Disney connected Parade. Three years later, erstwhile the parade enactment ended, she decided to motorboat her ain wardrobe and costume business.

After announcing the closure of Ursula’s Costumes successful the summertime past year, Boschet began to merchantability disconnected her inventory, which represented each imaginable play and benignant of costume and accessory. Many of her longtime customers made a pilgrimage to the store to accidental goodbye and bargain a portion of costume history.

The store volition adjacent for bully Saturday.

Boschet is survived by her daughter, Ela Steere, and son, Richard Boschet; 3 grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.