News Comes as the Store’s Legendary Owner Struggles With Pancreatic Cancer
After nearly half a century of costuming the Hollywood film industry in addition to anyone looking to spruce up for Halloween, Ursula’s Costumes in Santa Monica is closing its doors.
The store, located at 2516 Wilshire Blvd., offers a large array of rare and one-of-a-kind accessories and costumes including masks, hats, wigs, makeup, shoes and jewelry. Those store items are now on sale by as much as 50%.
According to NBC4, lasting impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic and Hollywood strikes, in addition to mounting competition from online retailers, are what led to the decision. The store is set to close after Halloween.
Announcement of the imminent store closure comes as its owner, 90-year-old legendary costume designer Ursula Boschet, is struggling with serious illness.
“[Ursula] walks into her costume house every day at 9:00 a.m., cane-assisted and troubled with pancreatic cancer and age-related conditions.” stated a GoFundMe set up for Boschet’s needs. “It is time to close shop now; and there is a heavy financial burden that has taken hold … Closing costs of Ursula’s Costumes are not yet set, though gaining traction.”
That GoFundMe aims to raise $125,000 to resolve Boschet’s difficulties related to her health and closing her beloved business. That campaign can be found here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-ursula-boschet-overcome-health-and-financial-struggles?attribution_id=sl:56736e54-7929-4b03-8f7a-f3471e43a7a4&lang=en_US&utm_campaign=fp_sharesheet&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=facebook.
As detailed in a recent L.A. Times piece, Boschet was born in Germany in 1934, and has been tailoring since the age of 14. She moved out of her home country with her husband in 1957 to Canada where she worked at a sock factory. After settling in Los Angeles more than four years later, Boschet found herself working at theater productions and making costumes.
In 1976, after finishing her time working for Disney, Boschet launched a wardrobe mecca of her own.
Through the years since opening her West L.A. storefront, Boschet worked on various productions including the 1980s TV show “Cagney & Lacey” and the 1984 film “All of Me”.
