WITH last month’s closure of Frome’s popular AbFab Costume Hire after 20 years, owner Philippa Kaye reflects on the fun store which brightened lives as visitors were transformed into another character.
She says, “Some things begin quite by accident and sometimes those accidents become a permanent part of your life for years to come.
“So began my guardianship of Absolutely Fabulous Costume Hire; myself a reluctant trustee, not even sure that this was what I wanted, but cajoled by friends and family to trust it was the right thing! So began a 19-year relationship of endless variety, creativity and fun.
“AbFab evolved into a behemoth, bursting at its seams with costume and accessories that dressed and partied with residents of Frome, trod the boards, ran marathons, played Santa, terrorised Halloween, raised money for charities, attended birthdays, made children smile and grannies into 80s icons, coaxed reluctant first-time fancy dressers into eccentrics and the extroverts into the stratosphere! No-one was left out, no shape or size, age or gender not catered for, and all left AbFab’s doors feeling they were as special as they really were. We moved to a larger shop in 2008, but still AbFab managed to fill its every corner and space!
“I do feel proud to have been at the helm of this fun house for two decades, I do feel sad that the footfall has diminished in the wake of recession, internet sales and the pandemic. Sadder still that I think this is the unrelenting end of the Mr Ben-style fancy dress shops with all their richness and wonder, the likes of which simply will become a memory and a story related to children who have never been inside one.
“I made the costumes, sourced all the myriad of items AbFab sold to accessorise every and any costume, worked behind the counter, cleaned, painted, washed, repaired and generally oversaw its daily life, aided by many of the great people who also worked with me in AbFab (you all know who you are, and I am most grateful to you all). I think Frome is diminished by AbFab’s passing. I feel the loss too of those intimate moments, watching someone transform into another character and later to hear the stories of where that costume took them. There are few jobs that can bring such experiences.
“A new costume in the shop felt like another path to explore, a new friend who would bring its own new tales; and in the months that led up to closing and with each costume that found a new home, it felt like saying goodbye to friends. The running of AbFab was an intimate and rewarding time. Before the pandemic, I could not have imagined letting it go. Now it’s gone, I wonder how I managed to achieve it!
“Thank you to all of you who loved the shop and used it. There’s still an over-stuffed rail of great costumes at my home looking for their new homes! So, if you would like a piece of the history of the shop, then please do have a look.
Here’s a link to photos of what’s left with sizes and prices! https://1drv.ms/u/s! ApjhN4b1vbzEhNp7m5bgApuG_vWY4w?e=env0D3
Pictured: Philippa Kaye and shop manager, Kerine Elmer, at Chrismas 2020 outside the shop in Bath Street.
