Fabric Sources for Lord of the Rings Film Costumes
Of all the places in New Zealand, Auckland would seem to be the most bereft of anything to do with the Lord of the Rings films. But a good deal of the costume items were sourced from here - notably fabrics. Via a classic "long story" I wound up finding two of the fabric suppliers for the LOTR films' costume workshops. There are certainly other suppliers, and neither of the suppliers below are publicising that they provided fabric for LOTR; they provide fabric to other film and TV productions in New Zealand. But I've been surprised at how many people are interested in this information, so it's posted here. Information about these establishments can be found at the New Zealand Yellow Pages.
The most accessible one is The Silk Gallery. Tucked under the Sheraton hotel at the corner of Karangahape Road and Symonds Street, this boutique is the retail storefront for a large silk wholesale/import business. "Yes, we provided fabrics to Three Foot Six, (Peter Jackson's production company), but we have a variety of material coming through. It's always changing. We'd call them up and tell them what we had, and they'd buy (whole bolts of fabric)." As a result, they aren't able to help you match specific fabrics for specific costumes, but the professional staff will help you find a close match. The shop is a jewel box of fabrics; beaded and embroidered silk brocade and silk organza, softly rolled bolts of charmeuse, two walls with rolls of different silk duiponi shades. There were lots of detailed chiffons and brocades that evoked dresses worn by Galadriel and Arwen. They also stock quality silk saris, heavily beaded trims and embroidered/beaded silk accessories, like purses and small pillowcases.
Another local source for silks is India Emporium, right down Karangahape Road a block and a half from The Silk Gallery. Look in both stores before you make your purchases! The prices are pretty much the same in both stores, and they both have an impressive selection of silks and trims, with some differences in their stock. I'd recommend The Silk Gallery for beaded and duiponi fabrics, silk accessories, the most accurate "Arwen gown" trims you'll find anywhere, and their wonderful sale corner. I recommend India Emporium for their silk jacquards and brocades (almost the same as Elrond's sleeves). When I visited, India Emporium also had a wider range of organzas.
Serious hard-core costumers will also want to know about Velvet Fabrics Ltd. This wholesale business, based in the Auckland suburb of Avondale, does welcome retail customers. Fabric viewing is by appointment only. The business specializes in high-end suiting and velvets and velveteens from a few choice European manufacturers. You can buy lengths of a few meters from the fabrics in stock, or have special orders put through for 10 or more meters. Denholme velvets are in stock, and many of the colors are adaptable to some favorite LOTR costumes, such as Legolas' cloak (Denholme pewter/black), Galadriel's white cloak (white velvet, of course) and Arwen's Requiem dress (Denholme Thames blue). Vinka Bridal on Queen Street in Auckland also stocks the Denholme velvets range...however, they order them in, they don't have the fabrics immediately available, and their prices are higher, so I recommend Velvet Fabrics Ltd. first. Say hi to Tiger the tomcat if you make an appointment.
One last stop for costumers would be Designer Wholesale Fabrics. This place is known locally for having bought up the considerable remnants of the Xena/Hercules costume shop fabrics. Will they be getting the LOTR leftovers? We're watching to see. Designer Wholesale Fabrics is in an industrial neighborhood called Otara, about 20 minutes outside of downtown Auckland by car.