Boschet’s store attracted a devoted clientele, including celebrities like Jamie Lee Curtis, Steve Martin, and Victoria Tennant
Ursula Boschet, the legendary costume designer and owner of Ursula’s Costumes, has died following a battle with pancreatic cancer. She was 90.
For nearly half a century, Boschet’s shop was a staple of the Los Angeles costume scene, providing elaborate, handmade designs to both Hollywood productions and everyday Angelenos. Her passing marks the end of an era for a beloved institution known for its whimsical collection of masks, wigs, and period pieces.
Actress Kate Beckinsale, a longtime customer and friend, paid tribute to Boschet on Instagram, calling her “a humble, impish icon” and remembering the joy she brought to countless lives. “Hollywood has lost a humble, impish icon, and I have lost a dear friend,” Beckinsale wrote. “She managed to keep the child in all of us alive.”
As reported by NPR, Boschet began her career as a tailor in post-war Germany before immigrating to the U.S. with her husband, Herman, in 1962. After years of designing costumes for theater companies, Disney parades, and Hollywood studios, she opened her own store in 1976. Initially based in Culver City, Ursula’s Costumes moved to Santa Monica about 30 years ago, where it remained until its recent closure.
Boschet’s store attracted a devoted clientele, including celebrities like Jamie Lee Curtis, Steve Martin, and Victoria Tennant. Curtis, speaking to NPR, described Ursula’s Costumes as a place of “magic and fantasy” where customers could bring their creative visions to life. “She loved a collaboration,” Curtis said. “You could see her light up when you presented an idea.”
Boschet had announced the store’s closure last year, citing declining foot traffic due to online shopping, high rent costs, and her own health struggles. The COVID-19 pandemic and Hollywood strikes further impacted the business. In her final months, a GoFundMe campaign was launched to help cover medical expenses and store closure costs.
Known for her dedication and passion, Boschet’s influence extended beyond her store. She contributed costumes to productions such as Cagney & Lacey and All of Me and even made occasional on-screen appearances, once playing a tailor in The Jayne Mansfield Story.
Though Ursula’s Costumes is now shuttered, Boschet’s legacy lives on through the many handmade costumes she created and the countless memories she helped craft. As Beckinsale put it, “Your talent, imagination, and kindness were real magic.”
