What Masquerade does

Masquerade is a small costume hire business based in Earl Stonham, Suffolk, UK, operating from a single retail showroom at Church Farm. The company specialises in renting high-quality fancy dress costumes organised across an extensive portfolio of categories spanning historical periods (Medieval, Tudor, Elizabethan, Georgian, Regency, Victorian, Edwardian, Egyptian/Roman, and 1920s through 1990s), character costumes, TV/film-inspired outfits, super heroes, pirates, wild west, pantomime, halloween, seasonal themes, military uniforms, and around-the-world cultural attire. Beyond costume hire, the business sells masks and accessories including hats, wigs, face paints, boas, swords, belts, and boots.

The business serves four identifiable customer segments: individual consumers seeking costumes for themed parties, weddings, and fancy dress occasions; corporate clients requiring costumes for events, promotional work, and team building; theatre and film productions needing professional-quality attire for stage and screen; and historical re-enactment enthusiasts participating in events such as the Goodwood Revival. Masquerade generates revenue through rental transaction fees for costume hire and direct hardware sales of masks and accessories. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; customers are directed to contact the business by phone or email for hire rates, and mail order fulfilment is handled manually rather than via a transactional e-commerce platform.

Masquerade distributes through a single physical retail location open Tuesday through Saturday plus a UK-wide mail order service for customers unable to visit in person. The business is owner-operated, with primary contact routed through a personal gmail address and two direct phone lines, indicating a sole proprietorship or small family-business structure. Marketing channels are limited to the company website, Facebook, and Twitter, with direct phone and email handling bottom-of-funnel enquiries. There is no evidence of external investment, technology platforms, proprietary systems, or institutional backing supporting the operation.

Name

Masquerade

Legal name

Masquerade

Website

https://masqueradeshop.co.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Masquerade is a small UK costume hire business in Suffolk offering rentals and accessories for individuals, corporate clients, theatre/film productions, and historical re-enactment enthusiasts, operating from a single showroom with UK-wide mail order.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Costume Rental Services

NAICS

Formal Wear and Costume Rental (532281)

SIC

Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600)

akta.pro primary industry

Decor Props & Themed Set Rentals (HSACAFAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Wardrobe, Hair & Makeup Services (MPADAFAH)

Keywords

• Costume hire services
• Fancy dress rental
• Historical period costumes
• Theatrical costume supplier
• Masquerade masks

Headquarters

HQ city

Earl Soham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Costume Hire: Rental service for high-quality fancy dress costumes including historical, fantasy, period, and themed costumes for events, parties, weddings, corporate events, theatre, film, and re-enactments. Also offers mail order service within the UK.
2. Accessories and Masks Sales: Sale of masks and accessories to complement hired costumes, including hats, wigs, face paints, boas, swords, belts, and boots.

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Masquerade operates a costume hire service from Church Farm in Earl Stonham, Suffolk, offering high-quality fancy dress and period costumes for themed parties, weddings, corporate events, film, theatre, re-enactments (including Goodwood Revival), and seasonal occasions. The hire offering is delivered through a physical showroom and a UK mail order service, complemented by the sale of masks and accessories such as hats, wigs, face paints, boas, swords, belts, and boots.

Product overview

Masquerade is a costume hire business operating from Suffolk, UK, offering high-quality fancy dress and costume hire services for themed events, weddings, corporate functions, film and theatre productions, re-enactments, Goodwood Revival events, and fancy dress parties. The core offering is the Costume Hire Service, supplemented by a UK-wide mail order option. The business provides an extensive portfolio organized across multiple costume categories including historical period costumes (Edwardian/Victorian, Elizabethan/Tudor, Regency/Georgian, Medieval, Egyptian/Roman), character costumes, TV/Fantasy/Film costumes, Super Heroes, Pirates, Wild West, Pantomime, Halloween, Seasonal, Uniforms, Stage and Screen productions, Goodwood Revival & Steam period costumes, Around the World international costumes, and Masks. The product portfolio serves diverse occasions from intimate themed parties to professional theatrical productions, with individual costumes available for hire as well as complete themed outfits.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Costume Hire Service Rental service for high-quality fancy dress and costume hire across historical periods (Medieval, Tudor, Georgian, Victorian, Edwardian, 1920s-1990s) and themed categories (superheroes, pirates, Wild West, pantomime, screen-inspired, international, seasonal, uniforms) for themed parties, weddings, corporate events, film, theatre, re-enactments (e.g., Goodwood Revival), and seasonal occasions. Available to individual consumers, corporate clients, and theatre/film productions via a physical showroom in Suffolk and a UK-wide mail order service.
• Masks and Accessories Sales Outright sale of masks and accessories to complement hired costumes, including masquerade masks, hats, wigs, face paints, boas, swords, belts, and boots. Available to individual consumers and other customers visiting the shop or using mail order.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Wicked Costumes: Wicked Costumes is a UK-based costume hire business supplying fancy dress and themed costumes for parties, events, and productions. Comparable to Masquerade in offering hire-based fancy dress with wide category coverage and mail order across the UK.
• Costume Hub (Hire That Costume / Costume Hub UK): Costume Hub UK is a UK fancy dress and costume hire specialist serving individual and corporate customers with themed and period costumes. Directly comparable in business model (hire-focused fancy dress) and target market.
• Angels Costumes: Angels Costumes is the UK's largest theatrical and fancy dress costume hire company, founded in 1840 and headquartered in London. It directly competes with Masquerade in theatrical and film costume hire while operating at significantly larger scale.
• Angels Fancy Dress: Angels Fancy Dress is a UK-based online fancy dress retailer and hirer offering themed costumes, masks, and accessories for parties and events. Comparable to Masquerade in product category and customer segment, though primarily an online retailer rather than shopfront-led.
• Fancy That Costume Company: Fancy That is a UK costume hire and sales business offering fancy dress for themed events, parties, and productions. Comparable as a smaller UK costume hire retailer serving consumer events with a similar category mix to Masquerade.
• National Theatre Costume Hire: National Theatre Costume Hire offers professional-grade costume hire from the National Theatre's extensive archive, serving theatre, opera, film, TV, and individual customers. Comparable to Masquerade as a UK-based hire business with theatrical and period expertise.

Broad incumbents

• Party City: Party City is the largest specialty party goods retailer in North America, supplying costumes, decorations, and accessories across hundreds of stores. Comparable as a broad fancy dress and party retailer though primarily sales-based, US-focused, and at much greater scale than Masquerade.
• Smiffys: Smiffys is the UK's leading fancy dress retailer and costume manufacturer/wholesaler, supplying costumes globally through retail and online channels. Comparable as a UK fancy dress incumbent, though Smiffys focuses on sale/purchase rather than hire and operates at much greater scale.

Emerging players

• Period Corsets / Period Costumes Hire UK: Period Costumes Hire is a UK-based specialist offering Victorian, Edwardian, Tudor, Regency, and other historical period costumes for hire. Comparable to Masquerade for the re-enactment and historical-themed segment, with deeper specialization in period authenticity.
• Costume Hire Online / Custom Made Costumes: Custom Made Costumes is a UK theatrical costume hire and bespoke costume maker serving theatre, film, TV, and individual customers. Comparable to Masquerade for the B2B theatre/film hire segment, with broader custom manufacturing capability.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Masqueradeshop
• Facebookfacebook.com/masqueradeshopcostumehire/?fref=ts

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Masquerade