Ever wondered what happens to ‘Masked Singer’ costumes? Turns out, they're treated like royalty
With every season of 'The Masked Singer', fans not only buzz over making the right guesses of celebrity performances, but also about the wild and outrageously creative outfits. However, once the lights dim and the masks come off, one big question remains: what happens to those costumes after the show wraps? According to the L.A. Times, costume designer Marina Toybina, who is a six-time nominee and a four-time Emmy awardee for her work on the series, revealed that many of the show’s costumes are boxed and stored at Endemol Shine North America, one of the production companies of 'The Masked Singer.'
UsWeekly also reported that the extraordinary costumes, usually weighing more than 100 pounds, are stored in a temperature-controlled environment until they’re used for promotional purposes or loaned to other countries. "They can’t get too hot or else glue can melt,” lead costume supervisor Grainne O’Sullivan told the outlet. According to Buzzfeed, Toybina once said that each costume takes around 3-4 weeks to build and includes intricate detailing and customization based on feedback from celebrities' preferences. With so much time and effort given to the making of one costume, it is only natural for stars to build a connection with the costume and want to take it home with them. "All of them have asked,” O’Sullivan revealed to the outlet.
For example, season 1 winner Donny Osmond used his costume for a brief display at his Las Vegas show. Another example is Candace Cameron Bure, who appeared as Cherry Blossom in season 13. "When I had said yes [to the show], I was so hoping that I would have a costume that felt like clothes. When they showed me cherry blossoms, I thought it was so beautiful. We have so many cherry blossoms around, and I'm always shooting my movies in British Columbia, and the cherry blossoms are blooming right now."
However, wearing the Cherry Blossom costume may have looked magical on stage, but it wasn’t exactly a walk in the park. "Once you put the dress on and all those cherry blossom branches were on, it was super cool but easy,” she said. “Easy to wear except for the mask. You put the mask on, and it’s so hard to see out of it. You kind of feel like you're walking blind a bit, or at least it's very dark." Even costume designer Marina Toybina admits there’s always room for improvement when it comes to comfort. As she told the L. A Times, “I’m still learning what we can do better,” Toybina says. “What can I create that gives it a little bit more ease to the costume that would make it even more body-friendly?”
Having been in the costume design field for over two decades now, Toybina still values her work and time like a true professional. In an another interview with The Art of Costume, Toybina was asked, "If you were to perform on The Masked Singer, do you have an idea of what your costume character would look like?" and she responded, "I would be an hourglass because I had lived my whole life on these deadlines and time pressures that every little piece of sand matters."