Behind the seams of 'The Masked Singer SA'
The hit show has come to our shores — read what legendary costume designer Heidi du Toit has to say about bringing the characters to life
For the past two decades, singing competitions have been the favourite for audiences around the globe. However, for close to 10 seasons The Masked Singer has changed the game by introducing a fun element to a TV genre we are familiar with.
The singing competition pits several celebrities against each other who perform in mascot-style outfits. Each week, the stars battle to keep their masks on as the eliminated stars' identities are revealed. From politicians to sports stars, audiences have been left aghast at the entertaining sensations that hid behind their masks.
From June 3, South Africa introduced its spin-off of the franchise where personalities vie for the coveted crown. While it's intriguing to see who lurks behind the mask, the unsung hero of the show is the costume designer of the series.
We take a break from the onstage glamour to find out just how Heidi du Toit of Hollywood Costumes brought the star-studded cast to life.
Image: Sebabatso Mosamo
What Frankie [du Toit], Paul and Anele [Mdoda] did was tell me they want a tree or a rhino for a certain person because it tells a little bit about their character. When that person came in they would show them the pictures by Jonathan Done and they would choose which one they liked.
After that, my team would choose what would or wouldn't work and then we started with the artwork and manufactured the pieces. My team includes amazing graphic and virtual designers who help bring our ideas to life. I also have sculptors to create the costumes. It was quite the journey.
Inside the costume it was hot and when you go on a stage like that with all of the lights, it's worse. To make it easier, we put fans inside to cool them off. Some of them had four of five but some just needed one depending on the costume.
The costumes get wet from sweat so we take them home every night, wash them, and bring them back. We also took the black hooded things they use to hide themselves. We have a kit with us with pieces if something like buttons break or come off. Whenever they tear we sow them immediately because they must look perfect when they get back on stage.