By Catarina Demony and Elena Rodriguez
ALGETE, Spain (Reuters) – Spanish shoemaker Victor Sanchez could not believe his luck when his company, Peris Costumes, was asked to make the footwear for an Amazon television series based on The Lord of the Rings.
“It very beautiful for me to make (the shoes) for ‘Rings of Power’ as I’m a big fan of the saga,” said 32-year-old Sanchez, standing in Peris’ shoe factory, where he is manager. “It always makes you feel a little proud.”
The second season of “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” is due to premiere on the streaming platform this year.
At the factory, Sanchez pointed out other shoes his team has designed for the screen, including the boots worn by the actress who played Princess Diana on Netflix show “The Crown”.
Founded in 1856, Peris Costumes is one of the world’s biggest costume makers for the cinema, TV and theatre, its creations even winning Oscars.
Its headquarters in the town of Algete, near Madrid, house six million garments, from medieval suits of armour to vintage sunglasses and hats of all shapes and sizes.
The company has facilities in 21 cities, from Mexico City to Paris, and it has worked with costume designers for Disney movies such as “The Little Mermaid” and HBO series “House of the Dragon”.
“We have tried to make Peris a truly international company … and this is exactly what we have achieved,” said CEO Javier Toledo, adding that last year Peris worked on more than 1,000 productions.
Current projects have to be kept secret as Peris signs non-disclosure agreements with the production companies.
Although Peris strives to keep traditions alive, it also uses new technologies, such as a studio with 144 high-resolution cameras to generate 3D images of costumes.
“Technology is very important … but the work we do here is very, very artisanal,” said Peris’ international product manager, Maria Ortega, as seamstresses worked on costumes behind her. “That’s what costumers value.”
(Reporting by Catarina Demony and Elena Rodriguez; Editing by Andrei Khalip and Ros Russell)
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