The woman behind the masks:

The secrets of The Masked Singer.

Who could be lurking within the Kiwiana-inspired costumes of The Masked Singer NZ?

It’s anyone’s guess – except for costume designer Denise Hailes. She knows the identities of everyone inside her fantastical costumes – but she’s keeping tight-lipped.

“Top secret. Nobody knows anything,” she laughs.

As well as dreaming up the costumes and bringing them to life, Hailes and an assistant had to help dress the contestants, giving them a rare glimpse at the singers inside the outrageous ensembles.

“We were some of the only people involved in the whole show that knew who was behind the masks,” she says.

Hailes, who has her own business producing costumes and corporate mascots, was chosen to create the characters for The Masked Singer NZ and was given free rein to let her imagination run riot.

She says it has been “great, great fun” creating the costumes. “Best job ever, best job I think I’ve ever done.”

Hailes began her career as a costume maker in the UK straight out of school.

“I started making costumes when I was 15 on a youth training

scheme in Manchester, at a professional theatre. I was working for a Repertory Theatre back in Manchester and continued working there for many years.

“I moved to New Zealand 21 years ago and continued to do that (costume-making for the stage) for about five years and then started up my own business, which is called The Costume Studio, in 2006.

“So I’ve been making costumes for 35 years and professionally that’s all I’ve ever done. I’ve never had another job.”

Given her line of work, she was already familiar with the flamboyant looks of the international Masked Singer franchise. But for Hailes, it was important for our version to have a distinctly New Zealand flavour.

“I think in New Zealand we are quite unique in the way that we do things and we produce things. So I wanted to add a very New Zealand tilt to the show where possible, and I think we’ve actually done that quite well.”

Of the 12 characters, which include a moa, a possum, a very cool sheep and a tuatara, Hailes says the most challenging to build was the monarch butterfly because of the size and the structure of the wings.

“They have to be lightweight and floaty in order to move and look good on screen. And so we incorporated some fibreglass into the outside edges of a very lightweight chiffon-style fabric. And then a holographic lycra was applied on top of that fabric along with lots of sequins and beads and trim and all sorts of other bits and pieces that hopefully shine in the light.”

The costumes are made from a wide variety of materials, including foam, fibreglass and ABS plastic – which creates a hard shell effect. Hailes has sourced fabrics from around the world to dress the costumes.

“We also used a lot of local suppliers where we could, but to design and make something which is very specific, it does require specific fabrics.”

It also requires specific skills. Fortunately, Hailes says she has a “fabulous team who have been with me for a long time, many, many, many years and we all get on very, very well.

“There were about six of us working on the costumes. They took about 1000 hours to make all of them – all 12 of them – and some took longer than others. A costume like this normally takes anywhere between about 70 and 100 hours.”

Singing and dancing in a huge, hairy costume can be hot and heavy work, and some costumes are even fitted with small fans.

“We try to make them as ventilated as possible as well so people can breathe. But we were challenged with things like the monster. The monster is so big, very fluffy, and probably one of the hotter costumes, so we’ve got ventilation in his head to allow the hot air to escape.”

Hailes says part of ensuring the costumes are as comfortable as possible involves test-driving them.

“Every member of my team will try that costume on at some stage while they’re making it, including me. Because we believe that we won’t make anything that we are not happy to wear.”

“We try to make them as ventilated as possible as well so people can breathe.”

– Denise Hailes