Behind The Looks: Bourgeois and Maurice Insane Animals

Bourgeois and Maurice landed their spaceship at HOME last week and have been delighting the “humansexuals” of Manchester. We took a peek into their wardrobe and met the man behind their fabulous costumes!

Julian Smith is a costume designer and bespoke tailor, who studied Fashion Design at Manchester Metropolitan University. He’s worked with fashion brands including Roland Mouret, Erdem, Matty Bovan, Victoria Beckham as well as having his own fashion label Julian J Smith.

His stage costumes have been worn by the likes of London club Sink The Pink founder Glyn Fussell, cabaret performer and co-owner of The Glory Jonny Woo, singer and cabaret star Le Gateaux Chocolat, Crystal of UK Ru Paul’s Drag Race and Beth Ditto of Gossip.

His history with Bourgeois and Maurice goes back to their very early days, and has been working with them since their very first gig at legendary Soho nightclub Madam Jojo’s.

He helped develop their overall look and style, taking inspiration from Manchester’s very own The Divine David, David Hoyle, David Bowie for Bourgeois and Maurice’s early glam rock / goth looks.

For the Insane Animals in Act One you’ll find Bourgeois and Maurice dressed very true to character as “camp irreverent aliens”

Act 2 takes them somewhere new, with co-ordinating costumes for the band and other cast members.

Make-up for the show was designed by another member of the Bourgeois and Maurice universe, international make-up artist Andrew Gallimore. Like Julian Smith, Andrew also studied at Manchester Metropolitan University.

He’s worked on campaigns for Versace, on shows for Christopher Shannon and his make-up looks have been featured on the faces of models and celebrities for Pop, Dazed, i-D, Paper, Ponystep, Hunger, Rolling Stone, Vogue Japan and Elle UK but to name a few!

Bourgeois and Maurice will be at planet HOME in Insane Animals until Saturday 14th March. Book now!