Quick change, or the art of changing costumes rapidly, is not new. Traces of this type of performance can be found as early as the 19th century, but it was at the end of that century and the beginning of the 20th that this art was revived by a certain Leopoldo Fregoli. He popularized quick change by transforming himself up to 100 times in the same show and performing in the world's biggest cities. Fregoli was also an actor and appeared in several short films from the late 19th century. He also bought a device from the Lumière brothers to project filmed scenes himself, which he renamed the Fregoligraphe, making him one of the pioneers of cinema, notably by sometimes filming behind the scenes of his costume changes.
A worthy successor to Fregoli, a much more contemporary artist, globally renowned for his rapid costume changes and his hairstyle, is undoubtedly Arturo Brachetti, who also created the musical titled Fregoli, in tribute to the artist of the same name. Arturo Brachetti's numerous costume changes take place in a show that blends music and humor, much like Fregoli did in his time. Arturo Brachetti received several awards for his career, including the title of Chevalier des Arts et de Lettres in 2011, and had the honor of seeing his wax statue created at the Musée Grévin.
Recently, new developments have occurred in quick change, notably with Léa Kyle, who made a splash with her ultra-visual costume change acts, bringing a fresh perspective to the quick change scene. Passionate about sewing and magic, these two passions combined allow her to design her own costumes and thus create new methods to achieve previously impossible effects. While costume changes were previously done by going behind something obscuring (screens, curtains, confetti, etc.), Léa Kyle has managed to find new solutions to perform most of her changes in plain sight, giving a new lease of life to this centuries-old discipline. She gained recognition during her television appearances, notably on shows like Incroyable talent, and Fool Us where she baffled Penn and Teller.
Tabarin's Hat
Although this type of show is not really performed anymore today, and it is not strictly speaking about costume changes, a classic of the genre was what is called "Tabarin's Hat," named after the 16th-century street artist who performed in Place Dauphine in Paris. This type of act relied on the presentation of a hat which, when folded in a certain way, could gradually transform into numerous headwear and accessories during the performance. Thus, from a simple classic hat, one could move on to a tricorn, and more than forty other shapes. Arturo Brachetti still regularly features an act of this type in his shows. If you wish to take up this discipline, a DVD by Patrice Curt has been produced in which he explains the different folds of this hat.
World Records
Like any discipline in its own right, artists try to push the boundaries of this art by aiming to enter the Guinness Book of Records. For example, Malaysians Avery Chin and Sylvia Lim manage to make 17 costume changes in 30 seconds, and the Portuguese Solange Kardinaly and Arkadio achieve 25 costume changes in one minute.
