GENEVA - At a time when Bridgerton-style costume parties are all the rage, Geneva's Grand Theatre is planning to sell off 15,000 stage costumes, accessories and shoes from major productions through the years.
Thousands of garments, ranging from vests and tunics to dresses and leotards, are displayed in a large warehouse near Geneva.
These include large animal heads, including a rat and a bull, and an embroidered dress with a ruffled hem made for the production of the Handel opera "Alcina".
There is also a costume inspired by crinoline, the stiff or structured petticoat designed to hold out a skirt or tutu, but whimsically reimagined using neoprene.
The Grand Theatre, a majestic building in the heart of Geneva which opened in 1879, is selling around half of its stock, calling it "a rare opportunity to step behind the scenes and take home a living fragment of the show".
"From valets to duchesses, from three-piece suits to the Roaring Twenties, there is something for every taste," it boasts on its website.
The pieces, some dating back to the 1980s, will go on sale on February 14 and 15, with a time slot reserved for professionals.
Prices range from five to 500 Swiss francs ($6.50-$650), although the star of the sale has been priced higher, at 995 Swiss francs.