About Us

COSTUME
CATEGORIES

ABOUT ETOILE

Etoile
18849 Ventura Boulevard                        818/343-3701
Tarzana, CA   91356                                818/343-3593
USA

info@etoilela.com

OWNERS:
Sandy Perkins and Rhonda Cowan

SALES STAFF:
Theresa, Darren, Sam, Nina and Morris

IN BUSINESS SINCE:
1989

HOURS OF OPERATION:

Monday - Friday        10 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Saturday                    10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Sunday                      11 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Please call for special Halloween season hours.

PAYMENT OPTIONS:
Visa/MasterCard/American Express/Discover/Cash/Check

WHO ARE WE?

Sandy and Rhonda started Etoile in September 1989 in a tiny 1200 sq. ft. storefront on Ventura Boulevard, just across the street from our current location. We started as a gift and party store doing party decorating, balloon bouquet and gift basket deliveries. We morphed into what we are today in less than 5 years, with the help and suggestions from friends and customers. After the Northridge earthquake in 1994, we moved into our 4000 sq. ft. location, feeling somewhat overwhelmed with it's seemingly massive size. Today, we have 300 lineal feet of rental costume racks, with platforms built on the tops to accommodate rental hats, wigs and crowns; 325 sq. ft. of gridwall filled with retail costumes in all sizes AND we're still hanging stuff from the rafters. We also have 2 storage containers filled to the brim with additional costume and accessory inventory.

Did we mention that Sandy and Rhonda are sisters? Both born in Los Angeles and raised right here in Tarzana. Their family home, only blocks from the store, is still the gathering place for family and friends, and often used for extra storage when the Halloween season rolls around.

Theresa, a mother of 4 grown children, has been with us for over 10 years. We wouldn't know what to do every morning if we didn't see her smiling face! Theresa is our morning manager during the week. For some reason she seems to think she'd like to spend her weekends with her family, so you won't find her around here on Saturday's or Sunday's.

Darren has been with us for several years and we'd be lost without his determination and strong muscles. With relentless energy he is the first to offer to find whatever it is you are looking for, no matter how high up on a shelf it is. Darren has one son, Jesse, who doesn't look a thing like his dad. Of course, Jesse has hair! Like all the guys who work here, Darren speaks fluent SPEED MUMBLING.

Sam's b

Nina is our resident Drama Queen...literally! She's an aspiring actress and screen writer who has distinguished herself in the role of Magenta from the Rocky Horror Picture Show. The photo above is one of her publicity shots from the show. You can find her almost every Saturday night at the theater in Santa Monica performing in the role. Nina is a master at tracking down just the right look for even the most obscure character, so if you need some help with your costume, come in and ask for Nina !

Morris was our afternoon and weekend manager for a number of years, but has recently moved on to another job. BUT, it's impossible to lose a treasured staff member completely. Around Halloween time, if you spot Michael Meyers wandering around the store...don't worry, it's only Morris giving all the customers a good fright! Every Halloween season he comes back to give us a much needed helping hand. He's a relentless tease, so don't get him started! Morris arrived in the USA from Afghanistan when he was 10 years old and speaks Pashtoo and understands Farsi.

WHERE ARE WE?

Yep, Tarzana is named after the unforgettable character "Tarzan Of The Apes"! The once sprawling 550 acre Tarzana Ranch owned by Edgar Rice Burrows is now a thriving suburb of Los Angeles. Click on Tarzan and his lion friend below and zip right into the official Tarzan website!

We like to think our beautiful, sunny Southern California city, nestled at the base of the Santa Monica Mountains, is the perfect starting point for a visit to the City of Angels. Just take a look at how close we are to what goes on in L.A.

Universal Studios - 8 miles
Magic Mountain - 22 miles
Disneyland - 65 miles
Los Angeles Zoo - 17 miles
Warner Brothers Studios - 14 miles
Disney Studios - 13 miles
NBC Studios - 14 miles
CBS Studios - 9 miles
MGM Studios - 13 miles
Paramount Studios - 16 miles
UCLA - 13 miles
Beaches - 12 miles
Hollywood Bowl - 10 Miles
Hollywood Boulevard - 11 Miles

Etoile Costume and Party Center
18849 Ventura Blvd., Tarzana, CA, (818) 343-3701
Open year round