B.C. Elvis jumpsuit shop taking care of business

A B.C. business is keeping Elvis’s legacy alive by stitching custom costumes fit for the King, as CTV’s Andrew Johnson reports.

Nanaimo, B.C., may be best known for its namesake dessert, but a bustling operation inside a quiet home in the Vancouver Island city is helping keep the King of Rock ’n’ Roll centre stage.

Inside the modest house, Eleanor von Boetticher and her small team sew some of the world’s most sought-after Elvis Presley jumpsuits.

“They’re beautiful, you know,” she said. “I never get tired of working on them.”

The costumer has spent nearly two decades recreating the bejewelled, high-collared fashion statements made famous by Presley during his performances in the ‘70.

“They are very time consuming. They’re not easy, so it makes it possible for us to have a real niche,” she said.

The niche business has grown into a jumpsuit juggernaut, as von Boetticher now employs eight people and ships out nearly 600 custom jumpsuits every year, reaching as far away as South America, Europe, and Australia.

Each piece sells for between $1,000 and $4,000, and she says it is not unusual for a customer to order multiple outfits at once.

The secret to von Boetticher’s success?

“We’re just really good at finding what it is that they’re looking for – figuring out the best way to make it, making costumes that really last a long time and are comfortable to wear on stage,” she said.

von Boetticher says demand shows no sign of slowing, and if anything, is going in the opposite direction. Surprisingly, especially among young performers.

One of those rising tribute artists is Jonathan Hicks. The Langley, B.C., native, who performs as “Johnny Elvis,” is a repeat customer at von Boetticher’s shop and was having some alterations done Wednesday to his American Eagle jumpsuit, the outfit Presley wore for the iconic 1973 “Aloha From Hawaii” concert.

“It’s a little tight across the thighs,” Hicks joked.

Hicks says he has studied Presley’s style since he was five, poring over concert footage and learning to mimic his idol’s mannerisms, dance routine and vocals.

“If there’s a serious Elvis fan in the crowd,” Hicks said, “they want to see attention to detail.”

Hicks performs full time as Presley, mainly around British Columbia, and says he feels fortunate to make a comfortable living doing it. He tries to embody the personality traits he believes continue to draw fans to Elvis.

“I think you’ve just got to be humble,” he said. “I think you’ve got to have a big heart and be humble to showcase this entertainer that was so gifted and humble and all that stuff, which he was.”

For both Hicks and von Boetticher, the work is a labour of love — a way to keep Presley’s legacy alive nearly 50 years after his death.