Look Sharp Store Hornby is the Christchurch branch of New Zealand's self-styled 'One Stop Fun Shop', a party and dress-up destination built around one simple idea: whatever you're celebrating, you can get everything for it in one trip. The shelves and racks cover costumes and wigs for men, women, boys and girls, dress-up accessories from masks and hats to feather boas and tutus, full party tableware and decorations ranges, balloons and helium, favours, games, candles and lollies, plus arts and craft, bakeware, gift wrap and home and everyday lines.
Beyond the off-the-shelf range, the store runs a custom printing service covering personalised t-shirts, custom sashes, personalised masks, custom and pre-designed banners, canvas prints and custom cutouts. For bigger setups there are arch display kits, backdrops, lights, disco balls and inflatables, and a party decoration hire service for one-off events.
Shopping is made easy by the way the range is organised — tableware and accessories are sorted by colour for palette matching, and popular themes like summer and luau, toga, Mexican, Gatsby, disco and cowboy have their own coordinated selections. Whether it's a kids' birthday with loot bags and a pinata, a Halloween costume, a themed work party or a milestone celebration, the Hornby store is set up to be the last stop in the planning.
Look Sharp Store has long been a go-to name in New Zealand for anyone throwing a party, and the Hornby branch on Tower St brings that same 'One Stop Fun Shop' promise to Christchurch. The idea is simple: whatever the occasion — a kids' birthday, a dress-up party, a work do, a milestone birthday or a full-blown themed extravaganza — you should be able to walk in and walk out with everything you need. That means costumes, wigs, tableware, decorations, balloons, favours, candles and lollies under one roof, alongside craft, bakeware, gift wrap supplies and an in-store custom printing service.
Dress-up sits at the heart of Look Sharp's offering. The costume range covers men, women, boys and girls, sorted into easy-to-browse styles: fun and funny, superhero, era and decades, character, horror and scary, historical, and occupations. For older kids there's a dedicated 140–155cm range, and onesies plus men's and women's party wigs round things out.
If a full costume is more than you need, the dress-up accessories selection is where outfits get built: hats, masks and latex masks, party glasses, suspenders and ties, jewellery, stockings, gloves, sashes and badges, feather boas, tutus, angel wings, hula skirts, flower leis and photo booth props. A makeup section adds eyelashes, contact lenses, nails and facial accessories for finishing touches — especially handy around Halloween.
One of the store's standout services is custom printing. T-shirts can be personalised for sports teams, celebrations and work events, alongside personalised masks and custom sashes. Banners work both ways: fully custom designs, or ready-made pre-designed banners for last-minute planners. The printing range extends to canvas prints and custom cutouts for displays and photo opportunities.
Balloons get their own department too, with packet latex balloons, foil balloons and helium tanks so you can inflate at the store or take the tank home. Combine that with arch display kits, disco balls, lights, inflatables, pinatas, curtains and backdrops, and you have the makings of a properly decked-out venue — or ask about party decoration hire if you'd rather rent the big pieces.
The tableware section is organised by colour — reds, oranges, yellows, greens, blues, pinks, lavender, white, black, silver, gold, clear and kraft — plus an eco-friendly line, so you can stick to one palette across plates, cutlery, napkins, drinkware, straws and tablecovers, printed or plain, with table skirts for good measure.
Themed parties have dedicated ranges as well: summer and luau, toga, Mexican, Gatsby, disco and cowboy. For the details that make a party, there are favours (loot bags, treat boxes, value packs, party hats, blowouts, glow-in-the-dark goodies and tiaras), party games and toys, wristbands and raffle tickets for organised events, poppers and confetti cannons for the big moment, candles from numbers to floating and scented, cake toppers, and an edibles section stocked with bagged lollies, lollipops, jar candy and chocolates.
Handily, the store also carries gift boxes, ribbon, bows, paper and wine bags and wrapping paper — so wrapping the presents is covered too — along with its arts and craft, bakeware, and home and everyday ranges.
For Hornby locals and wider Christchurch party planners, the branch works as a one-stop planning stop: pick the theme, sort the costumes, match the tableware to your colours, order the personalised shirts or banner, and arrange balloons and any hired decor. Whether it's a toddler's first birthday, a school production costume, a Halloween outfit or an office disco, Look Sharp Store Hornby aims to have the fun covered — the name on the door, after all, is 'One Stop Fun Shop.'