Alec Shanks began working at the Royal Theatre in Birmingham then came to Paris where he designed for the Moulin Rouge in 1926. He first collaborated with Erté then worked freelance for Max Weldy creating costumes for the Folies Bergère. He was the one who redesigned the theatre's interior, which contributed to his renown. In the 1930s he returned to Great Britain where he became production director of several London theatres. In the late 1930s he opened his own costume house, sometimes employing Erté.