The
The Official Publication of the National Costumers Association, Inc.
Oh Baby! Costuming the tiny tot set
Recap of NCA Conference 2019
Sept/Oct 2019
c os t u m e r s . o r g
CONTENTS
14
Photo courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art
features
14 Oh Baby! Costuming the Tiny Tot Set Tips for selling costumes for infants and toddlers
By Kathleen Furore
18 See You At…the Fashion Museums
A look at the best fashion museums in the U.S. and abroad
18
departments
6
In the Industry—a recap of NCA Conference 2019
22 Product Parade 24 My Favorite Costume
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N C A A D M I N I S T R AT I O N BOARD OF DIRECTORS President
Marion Bradley 2021* Discount Costumes 494 Booth Road, Suite H Warner Robins, GA 31093 478-929-3500 ncapresident21@gmail.com
Treasurer
Vice President
Pam Markel 2021* Illusive Skull Costume Castle 1314 Morgantown Ave. Fairmont, WV 26554 304-363-4785 Fax 304-366-9850 info@illusiveskull.com
Louella Torrence 2020* Drop Me A Line Costume Shop 1050 Lehigh Street Allentown, PA 610-435-7481 Fax 610-435-7428 dropmealine@rcn.com
Director
Director
Gene Flaharty 2021* Mehron 100 Red Schoolhouse Road Chestnut Ridge, NY 10977 845-426-1700 Fax 845-426-1515 gflaharty@mehron.com
Dwayne Ibsen 2021* Ibsen Costume Gallery 4981 Hamilton St. Omaha, NE 68132 402-556-1400 Fax 402-556-5727 ibsencostumes@ gmail.com
Director
Director
Tyler Volz 2021* Spotlight Characters 1140 N. Walton Blvd. #3 Bentonville, AR 72712 479-696-4500
Director
Louella Torrence 2020* Drop Me A Line Costume Shop 1050 Lehigh Street Allentown, PA 610-435-7481 Fax 610-435-7428 dropmealine@rcn.com
Linda Adams-Foat 2021* Camelot Costumes, LLC 1321 S. Demeter Dr. Freeport, IL 61032 815-233-1861 camelot7@comcast.net
Director
Lori Hammes 2021* Curtains Up Costumes 100 Kramer Street Sigourney, IA 52591 641-622-5991 Contact@ CurtainsUpCostumes.com
*indicates end of current term
Like the NCA on Facebook! Go to www.costumers.org and look for the Facebook link at the bottom of the page! sep t/oct 2019
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2019 STANDING COMMITTEE CHAIRS Buyer’s Group: NCA Home Office Staff The Costumer/Roster/Publications: Ed Avis Associates Disaster & Grievance: Pam Markel, Illusive Skull Costume Castle Executive Director Liaison: Marion Bradley, Discount Costume Historian: Don Knox, NCA Executive Director Membership: Gene Flaherty, Mehron Memorial Fund/National Awards: Linda Adams-Foat, Camelot Costumes, LLC Nominations: Linda Adams-Foat, Camelot Costumes, LLC Plot Service: Lori Hammes, Curtains Up Costumes Policy & Procedures: Linda Adams-Foat, Camelot Costumes, LLC Publications Liaison: Marion Bradley, Discount Costume and Terri Greenberg, HALCO Time & Place: Dwayne Ibsen, Ibsen Costume Gallery and Marion Bradley Discount Costumes Web Site: Louella Torrence, Drop Me A Line Costume Shop and Don Knox, NCA Executive Director Bereavement: Terri Greenberg, HALCO Social Media: Janine Caufield, Caufield’s
ATTENTION ALL COSTUMERS Save The Date!
Mark your calendars for the
2020 Halloween & Party Expo!
Date: January 17 - 19th, 2020 Place: Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, New Orleans, Louisiana Watch future issues of The Costumer for more information.
PRESIDENT ’S LETTER Presidential greetings from Georgia, It’s that time of year again: Many of our members are getting their product in, reorganizing their stores to make room for the new products, hiring the extra staff to help run the store, and hoping for an awesome Halloween! I haven’t been a member of the NCA as long as others have been, but in speaking with the generation ahead of me I hear stories of how Halloween was so glorious. From September to November 1, the money that was made pulled you through the other eight months. And now because of the internet, 30-day pop-up shops, and even some vendors selling retail, the reality is that year-round costume stores can no longer count on their Halloween income to sustain their business throughout the year. As I think about this, I realize it is not just a “costume store” issue. I also have a balloon business—and just like a costume shop at Halloween, my Valentine’s Day used to be the biggest day of the year. This doesn’t mean that Valentine’s Day is no longer a prosperous holiday; it just means that because of the internet, corner pop-ups, helium shortages, and dollar stores, things have changed for us and many other balloon shops, too. Seeing all of the big changes that may be happening at your store, listening to television, and reading social media posts may make you conclude that retail as we know it is dying. If you have been in business for a long time, you may even be asking yourself why you keep spinning your wheels! But that is when you need to start remembering how it all started for you. Do you remember when you first opened your business? How did you feel? What made you want to do it? Did you go against naysayers that said it couldn’t be done? Did you struggle the first couple of years to pay the bills? Wasn’t it delightful when you got to share your store and product with customers? Didn’t you feel a sense of accomplishment? All business owners should be proud of themselves, as this is a major thing! For the above reasons and more, I have decided I am going to go ahead and open up a pop-up shop for the Halloween season. Yes, I have plenty of reasons not to do it—but when I think back to the sense of accomplishment I get when a customer goes into my new store for the first time and shares that they are glad we are there... well...I can’t help but feel good. I love making customers happy when they have found “just the thing” they were looking for. Customers who truly appreciate me for being there—those are the ones who make my day! I hope that the next three months will be awesome and prosperous for all of you! Until next time, Marion Bradley, President National Costumers Association Discount Costumes, Warner Robins, Georgia sep t/oct 2019
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NCA National Headquarters Don Knox Executive Director P.O. Box 3406 Englewood, CO 80155 800-NCA-1321 Fax 303-200-7099 office@costumers.org
The Costumer Publications Office Ed Avis Associates P.O. Box 13347 Chicago, IL 60613 708-218-7755 pub@costumers.org Ad Sales Ed Avis 708-218-7755 pub@costumers.org Editorial Inquiries Kathleen Furore 708-267-0023 kfurore@yahoo.com Art Director Michelle Crisanti info@mc2chicago.com ©2019, National Costumers Association. The Costumer is published by the National Costumers Association, Inc., with headquarters located at the above address, a nonprofit and incorporated association of costumers located in the United States, Australia, Bahamas, Canada, India, Ireland, Mexico, and Great Britain. No responsibility is assumed for the opinions expressed or claims made by the authors of articles or by advertisers. Appearance in the magazine does not constitute endorsement by the National Costumers Association, nor its officers or representatives.
www.costumers.org
in the industry A Recap of NCA Conference 2019: Reliving the Best Moments from ‘All That Jazz’ National Costumers Association members gathered at the Crowne Plaza Kansas City Downtown for the 2019 NCA Conference from July 18-21. It was a memorable event, full of education, networking and fun. Thanks to Janine Caufield, who shot many of the photos throughout this section!
Hammes and Tyler Volz are the association’s newest board directors. “I want to thank the members for entrusting me as president for the next two years,” Bradley said. New faces at conference!
And the Harrelson Award goes to… Terri Greenberg! The Major Harrelson Service Award is the NCA’s highest honor. This year’s recipient, Terri Greenberg of HALCO, expressed her gratitude to everyone involved in the NCA: “Thank you to the National Costumers Association for the wonderfully unexpected and humbling Major Harrelson Service Award. I am truly honored!” New Board Members Take Oath of Office
(L to R) Linda Adams-Foat, Pam Markel, Tyler Volz. Gene Flaherty, Lori Hammes, and Dwayne Isben
New NCA board members were formally installed on Saturday evening, July 20. Marion Bradley was re-elected NCA president; Pam Markel is the new vice president; and Lori sep t/oct 2019
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The NCA welcomed first time attendees (top photo), and new members Scott and Dineen Fifield of Neen’s Costume Emporium & Party Supplies in Keene, New Hampshire (above left), and Tyler and Desiree Volz of Spotlight Characters in Bentonville, Arkansas (above right). NCA Announces Student Creative Event Winner During lunch on Friday, July 19, students presented their designs in the Student Creative Event. The winner: Sky Graham, who was awarded a scholarship to continue her education at Illinois State University. Her winning entry was “Dynamites from Hairspray.”
Creativity shines at Creative Style Show
Always a favorite event, the Creative Style Show—held during lunch on Saturday, July 20—gave costumers the chance to showcase how creative they could be using a surprise box of fabric and other materials!
Thanks to our Sponsors! Our vendors’ support is invaluable to the NCA! The organization would like to show our gratitude to the following companies for their gracious sponsorship toward our hospitality: Rubie’s Costume Company, Forum Novelties Inc., Mehron Makeup, Halco, Smiffys, Sunnywood, and Westbay. The NCA is extremely appreciative of these companies’ generosity and the continued support they have shown throughout the years. We urge all NCA members to support the vendors who support our organization. Guest Educators Went Above and Beyond! Several industry pros entertained and educated conference attendees during education sessions throughout the weekend. “Our educators all went above and beyond to excite and instruct their students,” NCA director Pam Markel of Illusive Skull Costume Castle in Fairmont, West Virginia said. Pattern Making and Draping
And the Finale…All That Jazz Dinner!
Vince Scassellati (left)
Saturday night’s All That Jazz dinner in the beautiful Starlight Ballroom atop the Crowne Plaza Kansas City was superlative!
Vince Scassellati, designer, cutter and draper, and Ken Burrell—both of Kansas City Costume Company— shared their combined years of experience and knowledge. During this class Ken Burrell on Friday morning, July 19, Burrell demonstrated how using stretch fabrics in garments can add versatility for expansion and ease in the seams and also how patterns have to be altered when used with fabrics that stretch. In the Friday afternoon class,
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Scassellati explained how to work without a pattern. “He made it seem so easy with draping and adapting a basic pattern to any type of costume you are making that many of us thought, ‘Why didn’t we think of it?’” Markel said. “Now we can do it, we hope, if we follow his wonderful tips and directions. Both gentlemen shared such a wealth of knowledge with all those that attended. We are grateful to them for taking time out of their busy theatre season to participate in our convention.” Airbrushing & Prosthetic Application
RJ Haddy applies foam to Tyler Volz’s face
how to apply the base coat, as well as how to get the shading and highlighting needed for a full movie-quality effect. “It was a wonderful experience to have someone of Haddy’s reputation and experience to share his talents with us,” Markel said.
RJ Haddy
Guest artist RJ Haddy—a Season 2 finalist of SyFy’s reality show “Face Off ”—taught a phenomenal class on beginning airbrushing. Knowing that most of the members attending were beginners, he took his students from the basics of what supplies to use and how to use them through the basic steps of airbrush techniques. Step by step, he educated the class on how to hold the airbrush gun and how to initiate each stroke for the desired effect. Haddy stressed the importance of proper technique and the fact that practice only makes you better. Students also learned how to clean their guns and put them back together. His afternoon class was devoted to prosthetic application and painting. Using Tyler Volz as a model, he showed how to apply foam prosthetic, discussed the best products to use for a more professional effect, and demonstrated sep t/oct 2019
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Tyson Murphy
Social Media According to an article by Christian Ziles, “Social media has become a very visual, dynamic platform.” Tyson Murphy of A to Z Theatrical Shop shared this idea and many other wonderful strategies during his class. He stressed the idea that we really need to think outside the box when it comes to our social media avenue and content. For example, if we want to reach our target audience, we need to think about
incorporating visual images. “Tyson specifically discussed using Instagram to engage our customers,” Markel said. “Through Instagram we can build followers and brand ourselves. One great idea was to create Instagram headers, one for each day, and make a short
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20-second video for each. Tyson shared so many strategies to help us engage our customers in our brand and make them want to return to our sites.” NCA Members Step Up to Teach Experienced costumers from NCA member ranks also made
presentations during conference. President Marion Bradley of Balloons-N-Parties taught beginning balloon twisting and
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offered tips on creating easy grab-and-go balloon centerpieces. Debbie Meredith from Akron Costume and Designs—known as the queen of reusing items and making something out of nothing—taught a class on how to make small, unusual items from scraps to sell in your shop. “The big box stores cannot buy these items nor would they take the time to make them,” NCA director Pam Markel said. “This makes our brick and mortar Debbie Meredith stores the creative places to go.” Meredith also filled in for Dale Morton to host the Mascot Restoration class, tapping her 20+ years of experience in the costumer industry to share priceless information about techniques and expertise that helped everyone who attended.
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Oh Baby Costuming Tips for the Tiny Tot Set
By Kathleen Furore
Editor’s Note: I remember it as if it were a few weeks, rather than more than 2 decades, ago: buying a costume for our first son, who would be all of two months old when he donned his very first Halloween costume. It was akin
to a right of passage—more for me as a mom than for the tiny tot who would be wearing the outfit I chose. And on a windy, rainy, typical Chicago Halloween, we trekked from our first floor apartment up to the second floor to
show off our adorable “pumpkin”…took a few requisite pictures…then headed back home.
The point for all you costumers out there? I, like most
parents (ok, mostly moms) I know, spent a lot of time selecting just the right “first” costume—a selection pro-
cess that continued while my son (and later, his younger brother) were toddlers, too. It all goes to show there’s a lot
of opportunity in merchandising and marketing costumes for the infant-to-toddler set! c os t u m e r s . o r g
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Infant and toddler costumes can be found pretty much everywhere these days. The outlets run the gamut from online shops to pop-ups to independent costume shops. And while the competition is escalating, it also sets the stage for independent shops like yours to set yourself apart. Unlike those online and pop-up ventures, you can let shoppers know you offer high-quality and—here’s the key—always safe costumes for their little ones. As costuming pros, you know where all of the products you sell come from and if they meet all safety regulations. Just as important, you know the little things parents (or anyone buying for an infant or toddler) should keep in mind before they buy any costume for any occasion! Does the costume have any kind of tie at the neck that could catch on anything and be a choking hazard? What about the fabric? Is it too bulky, does it have any pieces that could fall off and find their way into a curious infant’s or toddler’s mouth? Those are just two examples of things to consider. As Julie Bigboy writes on her blog, momrewritten.com, “The costume you purchase for your infant or newborn is going to be different than what you’d get for your older toddler. The stores don’t always keep these things in mind and often carry a variety of sizes. It’s up to you to inspect and make sure they’re appropriate for your child.” To help you make the most of the opportunities the infant and toddler costume market can bring—and to help you help parents pick the most appropriate costume for their kids—The Costumer brings you the following tips:
Marketing Tips! Create a “Costume Tips” flyer (include your logo and contact information) that offers advice on choosing baby and toddler costumes to hand out in-store. Include a coupon for dollars off on an infant or toddler costume. Post the tips on your website, along with a downloadable coupon. Contact your local newspaper to suggest a preHalloween story about safety tips for costuming infants and toddlers (with you as the expert source, of course!). Reach out to area childcare centers, pre-schools and elementary schools (most of them will be planning Halloween events). Offer to provide copies of the flyer and suggest that they hand it out to parents.
“The costume you purchase for your infant or newborn is going to be different than what you’d get for your older toddler.” —Julie Bigboy, momrewritten.com
From Consumer Reports, an alwaysreliable source of product safety information: * Buy costumes that are labeled “flame resistant.”
* Consider whether or not the child can walk. Footed costumes are only for babies; costumes for toddlers should be designed so the child can wear shoes.
* Be cautious when using face paint. Some isn’t approved by the Food and Drug Administration and could trigger allergic reactions.
* Is the costume “breatheable”? Polyester and metallic fabrics trap heat, which causes sweating. Cotton, stretch knit, lycra and fleece are generally safer and more comfortable.
* Avoid baggy, billowing skirts and cloaks that might brush against a candle-lit jack-o’-lantern or luminary.
* Costumes with long skirts or long pant legs that slip over shoes could be tripping hazards. Hem if necessary!
* Make sure your kids won’t trip over their costumes and avoid accessories like swords and canes that have sharp edges.
* Is the fabric safe for chewing on? Will it flake off in a curious child’s mouth? For example, metallic fabrics can flake off, and tulle (popular on tutus) tears easily, which means a baby or young toddler can easily rip off a piece if they’re chewing on it.
* Be wary of masks that could block your child’s vision.
From momrewritten.com: * Avoid costumes with over-sized wings or plastic pieces. Not only can small pieces be choking hazards; these accessories also can make it hard for someone to safely hold a child. sep t/oct 2019
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* Can the costume be easily removed for a diaper change?
* Will the child fit safely in a car seat or stroller in costume? Kathleen Furore is the editor of The Costumer.
special report
See you… at By Kathleen Furore
the Fashion Museums!
Photo courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art
If you’ve ever wondered where to find the most creative, unique, memorable fashions from all eras and walks of life, wonder no more! According to fashionandtextilemuseuums.com—a website Chloe Chapin, an assistant professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), created to showcase museums from all over the world that have important fashion and textile collections— the following museums top the list in the U.S.
Metropolitan Museum of Art 1000 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10028 212-535-7710 metmuseum.org Founded in 1937, this museum features more than 33,000 costumes and accessories in the redesigned Costume Institute space, which reopened in May 2014 as the Anna WintourCostume Center. The collection represents five continents and seven centuries of fashionable dress, regional costumes, and accessories for men, women, and children, from the 15th century to the present. While the collection is not open permanently to the public, there are special exhibitions every year. And two fashion-focused tours are available year-round: “Fashion in sep t/oct 2019
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Art,” a tour led by docents who discuss costume history within the context of the armor, textiles, paintings, sculpture, and decorative arts collections; and “Costume: The Art of Dress,” a recorded audio guide narrated by actress Sarah Jessica Parker that highlights historical costumes throughout the Museum’s galleries. The Costume Institute Collection is accessible to students, scholars, and designers by appointment. You can search the holdings of The Costume Institute Collection to see images and information regarding these objects at metmuseum.org/ art/collection/search. For further information, please contact CostumeInstitute. Collections@metmuseum.org.
This museum, which debuted in 1978, sits on the ground floor of the Los Angeles campus of the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM). It is home to a collection of more than 12,000 costumes, accessories and textiles from the 18th century through the present day, as well as the early Hollywood Costume Collection on loan from the City of Los Angeles, Department of Parks and Recreation.
The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology (MFIT) 227 West 27th Street, New York, New York 212-217-4558 fitnyc.edu/museum Housed at Manhattan’s famed Fashion Institute of Technology, this museum—recently accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, the highest national recognition possible for a museum—is known for its innovative and award-winning special exhibitions. sep t/oct 2019
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Currently on display is the annual Motion Picture Costume Design exhibition at the galleries. This year’s exhibit, titled “The 13th Art of Television Costume Design,” runs through October 26, 2019. The next exhibition, which opens October 28, 2019, is FANtasy—the Mona Lee Nesseth Fan Collection, a celebration of outstanding examples of fan makers’ art spanning three centuries. Recently gifted to the FIDM Museum by Fashion Council member and renowned gemologist Mona Lee Nesseth, the collection of masterworks spans the golden age of fan creativity. The exhibition runs through June 11, 2020.
Founded in the late 1960s, it features a permanent collection of 50,000 garments and accessories from the 18th century to the present and emphasizes “aesthetically and historically significant ‘directional’ clothing, with an eye toward contemporary avant-garde fashion.” There are three exhibition spaces: one dedicated to a changing exhibition on historical dress; one for temporary exhibitions; and one for exhibits curated by FIT’s graduate students. The exhibit “Minimalism/Maximalism” runs through Nov. 16, 2019; the exhibit “Paris, Capital of Fashion” goes through January 4, 2020.
Photo courtesy of the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology
Photo courtesy of the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising
The FIDM Museum 919 S. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, California 213-623-5821 fidmmuseum.org
Photo courtesy of Kent State University Museum
Kent State University Museum 515 Hilltop Drive, Kent, Ohio 330-672-3450 kent.edu/museum More than 20,000 objects reside in The Kent State University Museum, which opened in 1985. Students and the public alike can view, study and research a collection of historic, contemporary, and world fashions that include costumes and textiles from the 18th century to the present. There are featured works by Chanel, Balmain, Balenciaga, Givenchy, Courreges, Valentino, Halston, and Miyake; a large selection of 18th and 19th century Chinese costumes; Central European apparel; and a number of outfits that once belonged to Marlene Dietrich. Besides the impressive collection of clothing and textiles, this university-based museum also includes American glass, furniture, paintings and other decorative arts; the Tarter/Miller collection of 20th century American art glass; and a library of books and historic periodicals dedicated to fashion and decorative arts. One current exhibit, open through May 31, 2020, is the KSU School of Fashion and Merchandising’s presentation “Wearing Justice”—designs by faculty and students that use fashion to create a dialogue about war and peace, political discourse, conflict resolution and social justice today. Another exhibit: “Ohio Quilts” that runs through April 12, 2020.
The Museum of Costume). It is so impressive that it has been designated as a collection of outstanding national significance, and also has been listed by CNN as one of the world’s Top 10 fashion museums. Musée de la Mode et du Textile Louvre Museum Paris, France louvre.fr/en You’ll be able to view approximately 6,000 items representing the history of costume from the French Regency period to the present, as well as textiles from the 7th century onwards. Musée Galliera Paris, France palaisgalliera.paris.fr/en Clothing and costume design covering key moments in fashion history and showcasing iconic french designers is showcased here. The collection includes dress and accessories that run the gamut from basic streetwear to haute couture. The 18th Century department is home to one of the world’s largest collections of clothing from the Age of Enlightenment. To see more about these museums, as well as information about fashion and textile collections abroad, visit fashionandtextilemuseums.com/top-10-museums.
Museums abroad Museums in England and France made the list of top places to see fashion collections: Victoria & Albert Museum London, England vam.ac.uk The museum features the world’s largest and most comprehensive collection of dress! You’ll find rare 17th-century gowns, 18th-century ‘mantua’ dresses, 1930s eveningwear, 1960s daywear and post-war couture, along with an ever-evolving number of pieces from 21st-century designers. Fashion Museum Bath, England fashionmuseum.co.uk One of the world’s greatest collections of historic and fashionable dress is housed at The Fashion Museum (formerly
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P roduct parade elope’s Simba and Scar Mouth Mover™ Masks. These officially
licensed masks are perfect for all of your Lion King-loving customers! Talk
and the mask moves! The inner elastic headband is adjustable to ensure fit for multiple head sizes. With Simba, they’ll be able to claim their rightful place
as King of Pride Rock. With Scar, wearers will be able to enter the battle for Pride Rock. 800-553-5673; elope.com
Ellie Shoes’ Gillian Boot.
The 421-Gillian is a knee-high flip sequins boot on a 4-inch heel. Available in gold and multicolor. 714-771-0015; www.ellieshoes.com
InCharacter Costumes’ Witch. Witches are New WONDERFLEX® PRO. This new smoother
texture product delivers the
applications—and it’s great for creating
finer details and curves. Similar to standard
WONDERFLEX® but engineered without fabric reinforcement, the new “PRO” works well utilizing silicone press molds.
603-778-0190; wonderflexworld.com
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time…and this CF1022 witch costume is a perfect addition
to your costume lineup with its
ultimate in smooth surface
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always popular at Halloween
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full-length gown, tulle petticoat, hat with tulle sash and stick-on
black fingernails. 516-873-9000; incharacter.com
NCA Marketplace Advertising in the NCA Marketplace is $35 per issue (10% discount for NCA members). You will be billed upon publication; payment is due upon receipt. For full details, see the advertising contract available at www.costumers.org. Contact Ed Avis at 708-218-7755 or pub@costumers.org.
Seasons USA, Inc.’s Crazy Bonez Skeletons. These
cute new additions to the Crazy Bonez Skeleton line are ap-
proximately 5 to 8 inches tall and part of the company’s value
priced line. Even though they’re value-priced, they’re made of the same high-quality polypropylene plastic as the rest of the
Crazy Bonez line (and that’s what many customers have come to expect from our products). These are sure to be some of the best-sellers this year. 844-405-7046;
seasonsusainc.com; orders@seasonsusainc.com
Graftobian’s new alcohol palettes. These palettes
simulate bruises,
contusions, wounds, wrinkles, and other
Like the NCA on Facebook!
ghastly creations.
Unlike traditional f/x paints, these multi-
purpose vinyl alcohol paints give the artist more to work with: the sheer formula
allows one to build
layers of color for a
realistic, organic look.
Graftobian is proud to have teamed up with Sian Richards
London to offer this selection of F/X Aire Alcohol Palettes in
shades you have come to rely upon from Graftobian’s F/X Aire
line. Made in the USA with FDA approved ingredients. Vegan and cruelty free. 608-222-7849; graftobian.com
Go to www.costumers.org and look for the Facebook link at the bottom of the page!
ATTENTION ALL COSTUMERS Save The Date! Mark your calendars for the 2020 Halloween & Party Expo! Date: Place:
January 17 - 19th, 2020 Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, New Orleans, Louisiana
Watch future issues of The Costumer for more information. c os t u m e r s . o r g
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My Favorite Costume Tyler Volz Spotlight Characters Bentonville, Arkansas spotlightcharacters.com our mission to ‘bring smiles to faces one event at a time!’” Volz says. Here Volz shares information about one of his all-time favorite costumes with The Costumer:
It all started with a trunk! At a very young age, recently elected NCA board member Tyler Volz was given a trunk full of the family’s old homemade costumes. It was such a hit with him that it prompted his mom to start making all of his costumes by hand—outfits for everything from school presentations to Halloween. When he got older, his interest in and passion for costuming grew. He started learning the ins and outs of makeup and character development, and while in college started a character company just to see what opportunities it would bring. After college, he worked in the costume field—an experience that let him see the kinds of things the local costume industry needed to thrive. Armed with that knowledge, he opened Spotlight Characters, not only to serve the entertainment community, but also to satisfy the needs of anyone looking for costuming or formal wear. Another goal was to offer a location where customers could find friendly help planning special occasions. “Since the beginning, it has been sep t/oct 2019
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The Costumer: Of the hundreds–or maybe it’s thousands—of costumes and characters you worked with over the years, can you name something that stands out in your mind as a favorite?
Tyler Volz: A local theater reached out to have some Riff Raff and Magenta Space Suits designed and built for their upcoming production of Rocky Horror Picture Show, so I set forth to build them from scratch. First, of course, I had to make my own pattern for the first time ever since there were no existing patterns for them! I would say that the timing worked out perfectly because I
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had just learned some different ways of creating one’s own pattern in a class at a recent NCA Conference! The Costumer: Why are those space suits your favorites? Volz: This pair of costumes were the first costumes I ever made after I learned to sew and make my own patterns. Seeing these costumes always makes me smile because it was the first full build that
I designed and created completely on my own! Building my own costumes from scratch was one of those moments where I felt like I had accomplished a life goal and felt like a true costumer! What is your favorite costume? To be considered for an upcoming My Favorite Costume profile, email Editor Kathleen Furore at kfurore@yahoo.com.