NCA BOARD OF DIRECTORS NOMINEES
One new board member and the president will be elected during the Business Meeting on Saturday at 4 pm in the Madrid Room. The candidates are as follows:
For President: Terry Sinopoli is a fourth-generation owner of Arlene’s Costumes in Rochester, New York. Terry, who has been on the NCA Board for the past two years, is Arlene’s Costumes’ marketing and customer service manager, and has worked there full time since 2014. Terry also runs the store’s face painting and temporary tattoos business, including clients like the Buffalo Bills.
For Director: Anne Dorsey is the owner of McCabe’s Costumes in Winterville, North Carolina. Anne opened her store in 2020 and has been involved in costuming for most of her life. She holds an MBA from the University of Mount Olive and owns an accounting practice. “My desire to serve on the board of directors stems from my love for helping others,” Anne wrote in a letter to the nominating committee. “I have served on nonprofit boards in the past and loved the opportunity. In the costume world we have so many challenges to navigate and having a group working together to make sure owners have the tools to succeed is why I am so passionate about being on the board.”
Ken Fox and Ken Epperly
Magic Makers Costumes
Huntington, West Virginia
Joined the NCA in 1980
In March of 1979, two pharmacy technicians decided to open a magic and novelty shop, as they were both magicians, too. Ken Epperly was good at math and science, while Ken Fox enjoyed traveling to countries and majoring in history. By ordering a Philip Morris catalog, we were invited to our first NCA area meet at Morris Costumes. We bought 10 costumes, pictured on Polaroids and taped to a poster board. Ken Epperly taught himself how to sew and tailor men’s suits from his grandmother’s Singer home sewing course. We joined the NCA in 1980 and 36 years later we own 10,000 rental costumes.
Our favorite memories at conventions, might be meeting Johnny Carson’s makeup artist, Dolly Parton’s wig maker, Bob Mackie’s assistant, and receiving the Unsung Heroes award in the first Academy Award ballroom at the Regal Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles. As education director Ken Fox carried Liberace’s gold lame’ jacket (his first costume) for his manager Jamie James’ lecture at a Las Vegas Convention. But our best memories were being in the showcase contest, dressing for president’s banquet, seeing other shop tours and meeting costumers from 50 states, even Hawaii and Alaska.
members by being involved.
We greatly benefited from little things, and from the old timers too: learning how to sew a French knot from Helen Aune; learning to wear an ink pen corded around your neck so you’ll never lose it from Dorothy Kiggins (I didn’t lose it for 30 years!); learning the correct way to iron a tux shirt from Ron Wickham; and learning to use a wire pet brush on animal heads and costumes from John Schenz — all valuable tips you can use every day.
What is the future of the NCA for the next 100 years?
Will there be live movie stars or only CGI and lifelike computer animation? Will musicians and concerts be performed by holograms? Will robots and machines construct costumes? Will parents print out children’s costumes that they can cling to their bodies like paper dolls? I trust the human brain and heart will always be needed to know history, textures, engineer patterns and have creative imagination to control and use the robots, machines and holograms.
The NCA is like a giant tree, the members are the many branches, the 100-year-old roots are the organization, the networking and conventions harvest the fruits from all the branches.
Dizzy Dean, the baseball player once said, “It ain’t bragging if you really did it.”
Every NCA member benefits from convention education classes and the networking from fellow members. Ken Epperly was a board member, head of the market, and vice president. Ken Fox was education chairman for years. We ran the plot service and printed three volumes for members to own, and we hosted two area meets in Huntington, West Virginia. The results: we gained a lot of information and met many creative
From those 10 costumes evolved two year-round stores, four Halloween mall stores, four outgrown locations, 5,000 web pages for shipping nationwide with orders for the White House, Ringling Brothers Circus, the Liberace Museum and regular customers in Ireland, Germany and Dubai. All from a business in little old West Virginia!
We credit the NCA for 60% of our success — the other 40% comes from hard work and creative output with loyal coworkers for 36 years.
We hope the NCA tree continues to grow and sustain for the next 100 years!
Ken Fox and Ken Epperly
Carol Pocock
Mr. Fun’s Costumes and Magic
Emporium
Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
Joined the NCA in 1980
Al and I had begun our careers as high school teachers, he teaching speech and government, and me teaching math. We both loved theater and Al directed the plays at school and acted in the little theater in town. But we had left teaching by 1980 and owned a Fun Services Franchise, doing school carnivals, fund raising, etc. It was a small franchise trying to develop a new concept, and we met so many people who were creative and willing to share what they had learned. One of our franchise members encouraged us to try the Halloween business as it was just taking off. He also encouraged us to join the NCA. We were eager to learn as much as we could about this new business, meet people who were earning a living in costuming, and be successful in this new adventure! We started going to area meetings and conventions and only stopped when Al was no longer able to travel.
Some of my best memories are of the wonderful people we met, some still my dearest friends, all the places we traveled to for conventions and area meetings, visiting other shops, and the fun we had! Hosting our annual ”Spring Fling” at our Lake House and then our condo in town, for twenty years was a special joy to us both. Seeing Freddy from Forum and Artie from Rubies fighting over who was making the best spaghetti sauce was hilarious! There were so many other special moments at our gatherings! Witnessing the creativity of some of our members at the conventions and area meetings was breathtaking to me! And, of course, the classes, where we learned, or tried to learn,
so many tried and tested things from other members. I can’t go down to one benefit, so I have two! Getting to know people in this challenging but exciting business, so we could share ideas, get advice, be inspired, and sometimes, supported and consoled was one benefit. The second was being a member of the Buyers Group, started by my friend Harold Maxwell. It helped us be competitive in a difficult business. Looking ahead 100 years is tough with the world changing so quickly! So, I tried to look back 100 years for a start and see what hasn’t changed. People still like to dress up with costumes and/or accessories. People still like the theater, and costumes are needed for that. People still like to have themed parties. People still like wigs, make up, masks, etc. to change their appearance. Having gone through the isolation of the COVID pandemic, I think most people now realize how important human contact is to our well being. I think that will still be valued in 100 years. Seeing all the advancements in technology, I can’t begin to imagine what will be possible in 100 years! I see shopping, fitting, store inventory, sales, advertising all being done electronically, as they already are, but with all kinds of improvements. I see costumes being created by AI. I can imagine people at a party being dressed by electronic images while really wearing a comfortable pair of shorts and a t shirt! I also see hair, makeup, etc done that way, just don’t ask me how!! I see costumes and fashion totally intermingled, as has already been happening in my lifetime. But just as books have not disappeared, with all the other ways to “read” a story, I think people will still want to see and touch things and appreciate quality.
My hope for the NCA would be for it to help our members navigate the changes and be innovative in taking advantage of new technology for all aspects of the business. I also hope the members will continue to share their experiences and ideas and encourage each other. Nothing can compare to that.
Donna White & Arlene Stephens
Arlene’s Costumes
Rochester, New York
Joined NCA in the late 1970s/early 1980s (“It’s been a long time. We don’t know the exact date.”)
Arlene and Donna originally joined to better the business. They knew they had a lot to learn and looked to the NCA and its ideas for tips and suggestions.
Arlene and Donna loved going to convention. Eventually their sister Shirley Painter (Costumes by Suffolk in Long Island, New York), their nieces Terry Mayfield (Fantasy Costumes in Decatur, Alabama) and Lisa Jochnowitz (Capital Costumes in Albany, New York), as well as Donna’s daughter Cindy Sinopoli and Bette Mitcheltree (Donna and Arlene’s cousin) started coming. They got to meet many other people from across the country who were working in their field, and they truly had a great time and learned so much!
Obviously, the discounts are great, but the girls learned so much over the years about how to run their business and found new tips and tricks. They even brought home one of their favorite suggestions, which was to start what would now be called a pop up. We were one of the first in our area to have any kind of pop up and for several years we ran at least five or six of them each year from August through the end of October and sometimes even into the Christmas season.
Arlene and Donna aren’t sure what the future will bring but do hope that the next generation of costumers will be able to carry our industry and ensure that it survives and thrives into the next hundred years!
(Submitted by Terri Sinopoli, Cindy Sinopoli’s daughter and current board member of NCA)
Lorraine Brown
Fabian Costumes
Fair Haven, Vermont
Joined the NCA in 1988
I was supposed to have a sponsor, but I did not know any other costumers. There may have been two others in Vermont. I cannot remember how that was handled. I always felt that I learned more in one week of convention than by taking a course in college. Having other costumers to ask for advice was invaluable. The NCA used to have a wonderful youth program…I would take my two girls with me every year.
Outside of learning more about sewing, fashion, business and traveling I made friends for life. My daughter-in-law always said I was with my “peeps “ when I was at NCA events. I consider myself lucky to have these memories.
I fear that the costume shops that we owned in the 50s to the pandemic will never come back. The theater shops seem to be holding their own but individual shops have to diversify to be profitable. I fear that there will not be a 200th anniversary.
THE COUNTDOWN BEGINS! 7 TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL HALLOWEEN 2023
By Ed Avis
Halloween is still several months away, but it’s not too early to start planning how to make this year’s season a resounding success. It will be the first truly post-COVID Halloween, since the crisis officially ended only this year. So, very few people will be concerned about the potential risks of Halloween parties, parades or trick-or-treating. Which will mean, hopefully, that your store will be full of costume-buying customers.
Here are seven tips to maximizing sales this Halloween:
1. Help those who help themselves. In other words, be sure to stock lots of accessories, make-up, fabric, used clothing, wigs, hair dye, moldable materials and other items useful to customers who want to make their own costumes this year. Individuality is a big deal — just see how popular cosplay is these days — and DIY customers love to patronize businesses that support them. If you have room, consider setting up space
where these customers can create right in your store (after they pay for the materials, of course).
2. Be different. It’s not likely that you can compete on price with Walmart, Target or Spirit Halloween, so why bother? Instead, stock products they don’t stock. Start by checking out the discounts offered by NCA’s 50 Vendor Members. You can find them by clicking on the Buyer’s Group tab at www.costumers. org. Our Vendor Members offer an enormous range of products that are never found on the shelves of big box stores, ranging from extra high quality costumes to truly Hollywood quality makeup to impulse items perfect for your counter. Need some basic Halloween décor items like cauldrons and pumpkins? Check out Blinky Products. Need awesome shoes to offer customers who want the complete look? See the amazing line from Ellie Shoes. Want some fantastic one-of-a-kind masks? Zagone
Studios offers many. Want to expand your make-up section with theatrical quality goods? See what Graftobian, Camden Passage, Mehron, Wolfe and Kryolan offer. Bottom line: You have lots of options among NCA Vendor Members to offer great items that your competition will not stock — check it out!
3. Do something fun. A great way to bring attention to your store during the Halloween season is by sponsoring or hosting some kind of fun event. A zombie workshop, where you help attendees apply zombie makeup and create outfits from old clothes, is one idea. If you have the space, maybe you could sponsor a classic Hollywood horror movie night in your store or in your parking lot. Better yet, combine those ideas: Show “Night of the Living Dead,” the ultimate zombie movie, and then follow it with a zombie make-up class! Creativity rules the day when you’re planning events to bring folks into the store, so put on your thinking cap.
4. Create a welcoming environment. Our weirdly polarized political environment may have made some of your customers nervous about showing their own colors. Let them know that you welcome all customers and will continue to stock the costumes, accessories and make-up any customer may want to create the look they desire. Make your store the place
everyone can come to feel safe and part of a community that understands and appreciates the fantastic diversity of humans.
5. Remember customers with disabilities. In 2022 the NCA developed the “Halloween for All” campaign, which encouraged members to welcome customers with disabilities. This campaign generated ideas such as holding a special “sensory-aware” night where customers who are not comfortable with crowds, noise and bright light can shop; stocking costumes and accessories that can easily accommodate individuals who cannot wear tight costumes or are sensitive to certain fabrics; and offering masks on sticks for customers who don’t want anything touching their face. There are more ideas in the Halloween for All booklet; if you need a copy, email Ed Avis at executivedirector@costumers.org or visit the NCA Member Portal to access a digital copy.
6. Partner, partner, partner. Halloween is a fun time of year for many organizations, and you can make your store the hub of the fun by partnering with them. For example, talk to your local PTA about holding a fundraiser event — such as a costume workshop, movie screening or special sale. Or see if your local Kiwanis or Chamber of Commerce would like to co-sponsor a Halloween parade or zombie walk. Or talk to the local chapter of an organization that serves people with disabilities and partner on a special day when that group alone can shop in your store, which may make them more comfortable. The point behind all of these ideas is that your store will be perceived as a bona fide community partner, which will be beneficial to your business in the short and long run.
7. Space out your sales. The last two weeks of October are probably already busy for your store, so you don’t need an event that brings in more customers then. Instead, try some sales techniques that get customers to shop early. For example, advertise a 10 percent discount on costumes in September, a 5 percent discount the first two weeks of October, and full price thereafter. Or offer a series of declining value coupons — $10 off in September, $5 off in the first two weeks of October, and zero after that. Try a similar strategy with your costume rentals, if those are part of your business. You could say that customers who pick up their rentals two weeks before Halloween can keep them until the first week of November at no extra cost. This gives them the option to wear a costume for more than one event, and it takes the pressure off your store during the super-hectic days prior to Halloween.
Do you have any other ideas on how to make Halloween 2023 a blockbuster success? We’d love to hear them, and we’ll share them on NCA’s social media and website! Send your ideas to Ed Avis, executivedirector@costumers.org.
Bra Tenders — Creating Smooth, Sleek Silhouettes
By Ed Avis
Editor’s Note: NCA Executive Director Ed Avis recently spoke with Lori Kaplan, owner of Bra Tenders, a new NCA Vendor Member that carries a proprietary line of undergarments that are highly valued by New York theater performers. This is an edited version of their conversation.
Avis: When did you start Bra Tenders?
Kaplan: Bra Tenders was born in 1999, and we’ve been in our current New York City location since 2003. Before Bra Tenders was its own entity, I worked for somebody else in a similar kind of business for over 20 years, so I have 45 years of my life invested in this…. The business was created in my living room in Brooklyn. When we couldn’t see out the windows because there was so much merchandise, we started looking for a physical space in Manhattan. We got a small store on Ninth Avenue, which 20 years ago was still on the sketchy side, but it was developing. It put us very close to the theater district where we wanted to be. A couple of years after that, we outgrew that tiny little space. We moved into our current space, which is about 2,500 square feet.
that he believed in. He asked me if we had any “cock socks,” and we did not. There was a factory that made some dance wear for us, and we told them what we were looking for and asked if he could make something like that. He made a couple of prototypes, and it turned out to be a hit. Then, very shortly after, somebody was looking for nude-colored men’s underwear, which didn’t exist in the market back then, so we started making a facsimile of men’s underwear in three different skin shades in 2003. They’re still our best-selling products today. They’re used in nude scenes, things like that.
Avis: Are “cock socks” what I think they are?
Kaplan: Yep. You can go to www.bratenders.com and look up Houdini, and that is our number one selling product in the shop.
Avis: You also have proprietary specialty hosiery, right?
Avis: So, your clients are in theater and film?
Kaplan: Broadway, film, television, and we also work with regular women who just need bras that fit them properly. We work with a lot of brides and people from the performing arts going to galas and red carpet events. There’s a lot of underwear that goes into creating a smooth, sleek silhouette, especially under dresses that are cut down to here and cut down to there. Our work with stylists and costume designers taught us a lot of tricks that also work for brides and other formal wear and just for women who need to look good on a daily basis, especially full breasted women.
Avis: You also make a line of proprietary products. Tell us about those.
Kaplan: When we first moved into our little space, a wardrobe person on Broadway was doing a project for a pet organization
Kaplan: In the very beginning, people were always looking for sheer to the waist support hose, because they make the legs look good, and it had to be sheer to the waist because showgirls and costumes can’t have any lines across the thighs. The company that was making the hose that was used for over 40 years can’t make that particular hosiery anymore, so over the past two years, we’ve been working with another factory to create something that works on stage. We have 13 different skin shades in these tights, and we carry them in nine sizes.
Avis: What products do you offer wholesale to NCA members?
Kaplan: We offer all of our proprietary products wholesale, including our Houdinis, the BT brand of modesty wear, and the New Heaven hosiery. Members can visit our site, bratenders.com, and email me for wholesale information, lori@bratenders.com
Avis: Anything else you want people to know about Bra Tenders?
Kaplan: That we carry things you can’t find anywhere else, based on requests from our entertainment related community. And we’re still people who answer the telephone.
PRODUCT PARADE
Ellie Shoes. Introducing the 100-Batty — a new design for 2023! This ballet flat with bat wings detail and a shoelace bow will be available in black, red/ black, pink/black and beige/black. Another option: The 312-Walt is a tan Men’s Platform 70’s Calf Boot with 3-inch heel. Both products arrive in Summer 2023! 714-771-0015; www.ellieshoes.com
Disguise. Officially Licensed Ariel Mermaid Live Action Deluxe Child’s Costume includes dress (117959) in sizes XS (3T-4T), S (4-6x), M (7-8), L (10-12); Officially Licensed Ursula Live Action Prestige Adult Costume (149819) includes dress, detachable tentacles and shell necklace in sizes S (4-6), M (8-10), L (12-14), LX (18-20). Wig not included. Also available: Officially Licensed Nintendo Mario Deluxe Elevated Costume includes overalls with buttons, hat, gloves and mustache in sizes S (4-6), M (7-8), L (8-10).
email info@disguise.com; disguise.com
Graftobian Makeup Company.
”For over a decade, we owned and operated Clownin’ Around Balloons & Costumes, a full-service costume rental store in Middleton, Wisconsin. While assisting Halloween customers at the makeup counter, we saw first-hand what was on the market and what the market needed. At the same time, we began a theatrical makeup company. The resulting Character Makeup Kits, with detailed instruction sheets, became instant customer favorites and have been so ever since.” — Eric Coffman, President, Graftobian 608-222-7849; www.Graftobian.com
Orchid Bloom. Our alternative fashion label crafts primarily gothic and vintage style rockabilly clothing. Our in-house designers produce fresh prints from our vault of vintage vixen styles including the Black Gothic Dress (Item 6420). reza@orchid-bloom.com; orchid-bloom.com
Loftus International. Wigs are an essential accessory when completing a costume. We have you covered with our wide variety of wig styles and colors — long, short, colorful, realistic, decade-specific, or character creation, including the GP22129 Pocus Hocus Witch Wig that, like all of our wigs, comes in a hangable plastic bag with a colorful insert card. Hundreds of costume accessories in stock and ready to ship for everyday or Halloween sales also available! 800-453-4879; sales@loftus.com; www.loftus.com
Trick or Treat Studios. Proudly announcing…Rob Zombie’s Halloween series Michael Myers Mask! Our full line of Rob Zombie’s Halloween masks was developed using the film-used master molds from Special Effects Artist Wayne Toth, who made the masks for the film. Shop masks and weapons for this Halloween season and keep an eye out for costumes and more in 2024.
CSR@trickortreatstudios.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.
MY FAVORITE COSTUME
Judi Cain
Center Stage Costumes and Magic Shop
Gainsville, Florida
When The Costumer asked Judi Cain, the now-retired former owner of Center Stage Costumes and Magic in Gainsville, Florida (which closed in 2010), to share some favorite memories from her decades of membership in the National Costumers Association, her experiences with the NCA’s Showcase events took center stage.
Among her favorite memories was the “Colorous Schfizz” — a Fantasy Creature Costume that her daughter Jennifer created for the 2001 Showcase when she was just 21 years old.
“Jennifer loved to play with fabric and trims, and growing up with a mother and father who were both artists, was encouraged to express her creativity,” Judi explains. “The Schfizz was made with scraps of fabric, pieces of foam rubber, skeins of multi-color yarn with metallic threads running through it, and various other recycled materials.”
Jennifer vividly recalls making the costume.
“The ‘Colorous Schfizz’ came about when I was latch hooking. I was working on a gillie suit idea and decided to create the body of the ‘Schfizz’ using a mesh material with larger holes like you’d find with an old-style basketball shirt. I latch-hooked the entire thing from head to toe with colorful yarn, trim and tinsel.”
Because she had created wings for the family’s costume shop, Jennifer says she had a good idea about how she would make the wings for the fantasy costume. “They had good bounce, but as you can see from the picture, keeping them in place for still shots could have used some more work!” she says.
For the head and feet, Jennifer relied on foam, while a latex mask and taxidermy eyes “brought the costume to life,” she explains.
“The process from start to completion took about three weeks, with about four to six
hours devoted to the project each day,” she recalls, before giving this shout-out to her parents:
“Thanks so much for giving me, at a young age, the opportunity to let my creativity run wild!”
That creativity remains on the move: According to Judi, Jennifer is still creating costume items and has a thriving Etsy shop featuring elaborate gentlemen’s top hats, fanciful headpieces, fancy eye patches, and ruffled collars.
What is your favorite costume? To be considered for an upcoming My Favorite Costume profile, email Editor Kathleen Furore at kfurore@yahoo.com.
