RENAISSANCE FAIRE

The
Th
P
MAKE
MERRY WITH
RENAISSANCE
FAIRE
COSTUMES
TAP INTO TUXES
HALLOWEEN
MAKEUP MAGIC
CONVENTION 2015:
SPECIAL PLANNING
GUIDE
May 2015
COSTUMERS.ORG
N
I .
CONTENTS
12
18
FEATURES
12 Make Merry!
Renaissance Faires offer costuming
opportunities through Summer and Fall. By Kathleen Furore
Cover photo of “Talented Twig” by Alexandra Beattie, courtesy of
Minnesota Renaissance Festival
18 Halloween Makeup Magic Brighten your
14
profit picture with seasonal workshops and professional makeup
sessions for your Halloween clientele.
30Convention 2015 A special five-page section complete with schedule and application form
DEPARTMENTS
7
30
Like the NCA on Facebook!
Go to www.costumers.org and look
for the Facebook link at the bottom
of the page!
In the Industry—Association News
14 Business Beat—Tap into Tuxes
24 Member Profile—Chicago Costume Company, Chicago, Ill.
28 Product Parade
36 My Favorite Costume
COSTUMERS.ORG
1
MAY 2015
N C A A D M I N I S T R AT I O N
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President Vice President Linda Adams-Foat
Camelot Costumes
1321 S. Demeter Dr.
Freeport, IL 61032
815-233-1861
president@costumers.org
Karen Grizzard
Main Street Party Station
10749 Jefferson Ave
Newport News,VA 23601
757-597-7069
Fax 757-591-0692
vp@costumers.org
Treasurer Immediate Past
President Jane Powell
Costumes Etc.
2138 Faulkner Rd.
Atlanta, GA 30324
404-728-4598
Fax 404-728-4599
treasurer@costumers.org
Director Marion Bradley 2016*
The Costume Shop of Georgia
1840 Watson Blvd.
Warner Robins, GA 31093
478-929-3500
MarionBradley@
costumers.org
Director Janine Caufield 2015*
Caufield’s
1006 West Main St.
Louisville, KY 40202
502-583-0636
Fax 502-583-2002
JanineCaufield@
costumers.org
Janie Westendorf
Curtains Up Costumes
100 Kramer St.
Sigourney, IA 52591
641-622-3991
Fax 641-622-3992
ipp@costumers.org
Director Ron Ferraro 2015*
Fantasy Festival Costume/
Magic Centre
901 Cary Rd.
Algonquin, IL 60102
847-658-2000
Fax 847-658-2002
RonaldFerraro@
costumers.org
Director Dwayne Ibsen 2015*
Ibsen Costume Gallery
4981 Hamilton St.
Omaha, NE 68132
402-556-1400
Fax 402-556-5727
DwayneIbsen@
costumers.org
Director Terri Greenberg 2016*
HALCO
723 E. Railroad Ave.
Verona, PA 15147
724-929-7300
Fax 724-929-7301
Terri@halcoholidays.com
*indicates end of current term
MAY 2015
2
COSTUMERS.ORG
2015 STANDING COMMITTEE CHAIRS
Buyer’s Group Gary Broadrick and Glenn Alexander, Performance Studios
The Costumer Ed Avis Associates
Disaster &
Karen Grizzard, Main Street Party Station
Grievance
Executive Director Linda Adams-Foat, Camelot Costumes,
Liaison President
Historian
Barb Lochner, Once Upon A Fantasy and Rachel Godollei-Johnson, Retired
Membership
Marion Bradley, The Costume Shop Memorial Fund Janie Westendorf, Curtains Up Costumes, Immediate Past President
National Awards Janie Westendorf, Curtains Up Costumes, Immediate Past President
Nominations Janie Westendorf, Curtains Up Costumes, Immediate Past President
Plot Service
Lori Hammes, Curtains Up Costumes
Policy & Procedures Ron & Bernice Ferraro, Fantasy Festival Costume/Magic Centre
Publications Ed Avis Associates
Publications Liaison Karen Grizzard, Main Street Party Station
Roster
Ed Avis Associates
Source List Joy Galbraith, Costume Gallery-Newport
Time & Place
Karen Grizzard, Main Street Party Station
Web Site Dorothy Shadrick, NCA Executive Director
Web Site Liaison Karen Grizzard, Main Street Party Station
2015 EVENT COMMITTEE CHAIRS
National Convention
Auction
Ron Ferraro Awards
Janie Westendorf, Curtains Up Costumes, Immediate Past President
Convention Chair Linda Adams-Foat, Camelot Costumes, President
Convention Host NCA Board of Directors
Convention Program Ed Avis Associates
Convention Karen Grizzard, Main Street Party Station
Transportation
Creative Style Show Meredith Smith-Lane and Dae Elmore
Education
Dwayne Ibsen, Ibsen Costume Gallery
Hospitality Janine Caufield, Caufield’s
Iron Costumer
Terri Greenberg, HALCO and
Janine Caufield, Caufield’s
Market Chair
Marion Bradley
Membership Forum Terri Greenberg, HALCO
Newcomers OrientationTerri Greenberg, HALCO and
Janine Caufield, Caufield’s
Opening Night Party NCA Board of Directors
President’s Banquet Janie Westendorf, Curtains Up Costumes, Immediate Past President
Registration Dorothy Shadrick, Executive Director
Student Creative Event Linda Adams-Foat, Camelot Costumes, President
PRESIDENT’S LETTER
Wow, it is hard to imagine that this will be my last letter as president of the National Costumers Association (NCA). The time went very quickly, but not without some bumps in the
road. It has been great getting to know some of you personally. I have enjoyed going to events
across this great country representing our great association. Just this past year, I visited Biloxi,
Miss., where I got to know the Locklar family of Josette’s (a second generation store) better at our national convention. Two weeks later, I flew to Phoenix to represent the NCA at
the American Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE) conference. While there I was escorted
around town by the Easley’s of Easley’s Fun Shop. Here I got to meet the fifth generation
of the Easley family, who also introduced me to Oscar from Mardi Gras Costume Shop in
Scottsdale. In August, it was off to Indianapolis for the summer board meeting and to purge
the NCA storage locker with co-historian Rachel Godollei-Johnson and Barb Lochner and
honorary life members Pat Coppock and Daniel Pugh. With the help of the entire board, we
were able to reduce the size from a storage locker to a storage shed that is in a more accessible location.
In early February, Merlyn and I went on to New Orleans to represent the NCA at the Halloween Party Expo (HPE) show.
Here is where I got to meet so many more of you. It is so nice to be able to put a face to a name. I hope meeting with us helped
you feel more welcome and able to contact me with your thoughts and concerns. Later in February, I and the entire board visited
Branson, Mo. for our February board meeting and to visit the site of our upcoming 2015 convention. While in Branson, we
planned what we believe will be a really fun event that will include an optional trip to Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede. We had
a delightfully surprising evening at the Stampede, which featured good food and a really great show. One of the highlights of
the show is meeting many of the stars immediately after the performance. The truly stunning horses are in the paddocks that
surround the venue waiting for your undying adoration. These are truly amazing animals that are a pleasure to see. Don’t worry
about sand in your food. They use dustless sand in the arena to keep your food completely safe.
March brought the United States Institute of Technical Theatre (USITT) conference in Cincinnati. Here, I was housed and
shuttled around the city by Joy and Elizabeth Galbraith of Costume Gallery, Newport. The conference allowed me to meet with
hundreds of college and university students and teachers that work in the world of costumes in academia, as well as many potential sources for finding new product. I was able to introduce many potential members to the NCA and to introduce students
to the scholarship opportunities our association offers. It is amazing the vibrant new talent that is coming up through the ranks.
The future of the costume business and potential NCA membership looks bright.
My final trip as president will take me back to Branson in July for the 2015 National Convention. I hope to meet with many
more of you there. We have a wonderful convention planned for you, with many opportunities to talk one on one with me or
any of the board members. You will be able to vote on your new board as well as enjoy great food, great education, great fun and
amazing camaraderie. Don’t miss the Presidents Breakfast in my suite on Sunday morning. This is a terrific way to meet your
board up close and personal! So much is included in your registration price: six meals, all education, some amazing events that
include Iron Costumer, Creative Style Show, The Student Creative Event, Auction, Market, the Grand Finale (formerly known
as the President’s Banquet) and, to top it all off, the Porpoise Review! We have even allowed a little time for you to explore all
that Branson has to offer by extending the great hotel rates two days before and two days after the convention.
I could not have done all of this without the help of your amazing board of directors. Their hard work and endless loyalty to
this association is truly humbling. We will be saying goodbye to our immediate past president (IPP) Janie Westendorf, who has
dedicated many years to the board and who has mentored me all through this process. She has been the voice of reason when
our plans were at times a bit too ambitious. We will also be saying goodbye to Ron Ferraro. While he only served one term on
the board, he gave us insight into some of the issues that the NCA is going through. Incoming president, Karen Grizzard has
a great eye for details. She has a great business sense that will give the NCA a new dimension. Jane Powell’s ability to read and
understand financials was a blessing as she served as treasurer. Terri Greenburg offers a unique perspective as a vendor board
MAY 2015
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member. She not only looks at the overall picture as a member, but as a member of the
Buyers Group she represents the views and thoughts of our vendor members. Marion
Bradley has been a delightful person to work with. She takes copious notes and you can
always depend on her to follow through with any project she is given. Janine Caufield
also offers a great perspective as a vendor and a member. She is quick to see both sides
of a situation and with that delightful southern drawl, her strong work ethic and passion
for the association, she is an asset to the NCA. Finally, I would like thank Dwayne Ibsen
for his fantastic insight into the issues that we are facing as an association. It helped us to
realize that most of what we are dealing with today has been around for many years. As a
former president (twice) and Harrelson Award winner, he has given us some of the history
many of us newbies did not know. His calming voice of reason is much appreciated and his
wisdom helped us to make the best decisions possible. I called him 18 months ago to fill
an empty board position and I feel it is one of the best decisions of my presidency.
My last thank yous go to the support staff. With Dorothy Shadrick as executive director,
we have pulled the NCA into the 21st century, many times kicking and screaming. Without Dorothy and her staff at ACE Management, my term would have been very different.
She and her staff took on the day-to-day activities and helped the association avoid potential problems. She has built a strategic plan for us to work on to make this association
better each year. I also want to thank Ed and Kathy from Ed Avis and Associates for their
efforts on continuing the growth of our magazine this year. I have been very pleased with
their efforts and I hope you have, too. We recently hired a social media coordinator, Holly
Cleery, and I cannot wait to see where this takes the NCA.
I will not be gone completely as I move over to the immediate past president’s chair. I
look forward to serving you for two more years, but you will not have to read any more of
my infamous quotes. I am proud to represent you and will continue work for the NCA in
the years to come in some capacity. I vowed to bring transparency and harmony to you the
membership. I hope I have fulfilled at least one of these missions.
With Fond Memories,
Linda Adams-Foat
National Costumers Association
Camelot Costumes
Freeport, Illinois
Convention Details!
For a schedule of events and an application
form, see our special convention section on
pages 30-34!
NCA National Headquarters
Dorothy Shadrick
Executive Director
6000 E. Evans Ave. 3-205
Denver, CO 80222
800-NCA-1321
Fax 303-758-9616
office@costumers.org
The Costumer
Publications Office
Ed Avis Associates
P.O. Box 2249
Oak Park, IL 60303
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
©2015, 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 Pre-Convention
Call for NCA Board
Candidates
The Nominating Committee is
seeking new directors to serve on the
Board of Directors of the National
Costumers Association. Up to three
vacant director seats plus the position
of vice president must be filled. It’s not
easy to fill seats, but you can help.
Give your information, or the name of
someone you think would be a good
board member, to Janie Westendorf,
immediate past president and committee
chair. Call 641-622-3991 or email
IPP@costumers.org
The Award Goes To…
The National Costumers Association has always recognized its members
for their creativity, longevity, and service
to the organization.The following
awards are given through a nomination and committee review process. The
NCA is currently seeking nominees for
these awards, which will be presented
during the Grand Finale (formerly the
President’s Banquet) during the 2015
Convention July 10-13 in Branson, Mo.
The Major Harrelson Service Award.
This is the highest award given by the
National Costumers Association. It is
presented to an NCA member for
service to the Association.
The Honorary Life Membership
Award. The Board of Directors may
present this award to any individual
member of the association whose contribution to NCA has been outstanding.
An Honorary Life Member will enjoy
all the rights and privileges of membership and will be exempt from any
membership dues.
The complete history of these
awards can be found in the NCA’s
Policies and Procedures manual. Direct
questions or nominations to Janie
Westendorf, immediate past president
and Awards Committee chair, at
641-622-3991 or IPP@costumers.org.
Mourning the Loss of
an NCA Member
The NCA extends heartfelt sympathy to the family of NCA member
Gayla Ann Leach McCoy, 70, who
passed away peacefully surrounded by
her family on Sunday, March 22, 2015.
McCoy was the owner of The Sewing Zone in Benton, Ark., which later
became Gayla’s Costume Shoppe. She
was also a founder of the Royal Players Community Theater in Benton. As
her obituary in the Log Cabin Democrat
newspaper reported, charitable donations may be made in her name to the
Royal Players via Dial and Dudley
Funeral Home in Benton.
COSTUMERS.ORG
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MAY 2015
Make Merry with
Renaissance Faire
Costumes
Opportunities abound to outfit Medieval revelers
by Kathleen Furore
W
hen the Maryland Renaissance Festival opens
its gates on August 29, customers without
costumes need not worry. Just inside the
entrance, in the first booth on the left, Cindy Andersen and
a bevy of helpers will be front and center in the Renaissance
Rentals Costume Booth, outfitting revelers in period costumes
King and Queen courtesy of Minnesota Renaissance Festival
on a first come, first serve basis.
Growing Interest = Growth Opportunity
Events designed to recreate all the spirit, history and fantasy
of medieval times started springing up a half century ago.
The first faire on record launched in 1963 in Agoura, Calif. to
create a living history for school children and their families.
Today, The Original Renaissance Pleasure Faire—now held
in April and May at the Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area in
“The beauty of offering Renaissance costumes is that a
lot of other places like Party City, Walmart and Kmart
don’t have them—so they aren’t your competition [in
that category].” — Debbie Easely, Easely’s Fun Shop, Phoenix
Andersen, the festival’s resident costume designer-director,
has been sewing up and renting out costumes to would-be lords
and ladies, pirates and princesses, wenches and wizards for
Irwindale, Calif.—is an annual event that attracts some
200,000 participants and guests each year.
It has given birth to an industry nationwide—an indus-
24 of the 28 years she’s been with the fest. And since reserva-
try that holds promise for businesses interested in outfitting
the day.
costumes and accessories.
tions are taboo, that costume well often runs dry fairly early in
According to Andersen, there’s been a resurgence of sorts
in Renaissance events, with festivals and fairs held not only
during summer and fall but all through the year.
“They’ve become more popular—and I’m happy that they
attract all kinds of people from all walks of life!” Andersen
reports. “People look at a festival as a day-long trip—like going
to an amusement park, but less expensive.”
guests who want to travel back in time by donning period
“Our Renaissance costumes are popular,” says Debbie
Easely, president of Easely’s Fun Shop in Phoenix, Ariz. “The
beauty of offering Renaissance costumes is that a lot of other
places like Party City, Walmart and Kmart don’t have them—
so they aren’t your competition [in that category].”
Summer and fall are typically big seasons for Renaissance
events, but the festivals and fairs aren’t limited to those seasons
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MAY 2015
Photo courtesy of Illinois Renaissance Festival
alone. The Annual Arizona Renaissance
Festival and Artisan Market in Gold
Canyon, for example, will run from
Feb. 6 through March 27 next year.
“We’re lucky because our faires out here are earlier
[than in some other parts of the country], so its not too hot
for the heavy kind of Renaissance costumes,” Easely says.
For costumers in areas where festivals take place in
summer, Easely offers this advice: “Remember you’re not
limited to just the heavy Renaissance costumes.” Lighterweight costumes such as fairies and pirates, she notes, are
appropriate faire attire.
More than Festivals and Faires
While elaborate Renaissance events present costuming
opportunities, they aren’t the only venues appropriate for
medieval-style costumes. In fact, marketing your period-
style costumes for other events can deliver a better return
on your investment and, in the process, make your shop a
destination for anyone seeking Renaissance clothing and
accessories all year long.
Schools are just one idea for outreach—and not just for
their theater programs. Easely, for example, has provided
Renaissance costumes for students who need to dress up
for book report presentations, and for in-school festivities
(some held during the timeframe of the Arizona Renais-
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sance Festival).
Working with local schools’ history teachers to find out
when they plan lessons on Queen Elizabeth I, King Henry
VIII, and earlier Medieval periods with the Vikings or
17th and 18th century pirates is another way to market the
costumes you carry. You could volunteer to visit class and bring
period costumes, or suggest a field trip to your shop, where
a
you could teach a lesson on period clothing. To encourage
the students and their parents to patronize your store, hand
out small gifts—gold pirate coins, perhaps—with a coupon for
use on a future visit.
And as Easely points out, Renaissance costumes can be
repurposed throughout the year. “Any Renaissance costume
can work as a princess costume,” she says.
To Booth or Not to Booth . . . That is the Question
The obvious place to rent or sell
Renaissance costumes and accessories
is right at your local or state festivals
and faires. In fact, you might have been
approached by event marketers inviting
you to become a vendor or sponsor.
The opportunity is great, but so is
the amount of time, energy and labor
needed not only to participate but also
to profit—which, after all, is the point!
There are several things to consider
before signing on the dotted line.
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Cathy Debolt, an owner at Echoes
of Time Costumes & Vintage Clothing
in Virginia Beach, Va. has explored the
option, but has never signed up to participate in the Virginia Renaissance Faire
in Richmond, currently the closest faire to
her shop.
“For me to go and set up a booth
and pay [the registration fee], I would
have to sell at least $500 worth of merchandise [depending on the price of the
booth] before I made any profit—and
COSTUMERS.ORG
I would have to mark up my prices so
much,” Debolt says.
Instead, Debolt has added items
such as waist cinchers, long skirts and
white blouses to the store’s inventory
to accommodate customer requests for
Renaissance attire.
And will she reconsider if a Renaissance event comes to Virginia Beach?
“They’re ready to have one here in
November—I’ll just have to wait and
see how it goes,” Debolt says
B U S I N E S S B E AT
Tap Into Tux es:
Formal Wear Leads to a More Luxurious Bottom Line
Photos courtesy of Black-Tie Tuxedo and Costume Shop
By Ed Avis
P
rom season has come to an end. But that doesn’t mean
the end of the busy formal wear season. Summer and Fall
are popular choices for the wedding-planning crowd; Fall
brings homecoming events; the Christmas and New Year’s holidays usher in upscale parties; and
awards ceremonies and quinceaneras (the traditional 15th birthday
celebration for girls in Hispanic
cultures) happen year-round.
Formal wear can be a profitable
part of a costume shop’s business
in any season if approached in the
right way.
Below, two veterans of tuxedo
rental, Gregg Kerns from Costume
Holiday House in Fremont, Ohio,
and Kirk Dafoe from Black-Tie
Tuxedo and Costume Shop in
Mt. Pleasant, Mich., share their
tips for succeeding in the formal
wear business.
keeps some tuxedos in stock for unforeseen tuxedo emergencies. “One Saturday morning, a guy rode up to the shop on his
bike,” Dafoe remembers. “I asked if I could help him, and he
said, ‘Yeah, I need a tux for my wedding. It’s this afternoon at 2!’”
Dafoe pulled out a tux from his
stock and fitted the man on the
spot. More commonly, a teenager
decides he wants to go to the prom
the night before the event; in those
cases Dafoe often places a rush
order and splits the next-day-air
fee with the customer.
3
Create a separate space.
People may not take your
tuxedo business seriously if
it’s mixed in with your costume
business. “You have to separate it
from the costume side,” Kerns says.
“A lot people will think a costume
company won’t have the same
selection as one of the tux shops
in the mall, so you need to have a
separate area for it so customers
feel like it’s one of the stores in
the mall.”
1
Don’t buy your own
tuxedos. Tuxedo rental businesses do not own their products these days; rather, they source
them from several suppliers who
handle the alterations, cleaning,
and other hassles. The rental shop
takes the customer’s measurements
and helps the customer select the
tux’s style and color, plus accompanying items likes shirts, ties, cuff
links and shoes. That information
is then transmitted to the supplier
(major wholesale suppliers include
Jim’s Formal Wear and Ameritux), who prepares the tuxedos and
ships them to the retailer. “Our customers pick out what they
like from one of the three catalogs we have, get measured, and
they’re off,” Kerns says.
2
Be prepared for emergencies. Most costumers know how
to sew, so they are prepared to make emergency alterations
on tuxedos that were not properly fitted. Another
common problem is last-minute tuxedo needs. Dafoe reports he
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COSTUMERS.ORG
4
Offer the accoutrements.
Tuxedos are only part of the
package—don’t forget the
shirts, bow ties, cummerbunds,
vests, cuff links, pocket squares
and shoes. The tuxedo wholesalers
rent all of those, too. Dafoe says
he handles the shoe rental himself
rather than relying on the wholesaler. “I have a person who comes in on Tuesdays and Wednesdays just to clean the shoes,” he says.
5
Train your staff. Most costumers are already good at taking measurements, and that skill is put to use in the tux
business. But it’s also important for staff to know about
different shirt sizes, what suppliers have available, and other
elements of the business. “The suppliers will come to your store
and have training sessions with you if you need it,” Dafoe says.
6
Mark up the rentals appropriately. Kerns says his shop
earns about $50,000 per year in tuxedo rentals. “When we
first started we didn’t mark them up like we should have,”
Kerns says. “So now we double everything, just like anything
else. If you pay $50 to rent a tuxedo and charge $100, it’s a good
business. And you turn it pretty quick—it’s not like you have to
put a lot of money out.”
7
Pay for the suppliers’ damage waiver. Dealing with damaged tuxedos is part of the job. Red wine gets spilled on
white shirts, pants rip when teenagers slide on their knees
on the dance floor, and buttons pop off jackets. Dafoe pays
the damage waiver offered by his suppliers, so he’s not on the
hook for any of that damage. He offers a waiver to his clients; if
they fail to take it and damage the tux, he charges them for the
repairs and makes a little profit.
8
Consider tux sales, too. Dafoe says some customers prefer
to buy a tuxedo, and he accommodates. Part of his sales
are used tuxes that he gets from the wholesalers when
they turn over their stock.
9
Market, market, market. Both Kerns and Dafoe attend
bridal expos to promote their tuxedo business; Dafoe even
started a bridal expo in his community 35 years ago and
still runs it today. Another method Kerns has used is to send
a tuxedo-clad student into the local high school to hand out
coupons during prom season.
10
Charge late fees…or don’t. Kerns and Dafoe differ on
whether to charge late fees. Kerns charges $10 if a tux
comes back a couple of days late. Dafoe doesn’t — he
figures part of offering good service is being a little lenient in
that regard.
As long as formal events are held in your community, men
are going to need tuxedos. Chain tux shops and the Internet
may cut into that business. But you can offer the kind of personal service (including last-minute fitting emergencies!) that
will keep men (and the wives and mothers who often weigh in
on style, colors and accessories) turning to you for their special
event tuxes.
Ed Avis is the publisher of The Costumer.
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COSTUMERS.ORG
Halloween Makeup Magic
Brighten your profit picture with seasonal workshops and
professional makeup sessions
by Kathleen Furore
M
akeup is an essential component of the Halloween
season—one that’s becoming more important to
costume-loving customers than ever before. If you
merchandise makeup
along with costumes
and accessories, there’s a
creative way to boost sales
that you might not have
tried before: Brighten
your profit picture with
seasonal workshops and
professional makeup
appointments for your
Halloween clientele.
Makeup workshops
can entice customers to
visit your store for tips on
creating the perfect look,
and attract customers
who normally wouldn’t
walk through your door.
It’s an approach All
Dressed Up Costumes
in Batavia, Ill., has taken
with great success.
“Our Halloween sales
definitely increase because
of our makeup capabilities and workshops,”
owner Julane Sullivan
reports.
CLASS TIME
October is an especially
busy time for costume
industry pros. But making
The sugar skull face and creepy clown are
time to hold a makeup
just two makeup applications from the
application class or two can
artists at All Dressed Up Costumes
pay off in myriad ways.
During the 2014 Halloween season, for example, All
Dressed Up Costumes hosted hands-on workshops to teach
customers the fine art of special effects makeup. Participants
in the “Horror and Gore with GORE” workshop learned
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COSTUMERS.ORG
from makeup artist Laura Dwyer how to use liquid latex and
makeup to create burns, cuts, scars, bullet holes, bruises and
blood; those in the “Zombie” workshop discovered how to
apply liquid latex and
makeup to grayscale
faces, using shadows and
highlights to create the
look of sunken facial
features.
The events were free
for customers who made
reservations five days in
advance, $100 for late
registration or at the
door. “Students” could
bring their own makeup
or buy all of the makeup
and supplies needed
right before the workshop began.
“Everyone who
attended registered
early, which is what
we wanted so we
could prepare,”
Sullivan says.