Home NCA Member Profile: The Costumer: Celebrating a Centennial in Schenectady, New York
NCA Member Profile: The Costumer: Celebrating a Centennial in Schenectady, New York
By Kathleen Furore
It's not every day you hear of a business celebrating its centennial—especially in the costume industry, which has seen more than its share of shops close due to increased competition from Big Box stores, pop-up shops and e-commerce sites.
But in Schenectady, New York, The Costumer has beaten the odds: the business started in 1917 and is still going strong.
"The Costumer is proud to have just celebrated our Centennial year!" says Bonnie Johnsen, who co-owns the shop with her husband Erik.
The story, she explains, began with Anna White.
"Anna White started her costume-making business in 1917 before she was given the right to vote," Bonnie says. "White established The Costumer when people started asking her about a local dressmaker that had moved out of town. Seeing an unmet need, she hung a sign outside her home and The Costumer was born."
She initially began by bartering costumes for her daughter's dance lessons and then gained national notoriety with producers, directors and popular stars by serving the Vaudeville circuit. Schenectady's Proctors Theatre was a popular stop along the circuit which provided the introductions. Anna even helped the legendary Lillian Gish with a wardrobe malfunction during one such stop."
Other owners have held the reins of the business White launched with such passion a century ago. The Johnsen family became the fourth owner when they purchased the shop in 2016.
"After a career in technology that took us overseas, Erik was ready to leave the corporate world behind. We were looking for a business our whole family could be a part of," Bonnie recalls. "After a three-year search, we were instantly intrigued by the description of a 100-year-old business that serves the needs of scholastic theater programs nationwide. Intrigue quickly turned into excitement once we understood the opportunity to be custodians of a great creative and business tradition…we have not looked back."
Theater Remains a Focus
"Serving scholastic theater" has always been one of The Costumer's themes. It remains so today.
As Bonnie explains, former owners Jack and Kathe Sheehan—who purchased The Costumer in 1974—were actors and directors who saw a need for costumes in the scholastic theater space.
"Knowing how difficult directing a show can be, Jack and Kathe became a port in the storm by helping directors solve one of the key problems in any production—the costumes!" Bonnie explains. "The concept included extraordinary customer service, allowing each director their own vision for the show. The formula has worked for the past 44 years, to where we now have over 100,000 costumes in our warehouse and partner with directors in well over 1,000 shows across the country each year."
And while Bonnie and Erik lack extensive costuming or theater experience, their life experiences have provided the tools to succeed.
"As 'stage parents.' we know how scholastic theater changes the lives of students. Our youngest son was an introverted and insecure grade school student who was transformed through the performing arts…He is now a confident college freshman who continues to flourish due to his experiences in scholastic theater," she says.
Bonnie's knowledge of marketing, advertising and education (garnered during pre-Costumer careers, which included a stint as market research director for Redbook Magazine), and Erik's business skills (with an emphasis on logistics, operations and technology) "enable us to reliably deliver for our customers," Bonnie says.
But the business is about more than scholastic theater.
"We also serve the costuming needs of others in the creative economy," Bonnie says, noting The Costumer has provided costumes for Saturday Night Live skits as well for Bud Light's "Dilly, Dilly" commercials. "Last year, Broadway's Something Rotten took its show on the road and we worked with them on their alterations," she adds. "This year we began a partnership with The Albany Institute of History and Art by providing technical support for their exhibit, Well Dressed in Victorian Albany. The Costumer assisted in getting these wonderful historical artifacts of fashion presented to our local community in New York's Capital Region."
Tackling Challenges, Staying True to Themselves
There is no denying that the transformation that has occurred in the costume industry has created challenges. As the Johnsens see it, this new business landscape offers new avenues for success.
"We are not unique in facing the challenges of the online shopping juggernauts or managing a relevant social media presence. Our approach has been to take many of these challenges as opportunities and operate as an omni-channel business," Bonnie says. "We have two brick and mortar retail stores, along with a national footprint through our catalog and internet channels. These business lines and channels complement our national theatrical costume rental business. We aim to be available to customers in a way that is most appropriate for their needs and preferences."
Keeping a keen focus on their strengths also is key.
"The Costumer has called Schenectady its home for the past 100 years. Since taking ownership, we have tried to re-energize the engagement with our local community in upstate New York through Renaissance fairs, Cons and a variety of training classes," Bonnie explains. "We do not concern ourselves too much with the large Halloween pop-up brands or big party stores. We are privileged to be a tradition for quite literally generations of families in our area. We feel our level of customer service, knowledge, unique offerings and year-round presence differentiates us."
The Costumer also has made what she calls "a lot of advances in technology to support our theatrical rental order fulfillment process, which have been beneficial by enhancing transparency and efficiency." But connecting with customers tops technology for the Johnsens.
"It is the personal interactions and trusted support we provide that is unique to the 'The Costumer experience,'" Bonnie says. "We take pride in the relationships we have built with directors across the country. We have seen how resolving a single costume emergency for a director can result in a decades long relationship that has served literally thousands of performers in the process. We were honored to be joined by so many directors at our Centennial Gala this past September."
So what is Bonnie's advice for fellow costumers feeling overwhelmed by the state of the industry?
"Our advice is recruit and develop a great team of passionate employees," she says. "The average tenure of our theatre department professional is twelve years. We are fortunate to have a wonderful team of gifted and committed employees. This has been an essential ingredient to The Costumer's longevity and success."