Saving the Hands Behind the Show: The Costume Industry Coalition

When Broadway went dark in March 2020, the audience lost a night out. The people who build the clothes on stage lost something bigger: every order on the books, all at once. In June, they organized.

• New York City’s custom costume industry launched the Costume Industry Coalition on June 23, 2020, in response to the pandemic shutdown, with John Kristiansen as a lead organizer ^[1].
• It began with more than 40 independent businesses and artisans and grew to 56 by the time of its 2021 exhibit ^[1][2].
• Members collectively lost over $26.6 million in revenue; many pivoted to making masks and surgical gowns ^[2].
• Its Showstoppers! exhibit raised money for a recovery fund ^[2].

Who they are

The Costume Industry Coalition, launched on June 23, 2020 with John Kristiansen, owner of John Kristiansen New York, as a lead organizer, began with more than 40 small, independent businesses and artisans in and around New York City ^[1]. Together they employ hundreds of specialists: pattern makers, cutters, stitchers, tailors, milliners, hand finishers, embroiderers, sculptors, painters and dyers, making costumes for theater, dance, opera, concerts, theme parks, cruise ships, ice shows and television and film ^[1]. By the time its 2021 exhibit opened, the coalition counted 56 members ^[2].

What they asked for

The early plan was practical rather than theatrical: lobby state and local legislators for rent abatement and for mortgage and property tax relief for landlords, engage Broadway industry stakeholders, and talk to unions, including Actors’ Equity and SAG-AFTRA, about how to build costumes safely during the pandemic ^[1].

The cost, and the pivot

The financial damage was severe. Coalition members collectively lost over $26.6 million in revenue, and many shifted to making masks and surgical gowns to keep their workrooms running ^[2]. Those are not glamorous orders, but they kept skilled hands employed and tools in use.

What the coalition said at launch

The founding announcement describes the industry’s reach. Members make costumes for theatre, dance, opera, concerts, theme parks, cruise ships, ice shows, television and film around the world, and collectively employ hundreds of specialty artisans: pattern makers, cutters, stitchers, tailors, milliners, hand finishers, embroiderers, sculptors, painters and dyers ^[1]. They contribute millions of dollars to the New York economy through rent, payroll, taxes and purchases from the Garment District, and the announcement warned of a shutdown that could last six to eighteen months ^[1].

Unlike businesses that can work remotely, costume shops need large Manhattan spaces for fittings and construction ^[1]. The coalition asked for rent abatement for members, mortgage and property-tax relief for landlords, engagement with state, local and federal government, and talks with Actors’ Equity and the Screen Actors Guild on safety protocols; named members included John Kristiansen New York, Parsons-Meares (founded 1980) and Eric Winterling, Inc. ^[1]. Winterling said the group has faith that things will eventually return to what it considers normal, a hope the later exhibit helped make real ^[1][2].

The exhibit as a lifeline

In August 2021 the coalition opened Showstoppers!, a 20,000-square-foot exhibit in Times Square of more than 100 costumes with live craft demonstrations; proceeds, with tickets at $29 for general admission, supported its recovery fund ^[2]. It served two purposes at once: it let the public see the work, and it paid for the people who do it.

The lesson for anyone who loves theater merchandise is the same one the coalition keeps making. Behind every poster and program is a craft economy that exists only if there are productions to build for, and audiences willing to value what they cannot see from the mezzanine.

Questions readers ask

What is the Costume Industry Coalition?

A group of New York City’s independent custom costume businesses and artisans, launched in June 2020 to advocate for the industry’s survival after the pandemic shutdown ^[1].

How much did coalition members lose during the pandemic?

Members collectively lost over $26.6 million in revenue, according to NBC New York’s coverage of the 2021 exhibit ^[2].