By Ed Avis
It’s been a big year for NCA member A Masquerade in Redmond, Washington. The store recently moved to a new larger location, and they’re getting ready to celebrate their 25th birthday in 2024.
“We are leaning into our gratitude for ongoing customer support that keeps our doors open,” says Kyra Stewart, who opened the store in 1999.
The store moved to the new location because its previous location was sold and will be torn down to create space for an apartment building. The new location is just two blocks away, and at 4,600 square feet, it’s more than 40 percent larger than the old spot.
“The new space used to be two dance studios, and was originally a movie theatre before it was dance studios, so the layout and existing lighting covers multiple levels, creating more visual interest than our previous open-box single-floor space,” Stewart says. “One person said coming down the ramps into the center hub, cash wrap area, is like coming into a bat cave.”
The new store also has some flexible space that can be divided off from the main store. That space can be used an an employee lunch room and craft workspace during normal times, and the divider can be removed when more space is needed, such as when the store hosts workshops taught by local artists about FX makeup, cosplay, etc.
The larger space also means more room for interesting displays.
“We do have room for mannequins here, so it is fun to do more displays than we could in the previous location,” Stewart says. “In general, we have received lots of positive feedback from our regulars.”
Big Party Will Showcase Customers
Stewart is planning a masquerade party to celebrate the store’s 25-year birthday, with an emphasis on the skills and talents of her customer base. A variety show is being planned that will feature acrobatic circus arts, magicians, singers and other musical acts.
“All the performing artists and the MC, caterers, food truck owners, whatever it takes should come from our customer base,” Stewart explains. “We want to support them and showcase them, the way they have supported us.”
The event will take place on Fat Tuesday (February 13) at a nearby special event venue. People who buy tickets early will be invited to a free Venetian mask-making workshop at the store. The best-decorated mask, or maybe the top 5, will receive prizes.
Airbrush body and face painting will be another highlight of the event. Local artists will do the work, and guests will sign up by lottery to be painted. “Some people love to watch the body/face art being made, some people love to be painted!”
All current and previous employees will be invited for free, and get free use of the shop’s rental costumes.
“I am extremely grateful for the talented and energetic people who have signed on to be employees over the years, many of whom were first customers,” Stewart says. “Everyone needs a costume eventually, so this will likely be a nice broad cross section of people coming together to celebrate their common love -- costumes, masks, makeup -- at the little shop that brought us all together.”
Next Steps
Beyond planning the big party, Stewart is looking down the road to the store’s future. The current location is also on the market, though she has a 24-month termination clause when the building is sold. She says newer buildings are charging twice or three times the rent, so she’ll probably downsize with her next location.
She also is working to focus her store on the more profitable categories and warehouse the rest.
“For example, we see biggest revenue in theatrical makeup and special effects makeup,” she explains. “Our year-round rental revenue comes mostly from ‘faire adjacent’ categories: pirates, barbarians, medieval, renaissance, wizards, fae, alternative (gothic/Victorian) clothing, 18th century masquerade. Footwear is big for us, too, both sales and rentals. We need to box up the rest and warehouse it, to dig out when occasion calls.”
Whatever the future holds for her store, the NCA congratulates Stewart on a successful quarter century and wishes many more years of success!