Where did the name come from?

Grandma’s Closet’s name to be when Alex mentioned how she loved dressing up in her grandmother’s things as a little girl and that many of the pieces in stock actual came from her grandparents or cousin’s grandparents. For Sarah, this was kismet because her mother had an antique shot in the 70’s called Grandma’s Attic. The company’s name was sealed.

Fun fact: The logo was actually inspired by Alex’s grandma. Thanks Miriam Hoffman!

How did Grandma’s Closet get started?

Grandma’s Closet started because Sarah has a vintage and costume hoarding problem which Alex didn’t really stop. When the two lived together, their Brooklyn apartment had a backyard (yes, they do exist in the City) in which Sarah built a shed to house the costumes she’d been gathering over the years; and it was a lot.

In the summer of 2017, Alex took on designing an indie feature and Sarah designed a 1970s short with 100 background. Their two bedroom railroad apartment was consumed by costumes from racks to bins and bag piled as high as possible. The only room available was a path from the front door to Alex’s bedroom on the other side of the apartment. No coach or tv for them.

Vowing to never live two months like that again and buying a retiring costume designer’s stock, the two realized they needed a proper studio space to work from. They moved into their first space at 200 6th Street, a mear 350 square feet of space. At that time, rentals were only a here and there to friends. After several films, donations and Sarah’s thrifting habit, the two had accumulated too more amazing pieces to fit into their existing space. It was time to move into a larger space.

Alex and Sarah doubled their square footage to 700 square feet in March 2021. It was then that the two decided to officially open shop in response to the shocking lack of costume resources in New York City and the East Coast despite the thriving film and theater industries. They knew they had some amazing pieces just hanging on the racks waiting for the Sarah or Alex to have a show, so why not make them accessible to more people? Alex & Sarah wanted to create a resource that would support their beloved industry and colleagues while also promoting and supporting green filmmaking practices, so they banded together to create Grandma’s Closet Costume Rentals.

Within 2 years, the 700 square foot space expanded into 5 storage units of additional uniforms, vintage and contemporary streetwear, and specialty items. It was time once again to expand into a new space. In July 2023, Grandma’s Closet opened a second space in the same building, bringing it to over 2000 square feet and everything under one roof for easy access. With the goal of becoming a hub for costume designers, Grandma’s Closet is opening a rentable workspace for films to use for prep, fittings, during production so no other designers have to work out of an overstuffed apartment like the one that started this journey.