The venue\/events side of the business would remain open.<\/p>\n
Its costume hire service had run for 42 years.<\/p>\n
Rowles, who co-owned the business with Jeff Flitton for 22 years, said it was the only costume hire service left in Rotorua.<\/p>\n
Costumes once flew out the door. <\/p>\n
When the shop was on White St, it ran five days a week, with staff flat out fitting, fixing and prepping outfits for every occasion, Rowles said.<\/p>\n
Rows of costumes filled the store, from 1920s flapper dresses to 60s and 70s attire, medieval gowns, and outfits of superheroes and famous characters.<\/p>\n
Some pieces were more than 50 years old, Rowles said \u2013 reused repeatedly for school productions, themed parties and events.<\/p>\n
Others had been handmade or collected over decades, with racks organised by era, character and theme.<\/p>\n
Rowles said hiring had been \u201cgoing downhill for quite some time\u201d. <\/p>\n
Very few people had come into the shop in the past few months. <\/p>\n
Rowles said she would \u201cbe really panicking now\u201d if they hadn\u2019t already decided to close.<\/p>\n
Ultra-affordable online retailers such as Temu and Shein had made costumes more convenient to buy, she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can\u2019t compete,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The business also \u201cnever recovered\u201d from the impact of Covid-19.<\/p>\n
Rowles said at one time, people went out \u201cregularly\u201d and the business was \u201ctracking really well\u201d.<\/p>\n
Now, \u201cthey aren\u2019t partying as much as they used to \u2026 they got used to not going out\u201d.<\/p>\n
She said the cost-of-living crisis meant \u201cdiscretional\u201d spending was no longer a priority.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not the same thing as needing food.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rowles said the start of the year had been looking \u201ca little bit brighter\u201d, before conflict in the Middle East added further uncertainty.<\/p>\n
She couldn\u2019t help but think: \u201cWhen\u2019s it going to end?\u201d<\/p>\n
Rowles said costume hire was not something that could easily be handed over to a new owner.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s quite daunting for someone to come in and run this,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The job required knowledge of different eras, fabrics and styles, as well as the ability to size customers quickly and accurately.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve got to be able to look at someone and tell what size they are.\u201d<\/p>\n
It was labour-intensive. Every costume had to be cleaned, repaired, pressed and rehung after each hire.<\/p>\n
Deb Rowles, co-owner of Level 13 Theme Rooms and Costume Hire, is selling her costume collection to the community, hoping they will continue to be used and loved. Photo \/ Annabel Reid<\/p>\n
Rowles said the themed rooms and bar had been on the market for about six months and would be \u201cmore sellable\u201d without the costume hire side.<\/p>\n
Closing was especially \u201csad\u201d for Rowles because costumes were her passion. <\/p>\n
She would \u201calways keep my eye out for interesting things\u201d, often picking up pieces from op shops.<\/p>\n
Rowles tried to take a more sustainable approach, reusing materials where possible and even making reusable bags from old costumes.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s going to be very odd, not having a connection with costumes after so long,\u201d Rowles said.<\/p>\n
She wasn\u2019t \u201cprepared\u201d to let them go because \u201cthey\u2019re just beautiful things\u201d.<\/p>\n
Rowles is selling the collection to the community, hoping the costumes will continue to be used and loved.<\/p>\n
Public sales will run from April 20 to 22, from 5pm to 8pm each evening, with limited numbers allowed in at a time, at 1141 Eruera St.<\/p>\n
Items will be sold for \u201creasonable\u201d prices, with some higher-value pieces priced higher.<\/p>\n
Some costumes have already been snapped up by schools and community groups. They provided costumes for this year\u2019s Rotorua Dancing for Hospice<\/a> publicity photos.<\/p>\n Rowles said she would keep a small number of costumes she couldn\u2019t bring herself to part with.<\/p>\n The closure had been shared with followers on the business\u2019 Facebook page. <\/p>\n One commenter described the closure as \u201cdevastating\u201d, recalling being first dressed in the business\u2019 costumes at age 11 and having continued to return \u2013 now aged 32. They said they came back for dress-ups for school, theatre and work events over the years.<\/p>\n Many others echoed the sentiment, saying they were \u201csad\u201d but understood why the business needed to close.<\/p>\n