“I realized that I don't need the connections I thought I did and the pandemic taught me that because we were all so isolated.” Finch, a student at Emerson College studying film. “, I thought you had to start with a big company, but you can literally just DM people on Instagram and ask if you can edit their videos,” said Reagan A. Many thrifters shared experiences of lessons learned from the pandemic.
Weinstock, a student at Emerson College, said.įor students who began or finished their studies in the arts during the pandemic, the challenges of being involved in the arts in a limited environment brought frustration but also a greater sense of appreciation for discoveries that arose out of isolation. “Ever since coming across on social media the whole issue with fast fashion and the fashion industry, and realizing that buying secondhand or at least very consciously looking at what brands have as their morals, principles, and ethics, I really shifted to basically only thrifting all that I own,” Julia H.
Situated near several other universities in Boston, the lobby of the Wheelock Family Theatre, lined with racks of clothing and people trying on different pieces, became a meeting space for many young adults passionate about both thrifting and pursuing the fine arts in academic or professional settings. The costume sale was part of the Theatre’s larger effort to reevaluate the organization’s activities as a whole while reconnecting with the Boston community as in-person programming is set to return in the spring. Preparations for the sale began over the summer, with the Theatre combing through their vast costume collection to put up hundreds of items for sale - everything from vintage sweaters to fairy wands to mouse ears. “I got to explore more video content, ways to make theater accessible virtually, and then hopefully carry that into our in-person programming as well.” “Changing to a virtual world was a lot of work in my area, which is something I’m grateful for because it allowed me to explore a lot of different areas that I probably wouldn't have necessarily been able to do,” Corcoran said. Having joined the Theatre right before the pandemic, her role changed dramatically as theaters across the world had to shut down or transition their productions to a virtual landscape. Corcoran is the Wheelock Family Theatre’s Marketing Specialist and one of the lead organizers of the event. The costume sale was one of the first in-person community events the theatre has held this year, and for many attendees, it marked a turning point in their engagement with the fine arts since the onset of the pandemic. 23 to help people find pieces for costumes or simply pick out thrifted clothing.
With Halloween just around the corner, Boston University’s Wheelock Family Theatre held a Costume Thrift Sale on Oct.