Congratulations are in order for the one woman army known as Miss Cherry!
Cherry Lee is the owner of Cherry’s Costumes Galore, a San Antonio icon for deluxe, one-of-a-kind costume rentals.
You heard me right, rental. She doesn’t sell her pieces because she uses them in productions both big and small assisting her clients and the general public.
This August marks twenty-four years in business. Can you believe she is still at it? When one in five small businesses close their doors in the first 2 years, she is one of a tiny percentage to defy the odds.
Looking around her shop is like a scavenger hunt for oddities you never knew existed. A protagonist for every antagonist. He-man and Skeletor, Darth Vader and Obiwan, Robert E. Lee and U.S. Grant, the list is absolutely endless.
Her portfolio is so large she doesn’t even keep track anymore! Every possible community event her work is a part of. From parades to social events, school plays and even TV and film!
Gabby Hayes understudy, Shock G from Digital Underground, Mike Osterhage local TV news meteorologist, are just a few off the top of her head.
Her costumes have graced the stages of San Antonio’s schools and schools across the Lonestar State and even around the world.
One of her proudest moments is when an actress from the North East School of the Arts (NESA) at Robert E. Lee high school won a talent competition which took her all the way to New York to compete on Broadway in her costume from Phantom of the Opera.
Her prices are the most competitive in the industry. She allows 3 day to a week long rental for $60 to the public, $45 for students, non-profits, military and first responders. Indie filmmakers also get the discount rate because she wants the arts to flourish.
“If the costuming is unaffordable, all that does is stifle creativity. San Antonio is a hub for incredible arts and artists and here we nurture that creativity,” assistant Christian Lee said. She has witnessed San Antonians grow up in the last two and a half decades. Parents who brought their children are now bringing their grandchildren to come and play dress up with Miss Cherry as if she is literally part of their family.
I’ll end with a quote from Miss Cherry, “The pride I feel for my craft keeps me going and I’ll be here as long as I have a foot to stand on.”
Cherry’s Costumes Galore | 9200 Broadway,
San Antonio, Texas 78217 | 210-685-5337 |
11-5 Monday-Friday, Saturday 11-2