Joyce and Art Ostrin. Image courtesy of Early Halloween.

In a sprawling loft in the heart of Chelsea, a seasoned store bursts with musky clothes. From military uniforms to metal bras, 19th century corsets to classic couture gowns, poodle skirts to pirate tunics, the store is a pack rat’s heaven — and an exclusive one at that. At Early Halloween, you can play dress-up, but only if you’re an industry insider.

“We don’t rent to the public because I think it’s not right to the clothes,” says owner Art Ostrin. “You never know who is responsible enough to handle such fragile pieces.”

Early Halloween opened its doors the Christmas weekend of 1968 by veteran actor Art Ostrin and his sister Joyce. “Because of the theatre, I was just fascinated with clothing and jewellery from that period,” says Art. “So I toured a lot and bought a lot,” he said.

But Joyce says their fashion fascination began long before Art began acting. “I think we were born that way — with the vintage clothes gene,” she says.  “At 4 years old in the Bronx, we were taking the neighborhood kids down to our backyard and dressing them up in my mother’s clothes.”

The 8,500 sq. ft. vintage rental and styling house began by leasing its colossal collection to Hollywoord film studios, followed by fashion, photography, and publishing industries. Though Art may have been the backbone of the store, Joyce has always been its heart. “It has to do with a passion,” she says. “It’s been 41 years and that passion is still very much there.”

The store first struck industry gold when it provided costumes for the 1974 film The Great Gatsby. Since then, Early Halloween has received both movie and TV credits from the likes of Ali, A Beautiful Mind, Law & Order and The Sopranos. It  frequently scores editorial acknowledgments in Vogue Italia, Vanity Fair and W Magazine, even supplying designers with costumes to employ as creative muses. As long as these industries continue to thrive, these salient siblings will offer their unique supply to meet such high demand.

Early Halloween is at 130 West 25th Street 11th Floor, New York, NY 10001; Tel: +1 (212) 691-2933