Costume Society of America

What Costume Society of America does

Costume Society of America (CSA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit professional membership organization founded on March 23, 1973 and incorporated in New York on September 12, 1973, with its national office at P.O. Box 852, Columbus, GA 31902-0852. It serves museum professionals, academics and researchers, costume designers, theatre artists, students, private collectors, libraries, and for-profit businesses working in costume, dress, and fashion scholarship. The organization operates six regional groups across the U.S. and Canada (Northeastern, Mid-Atlantic, Midwestern, Southeastern, Western, Southwestern) plus one international group, and runs an annual national symposium that has convened since 1973 (52nd in 2026, with venues locked through 2028).

CSA's core products are a tiered membership program (Student $65 to Business Associate $380, plus Library subscriptions at $528-$771), the peer-reviewed Dress journal (published since 1975 and distributed globally via Taylor & Francis Online), the CSA Series scholarly monograph imprint (published through Kent State University Press), annual national symposia, a portfolio of competitive grants and awards (Stella Blum, Millia Davenport, Richard Martin Exhibition, and others totaling several thousand dollars per recipient), a member-only job board, members-only community forums, the monthly e-News and Dialogues on Dress interview series, the Digital Costume Collection Guide, and the CSA Angels Project volunteer collections-care initiative. Operations run on the Neon One CRM platform, which integrates membership enrollment, event registration, donations, and the community forum.

Revenue is generated through annual membership dues, library subscriptions sold via Taylor & Francis, publication sales through Kent State University Press, job board listing fees ($125-$150), and donations to the CSA Endowment (averaging ~$20,000 per year, which relieves the organization of approximately $22,850 annually in grants, awards, and project funding). The organization is governed by a Board of Directors and an Executive Director (Kristen Miller Zohn) with a small named staff and a 2026-2028 elected executive committee. No funding rounds, M&A activity, or external investment ownership is indicated.

Name

Costume Society of America

Legal name

Costume Society of America

Website

https://costumesocietyamerica.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Costume Society of America is a 501(c)(3) non-profit professional membership organization founded in 1973, serving museum professionals, academics, costume designers, students, collectors, and libraries through tiered memberships, the peer-reviewed Dress journal, an annual national symposium, grants and awards, and six regional chapters across the U.S. and Canada.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Membership Association

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Professional Organizations (813920), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music) (BPAGAHAB)

Keywords

• Professional membership association
• Costume studies
• Scholarly publishing
• Museum networking
• Cultural heritage education

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbus

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Memberships: Annual membership fees providing full access to publications, events, forums, grants, awards, and networking. Multiple tiers from $65 (Student) to $195 (Champion) with varying benefit levels.
2. Museum, Association & Business Memberships: Organizational memberships at $260 (Museum/Association) and $380 (Business Associate) including benefits for multiple staff members and directory listings.
3. Library Subscriptions: Subscriptions through Taylor & Francis for online ($528) or print and online ($771) access to Dress journal, granting eligibility for two organizational representatives to receive member benefits.
4. Publication Sales: Sales of Dress journal issues and CSA Series publications through Kent State University Press. Members receive discounts on CSA Series publications.
5. Endowment Donations: The CSA Endowment receives approximately $20,000 annually in donations, with interest funding awards, grants and projects. Donations are designated as charitable contributions.
6. Job Board Listings: Job postings at $125 for members and $150 for non-members, listed for up to 60 days with optional shorter duration by request.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Costume Society of America (CSA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational organization that advances the study, interpretation, and preservation of costume and dress. It does this primarily through individual and institutional memberships that grant access to a peer-reviewed scholarly journal (Dress), a book series (CSA Series), annual National Symposia, regional chapter programming, grants and awards, a job board, and online community resources for scholars, curators, designers, conservators, and collectors in the field.

Product overview

Costume Society of America is a professional membership organization offering a comprehensive suite of programs and publications for costume and dress studies. The core offerings include membership at multiple tiers (Individual, Student, Emerging Professional, Retired/Emeritus, Museum & Association, Business Associate, Library), the peer-reviewed Dress journal (published since 1975), the CSA Series scholarly book publication program with Kent State University Press, annual National Symposia, competitive grants and awards (Stella Blum Student Research Grant, Richard Martin Exhibition Awards, Millia Davenport Publication Award, among others), a members-only job board, community forums, monthly e-News with the Dialogues on Dress interview series, the CSA Angels Project volunteer collections care initiative, and a Digital Costume Collection Guide database. Regional groups across the U.S. and Canada provide local programming, events, and travel grants.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Individual Membership Tiered annual membership for individuals (Student, Emerging Professional, Standard, Retired, Patron, Champion, and Lifetime) that provides access to the Dress journal, member directory, grants, and other CSA programming; intended for museum professionals, academics, designers, conservators, collectors, and students in costume/dress fields.
• Institutional Membership Annual membership tiers (Museum & Association, Business Associate, Library) that provide institutional access to CSA programming, journal access, and recognition for museums, libraries, universities, and fashion-related businesses.
• Dress Journal The peer-reviewed scholarly journal of the Costume Society of America, published since 1975 and currently distributed via Taylor & Francis Online; publishes original research on the history, theory, and practice of dress, costume, and adornment.
• CSA Series (Books) A monograph book series on costume and dress topics, co-published with Kent State University Press; titles are sold individually and are available to members at discounted rates.
• National Symposia Annual multi-day scholarly conferences hosted in different U.S. cities (e.g., St. Paul, MN in 2024) featuring paper sessions, panels, workshops, networking, and awards; CSA's flagship in-person event for members and the wider costume/dress community.
• Grants and Awards Program Funded research, publication, and travel awards for members, including named awards such as the Carol Owens Publication Award, Betty Kirke Award, and the CSA Angels Project supporting preservation of costume collections.
• Job Board Online listing service for employment opportunities in costume, fashion, museum, and related fields; available to members as a member benefit and used by employers to reach the CSA community.
• Digital Costume Collection Guide Online resource guide supporting the cataloging, digitization, and preservation of costume collections, intended for museum professionals, archivists, and collectors.
• Regional Chapter Network U.S. regional chapter structure (e.g., Northern California, Great Plains, Southwest, etc.) providing local programming, study days, and networking for CSA members; coordinated under the national organization.

Quantifiable outcome

• Endowment relieves organization of $22,850 annually in covering awards, grants, and projects
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Taylor & Francis OnlinecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTaylor & Francis serves as the official publisher and distributor of Dress, the CSA peer-reviewed journal. They manage subscription services, pricing, and access for institutional subscribers including libraries and universities. Contact: [email protected] or 1-800-354-1420 ext. 4.
• Kent State University PresscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKent State University Press is the proud publisher of the CSA Series of scholarly publications. The series considers books on all subjects relating to the history and future of fashion, dress, costume, appearance and adornment, from scholarly to general interest formats.
• Neon OnecoreTechnology or IntegrationNeon One provides the website platform and CRM system (Neon CRM) powering CSA's online operations including membership management, event registration, donations, and the community forum.
• Hotel Champlain (Hilton)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for CSA's 2027 National Symposium in Burlington, VT. Group room rate of $239/night plus tax arranged for conference attendees for nights of June 6-8, 2027.
• Shippensburg UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost institution for Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern Regions' joint symposium 'First Amendment to the Costume Constitution: Freedom of Dress' October 9-10, 2026. Conference rate at Wyndham Hotel arranged.
• Historic RosedaleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistoric site hosting the 2026 CSA Angels Project, a volunteer service initiative for collections care and preservation. Built in 1815, the Charlotte, NC site preserves histories of families and connected African American communities.
• McCord Stewart MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMuseum that published the 2026 Millia Davenport Publication Award winner 'Costume Balls: Dressing Up History, 1870-1927' by Cynthia Cooper, accompanying her exhibition.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Textile Society of America: Symbiotic scholarly organization for textile and dress scholarship, holding biennial symposia and publishing Textiles & Politics / symposium proceedings. Overlaps with CSA on costume-adjacent scholarship and museum textiles, with shared academic membership pools.
• The Fashion Group International: Global professional organization connecting fashion executives, designers, and retailers, offering member events, awards, and networking. Comparable as a fashion/costume-adjacent membership organization, though more commercially oriented than CSA.
• The Costume Society (UK): The UK-based Costume Society is the most direct international parallel to CSA — a membership organization serving costume historians, designers, curators, and collectors with publications, events, and grants. Operates the journal Costume and an annual study tour, mirroring CSA's Dress journal and national symposium model.
• Costume Designers Guild (IATSE Local 892): Labor union for film, television, and commercial costume designers. While more narrowly focused on entertainment industry practitioners, it serves overlapping membership (theatrical and entertainment costume designers) and represents CSA-adjacent professional advocacy.
• Association of Dress Historians: International membership organization for dress historians and researchers, offering conferences, publications, and networking similar to CSA's scholarly focus. Targets an overlapping academic and museum professional membership base in costume and dress studies.

Broad incumbents

• International Council of Museums (ICOM): Global museum professional organization with committees including costume and textiles. Provides an international institutional umbrella that intersects with CSA's museum-member base and exhibition-award programming.
• American Alliance of Museums: Principal US museum professional association providing accreditation, publications, and advocacy. Comparable as a professional membership body serving museum professionals — many of whom are CSA members — but with broader scope across all museum disciplines.
• College Art Association: Large US professional association for art historians, artists, and museum professionals, publishing The Art Bulletin and Art Journal. Overlaps with CSA on the academic/museum scholarship side, but operates at much greater scale across all visual arts disciplines.

Others

• National Art Education Association: US professional organization for art educators at all levels. Adjacent rather than directly competing, but shares the education/curriculum development mission and is a potential partner for CSA's educational programming expansion.

Regional players

• American Association for State and Local History: US-focused membership organization for state and local history institutions and professionals. Overlaps with CSA's small museum and historic site members (e.g., Historic Rosedale CSA Angels Project host) but serves a broader historical-preservation mission.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubecostumesocietyamerica.com/youtube-channel
• Facebookfacebook.com/costumesocietyofamerica
• Xx.com/costumesociety

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Costume Society of America