Rebel Threads Stitches Together Costumes and Classes

Superior's costume shop offers rentals, alterations, and sewing lessons after college theater program closure.

Mar. 13, 2026 at 10:05pm

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When the College of St. Scholastica's Theater Program ended in 2024, Sasha Howell, the head of the school's costume department, was able to take over the costume shop as part of her severance package. Now, she runs Rebel Threads, a business in Superior, Wisconsin that offers costume rentals, alterations, and sewing classes.

Why it matters

The closure of the college's theater program could have meant the end of the valuable costume collection, but Howell's entrepreneurial spirit allowed her to preserve the costumes and turn them into a community resource through her new business. Rebel Threads provides a space for people to learn sewing skills and access affordable costumes, filling a gap left by the loss of the college's theater program.

The details

Rebel Threads operates out of the basement of the old Post Office in Superior. Howell runs the business by appointment, allowing her to work closely with customers to find the right costumes and provide sewing instruction. While she can't give an exact count, Howell has amassed a large collection of costumes from the college's theater program. In addition to costume rentals, Rebel Threads offers sewing classes, where Howell aims to create a welcoming environment for beginners to learn and make mistakes.

  • The College of St. Scholastica's Theater Program ended in 2024.
  • Sasha Howell took over the costume shop as part of her severance package.
  • Rebel Threads was born and opened in Superior, Wisconsin.

The players

Sasha Howell

The head of the costume department at the College of St. Scholastica's Theater Program, who took over the costume shop and started Rebel Threads after the program closed.

College of St. Scholastica

A college in Duluth, Minnesota that had a theater program that closed in 2024.

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What they’re saying

“The higher ups were willing to work with me and basically let me take the costume shop as a part of my severance package.”

— Sasha Howell, Owner, Rebel Threads

“I think that this is not only a valuable collection for the business but also for the community. There's such like history and story behind every piece.”

— Sasha Howell, Owner, Rebel Threads

“I do think that there's something to sitting down and sewing that we really have to like, take stock of where we're at and what our skills are and how we can grow them, but also giving ourselves the grace that it's okay to make mistakes and like, visible mending is cool.”

— Sasha Howell, Owner, Rebel Threads

What’s next

Rebel Threads plans to continue offering costume rentals, alterations, and sewing classes to the Superior community, preserving the legacy of the College of St. Scholastica's theater program.

The takeaway

Rebel Threads demonstrates how an entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to community can turn a potential loss into an opportunity. By repurposing the college's costume collection, Howell has created a unique business that provides affordable access to costumes and a space for people to learn valuable sewing skills.