New York City residents with closets at capacity (and that’s most of us) have another option in our quest to contain the overflow—and no, it’s not located underneath the bed or in a corner piled from floor to ceiling with poorly labeled cardboard boxes.

Making its debut in the NYC market just in time to help you de-clutter for the holidays, Starmoire offers residents of the five boroughs off-site, on-demand wardrobe storage, a “digital closet” that catalogs every item, and the chance to turn a profit, via “full-service resale.” Chelsea Community News recently exchanged emails with Starmoire co-founder and CEO Katie Palencsar, yielding the below Q&A.

Scott Stiffler, for Chelsea Community News (CCNews): What is the origin story of Starmoire? How, why, who?

Katie Palencsar, Starmoire Co-Founder & CEO (Katie): My co-founder Ruth and I were at a banking conference in Chicago, about to speak on a panel. We got to talking about having a full closet and nothing to wear. We looked into it and found that people wear only about half of what they own, and one in five Americans is sitting on $500 or more of unworn clothing. One in four also rents storage. So we built Starmoire to handle all of it: we pick up your clothes, store them, keep them visible in a digital closet and help you sell what you don’t want. Our third co-founder, Becky, came up with the name: star + armoire. Stacy London from What Not to Wear is our Chief Stylist and an investor.

CCNews: Is the New York launch the official debut or a pilot? Why NYC?

Katie: We ran a pilot this summer and officially launched on September 14. We serve New York City. It’s the natural place to start. Closets are small, storage is expensive and people here care about their clothes. And we’ve learned that no matter the size of your apartment, everyone in New York wants more closet space. The on demand pick up and retrieval, door to door, is key for busy New Yorkers.

CCNews: Once you pick up clothes, how do you curate them?

Katie: Every piece is inspected, photographed and given a condition rating, from “New with Tags” to “Fair.” Any flaws get photographed too, so if members decide to sell, buyers know exactly what they’re getting. At our facility, each piece hangs in its own garment bag, and each member’s items are kept together as their own closet. When a member decides to sell something, we check it again, steam it and prepare the listing. Some items are also authenticated by a third-party service.

CCNews: Who sets the prices?

Katie: The member does, with help. Our AI pricing tool, Valuette, suggests a price range based on recent sales, brand, condition, and demand. The member sets the final price and can change it anytime. When something sells, we take only a 15% commission. That’s a much better deal than most resale marketplaces, and another benefit of membership.

CCNews: People get attached to their clothes. Is that why they can get anything back anytime?

Katiie: Exactly, and that’s one of the reasons we started the company. Our stuff might be our story, but that doesn’t mean every item needs to take up space every day. You can see everything in your digital closet and ask for any piece back, one item or a whole suitcase’s worth. Members decide what to sell and when. They can even take something off The Shed if they change their mind. It’s a bit like the stock market, but for clothes!

CCNews: Do buyers have brand or style loyalty?

Katie: Members store everything from Zara to Gucci, and what’s on The Shed is split about a third each everyday, mid-range and luxury. What we’re seeing from buyers is loyalty to New York style. Anyone anywhere can shop The Shed, and some of our most active buyers live outside the coasts. People love shopping New Yorkers’ closets. Coats, of course, are popular right now given the season. Some members stored their coats with us over the summer, realized they didn’t need all of them and listed a few for resale. It’s cool to see Starmoire working just the way it should. Every member who has listed on The Shed has made a sale.

CCNews: How is the online marketplace organized?

Katie: The Shed is made up of clothes from real members’ closets. Anyone, anywhere  can shop The Shed, no membership needed. You can browse by brand, category and style, and our Chief Stylist Stacy London is always curating great pieces on the site. We handle all the packing and shipping.

CCNews: Any hidden treasures or surprise finds?

Katie: Definitely. A member had a vintage Palladium night club bomber jacket in her closet! We also had a jacket made with fabric from Cirque du Soleil costumes, with an official patch sewn in the jacket documenting as such. That  sold quickly because it was so unique. And on the every day pieces, lots of great price finds. 

CCNews: How do you work around so many great items of clothing without adding to your own collection?

Katie: Love this question, spoken like a true New Yorker! Honestly, it’s hard—but being in this business every day, you start to see how so many of our clothes go unworn. I did, however, buy a hot pink Lisa Perry coat after I tried it on to do live selling on Instagram. (Monday nights with Stacy!)  It was only $80! I was like, I need this.  I’ve gotten more compliments on that coat than anything else, so it was worth it, because I get to say, “Thanks, I got it on Starmoire!”

CCNews: Do you offer style consulting?

Katie: Yes. We offer closet edits, where someone comes into your closet and helps you decide what to keep, store and sell. And also offer styling, overseen by Stacy London as our Chief Stylist.

CCNews: Anything else?

Katie: We started Starmoire to help people make space without giving up what they love. Plans start at $140 a month for storage and member benefits.  Chelsea Community News readers get their first month complimentary with code CCN. 

Learn more at starmoire.com.

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Launched on April 23, 2019, ChelseaCommunityNews.com (CCNews) is an independent online newspaper serving Manhattan’s Chelsea community and adjacent areas (Flatiron/NoMad & Meatpacking Districts, Hudson Yards, Hell’s Kitchen). Our free editorial content is made possible by advertising revenue, grants, quarterly pledges of support, and voluntary reader donations (click here to donate). To subscribe to our free ENewsletter, click here. ChelseaCommunityNews.com is a member of the New York Press Association (NYPA) and the Empire State Local News Coalition. Our work is collected for placement in the United States Library of Congress’ LGBTQ+ Studies Web Archive. Honors at NYPA’s annual Better Newspaper Contest, 2021-2025, include 3 wins for Coverage of the Arts, and 2 wins for Best News or Feature Series.

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