Victoria Dinnick of Gadabout Vintage (1300 Queen E.) recently purchased a massive collection of museum-quality garments from around the world – one of them was even scooped up by the ROM. The items were collected in the 1960s and 1970s by Sarah Elizabeth Chute and include everything from 17th century Manchu platform shoes to a 1920s cocoon coat.
We caught up with Dinnick this week.
SDTC: What was your first thought when you stumbled on this remarkable collection?
VD: To be honest, it was overwhelming. I hadn’t expected it to be as extensive as it was and Bear River, Nova Scotia, wasn’t exactly a fashion hub at any time that I recalled. After I went through all the rooms I decided that I needed to focus and start one room at a time. I also decided to start with what I felt would be the easiest to review, so I picked the “America” room. All the rooms were labelled to give an indication of the origin of the items.
What is your favourite piece from the collection?
That’s a difficult one. It’s like asking which of your children do you love the most. The collection spanned so many years and countries that there were really gob-smackingly gorgeous items across the board. Perhaps the Daoist Priest’s robe circa 1915 – 1920. It truly was a work of art.
In viewing the collection as a whole, were you able to come to any new insights about the evolution of fashion?
Every fashion trend is “borrowed” from something already in existence. There are no really new trends, just new ways of presenting and of mixing it up.
What pieces interested you the most?
Pieces that had started their life as one thing and then were altered to fit into a new time frame or life, like a Chinese embroidered skirt that was recut and metamorphosed into a spectacular jacket.
You can see these stunning pieces for yourself at the Toronto Vintage Clothing Show and the Toronto Antique & Vintage Market. Both shows return to Exhibition Place in the Heritage Court (west end of the Enercare Centre) on October 1st & 2nd.
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