"Welcome to the biggest closet in Alberta," is how Vlada Blinova charmingly introduces the university's Clothing and Textiles Collection.
Yet the manager of the museum is barely hinting at the wonders of this precious resource and little-known Edmonton gem. With more than 23,000 items documenting 350 years of fashion, it's the biggest collection in a Canadian university and one of the five largest in the country.
This collection's strength lies in women's fashion of the 19th and 20th centuries but it holds significant pieces of men's and children's wear, and a few 18th century garments, too. There are also pre-Columbian textiles and more than 800 quilts (most donated by retired Toronto dealer Gloria Rosenberg.) Fur, leather, plastic and rubber items are kept in storage even colder than the collection's primary aisles, which are maintained behind computer-controlled panels at 17 C.
Even a 45-minute tour reveals the collection's depth and diversity. There are hats and spats and parasols, corsets, petticoats and gowns; platform-soled boots, op-art-print flared trousers and a quilted leisure suit worthy of Austin Powers. There are Victorian men's starched collars and top hats, plus their sturdy travelling cases. Exquisite kimonos are stored in full layout. Eighteenth century treasures include an array of tie-on pockets that afforded women a private place for possessions beneath their dress, and a cut-velvet court suit with long coat and breeches from Scotland.
The 1960s section holds paper dresses while the 1970s racks betray the decade's fascination with shiny synthetic materials. There are so many 1950s christening gowns and wedding dresses that no more will be accepted.
The collection is also home to many priceless artifacts. One is an English stumpwork box circa 1650 to 1675. The embroidered biblical scenes covering its top and sides showcase myriad different stitches, holding as tightly as when they were created by a young girl showcasing her skills. Other historic items include looms, spindles, photographs, magazines and sewing patterns.
Still, like collectors everywhere, Blinova yearns for what's just out of reach.
"I wish we had more high-end designer garments," she said. "But people don't rush to give them."
More haute couture would reinforce the collection's renown as a versatile teaching tool that's used for studies as wide-ranging as material culture, apparel design, English literature, the classics, and film and drama.
"Those (designer) names are recognized and they usually reflect high-end techniques and cutting-edge ideas of the time," said Blinova.
She proves that by pulling out a couple of the designer items that are present: a gorgeously minimalist Christian Dior suit of the early 1960s and a kooky Chloé dress that's decorated with plastic flowers encased in clear plastic domes.
With her interest in political textiles, Blinova would also like to add a few Afghan war rugs of the 1970s and 1980s which were infused with American motifs and images of weaponry, and also Chilean arpilleras textiles, smallish burlap-backed scenes embroidered in 3D to depict events of the Pinochet era.
As with most museums, this one recommends that donors accompany any gifted object with some financial resources to help maintain it. Not all items are accepted, but those that are must be vacuumed, fumigated, examined for mould and mildew, tagged and catalogued. Some also require custom-made mounts crafted from archival materials.
Applications from volunteers interested in helping to maintain the collection are welcome. On request, Blinova gives tours of the collection to scholars, potential donors and members of the public.
Yet the manager of the museum is barely hinting at the wonders of this precious resource and little-known Edmonton gem. With more than 23,000 items documenting 350 years of fashion, it's the biggest collection in a Canadian university and one of the five largest in the country.
This collection's strength lies in women's fashion of the 19th and 20th centuries but it holds significant pieces of men's and children's wear, and a few 18th century garments, too. There are also pre-Columbian textiles and more than 800 quilts (most donated by retired Toronto dealer Gloria Rosenberg.) Fur, leather, plastic and rubber items are kept in storage even colder than the collection's primary aisles, which are maintained behind computer-controlled panels at 17 C.
Even a 45-minute tour reveals the collection's depth and diversity. There are hats and spats and parasols, corsets, petticoats and gowns; platform-soled boots, op-art-print flared trousers and a quilted leisure suit worthy of Austin Powers. There are Victorian men's starched collars and top hats, plus their sturdy travelling cases. Exquisite kimonos are stored in full layout. Eighteenth century treasures include an array of tie-on pockets that afforded women a private place for possessions beneath their dress, and a cut-velvet court suit with long coat and breeches from Scotland.
The 1960s section holds paper dresses while the 1970s racks betray the decade's fascination with shiny synthetic materials. There are so many 1950s christening gowns and wedding dresses that no more will be accepted.
The collection is also home to many priceless artifacts. One is an English stumpwork box circa 1650 to 1675. The embroidered biblical scenes covering its top and sides showcase myriad different stitches, holding as tightly as when they were created by a young girl showcasing her skills. Other historic items include looms, spindles, photographs, magazines and sewing patterns.
Still, like collectors everywhere, Blinova yearns for what's just out of reach.
"I wish we had more high-end designer garments," she said. "But people don't rush to give them."
More haute couture would reinforce the collection's renown as a versatile teaching tool that's used for studies as wide-ranging as material culture, apparel design, English literature, the classics, and film and drama.
"Those (designer) names are recognized and they usually reflect high-end techniques and cutting-edge ideas of the time," said Blinova.
She proves that by pulling out a couple of the designer items that are present: a gorgeously minimalist Christian Dior suit of the early 1960s and a kooky Chloé dress that's decorated with plastic flowers encased in clear plastic domes.
With her interest in political textiles, Blinova would also like to add a few Afghan war rugs of the 1970s and 1980s which were infused with American motifs and images of weaponry, and also Chilean arpilleras textiles, smallish burlap-backed scenes embroidered in 3D to depict events of the Pinochet era.
As with most museums, this one recommends that donors accompany any gifted object with some financial resources to help maintain it. Not all items are accepted, but those that are must be vacuumed, fumigated, examined for mould and mildew, tagged and catalogued. Some also require custom-made mounts crafted from archival materials.
Applications from volunteers interested in helping to maintain the collection are welcome. On request, Blinova gives tours of the collection to scholars, potential donors and members of the public.