A fashion treasure trove for TMU students

The Fashion Research Collection provides hands-on experience in fashion history and design

By Kaitlyn McGuirk | August 13, 2024

Two researchers dressing a mannequin in a two-piece checked purple wool womenswear suit. One student stands behind it with their hands on the waist, the other bends to touch the bottom of the suit.

Researchers Sephra Lamothe and Sonya Surbek dress a mannequin with outfits from the FRC for an exhibition on campus, Out of the Closet and Into the Street, in summer 2024. All photos by Alyssa K. Faoro

Nestled in Kerr Hall West at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) lies a hidden gem that has enriched the study of fashion for decades—the Fashion Research Collection (FRC). Established in 1981 by professor and former chair of the School of Fashion, Katherine Cleaver, the FRC began as a modest assemblage of donated garments and accessories. Today, it boasts nearly 4,000 items, dating from 1815 to contemporary times, offering students an unparalleled resource for hands-on learning and object-based research.

The FRC at TMU is more than just an archive; it is a vibrant educational resource offering students a unique, hands-on experience that is invaluable for their academic and professional development.

"There are so many stories to tell,” says Eve Townsend, the FRC director. “I think that's the power of this space—being able to see students look at items that appeal to them and then uncover a part of history—every dress, every hat, every jewel contains multiple narratives that might be otherwise lost. This space is equally important to our design students, whose creative practice benefits from the close examination of a garment’s construction, beading, embroidery and more."

Researchers Patrick Taylor and Sonya Surbek dress mannequins behind a glass wall.

Patrick Taylor and Sonya Surbek arrange the Out of the Closet and Into the Street exhibition in the Assembly Gallery.

Three handkerchiefs folded into squares. There are different coloured buttons laid on top of one of them.

Handkerchiefs and buttons from the collection.

A hand in a black glove gently touches a flower appliqué on a garment.

An applique flower from a Balmain dress in the collection.

Eve Townsend, the director of the FRC delicately touches a dress in a garment box, she is wearing blue gloves. Four other researchers from the FRC watch.

In the FRC space, Eve Townsend (left) points out elements of a 1960s Balmain dress to researchers Sephra Lamothe, Sonya Surbek, Alison Matthews David and Patrick Taylor.

The FRC's vast collection includes pieces from renowned designers such as Balenciaga, Dior and Yves Saint Laurent. The archive also includes an impressive hat collection, stacked high to the ceiling in boxes, and a newly gifted jewelry collection from Carole Tanenbaum, which comprises approximately 150 pieces, dating from the Victorian era to today, highlighting stories of immigration, gender, class and race.

The FRC invites students to conduct hands-on research with garments that span nearly 200 years of fashion history. Unlike other archives, which often display items behind glass, the FRC prioritizes close examination, enabling students to study the seams, hems and fabric up close.

“It’s a completely different experience, the information that you’re able to pull from that,” says Sephra Lamothe (MA Fashion ’23) who used the FRC for her master’s research. “You don’t get that when looking at a still image.”

Lamothe heads to Cornell University this coming fall to begin her PhD with a full scholarship. Her application focused on a number of FRC projects and Lamothe’s studies will continue to explore material culture and object-based research.

Hexagon shaped white hat boxes stacked on top of one another.

The collection has an extensive array of material, including hat boxes.

Hands wearing blue protective gloves arrange a collection of jewelry in a black box.

Visitors can look through many jewelry items in the collection.

The sleeves of a row of dresses hanging up together. One is blue, one is cream with flowers, one is light blue and green.

The dresses in the collection must be seen in person to truly be appreciated.

Sonya Surbek, a researcher from the FRC wearing blue protective gloves ties a protective barrier over a rack of garments.

The FRC is available to students, faculty, staff and visiting scholars by appointment for onsite object-based research and for class and community tours.

Cleaver founded the FRC with a belief in the power of direct interaction with historical garments. She envisioned a collection that allowed students to not only study the construction, cut and sewing techniques of pieces but also delve into fashion history.

Initially, the FRC was tucked away behind an unmarked door in the University Libraries and primarily used by faculty for teaching. Upon Cleaver’s departure from the university, the collection lay dormant for over a decade. Its resurgence came in 2013 when Ingrid E. Mida rediscovered the FRC and recognized its untapped potential. Through meticulous archiving and cataloguing, Mida transformed the FRC into a dynamic research space that is now accessible to students, faculty and scholars.

In an effort to modernize and close gaps in the collection, the FRC’s new guiding principles focus on inclusivity, decolonization and sustainability. Townsend notes the importance of representation within the collection.

“The goal of the FRC is that every student, faculty and community member who comes into the archive sees at least one aspect of their identity reflected in the collection,” she explains. Through exhibitions such as Out of the Closet and Into the Street, which recontextualized historic and contemporary garments through a queer lens, the FRC is actively trying to challenge the narratives and diversify the stories told through their garments.

Patrick and Sephra carefully lay a dress into a garment box. They are wearing protective gloves.

Fashion alumni Patrick Taylor (left) and Sephra Lamothe store a dress from the Out of the Closet and Into the Street exhibition.

The FRC's archival space was a major draw for Patrick Taylor (MA Fashion ’24) when choosing a fashion program. “This is why I moved to Toronto,” he says. He did his major research project using the collection, an inter-archival analysis of the wardrobe, professional writing and diaries of the self-fashioning of the Toronto author and academic Marian Fowler.

Taylor has also worked at the FRC as the exhibition and curation collections assistant and credits the FRC with being instrumental in his academic career and opening doors into the industry. “Through my time in the FRC, I have had the opportunity to meet and collaborate with curators and museum professionals and have been granted access to archives across the city.”

The FRC relies on generous support from alumni, friends, faculty and staff. This support enables the FRC to continue to be an exciting and progressive research and education space for the TMU community and beyond. Please contact Tyler Small, director of development, at tyler.small@torontomu.ca if you are interested in learning more.

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Kaitlyn McGuirk is a communications specialist at TMU, passionate about telling stories and creating content to enhance the university's profile and reputation. She is also a proud alumna of the Master of Professional Communication program.

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