A very warm welcome to Kenn Norman and Jonathan Walford who in July opened Encore Vintage, a cool retro retail shop that is the fundraising arm of this duo’s main attraction – the Fashion History Museum.
For a dozen+ years, they operated the museum in downtown Hespeler, choosing this location specifically for its history as the hub of industrial textile manufacturing in Canada, housing what was at its peak, the largest woollen mill in the British Empire. However, Kenn and Jonathan were looking for a change and fell in love with Stratford for its charm, culture and the fact that it is regularly busy with tourists who very likely would be keen to add a fashion museum to their “must-see” list when visiting!
While Kenn and Jonathan continue to look for the perfect home for the museum itself, the items that don’t make the permanent collection you will find for sale in Encore Vintage. From hats and shoes, fascinators and silk fans, from ties to women’s wear, books on fashion and cuisine, and art to decorate your home, it is almost guaranteed you will find a treasure, or even two!
The Fashion History Museum has 9,000+ garments – a few of which are currently being exhibited at Stratford Gallery in the “Made in France’ summer exhibit and in New Hamburg at Castle Kilbride, the High Seas Travel Clothes exhibit. When asked, Kenn and Jonathan modestly respond that they have “arguably the third best collection in Canada” – behind the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) and Montreal’s McCord Stewart Museum. Three years ago, the Fashion History Museum had the pleasure of exhibiting clothes – in Hespeler and in Ohio – worn by Cher who was dressed by Bob Mackie. Wow!
Kenn and Jonathan met at Simon Fraser University in the 80’s – Kenn studying business and German and Jonathan, history and public history. So it is no surprise that Kenn is the admin and governance behind the museum, and Jonathan the curatorial director! Jonathan in fact was the founding curator of the Bata Shoe Museum, working there from 1988 through its opening in 1995 to 1999.
When this dynamic duo are not working they are now strategically placed to fuel their passion of going to concerts and the theatre!
For more information, find Encore Vintage in our online directory!
