Ian Drummond Collection is considering our stock for the upcoming spring vintage clothing show season.

In troubled times, when one might question, “Why think about fashion now?” we can look to Lauren Duca, a writer for Teen Vogue, who stated “Women can love thigh boots and still talk politics.”

Katherine Hamnett’s T-shirts became cultural signposts to the times we lived in.

“Fashion is just a reflection of our times” Bill Cunningham said. Fashion is communication, for both the people and those in power. We look to Michelle Obama, who used fashion as a way to communicate her world vision; and Hillary Clinton with her white pantsuits speaking to Suffragettes, and inspiring a nation of 111 million and more supporters calling themselves “Pantsuit Nation.”
If we have any pantsuits, we’ll bring them!

But more, with the textile and apparel industry being second to oil as the most polluting in the world, fashion can also be an action. Which is why we are encouraging people to not just shop at the Toronto and Ottawa Vintage Clothing Shows as a style choice, but as a responsible and ethical choice. There will be plenty of clothing that will be relevant and wearable in contemporary fashion available, as well as statement pieces that grab attention. Why not buy beautifully made, carefully preserved and timelessly styled clothing as a way to respect what’s on the #grabyourwallet boycott, and to shop local and support small businesses?

Ian Drummond Collection will be bringing new old stock in currently trending 90s apparel that’s perfect for work wear; classic vintage clothing for every occasion; and jewellery for freshening up old favourites.

We noticed an uptick in sales of our reproduction WWI factory workers uniforms from the 2002 Jason Alexander movie The Man Who Saved Christmas in our Etsy shop, Ian Drummond Vintage, over the past few weeks. There were customers who wanted to wear them to march as Suffragettes! Staff members at the Women’s March in Toronto noticed a few Rosies, and so we’ll also be bringing our coveralls from the series Bomb Girls to the shows as well.

Sadly, it seems more and more reasons to demonstrate will present themselves.

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If you’re not following Ian Drummond collection on Instagram, please consider doing so! The studio is always up to something, whether it’s shipping Ecrates overseas, adding new items to stock, sending items to our retail space at Shoppe & Tailor, or unearthing ephemera for our Etsy shops.

For everything from sneak peeks to staff silliness, look for us @iandrummondcollection

2016 was a good year at the Ian Drummond Collection on all counts. We had the good fortune to work with extremely interesting productions that were figuratively and literally all over the map, and spanning every decade.

One of our favourite experiences from this past year was providing wardrobe for Costume Designer JR Hawbaker for The Man In The High Castle, helping to create the “period drama for a period that never was” (as described by former showrunner Frank Spotnitz  – X-Files.)

From the time Hawbaker and Assistant Costume Designer Koreen Heaver first came into the studio to pull for the season, to seeing it realized on the small screen, it has been an adventure that has been challenging for IDC’s staff, and one that brought satisfaction and pleasure in the results.

Hawbaker and Heaver’s pull was split between Principals, Stock, and Berlin. The designer focused on  a cool palette.  We learned their “rules” about what colours would work, and what we needed to consider when we’d be asked to send items “on spec.”  Their use of our stock of late 1950s clothes conveyed that in this alternate post-war America and Germany,  that France and the United States do not advance in fashion during the inter and post-war periods as they did in real-world history.  (Givhan, 2015).

Our own understanding of how people dressed and experienced their world during the early 1960s is altered in “small shifts ” as Hawbaker explained when discussing Joe Blake’s (Luke Kleintank) suits for the second season, when he finds himself in Berlin. To read more about J.R. Hawbaker’s motivations and inspirations in creating this world for Season Two, consider her  interview with TVinsider, where her insight into costuming is beautifully put:

“Hawbaker knows she can often look to the actors themselves as collaborators in dressing their characters. “The fitting room is sort of this sacred, safe place where both actors and designers can look for the characters,” she explains. “We have this fall-down-the-rabbit-hole experience together.”

We would like to thank JR and Koreen, and the whole  Man in the High Castle costume department for giving us an opportunity to work on this project. If you are in America you can catch the new season on Amazon Video – and we’ve heard  we can look forward to a Season 3.

Resources:

Egner, J. (2015). Red, Reich, and Blue: Building the World of ‘The Man of the High Castle’. The New York Times. Available at: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/22/arts/television/the-man-in-the-high-castle-imagines-a-red-reich-and-blue.html?_r=0

Givhan, R. (2015). The Battle of Versailles: The Night American Fashion Stumbled into the Spotlight and Made History. New York: Flat Iron Books.

Halterman, J. (2016). The Man in the High Castle: The Challenges of Costuming Drama About a Post-WWII Nazi World. Available at: http://www.tvinsider.com/article/98814/the-man-in-the-high-castle-the-challenges-of-costuming-drama-about-a-post-wwii-nazi-world/

Warner, H. (2014). Fashion on Television: Identity and Celebrity Culture. London: Bloomsbury.

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While some productions are wrapping, others are gearing up. While we can’t name names, we CAN mention that we’re working with some exciting productions that are taking IDC’s items around the world, and back in time.

It’s always a thrill when our items grow wings. 

It’s nearly time for  Ian’s last big show of the year: the Ottawa Vintage Clothing Show. Here is where items that don’t work for our film and television rental stock go so that they can work for you!

The event page is here, for updates and reminders.

But the show page is always active, so you can stay tuned all year. DO be sure to click through to find how to get discounted admission.

As a longstanding participant, Ian has been glad to lend his voice to promotions, so you can put a face to the name by looking at their media page   (and say hello when you see him!)

We are trembling with antici………………..…………pation. The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let’s Do the Time Warp Again airs tonight (Thursday, October 20, 1016) at 8pm on Fox. We couldn’t be more proud that it was an Ian Drummond Collection sweater on Tim Curry as the Criminologist. Congrats to everyone who worked so hard on it, and thanks for using IDC! (See our vintage looks in the wedding scene too!)

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There’s only ONE vintage clothing show left for us this season, and it’s the Ottawa Vintage Clothing Show

Sunday November 6, 2016
10am-5pm (Tickets go on sale at 9:30am sharp)
Admission: $10 Under 12 free

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It’s time for the Christie Antique & Vintage Show THIS COMING SATURDAY! Ian himself will be presiding over his usual booth, Z40, in the Pavillion (near the restrooms, food and bank machine – it’s so perfect.) Why not come see what he’s got as part of the IDC “Catch and Release Program”? And if you have vintage clothing and accessories that would work for the studio collection, why not chat him up there?

(More information at the Christie website.)

http://christieshow.ca/