BC History Digitization Program

BC Society for the Museum of Original Costume

Description

SMOC – originally named the BC Museum of Original Costume Society – was founded as a not-for-profit society in 1992 to create a collection of historical fashion to narrate a humanist social history, illustrative of Canadian diversity and changing manners and mores.

SMOC’s goals as a cultural and educational organization are:

To preserve the Society’s collection of historic fashion and to interpret the collection’s history for the community, students, scholars, collectors, and local fashion designers.

To use fashion as a vehicle to express intergenerational, intercultural and intercommunal exchange.

To emphasize sustainable design and craftsmanship rather than consumption and waste.

To create a site of learning for the fashion and film industry.

SMOC is home to thousands of artifacts, dating as far back as the 19th century, and including contemporary fashions. From glamour and glitz to everyday grit, we present the story of how people have adorned themselves in all walks of life for centuries.

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Rainforest Chic: Designer Lore Maria Wiener Archive

Description:

Vancouver-based fashion designer Lore Maria Wiener (31 March 1920 – 16 July 2019) dominated local fashion during the mid-century and continued designing well into her 80s. Wiener combined elegance with comfort in creations ranging from flapper-inspired cocktail dresses to exquisitely tailored coats...

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Miracle Bras to Military Brass: Spencer’s Catalogues from the 1930s to 1940s

Description:

Spencer’s mail order catalogues, a subsidiary of David Spencer Limited, aimed to bring affordable fashion, extensive household goods, and myriad services to those residing outside of Vancouver and Victoria. Although its focus was British Columbia, Spencer’s reach extended beyond the province,...