About the Owner
Ian has been involved in vintage clothing since the early 1980’s at first just shopping for himself in Toronto’s Kensington Market and then everywhere to stock his vintage clothing store, 20th Century Frox.

While he has been building the Ian Drummond Collection he has also worked in the Toronto film industry.  As a member of IATSE 873 since 1997 he has worked as an assistant costume designer and on HAIRSPRAY and CINDERELLA MAN as the extra’s coordinator responsible for the costuming of 3000+ background performers in each film.  Ian was the wardrobe buyer on CHICAGO, Oscar winner for costume design.  

Through all of these productions he has gained invaluable knowledge about the use of vintage clothing used in film and keeps all this in mind as he shops for the collection.  His resume is available on the IATSE 873 web site, check the links section to connect.
When asked why he got into the rental business his answer is simple.
 “It satifies 2 urges in me; to shop AND to keep!”


The Evolution of the Collection

When Ian opened 20th Century Frox in 1985 he had no idea it would evolve into the rental business it has become today. 

From 1985 until 1992 20th Century Frox thrived in the Beach, an east end Toronto neighbourhood. In 1993 he closed the retail business and moved to the United States. Ian did the rounds on the vintage clothing show circuit in the US northeast and Midwest. At these shows he made connections on both sides of the table.  Many of the dealers he shopped with then still supply his shop today and Ian has made many valuable contacts supplying the NYC costume houses, individual costume designers, the 7th Ave fashion designers, private collectors and museum curators.

By 1996 Ian was back in Toronto with plans to open a quality rental shop to supply the rapidly growing TV and film industry. From 300 sq ft in a rundown industrial area the studio has grown to 4500 sq ft and is presently located in the downtown Toronto fashion district. Another move is in the near future as he prepares to move to the collection to a larger space located on the new Filmport site currently being built in the east end of Toronto.  So in some crazy way he has come full circle but much farther ahead.

Inventorying the Collection

It’s SO organized! How do you do it?”  Is the compliment of many first time visitors.
It has always been Ian’s goal to provide costume designers and stylists with a comfortable, clean, organized and climate controlled environment, essentially a hybrid cross between a store and a warehouse. Each aisle is individually lit and all the clothing is kept under drops sheets to protect them from fading and dust

The stock has been organized by gender and decade. To date we have entered over 16,000 pieces of clothing into a computerized numerical inventory system.Each garment is individually labeled, usually in a visible place and includes the gender, decade and size making it easier for costumers and coordinators to organize their rental stock.