Fonds
John Warden was born December 28, 1939, in Niagara Falls, Ontario. Having graduated from New York's Parsons School of Design in 1963, he then moved to Montreal, where he worked with manufacturer Auckie Sanft from 1964 to 1966 and produced a pilot collection for Le Château. In 1965, the young designer married model Lise Gibeau, whom he divorced in 1973. The Wardens had one son, Mark Steven.
In 1966, John Warden opened his first boutique, located on Crescent Street. His label was known for a modern, refined style and colour palette in shades of black, cream and white, as well as colourful cutting-edge designs. His young, bold style quickly earned him recognition from both the public and peers, along with the nickname the "Enfant terrible de la mode." In 1968, he opened a men's clothing boutique on Bishop Street. Warden's haute couture and ready-to-wear collections, accessories and other products appealed to a wide variety of clients and many celebrities.
In 1980, Warden opened a new women's ready-to-wear boutique on Crescent Street, where he remained until he moved to the Caribbean in 1991. A resident of St. Kitts, the designer continued his activities with his new "Island to Island" label until 2007.
In addition to producing his own clothing lines, John Warden created collections for a number of manufacturers both inside and outside Canada, such as Bagatelle, Baron Leather, Beverini, Bozart, Dupont, Hanna, Hudson Cloak, Molyclaire and Tanjim. Warden was extremely versatile, notably creating uniforms for two major Montreal events, Expo 67 and the 1976 Olympic Games, as well as for Expo 86 in Vancouver. His work was recognized with numerous prestigious awards.
John Warden died on June 29, 2007, several months after having presented his last "Island to Island" collection.
Scope and Content
This fonds chronicles the work of a leading Canadian designer whose impact on the fashion industry was particularly evident during the 1960s. The fonds focusses primarily on John Warden's professional activities as a designer, but also looks at his work as a businessman and director of several firms.
The documents illustrate the clothing lines Warden designed for his boutiques and some fifty manufacturers, as well as special orders created for clients like Dominique Michel, Louise Marleau and Ginette Gadoury. Several of Warden's one-off designs are documented, such as those created for major Montreal events like Expo 67 and the Olympics, and well-known companies like Air Canada and Bell Canada. The fonds also documents the designer's involvement in fashion juries and associations.
The fonds is primarily made up of drawings done by Warden while designing his various collections, along with fabric samples and fashion photographs. Several promotional and administrative documents also illustrate his professional activities. Warden's correspondence documents his relationships with various associates and media representatives.
Press clippings chronicle the designer's career, while cards, a guest book and commemorative plaques illustrate the recognition he received. In addition, the fonds contains personal documents like letters, drawings and watercolours, and notarial acts.
The Photographs series of the John Warden Fonds is composed primarily of professional photographs from the period 1964 to 2007. They illustrate the seasonal collections produced for the various John Warden clothing lines and other manufacturers, along with fashion shows. There are also portraits of John Warden and portfolios of models. Some of the prints identify the photographer on the back. Most of the photographs dating from the 1990s onwards are colour snapshots illustrating the collections of the "Island to Island" label. The collection of photographs also contains personal photographs.
Classification Scheme
P741 John
Warden
P741/A Personal Activities
P741/B Professional Activities
P741B1 John Warden
lines
P741/B1.1
John Warden Boutique (ready-to-wear)
P741/B1.1,1 Regular collections
P741/B1.1,2
Special collections and uncertain attributions
P741/B1.1,3
Promotion and publicity
P741/B1.1,4
Special orders
P741/B1.1,5
Media Coverage
P741/B1.2
John Warden private collection (haute couture)
P741/B1.3
Island to Island
P741/B1.4
John Warden International
P741/B2 Collections
for manufacturers
P741/B2,1
1234 Fashions (Greece)
P741/B2,2
Alvin Duskin
P741/B2,3 Auckie Sanft
P741/B2,4
Bagatelle
P741/B2,5
Barakett
P741/B2,6
Baron Leather
P741/B2,7
Better Sportswear
P741/B2,8
Beverini
P741/B2,9
Bieten (Greece)
P741/B2,10
Bozart
P741/B2,11
Canadian Children wear Ltd.
P741/B2,12
Carelle
P741/B2,13
Carelle/White Sister-
P741/B2,14
Carlyle
P741/B2,15
Celanese
P741/B2,16
Chicard
P741/B2,17
Chrissalis
P741/B2,18
Cordovan Leather
P741/B2,19
Croydon
P741/B2,20
Curious George
P741/B2,21
Daisy Fresh
P741/B2,22
Dupont
P741/B2,23
Gala Formal Fashions
P741/B2,24
Hanna
P741/B2,25
Harris Knits
P741/B2,26
Helen DeLuca
P741/B2,27
Hudson Cloak
P741/B2,28
I. Miller
P741/B2,29
Indiana
P741/B2,30
Knit Syndrome
P741/B2,31
Le Château
P741/B2,32
Liberty jeans
P741/B2,33
Lovable
P741/B2,34
McComber
P741/B2,35
Mirage
P741/B2,36 Molyclaire
P741/B2,37
Molyclaire/Dupont
P741/B2,38
Montroy
P741/B2,39
North Beach Leather
P741/B2,40
Olamode
P741/B2,41
Pedigree
P741/B2,42
Penmans
P741/B2,43
Pierre Marquez/Tricots Dubonnet
P741/B2,44
Portknit
P741/B2,45
Selecta
P741/B2,46
Sharon
P741/B2,47
Shirley K
P741/B2,48
Spatz
P741/B2,49
Tanjim
P741/B2,50
The Bay (Blanket Coats)
P741/B2,51
Thrift Furs Inc.
P741/B2,52
Tsitsopoulos
P741/B2,53
White Sister
P741/B2,54
Uncertain attributions
P741/B3 One-off
creations, collaborations and events
P741/B4
Professional involvement
P741/B5 Awards and
honours
P741/B6 General
administration
P741/C Photographs
Supplied title proper: Title based on the creator of the fonds.
Physical description: The drawings are considered both textual and iconographic records, which is why their extent has been calculated in centimetres. They are often accompanied by fabric samples that have been glued, stapled or pinned on; some samples are simply inserted into the folders. The fonds also contains over 5,100 photographs.
Physical condition: Many sketches have been folded, creased or glued onto cardboard. Several documents show traces of sticky tape or corroded metal fasteners. Many of the newspaper clippings are fragile and show signs of deterioration.
Immediate source of acquisition: The fonds was donated by Marc Warden, the only son of John Warden, in two separate donations, one in 2009 and one in 2010.
Language: The documents are primarily in English, but some texts are in French, Italian, Spanish or German.
Restrictions on access: The file "P741/A1,3 Illness and death" may not be accessed until 2037.
Associated material: Archives of the École supérieure de mode de Montréal, ESG, UQAM: Fonds Montréal Mode
Related groups of records: The McCord Museum collects the archives of numerous fashion designers: Jean-Claude Poitras Fonds (P689), Betty Guernsey (Gaby Bernier) Fonds (P349), Lawrence Sperber Fonds (P753), Jacques De Montjoye Fonds (P768), Claude Gagnon Fonds (P765), Marie-Paule Nolin Collection (C726), Jane Harris Fonds (P563), Edith Strauss Fonds (P584), France Davies Fonds (P703), and Rita Simard Fonds (P749).
General note: Other sketches and photographs are preserved in the McCord Museum's Notman Photographic Archives and its Paintings, Prints and Drawings collection. The museum also preserves clothing designed by John Warden in its Costume and Textiles collection.
Last update: August 30, 2017
Information about the objects in our collection is updated to reflect new research findings. If you have any information to share regarding this object, please email reference.mccord@mccord-stewart.ca.Information about rights and reproductions is available here.
This project is made possible thanks to the generous support of the Azrieli Foundation and Canadian Heritage.