The second annual Antique Corset Exhibition takes place on May 27, and this year, Lace Embrace Atelier owner and designer Melanie Talkington has taken a decidedly French theme. The event, which takes place at Hycroft Mansion (1489 McRae Avenue), features a VIP luncheon, fashion show, and exhibit that includes antique French corsets rarely on display.

“Our event gives people an opportunity to see a woman’s most intimate apparel, the corset, and how it created the form of the fashionable woman’s figure.” Talkington said in a news release.

The exhibition will feature Parisian corsets from the 1840s to 1920s, with stories of the women who wore them. Live models will also be showcasing Talkington’s contemporary designs, which blend history with modern-day style. Meanwhile, attendees are encouraged to dress in La Belle Époque era costume, corsets, garden partywear, or anything frivolous and fun.

VIP tickets ($100) give attendees access to the luncheon and exclusive fashion show held at Hycroft from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. General admission tickets priced between $20 and $25 give attendees access to the exhibition, silent auction, and the pinup-style photo booth from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. The silent auction includes items from Bueno Style, Cocoa Nymph Chocolates, creampuff by gg, Sonja’s Soaps, and Picnik Fashions.

Tickets can be purchased at Lace Embrace Atelier (219 East 16th Avenue) or online. Funds raised from ticket sales and the silent auction will go towards supporting the world’s first corset museum, to be located in Vancouver.

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