(Buffalo, WY) – A newly added attraction in the northern part of the state is a women’s fashion gallery of 20th century clothing at the historic Occidental Hotel in Buffalo featuring a custom collection of more than 3,000 artifacts collected by Leslie Stratmoen of Riverton. Stratmoen partnered with hotel owner Jackie Stewart to bring in her exhibit, “Flappers to Fringe,” which showcases vintage clothing of the 1920s to 1970s.
The collection, she said, was amassed over her lifetime of performing, collecting and costuming theatrical productions and is showcased in 6 life-sized dioramas.
“Each diorama includes a female mannequin with her steamer trunk as if she’s a fashionable young lady of the day arriving at the hotel, unpacking and dressing for an event. Visitors will see vintage clothing and accessories like hats, shoes, purses and jewelry along with toiletries like makeup, hair and perfume products detailed to each particular decade.”
Stratmoen said she’s staged the exhibit to appeal to all ages while presenting the story of how people, places and events influenced what the women of the 20th century wore, like how the discovery of King Tut’s tomb influenced fashion and how wartime rationing prompted designers to embrace new materials. The story is told through an exhibit booklet which also includes a scavenger hunt and coloring-book illustrations.
The exhibit will be restaged seasonally, she said, with a holiday display going up in November, to include Stratmoen’s collection of vintage fashion dolls, followed by a spring showcase, possibly of wedding dresses, and a summer display of sundresses or swimsuits. Stratmoen will also be coming on board as the curator for the museum and offering a speaker series to include activities and events, as yet to be announced.
Stewart said the new gallery will be one more added attraction at the Occidental, which was just named in March as one of America’s top historic hotels by “True West” magazine, a publication that boasts a worldwide readership of nearly a million consumers.
The hotel was established in 1887 and lists a roster of legendary guests from the early days of the frontier to include Buffalo Bill Cody, Teddy Roosevelt, Calamity Jane and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Scars left by the skirmishes of those early days are bullet holes in the saloon walls and spur scratches on the back stairs. Nowadays, the hotel is known worldwide for its western hospitality and fine food. Visitors these days find historically restored Victorian-style bedrooms, with modern amenities like air-conditioning, cable TV and free internet access, along with a café, bakery and fine dining on site.
The gallery opens June 21 with a gala celebration set for 7 p.m. for which guests are invited to go retro and dress vintage. They’ll be welcomed in the hotel lobby by Stratmoen singing songs made famous by the divas of the decades accompanied by Austen Fowles on piano, both of the Time’s A Wastin’ big band of Riverton. Guests will then promenade into the gallery for a ribbon cutting ceremony, tour of the exhibit and refreshments. Also appearing at the gala will be actress Oakley Boycott of New York City and Lander, Wyo., who is a creative consultant and model for the online exhibit found at flapperstofringevintage.com. The public is welcome. No admission will be charged.
The opening of the new fashion gallery by the Occidental Hotel Museum will make it the only one in the Western states dedicated solely to women’s fashions. Tours will be offered daily. For more information or to make a reservation, call (307) 684-0451. The gallery is made possible in part by support by the Johnson County Tourism Association and Wyoming Humanities.
You can learn more about the exhibit here, and tune in to a recent Coffee Time interview with Stratmoen here.