Founded in 2004 by Jonathan Walford and Kenn Norman, the Fashion History Museum became a federally incorporated not-for-profit registered charity in 2009. The collection consists of over 10,000 artifacts dating primarily from the late 18th century to the present but also includes earlier pieces, from examples of ancient textiles and archeological jewellery to a shoe reputedly worn in New Amsterdam (New York) in c. 1660. The museum considered several locations across Canada, from Niagara Falls to Victoria B.C. before a pilot site in 2013 confirmed Cambridge, Ontario as the best fit to locate. Historically, the region was a textile and clothing manufacturing centre; today Cambridge flanks the highway 401 corridor and is at the centre of a large population base. The museum quietly opened the doors at its present location, the old post office in the former town of Hespeler (now north Cambridge), in June 2015. The official launch was held March 10, 2016.