{"id":5440,"date":"2022-03-27T00:17:56","date_gmt":"2022-03-27T04:17:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blackfashioncanada.ca\/database\/?post_type=cpt_portfolio&p=5440"},"modified":"2026-04-08T22:05:46","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T02:05:46","slug":"thomas-drayton","status":"publish","type":"cpt_portfolio","link":"https:\/\/blackfashioncanada.ca\/database\/profiles\/thomas-drayton\/","title":{"rendered":"Thomas Drayton"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t

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Highlights<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Born in Virginia in 1943, Drayton moved to California then Canada, working as sculptor, children's poet, business owner, and police K-9 trainer before entering vintage fashion.<\/li>\r\n \t
Following his sister Leona's pioneering Queen Street vintage store Mood Indigo, he opened From Here to Eternity in The Beaches, later launching Cabaret Vintage on Queen West in 1996 after years away from fashion.<\/li>\r\n \t
His store became a celebrity hotspot attracting Andr\u00e9 3000, Brooke Shields, and Dita Von Teese with carefully-curated pieces from the '20s through '70s, including their signature Cabaret Collection.<\/li>\r\n \t
When he passed from cancer in 2007, over 400 people attended his Queen Street memorial, celebrating the beloved entrepreneur's 20-year impact on Toronto's fashion community.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul><\/span><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Cabaret Vintage was \u201ca high fashion vintage clothing store and vintage-inspired bridal boutique\u201c. owned by Thomas Drayton, whose warm and welcoming personality drew people from everywhere to his shop, where they knew they could always find the best vintage pieces.<\/p>
Drayton\u2019s children, daughter J\u2019bai Deschamps and son Tao Drayton, proudly describe how Cabaret Vintage, owned by their father, was known for its incredible selection and carefully-chosen vintage pieces from the ’20s through the ’70s. There were dazzling beaded \u201820s flapper reproductions, stunning long evening gowns and their own \u2018Cabaret Collection,\u2019 a distinctive dress collection focused on the quality, uniqueness and detail inherent in the fashion of the \u201840s, \u201850s and \u201860s.<\/p>
He was passionate about vintage clothing and spent hours scouring stores looking for one-of-a-kind pieces to add to his collection. Deschamps remembers driving, with her mother and father, to small towns and places with Woolworths and independent businesses that kept inventory in their forgotten and mothballed back room. “Mom and dad would buy 5,000 pairs of shoes from 1950,” she remembers. “Dad\u2019s eye for style was unparalleled. He had a knack for finding hidden gems others might have overlooked,\u201d says Deschamps.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Thomas Drayton & Dita Von Teese (Photo courtesy of Tao Drayton and J\u2019bai Deschamps)<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Thomas Drayton & Andre 3000 (Photo courtesy of Tao Drayton and J\u2019bai Deschamps)<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Early Life and Career<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Drayton, the youngest of four children, was born Sept. 23, 1943 and raised by a single mother who, Deschamps says, \u201chad an eye for vintage.” She explains that Drayton wore an eyepatch and had difficulty reading, which affected his ability to attend high school and university.<\/p>
A Black American, Drayton was born in Alexandria, Virginia, but moved to California at a young age. \u201cMy mother was his second wife, and they divorced in 1992,” explains Deschamps. “They initially met in Europe, lived briefly in the United States and then settled near Toronto to raise a family,\u201d says Deschamps. \u201cDrayton wore several hats during his lifetime including\u00a0 sculptor, poetry for children, business owner and police K-9 trainer,\u201d she recalls.<\/p>
Tao Drayton, Drayton\u2019s son and former Cabaret Vintage Manager, reveals the store was like a stage for his father.\u00a0 In fact \u2018Life is a Cabaret\u2019 is what inspired the name Cabaret. \u201cMy dad was the master of ceremonies, making everyone laugh,\u201d Tao recalls. Rhonda Riche, the Toronto-based writer, client, neighbour and friend of Thomas Drayton\u2019s tells us, \u201che\u2019d always stop to chat and compliment me on my outfit.\u201d<\/p>
Sadly, Drayton passed away on October 24, 2007, after a brief battle with cancer.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Dad\u2019s eye for style was unparalleled. He had a knack for finding hidden gems others might have overlooked.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Thomas Drayton & Annabella Sciorra (Photo courtesy of Tao Drayton and J\u2019bai Deschamps)<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Breaking Barriers<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Drayton opened his first store, From Here to Eternity, in The Beaches on Queen Street after his sister, Leona Drayton, opened the first vintage store on Queen Street in the late 1970s. \u201cMy aunt had Mood Indigo, the first vintage clothing store on Queen Street, and then my Dad \u00a0opened his first store further east in The Beaches on Queen Street,\u201d says Tao.<\/p>
After opening, selling and closing several other stores, including branches in Collingwood and Barrie, Drayton left the fashion business for some years. He returned to open Cabaret Vintage on Queen Street West in downtown Toronto on February 11, 1996.<\/p>
Drayton\u2019s establishment was a hot spot for people who wanted to buy high-quality vintage clothing and those who just wanted to be there. \u201cWhen Andr\u00e9 3000 came in for an interview, he wanted to stay there the whole day, and there were so many different situations like that,\u201d recalls Tao. Other famous people stopped by Cabaret Vintage, including Brooke Shields, Dita Von Teese and Annabella Sciorra.\u00a0<\/p>
\u201cWhen the store opened on Queen West in 1996, the community was accepting of the Black and multiracial communities,\u201d says Tao. \u201cFor one thing, my dad had so much experience with racism, he moved from the U.S. to Canada because it was a better environment for a Black man,\u201d he adds. \u201cI would say Toronto and Queen Street were beautiful and wonderfully receptive to the store.\u201d<\/p>
Deschamps thinks her father \u201cconnected with American tourists who came to the shop and recognized him as a kindred spirit, different than Caribbean Black culture which was more predominant in Toronto then,\u201d she explains.<\/p>
Cabaret Vintage eventually closed its doors on January 31, 2016 after 20 years on Queen Street West and nearly a decade after Drayton\u2019s passing. The store\u2019s Facebook page announced in a post <\/a>at the end of 2015 that it would be closing its doors to the general public.\u00a0<\/p>
\u201cIt was great to be a part of it all,\u201d Tao reminisces, \u201cbut our lease ran out and it was getting much more expensive to be on Queen Street, so it was just the right time to close,” he concludes.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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For one thing, my dad had so much experience with racism, he moved from the U.S. to Canada because it was a better environment for a Black man.<\/p>
I would say Toronto and Queen Street were beautiful and wonderfully receptive to the store.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Thomas Drayton with Brooke Shields (Photo courtesy of Tao Drayton and J\u2019bai Deschamps)<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Drayton always had a smile and was loved by those who knew him. He took the time to help his customers find what they were looking for and he was admired for his knowledge of vintage pieces.\u00a0<\/p>
Even outside of his store, Drayton was loved by his community. His children say he was known for his friendliness and selflessness. He was a fixture in the neighbourhood and was always willing to lend a helping hand. His funeral was a testament to his impact on those around him as over 400 people gathered to pay their respects and celebrate his life.<\/p>
\u201cFour hundred people came to my dad\u2019s memorial,\u201d Tao remembers, \u201cfrom the area, from knowing him for so many years and because of the big impact he made.\u201d In fact the memorial was held on Queen Street West at The Great Hall, because Drayton was so well known in that area.<\/p>
Drayton\u2019s influence and legacy lived on through Cabaret Vintage, which continued to be a popular destination for those seeking unique and stylish clothing until its closing. He will always be remembered as a kind and generous man who touched the lives of everyone he met.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Over the years Prof. Gooden has built a multi-media career as an editor, writer, presenter, public relations consultant and special event manager, spokesperson, host, and educator. She...<\/p>\n Read More<\/a><\/div><\/div>\n <\/div>
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Over the years Prof. Gooden has built a multi-media career as an editor, writer, presenter, public relations consultant and special event manager, spokesperson, host, and educator. She...<\/p>\n Read More<\/a><\/div><\/div>\n <\/div>
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Over the years Prof. Gooden has built a multi-media career as an editor, writer, presenter, public relations consultant and special event manager, spokesperson, host, and educator. She...<\/p>\n Read More<\/a><\/div><\/div>\n <\/div>
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