Mr. Flemming

Flemming Sorenson first arrived in Montreal in 1957, having previously worked in Paris and London as well as his native Denmark, where his father was a shoe manufacturer. In 1962, with a retail partner, he opened the Salon St Victor-Flemming in a residence at 1194 Sherbrooke Street West. The shop sold European imports as well as Canadian fashion. In Flemming’s second floor workshop, clients could buy hats to match their garments. By 1967, Mr. Flemming’s business had picked up and he created hats for Mrs. Lester B. Pearson, Mrs. Jean Drapeau, and Mrs. Daniel Johnson for official Expo 67 events. He also made uniform hats for the hostesses at the Canada and Indians of Canada pavilions. Shortly thereafter, he launched a wholesale line, a boutique collection manufactured by Kates Millinery. Flemming Inc. was officially established in 1968 with two other partners. By 1971, he appears to have moved to Toronto still in the employ of Kates.