Supporters of fashion and fine arts gather in Toronto and Montreal

The Royal Ontario Museum presents Christian Dior, Toronto

"The Royal Ontario Museum's textiles and costume collection is the world's third-largest," said Josh Basseches, the museum's director and chief executive, on Nov. 22 at a black-tie bash to celebrate Christian Dior, a new exhibition presented by Holt Renfrew. It traces the couturier's first decade in fashion and features glorious and seldom-seen gowns from the wardrobes of swish Canadian social doyennes.

The evening welcomed a cast of notables and supporters of fashion and the arts. It kicked off with a light cocktail hour under a Futalognkosaurus, followed by dinner in Samuel Hall Currelly Gallery, where tables laden with blush roses and candles. Speeches were made by Susan Horvath, head of the ROM Governors, Basseches, and the exhibition's curator, Dr. Alexandra Palmer, a renowned historian of the fabled French house. The night ended with guests heading up for an after-hours preview of the splendid show, which runs through March, 2018.

The 57th Museum Ball in support of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Montreal

It was an adventure to the Wild West for the nearly 1,000 culture-minded big givers who recently attended one of Montreal's most lavish and important annual affairs, which raises funds for the cities beloved institution, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. The soirée on Nov. 4 was inspired by the current exhibition Once Upon a Time… The Western: a New Frontier in Art and Film, and many happily came dressed to theme – yours truly even had dinner in an inventive room that resembled a railway car making its way across the dusty west.

After dinner, without pause, big givers and members the Young Philanthropists Circle convened on the dance floor and partied well into the night. Together they raised a record $1.4-million, funds that for the non-profit organization, which is not a government-run museum, will help to support acquisitions, upcoming exhibitions and the development of forward-thinking educational programmes.