Marc Fennell

And if it wasn't for a handful of women, a huge chunk of fashion history would have disappeared.

I'm Mark Finnell, and it all starts with a dead woman, a wardrobe, a million dollar gamble, a very public sacking, and no one saw it coming.

So this is Dr. Elizabeth Lundén.

So while Elizabeth grew up in the 80s, soaking up the fashion of shoulder pads and big hair and bold prints, our story today actually goes back about 50 years before that.

So we are now in the 1930s, and there's a woman living in New York City who just adores fashion so much that she started collecting pieces.

And if you were to look inside her wardrobe, you would find a treasure trove.

And we're not just talking about a box tucked away in the back of this woman's wardrobe.

Frankly, even a walk-in wardrobe.

There were 500 pieces in this collection.

This collection belonged to a very serious looking woman.

Very strong eyebrows and wavy dark hair.

And as far as every photo I can see of her, quite pursed lips.

Irene Lewison.

But who exactly was that?

In 1937, she co-founded the Museum of Costume Art to promote fashion as, well, art, something with cultural significance.

The museum sort of bubbles along, and then in 1944, sadly, Irene dies of lung cancer.

And at that point, the collection that she and the Museum of Costume Art have amassed, it's now 8,000 pieces.

And suddenly that collection, and indeed the future of the whole museum, hangs in the balance.

So, first things first.

They have to find somewhere to store all these pieces.