MARK IS A MANILA BORN CREATIVE AND STYLIST BASED IN TORONTO - MISSISSAUGA.
Mark HAS BEEN drawn to fashion since his early years in the philippines. his first job in canada was at west 49 in square one, where he was first introduced to retail experience giving him an early understanding of the industry. after some time, he transitioned to working at broadway - a shop that carried more fashion-forward brands allowing him to gain deeper insight into styling and merchandising.
knowing he wanted to be in the fashion industry, while in high school, he also took on a co-op position in a salon to work towards a career to become a stylist in the beauty industry. he believed that understanding styling in both fashion and beauty would only benefit his future in fashion.
with no clear path in mind, born june of '91, the 17 year old mark began teaching himself graphic design and started sewing as he launched his first fashion brand in 2009 using it as a creative outlet to practice, to explore ideas and inspirations while unknowingly building the patience and resilience needed for a career in creative entrepreneurship.
shortly after opening his first online store, his brand, " live in the 'limelight' ", was picked up by broadway, the retailer where he worked previously.
while grateful for his hometown of mississauga, by 2011, he sought new opportunities in toronto's fashion district and commuted with his designs towards queen street west.
in toronto, he discovered proper reserve - a boutique that carried brands he had never seen in person before - ones that simply felt right. that day, he met rah nurse and introduced mark to william nguyen and jebril jalloh, who welcomed him and his brand into the boutique. with proper reserve - now known as get fresh co. - serving as his entry point into the city, mark secured a second boutique at brimz on queen west.
during this time, one of his memorable designs, a black snakeskin five-panel cap with a red leather under-brim and gold hardware inspired by louboutins, naturally gained recognition from online blogs and was featured by complex magazine.
despite being 5'8", mark was invited by david kollar to BE A model for an editorial and to walk the runway in toronto for kollar - now known as bydavidkollar - for its first fashion show - which gave him a unique perspective on the fashion industry experiencing it from both a designer's and model's standpoint.
soon after, mark received an unexpected call - will informed mark that manny dion of cp records, now known as salxco - wanted to connect to get the brand to the weeknd and other artists. before he knew it, he found himself inside the cp records building, staring at the weeknd's framed album on the wall - which marks the beginning of his journey into the music and fashion crossover space.
THROUGH THE CONNECTION, his brand Was SEEN ON DANNY FERNANDES IN AN ARTIST EDITORIAL, and although the brand never got to the weeknd, THIS OPENED UP AN OPPORTUNITY FOR MARK TO MEET BELLY PERSONALLY IN THEir RECORDING STUDIO WHERE THEY CONNECTED AND DISCUSSED HIS DESIGNS.
IN 2012, MARK ENVISIONED HIS OWN BRAND IN A BOUTIQUE ALONGSIDE TOP-TIER BRANDS AS HE WAS INSPIRED BY LUXURY LABELS. THIS VISION LED HIM TO YORKVILLE - A DESTINATION IN TORONTO KNOWN FOR ITS HIGH-END BOUTIQUES, WHERE HE MET CHRISTOPHER CASUGA AND SECURED A THIRD ACCOUNT IN CNTRBND - A MENSWEAR BOUTIQUE THAT CARRIES CURATED LUXURY BRANDS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD.
mark was introduced to house music in 2013 and met dvbbs, who quickly became supporters of his brand. they showcased his brand through their dj sets, leading him to create bespoke 1-of-1 pieces for their festival performances. as the connection grew, DVBBS collaborated with mark on tour merchandise for their three-day hometown show in toronto, following their global rise in the electronic music industry.
in 2014, mark took a moment to reflect on his personal journey the past couple of years. he realized that the name he had created in high school didn't resonate with him anymore. understanding that if he wanted to continue pursuing the industry, he needed something more timeless - a foundation he could fully commit to - something he could truly invest in. with this clarity, he took a step back to be able to realign his path.