Origin Story
2009 - 2014
Mark is a Manila-born creative and stylist based in Toronto–Mississauga. His connection to fashion began early in the Philippines, where style served as both expression and identity.
After moving to Canada, his first job at West 49, a Canadian-based skate shop, introduced him to the world of retail and youth culture, giving him an early understanding of how trends, culture, and commerce intertwine. He later transitioned to Broadway Fashion, a Toronto staple known for carrying early streetwear and promoting local music events across the city. Thanks to Jamal Rahim, this experience allowed him to gain deeper insight into styling, merchandising, and the rhythm of fashion’s connection to culture.
Knowing he wanted to be in the fashion industry, Mark also took on a co-op placement at a salon while still in high school — pursuing hairstyling to understand beauty and personal style from a different perspective. For him, fashion and beauty were two sides of the same creative language.
Born in June 1991, a 17-year-old Mark began teaching himself graphic design and sewing, launching his first fashion brand in 2009. What started as a creative outlet quickly became a way 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 same boutique where he had once worked.
By 2011, feeling grateful for his hometown of Mississauga but drawn toward new opportunities, Mark began commuting with his designs to Toronto’s Fashion District — Queen Street West. There, he discovered Proper Reserve, a boutique carrying curated brands he had only seen online, ones that felt aligned with his vision. That day, he met Rah Nurse, who introduced him to William Nguyen and Jebril Jalloh. The three welcomed him and his brand into Proper Reserve, which later evolved into Get Fresh Co., marking Mark’s entry into Toronto’s fashion industry.
Around the same time, one of his standout designs — a black snakeskin five-panel cap with a red leather under-brim and gold hardware inspired by Louboutins — caught attention online, earning a feature on Complex Magazine (recognized through its Four Pins extension). The moment brought early recognition to his design sensibility and helped establish his presence. Soon after, he secured a second boutique placement at Brimz on Queen West, now located in Kensington Market, expanding his reach and solidifying his role within Toronto’s emerging creative culture.
Despite standing at 5’8”, Mark was invited by designer David Kollar to model in an editorial and walk the runway in Toronto for his first fashion show. Experiencing the industry from both a designer’s and model’s perspective gave him a new appreciation for storytelling through fashion.
Not long after, he received an unexpected call from William Nguyen: Manny Dion of CP Records (now known as Salxco) wanted to connect to get Mark’s brand to The Weeknd and other artists. Before long, Mark found himself inside the CP Records building, staring at The Weeknd’s framed album on the wall — a surreal moment marking his entry into the space where fashion and music meet. Through that connection, his designs were featured on Danny Fernandes in an artist editorial, and although his pieces didn’t reach The Weeknd directly, the opportunity led to a meeting with Belly at the studio, who later wore the brand after connecting over creative direction and design.
In 2012, inspired by luxury labels and boutique culture, Mark envisioned his own brand displayed alongside top-tier names. This led him to Yorkville, Toronto’s destination for high-end fashion, where he met Christopher Casuga and secured a third retail account with CNTRBND — a boutique known for carrying globally curated luxury menswear.
A year later, in 2013, Mark was introduced to house music and met DVBBS, who became strong supporters of his brand. They began showcasing his designs during performances, leading him to create custom one-of-one pieces for their festival sets. As the relationship grew, DVBBS collaborated with him on exclusive tour merchandise for their three-day hometown show in Toronto, following their rapid global rise in electronic music.
By 2014, after years of steady growth and creative momentum, everything seemed to be moving in the right direction — his pieces were consistently selling out in stores, and his work was gaining some recognition within the community. Still, despite how well things were going, Mark began to feel a growing sense of disconnect. The name he had created in high school no longer reflected who he was becoming.
Recognizing that growth sometimes means taking a step back, he made the difficult decision to take a break and reflect. He realized that if he wanted to continue in fashion, he needed something timeless — a new foundation he could truly align with and invest himself in. With that clarity, he stepped away to rediscover his purpose, setting the stage for what would eventually become Volaré — a brand born from reflection, symbolizing flight, renewal, movement, freedom, and the continuous drive to evolve.