Harry Rosen
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Harry Rosen OC (born 1932) is the Founder and Executive Chairman of the Canadian high-end men's wear store, which bears his name.
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[edit] Early Life
Born and raised in Toronto, Rosen worked summers with his father' scrap metal business in Callander, Ontario. As a teenager he found a job at a tailoring factory for men's clothes. There he learned about the making of clothing and, more importantly, about men's shopping habits.
After dropping out of high school he decided to open a men’s clothing store.
[edit] Career
With help from a family friend and connections in the cloth manufacturing business, he was able to open Harry Rosen Inc., on Feb. 4, 1954 in Cabbagetown, with his brother Lou.
In 1961, the store moved locations in Toronto’s downtown core on Richmond Street. That year Stann Burkhoff, an advertising executive, came in to shop. Rosen and Burkhoff became friends and Burkhoff arranged to do some ads for the store in exchange for two suits- one suit for him and one to his art director. Together, they developed the 'Ask Harry' campaign. These ads ran in Canada’s national newspaper, The Globe and Mail. It was so successful that people from across the country began coming to Harry Rosen.
[edit] Personal Life
Rosen has been married to his wife, Evelyn, for over 50 years. They have 4 children and 7 grandchildren. His eldest son, Larry Rosen, is the Chairman and CEO of Harry Rosen Inc.
[edit] Philanthropy
Rosen has been active in the Canadian Paraplegic Association, Corporate Fund for Breast Cancer, Cancer Care Fund, Mt. Sinai Friends for Life Campaign, George Brown Board of Governors, University of Western Ontario Board of Governors, Design Exchange and the United Jewish Appeal. He served a three year term as Campaign Chairman for the Canadian Cancer Society, Metropolitan Toronto.
In 2004, he served on the Mt. Sinai Board of Governors, Ryerson B.Com program in retailing advisory board and on the Cabinet of Major Individual Gifts for the United Way.
[edit] Awards
- 1987, Named Retail Marketer of the Year by the Retail Council of Canada
- 2001, Awarded Retail Council of Canada's Lifetime Achievement Award
- 2003, Honoured with an Honourary Doctorate in Commerce from Ryerson University
- 2004, Made a Member of the Order of Canada.
- 2005, Awarded the Pitti Immagine Uomo Award from the Italian fashion community
[edit] Trivia
- He once posed for a photographer wearing nothing but a tie.
- Upon spelling the name of Winnipeg wrong after opening the city's first store there, Rosen later took out an ad in the Winnipeg Free Press saying "I will not spell Winnipegger as "Winnippegger".
- When the original main store was burned down, Rosen took out an ad which was almost mistaken for an Obituary.
- Has a long history of advertising in The Globe and Mail. One memorable ad features Rosen having just locked up his store for the evening, when he notices one of his window mannequins reading the Globe and Mail; Rosen is also carrying a copy in his arm while there is also one of the newspaper's vending boxes in the background of the street.
