The Founders, Presented by Sharp & Glenlivet

It all starts with a vision. A founder is someone who sees things differently, who turns a challenge into an opportunity, and an opportunity into a triumph. Armed with an idea, a goal and the tireless determination to see it through, founders are the people who change the world.

 

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Was there ever a point where you didn’t know what the next step was?

ES: I always think that you can’t plan too far ahead. The challenges come to you whether you want them or not and the next steps are embedded in what you’re doing at the present. I always tell our teams that the opportunities are already here. You don’t need to look elsewhere, you just need to take what we have and make it better. A big part of driving innovation is understanding what you already have.

 

Name: Ethan Song



Occupation: Fashion Retailer, Frank & Oak



Ethan Song co-founded Frank & Oak in Montreal in 2012 with a simple, ambitious vision: create a truly global Canadian fashion brand. A former Deloitte consultant with little direct experience in the fashion world, Song’s approach to selling clothes was as unique as it was game-changing. Through a dynamic and interactive online experience, Frank & Oak sought to create meaningful relationships with its customers, guiding them through their shopping experience with a personal touch. His clothes were simple, stylish and functional — Oxford shirts, crew-neck sweaters and chinos — and the experiment was a resounding success, resulting in a customer list 1.5 million strong and growing. By 2013, Song and his partner Hicham Ratnani were rolling out brick-and-mortar stores in six Canadian cities, complete with lounges, gallery spaces and barbershops. These weren’t just retail spaces: Frank & Oak was creating a comfortable, welcoming atmosphere for men’s retail and men were loving it.



With a majority of Frank & Oak’s orders shipping to the US, and glowing praise from the world’s top fashion press, Song’s vision is becoming reality. Raising the necessary millions in investment capital last year, he is now set to embark upon his company’s next big step: taking Frank & Oak’s revolutionary retail concept to the rest of the world.

What would you want people to know about being a founder?

ES: I don’t think that most people who haven’t started their own businesses realize how difficult it is. In the world we live in today, to create something that’s the best in its category and to attempt to do that requires years of work. If you really want to make this happen, the dedication and commitment on a project or a product has to be 150 per cent.

What have you learned about instilling your passion in the people who work with you?

MN: I’d say that people who traditionally work in fashion typically haven’t been the best fit for our organization, given innovation is a lot about being open to doing things outside the box. When you work with someone that’s a blank slate, who hasn’t really been exposed to some of the traditional practices of how things are done, you can really create some unique ideas in the way you do things.



ES: I tend to agree — I think that specific skills can be learned. The passion that someone has for what they do is the first thing that I look for. If they love it you know that they’re going to dedicate their time and their effort towards it. The second thing is just the hustle. When you’re in a startup or a younger company you have to do things that are beyond the 9 to 5. We don’t want anyone that’s just there to ride along, we want someone that’s actually going to make a difference.

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Knowing what you know now, do you think you’d change anything about the journey you’ve made?

MN: I think if I could go back in time I’d tell myself to enjoy the ride because it goes by pretty quick. Especially in fashion.



ES: I agree — you always say once I get to a certain level then I’ll enjoy myself, or once I get to a certain level I’ll reward myself with a trip or whatever it is, and I think you realize that you would never get anywhere. You’re always progressing and you’re always looking for the next challenge. It speaks to the fact that you have to be in the moment and enjoy the time that you have.

The Founders

Name: Michael Nguyen



Occupation: Tailor, Garrison Bespoke



To Michael Nguyen, a suit is never just a suit. The third generation of his family to earn a living in the textile business, Nguyen founded Garrison Bespoke with the dream of bringing his eye for style and enthusiasm for the power of tailoring to Canadian men. After learning the trade from his seamstress mother, followed by stints with several major Canadian fashion retailers, Nguyen opened his doors in Toronto in 2007. In a city full of Bay Street bankers, lawyers and successful businessmen of every stripe, Nguyen observed a sea of rumpled, ill-fitting grey and navy suits. He knew he had something to offer these men, something that could raise their outward appearance to the level of their worldly success. With a degree of quality, style and attention to detail scarce among his competitors, Nguyen built a loyal following of successful men in search of avant-garde, modern silhouettes, world-class fabrics and impeccable fit.



The appeal of Nguyen’s unique approach is proven by a client roster that includes Toronto Raptors, Blue Jays and TFC players, as well as a host of A-list celebrities from Drake to Ryan Gosling. Through a relentless pursuit of excellence and an outside-the-box vision for menswear, Michael Nguyen has earned a name for himself as a global fashion player.

What would you say your biggest triumph is so far?

Michael Nguyen: I think the thing that I’m most proud of that I’ve brought to Garrison is innovation. Bespoke tailoring is an art and craft that hasn’t had much development in terms of new ways of making a suit, new ways of using fabric, new ways of integrating suiting into different components of your lifestyle. I feel as if I’ve made a dent in that, not only here in Toronto but also within Canada and to a certain degree worldwide. That’s something I’m looking forward to continuing to do over the next 10 years.



Ethan Song: I think that when we started Frank & Oak the idea was to not just rethink the products that our customer could consume but also the experience. I think that Frank & Oak has really innovated in how you get to the product and I think we’ve also made use of technology in a new way that doesn’t feel stiff. Our whole idea was, how do we have technology but make sure that the experience is still human?

What was your biggest challenge to starting your business and how did you overcome it?

MN: First off it’s tailoring. There aren’t many people below 50 who want to work in the bespoke tailoring trade, so finding a competent and engaged tailoring staff was one of the most challenging things. Getting people to believe that there could be a career in fashion and clothing. Historically it’s been something that people go into because they’re artistic and they want to design, but it hasn’t been something that people overall have respected as a trade, or that young people want to do for the rest of their lives.

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