The morning after Toronto’s first snowstorm of 2012, the mercury rose to almost double digits allowing Torontonians to enjoy a brief glimmer of Spring. The morning warmth was a sign that Mother Nature was on High Road’s side as we worked with Mark’s to unveil the Mark’s Spring/Summer 2012 Collection.

Painting Canadians in bright colours, High Road and Mark’s brought the new and vibrant collection to life in an incredible interactive museum.

With mannequins posed on a runway, models housed in elevated glass cases and outfits framed as works of art, more than 50 of Toronto’s most prominent stylists, bloggers, fashion and lifestyle media were privy to Mark’s latest masterpiece.

Two of Mark’s Fashion Marketing Specialists, Kathryn Mohr and Tina Coates, were on hand to deliver an upcoming trends report and highlighted which Spring and Summer trends are incorporated in the collection. Being a brand that balances style with substance, Kathryn and Tina also highlighted a number of smart innovations that will give Canadians more reasons to run to their nearest Mark’s.

Mark’s who? You might ask…

Over the past couple of years Mark’s has dropped the ‘Work Wearhouse’ from its name and begun a series of store renovations across the country. Why the change? Mark’s wants to better represent the variety of fashionable and innovative apparel that the brand offers up to Canadians for everyday living.

To get Canadians talking about the NEW Mark’s, the High Road team hung a clothesline in Calgary, grabbed Mark’s models to walk the runway in Toronto and took media on a behind-the-scenes tour of the newly renovated stores in Calgary.

Mark’s hosted an exclusive event on September 15 in Calgary to celebrate the recent reinventions of all 14 Calgary locations. Held at the flagship store, media were invited for a night of Mark’s festivities, which included a media styling challenge, a specially prepared Mark’s-tini cocktail and a tour of the stores latest innovations. Mark’s executives, including president Paul Wilson and vice-president of operations Wendy Bennison, were also on hand to talk with media about all recent changes at Mark’s and the vision for the brand.

During the event, media experienced several new features of the store including the highly anticipated walk-in freezer where customers can test out the Mark’s cold weather apparel like the T-Max vests. With over 15 media outlets in attendance, the event was a great success and gave Mark’s the opportunity to introduce the new Calgary stores in a fashionable and oh-so-fun way!

In Toronto, Mark’s brightened up Yonge and Dundas square on a cloudy September day by hosting three fashion shows featuring exclusive looks from the new fall/winter collection. Models walked the runway in Mark’s latest Perfect Fit underwear, Denver Hayes Soft lounge wear, yoga wear, business casual and winter looks, while host Lisa Rogers discussed the new innovative features and styles that define Mark’s clothing. Street teams stood at each corner of the square handing out 20 per cent off coupons for Mark’s in celebration of the newly renovated Eaton’s Centre location. The chance to win a $1,000 Mark’s fashion makeover got people stopping at the Mark’s tent and signing up for the contest while winning a free piece of T-Max socks in the process.

From outerwear to underwear the show had it all, and consumers flocked to the newly renovated Eaton’s Centre location to pick up the latest looks from Mark’s.

Finally, Mark’s returned home to Calgary on October 13 to set up a 150-ft. clothesline on Stephen Ave. with 350 pieces of FREE clothing up for grabs. The clothesline boasted a variety of Mark’s innovations including Perfectly Pressed shirts, T-Max vests and DH Soft sweaters for both men and women. Fashion host, BR Pirri was on hand to help Calgarians pull pieces of Mark’s clothing from the line to thank them for their loyalty and support of the Mark’s brand over the last 30 years. Within 35 minutes all of the clothing had been pulled from the line and Calgarians went home happy, with new clothing in hand.

Next up for Mark’s? Mark’s Winter Look book comes out just in time for the holiday season previewing styles for holiday parties, nights by the fireplace and outerwear to brave the Canadian winter. Stay tuned and happy shopping!

For most of us, summer means tending to the grill or lazing by the pool, but for the fashion set, summer signals the start of the oh-so-anticipated Fall season. On Thursday July 7^th High Road invited the who’s who of Canadian fashion media to the chic, members-only Spoke Club to preview Mark’s Fall 2011 collection and try their hand at styling some sexy Mark’s models. 

Journalists and bloggers were treated to an exclusive presentation by Mark’s ladies and menswear specialists on the new Fall looks and the unique innovations behind the clothes. From perfectly pressed shirts that stay crisp right out of the dryer to 100 wash yoga pants that don’t fade or pill, the Fall collection featured Mark’s trademark innovations that customers have come to know and love. Following the presentation, media were whisked away to what we like to call, the ‘Mark’s Styling Challenge’ where they could play dress-up and compete with their peers to design the best look using clothes from the new Fall line.  Going head to head in what felt like Keeping Up With The Kardashians meets Bloodsport, journalists scurried about in a massive oversized walk-in closet, complete with shoes, hats and jewellery, all vying for the same goal: to select the perfect look. After choosing their pieces, male and female Mark’s models strutted their stuff, modelling each selected look. Each look was photographed and mounted onto a large bulletin board for voting. The journalists that received the most votes won the actual outfits, much to the delight of our new ‘Mark’s Styling Challenge’ winners.

Post-event, the praise for Mark’s has been equally impressive, with a number of reporters remarking that the Fall 2011 launch was a great event due to the hands-on, interactive concept. Sample requests from the country’s top fashion journalists are already starting to roll in so keep your eyes peeled for some great coverage.  Mark’s and High Road brought a much-needed Fall breeze to what’s been a sizzling hot summer. And as the fashion world will tell you, it’s never too early to start thinking about your new Fall wardrobe. When you do, consider Mark’s!