Joseph Mimran (born 2 December 1952) is a Canadian fashion designer and entrepreneur, best known for founding the Club Monaco and Joe Fresh brands.
[3] In 1976, Mimran's brother Saul purchased a small factory in the heart of Toronto's garment district to expand the family-run dressmaking business so they could produce Esther's designs on a larger scale.
Mimran had quickly realized that there was a new demand for tailored work wear for women, and catching on to the right trend at the right time led to the company's success.
In the early ‘90s the Alfred Sung name was licensed to Etac and they introduced several new product lines including fragrance, eyewear, jewellery, homeware, bridal wear and menswear.
After Etac filed for bankruptcy, the line faltered for a few years (though kept a strong foothold in the fragrance marketplace) before being revived along with Moon, in collaboration with The Bay in the mid-00s.
When The Bay and Eaton's department stores both passed on the collection, partly because they did not understand the minimal, unisex design, Mimran decided to open his own shop.
[5] The brand cut back its growth for a short period during the recession in the 1990s and focused its colour palette to neutrals including black and white.
In 2006, he collaborated with friend Paul Sinclaire (formally of Club Monaco and Vogue) on a clothing collection called Tevrow + Chase.
[citation needed] In 2004, Mimran was approached to develop a private-label apparel line to sell in Loblaw Companies superstores and supermarkets across Canada.
[6] Brand extensions were quickly added including kids apparel, intimates and sleepwear in 2007, swimwear and sunglasses in 2008, cosmetics and bath in 2009, and nail polish in 2010.
The brand also embarked on some special projects including designing the ushers outfits for the opening and closing ceremonies of the Vancouver Olympics, an apparel partnership with Barbie and re-designing the Scouts Canada uniforms.
[8] In 2019, Joe created and launched gry mattr[9] with Staples Canada, a collection of home and office accessories that live at the intersection of work and life.
The inaugural gry mattr collection includes blue light glasses and eyewear, office organizers, technology and iPhone accessories, drinkware, stationery, décor.