Harry ROSEN

HARRY ROSEN December 24, 2023 It is with great sadness that we announce the passing at age 92 of Harry Rosen, retailer extraordinaire and founder of the Harry Rosen chain of menswear stores. Harry leaves to mourn his beloved wife and devoted partner of 68 years, Evelyn; his children, Larry (Susan Jackson), Andrea (Rolf Struthers), Wayne (Laurie Lemieux) and Racheal McCaig; together with his grandchildren, Daniel (Anna), Ian (Kate) Graham (Jordana), Ben, Molly, Fergus, Sam, Tobias, Naomi; and 6 great-grandchildren. He will also be sadly missed by his brother, Lou (Sharon); brother-in-law, Ken Zelin; and numerous nieces and nephews. Harry was predeceased by his sister, Marion Landon; and brother-in-law, Sam Zelin. Harry was born and raised in Toronto. After high school, he joined a small menswear haberdashery on Bloor Street that would ignite his passion for menswear and customer service. In 1954, he borrowed $500 from a family member and, along with his brother Lou, they opened a menswear store on February 4th on Parliament Street in Toronto Cabbagetown. With limited inventory, they filled the shelves with empty boxes and bolts of fabric on loan from a supplier and began creating Made-to-Measure clothing for men. Harry set himself apart from the pack with an unmatched focus on customer care, keeping client information organized with detailed notes on preferences and aspects of their lives which might be relevant to building trust. In 1957, Harry took a trip to New York City where he experienced a new type of menswear look. He loved the natural shouldered suits worn by the advertising men on Madison Avenue. He brought a sample back to his partners at Coppley Apparel, a Canadian clothing manufacturer and had them interpret it. Harry called this the 'Cambridge Look,' which was quickly sought out by younger executives in Toronto. The business began to take off. In 1961, Harry would take another huge risk, moving his store to a much larger location on Richmond Street, to serve the denizens of Bay Street. This risk paid off enormously. The name Harry Rosen became synonymous with quality menswear in Toronto. In 1962, Harry started his famous advertising campaign 'Ask Harry,' which established him as Canada's premier expert in sartorial matters. This campaign remains central to Harry Rosen's business to this day. 'Ask Harry' would answer common conundrums men would ask, such as 'how long should my trousers be?' or 'how much shirt sleeve should I show below the cuff of a suit?' Harry's visionary approach helped cement Harry Rosen among the world's top quality menswear retailers. Harry was the first to bring luxury Italian designers such as Ermenegildo Zegna and Giorgio Armani into Canada. He also introduced to Canadian men fashion labels such as Hugo Boss and Ralph Lauren. His focus on delivering for each customer never wavered. This passion continues to inspire his business associates to this day. The foundations Harry built have endured. He personally trained his eldest son Larry, who joined the business in 1986. The company now includes a third generation, with grandsons Ian and Graham working in leadership roles. While the business legend of Harry Rosen is well-known, Harry also had a rich life outside his work. Along with being a devoted husband and father, he had a number of avid interests. Fitness was central to his life and it led to participating in several marathons. His love of music lead to studying banjo and mandolin. He was passionate about learning in all things, read history copiously, belonged to a philosophy club, and loved travelling the world with Evelyn. Harry also believed in giving back to his community and contributed to many charitable and worthy causes, including the University Health Network, Canadian Paraplegic Association, Corporate Fund for Breast Cancer, Cancer Care Fund, Mt. Sinai hospital, Toronto Metropolitan University, Western University, The United Way, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and many others. Harry was the proud recipient of the Order of Canada in 2004. The Snowflake pin adorned his lapel almost every day for the past 19 years. The family are very grateful to Harry's dedicated caregiving team, Lydia, Arlyn and especially Wendy Gayle. Donations to Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) or the Baycrest Foundation in Harry's memory would be greatly appreciated by the family. For funeral information please see: www.benjamins.ca.