Club Monaco has an interesting lineage. Joe and Saul Mimran were brothers who operated in the Toronto garment industry in the late 70s. They launched a young Chinese designer, Alfred Sung, whose designs were quite popular with working women in the 80s.
In the mid-eighties, Joe Mimran and Alfred Sung launched a new store that would focus on minimalist basics like the perfect white shirt or pair of black pants; they named the store Club Monaco. The store was rather radical for its time since almost all of the clothes were in neutral shades of black, bone, white, and grey. Club Monaco grew until it operated stores in Canada, USA, Japan, and South Korea. It was purchased by Polo Ralph Lauren who operates the stores as a separate entity today.
Kimberley Newport-Mimran, Joe Mimran's wife, is the lead designer for Pink Tartan, an upscale line owned by the Mimran company that is sold at Holt Renfrew and Saks Fifth Avenue. The Pink Tartan flagship store is in Yorkville, Toronto. Joe's own interest in design led him to create the Joe Fresh line for Loblaws which is currently moving into the USA.
Saul's two children, Tamara Mimran and Jordin Mimran, also launched a line of clothing called Moon (the name of Alfred Sung's first store in Yorkville) which is a fast-fashion line of classics and trendy items for the young professional woman.
The hallmark of the Mimran aesthetic has always been a clean, minimalist design that is fashion forward and available at multiple price points. Generally the quality of most items in the Mimran family is good value for the price point. Club Monaco, because it is owned by Polo Ralph Lauren, probably offers comparable quality.
