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Image by Drew Hays

We recently sat down with Marco, owner of Filip Daniel, to talk about men's fashion, passion for clothes, and what it takes to offer unique mens fashion in Toronto.

BY: Kylie at kyjostyle.com

Marco's foray into fashion started 19 years ago, after a successful career in the food industry. It extends back to Italy, he gained most of his inspiration. A trained chef, Marco started two successful restaurants, but after long hours and day after day of smelling like a kitchen, he decided he wanted a change, and he sold the restaurants. 

During some much needed time off, Marco travelled to Rome where he discovered a little men's shop with a great collection of clothes that really impressed him. Always having had an interest in style and fashion, he noticed that the shop had a franchising sign. With his love of clothes and his love of diving into new projects, Marco bought into the franchise and brought it to Toronto.

Today, his passion for menswear and providing his customers unique, expressive options is still going strong.  

Marco opened the first Camicie franchise in Canada in the Yonge and Lawrence area (there's now another location in Woodbridge). After initially stocking his store with products from the franchise, Marco began taking interest in the design aspect of the clothing he was carrying. He was soon designing his own suits, shirts, pants, and jackets - with great feedback from his customers who were looking for unique items they couldn't find elsewhere.

This creative expression proved a conflict of interest with the Camicie product line and franchise requirements, so Marco branched off and created his own brand "Filip Daniel" - in honour of his two sons. After separating from the franchise, he expanded his product line to include his own designs, and a curated collection of casual wear and accessories from Italy.

Growing up, Marco had a reputation for being stylish and always dressed with flare. Filip Daniel is truly a reflection of Marco's taste and style. It's hard not to get caught up in the detailed displays of shirts, ties, pocket squares, belts, coloured laces, cuff links...it's bit like a candy store, but for men. In fact, his store was one of the first to carry brightly patterned funky socks - now a common strategy for men looking to express themselves.  

"Time and again, Marco mentions his desire to offer something unique to his clients. "One time I bought a shirt from a popular men's retail store and I went out to dinner that night. I noticed several other men wearing the exact same shirt!" Marco recounts. He decided that instead of mass producing shirts, he would focus on "one of a kind" and limited runs. "Other stores base their sales on the square footage of the store, so they look for guaranteed sales to cover expenses and generate profit. I focus on customer satisfaction. My clientele know that the items they get from me are unique. Plus, my clientele always want something new...they don't want to see the same shirts that I had last season."  

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STAY STYLISH WITH FILIP DANIEL

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