TORONTO — The founder of Canadian men’s clothing retailer Harry Rosen Inc. has died at 92.
Harry Rosen opened his first made-to-measure menswear store on Parliament Street in Toronto in 1954 along with his brother Lou and ran the company for 51 years until his son, Larry Rosen, became chairman and CEO in 2005.
In a statement, Larry confirmed his father’s passing on Sunday, saying he “willed his business into existence one client at a time.” He said Harry started “with a $500 loan and a dream.”
“His passion for menswear and fashion was contagious; his ability to teach and inspire were unparalleled,” the younger Rosen said.
“The team he built and the values he instilled have helped the business span across the country, three generations, and nearly 70 years. Words simply can’t summarize the impact he had on us all.”
An Order of Canada recipient in 2004, Rosen was involved philanthropically in the Canadian Paraplegic Association,…
