Marilyn Brooks of Toronto is invested as a member of the Order of Canada by former governor general Michaelle Jean on behalf of Gov. Gen. Mary Simon during a ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa, in 2022.Justin Tang/The Canadian Press
A fashion designer who was among the first to popularize a clothing style in Canada that was famously worn by rebellious British youths and The Beatles in the 1960s has died.
Norma Meneguzzi Spall, a friend and spokesperson for Marilyn Brooks’ family, said Brooks died Saturday of natural causes at the age of 93 in Toronto.
Jeanne Beker, an Ontario-based fashion journalist, said she remembers Brooks’ boutique, The Unicorn, was the most hip place to shop when she was a teen in the 1960s.
Beker said the boutique was the first in Toronto to sell slick, colourful and polished mod-style clothing popularized by rock bands and youths partaking in the counterculture of the 1960s.
“You couldn’t get cool fashion in Canada back then. There wasn’t really (anything) that was leading edge, progressive, funky and a little wild,” Beker said in a Sunday interview.
“The Unicorn was our mecca of mod. It was just the coolest place because Marilyn had the best clothes, the best accessories. It was just magical for all of us who really craved that Carnaby Street swagger,” she added, referencing London’s shopping hub.
Beker said she still has the black-and-white purse that looks like a clock which she bought at The Unicorn.
“Marilyn was one of the main reasons that I really fell in love with fashion and all its fabulous possibilities.”
Spall said in a statement that Brooks was born in Albany, New York, and raised in Detroit, Michigan.
She discovered she loved sewing when she was eight, Spall said. After a career in the United States, she moved to Toronto to work for a retailer.
She eventually fell in love with the city and the country. In 1963, she opened The Unicorn in Toronto’s lively Gerrard Street West neighbourhood with her husband.
Brooks then closed The Unicorn in 1970 and launched a string of retail stores.
“Marilyn went on to pioneer a vertical fashion business model that amalgamated designing, manufacturing, wholesaling and retailing and led to the launch and expansion of ‘Marilyn Brooks Boutiques’ in Canada and the U.S.,” Spall said.
As her stores evolved, so did Brooks’ style.
A chain bra, black satin hot pants, which have made a comeback in recent years, and a vinyl jumpsuit are among the signature pieces she designed in her years of work.
“These were clothes for women of all ages,” Beker said.
“Once the sort of crazy mod thing passed, all through the ’80s and the ’90s, Marilyn was always making really wonderful clothing. Clothing that was figure-friendly clothing, optimistic.”
Beker said Brooks also mentored a lot of young designers who went on to make their on own marks in Canada’s fashion industry.
Brooks took women on international trips, Beker added, to show them diverse fashion scenes.
“She was just a great, great source of inspiration to so many people,” Beker said.
While receiving the Order of Canada in 2022, Brooks was recognized as one of Canada’s most iconic fashion designers.
In 1988, the City of Toronto declared Feb. 4 Marilyn Brooks Day for her contributions to Canada’s fashion and retail landscape.
Spall said Marilyn is survived by her husband of 44 years, Kennedy Coles.
Beker encouraged Canadian fashionistas to remember Brooks this week.
“Rifle through the stash there and see if you can find any vintage Marilyn Brooks,” she said.
“We can all dress up in our old mod finery, wear a polka-dot scarf, do something funky. Step out of your your comfort zone and have fun. Remember to be playful with fashion.
“Marilyn would really appreciate that.”
