Marcus Clark got his start in fashion directing PG County high school fashion shows.  Now his patented Marc C. Bow Tie Brooch is donned by the likes of celebrities such as Rihanna, the Simmons sisters, Diggy Simmons, Mariah Carey, Estelle, and Taraji P. Henson.  Read on to find out just how he came up with the idea behind this trend!

While Marcus Clark is being featured in the AMADI Fashion section for his patented Marc C. Bow Tie Brooch, let me let it be known that this young man is about business!  The self proclaimed “super-intern” earned short stints at various conglomerates such as BET, Vibe Magazine, MTV, and Russell Simmons’ Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation.  For each internship, Marcus explains that he made it a point to always work in a different department.  “I wanted to figure out what each person in a company does.  I always knew that I wanted to own my own company.”

The 23 year old former University of Maryland Communications major moved to New York after his several internships there.  “I decided that I just couldn’t be here,” Marcus says of leaving the D.C. area.  “New York took over my mind and body.  And I had made so many connections while I was there during my internships.”

Alongside his business aspirations, Marcus always had fashion in his back pocket.  When he moved to New York, he enrolled in the Art Institute.  “I always had a passion for styles, trends, and just looking nice,” he says.  In 2004, Marcus helped to start the Teens Count School Fashion Battle in Prince Georges County, Maryland.  As the Creative Director, Marcus along with friends Deanna Jefferson (December 2009 feature), Tracey Cooper, and William Wright created a competition featuring 12 area high schools.  For the competition, each school is required to create an eight minute scene where they must fuse theater and fashion.  The winning school receives a $1,000 cash prize and a trip to New York. The annual Fashion Battle generates over 4,000 attendees and is sponsored by the CW Network and WPGC 95.5 radio station.  “I look back and think ‘wow, we started this,’” Marcus reflects.  “When I go home I see that the kids are so into fashion and style now.”  It’s obvious that Marcus has been setting trends for years now.  So it’s no surprise that the Marc C. Bow Tie Brooch would become a fashion success.

The Marc C. Bow Tie Brooch is donned by the likes of celebrities such as Rihanna, the Simmons sisters, Diggy Simmons, Mariah Carey, Estelle, and Taraji P. Henson.

For four years prior, Marcus owned a T-shirt line with a longtime friend.  Their shirts sold in over 60 stores, Up Against The Wall being the main carrier. Shortly after the split, the idea behind the patented Marc C. Bow Tie Brooch actually came in a dream.  “I had a dream that Lady Gaga was in my fashion show and part of her outfit was a huge oversized bow tie,” Marcus explains.  “I woke up thinking ‘I make bow ties?’”  Never having created a bow tie, he immediately took a canvas bag that he had hanging on his door knob and cut it into the shape of a bow.  Next stop was the fabric store, and after a month of a few trial and error designs, the brooch was perfected.  The first time he wore his red leather bow tie to a party, it instantly became a conversation piece.  Everyone wanted to know where they could buy it and what colors it came in.  Marcus instantly went to work on making more bow ties based those questions.  He launched his Marc C. Bow Tie Brooch company line in April of 2009.  He started with a few solid colors and currently features 25 designs of the brooch on his website.

The secret to his success?  Marcus tells people “with anything you do, make sure you are doing it because you have a passion for it.  I wasn’t looking for fame or instant success.  Quick success dies fast.”

To buy an official Marc C. Bow Tie Brooch, visit his website www.marcclark.com.  Marcus will be launching a brand new site on February 10th that will feature T-shirts, headbands with bow ties, and of course the bow tie brooch.

Follow him on Twitter – www.twitter.com/TheRealMarcC

Tags: Art, bow, entreprenuer, Fashion, henson, rihanna, taraji, tie

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