Bernie Marks, Cofounder of Garfield & Marks, Dies at 81

Bernie Marks, Cofounder of Garfield & Marks, Dies at 81 Lisa Lockwood Bernie Marks, cofounder of Garfield & Marks, a leading bridge sportswear company in the 1990s, died Monday at his home in Boca Raton, Fla. He was 81. The cause of death was lung cancer, according to his son Jeffrey. A gregarious executive with an infectious laugh, Marks was a respected business leader, who was self-taught. Born in the Bronx, Marks got his start in the fashion business after serving in the U.S. Army after high school. He began by carrying clothing around the garment center, getting sores on his hands from the hangers. He later owned a cutting room in the late 1970s and in the early 1980s began manufacturing Bugaboo, a women's sportswear line. In 1993, he started Garfield & Marks, a women's bridge sportswear collection, with Alex Garfield, and at its peak in the Nineties, the brand was generating more than $60 million in sales. "He was one special man," said Jaime Nortman, director of sales of Peace of Cloth, who worked with Marks from the onset of Garfield & Marks. "He always had a big smile and was full of energy. He was everything but the finance guy. He drove the sales, shipped the boxes. He knew how to build Follow WWD on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook. Read More... Fashion 3