Ontario College of Art & Design (OCAD) alum Jordin Mimran is a Canadian executive, creative professional and oil painter with a rich background in fashion and design. Soon after graduating in 2005 with a degree in Industrial Design, Mimran joined his family business as Creative Director at Mimran Group Inc. – a leading Canadian brand development and licensing company that creates and manages fashion and lifestyle brands, helping them grow and reach global markets.
“I started right out of OCAD – literally the week I got my degree,” says Mimran. “I began my career with Mimran Group Inc. and I've been working there ever since.” Mimran Group Inc. is the worldwide owner and licensor of renowned fashion and lifestyle brand, Alfred Sung, and its trademarks. At the time, Mimran was working with the Hudson's Bay Company to create a line called Alfred Sung Home, which was sold exclusively through Zellers stores (before the short-lived Target takeover). Mimran joined the small design team to create a wide variety of modern products, including everything from bed and bath linens to furniture. The home collection consisted of about 800 or 900 pieces.
"That summer after I graduated and before being appointed as Mimran Group Inc.’s Creative Director, my team and I spent the entire time designing the products, handling photography, creating packaging and graphics. It was a true lesson in multitasking, something I learned at OCAD,” says Mimran. “While I have a degree in industrial design, I had to dive into areas like graphic design and learn how to collaborate with vendors and factories to bring our designs to life and deliver them on time for production."
Mimran recounts his sixteen years as Creative Director as a great experience and an opportunity to work hands-on with the design team while overseeing all details such as design sketches and technical drawings, fabric and material specifications, production timelines, costing information, licensing and more. Now serving as Mimran Group Inc.’s Executive Vice-President, Mimran describes his transition between the two roles as a natural progression. “I still work within the creative field, but my duties extend a little bit farther past that into more of the executive decision-making side of the company,” says Mimran.
In addition to his contributions to the fashion and lifestyle industry, Jordin is a trendsetting oil painter. “It’s an extension of my creativity and it helps me stay creative,” explains Mimran. His work focuses on capturing style moments and portraying fashionable people, specifically in the form of portraits. Mimran captures people’s moods or individuality not just by painting a realistic portrait of them, but by expressing it through colour. These days, Mimran’s work often includes paintings of some very stylish people, family members and chic travel destinations he’s visited. In 2023, Mimran exhibited his work at the Artist Project, where his paintings were displayed to the public for the first time.
Supporting the Artistic Community at OCAD U
Mimran, alongside Mimran Group Inc., is a proud supporting sponsor of the inaugural OCAD U Gala taking place in May 2025 and has been involved in helping to shape this unique and creative fundraising event as part of the gala committee. As a champion of art and design, Mimran is passionate about fostering connections within Toronto’s creative community and celebrating emerging talent. He is particularly excited about the works of OCAD U alums included in the event’s live auction, seeing it as a fantastic opportunity to highlight the next generation of artists and designers and for a great cause.
Mimran emphasizes the importance of supporting the arts, “This is the time to express how we feel about the arts and highlight its impact as an important part of our lives, not just culturally, but as an essential element of business and design and even economics.” Through this gala, Mimran hopes to unite leaders in the creative industries and demonstrate that OCAD U and by extension, the city of Toronto wholeheartedly values and embraces the arts.
When asked if he has any advice for OCAD U graduates who are looking to carve out their path in the art and design industry, Mimran highlights the importance of perseverance: "Stick with it and stay patient—success doesn’t always come in the first year or even the second. If you’re passionate about something you love, don’t give up, because it will happen. In today’s world of instant gratification and social media, it’s easy to expect quick results, but great things take time. For those just graduating, I’d say focus on the long game and trust the process."
Jordin Mimran’s artwork and blog posts can be viewed at his website: www.jordinmimran.com
