Marc Ecko
Marc Ecko | |
|---|---|
| Born | Marc Louis Milecofsky August 29, 1972 New Jersey, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, artist, fashion designer |
| Years active | 1993–present |
| Known for | Founder and chief creative officer of Ecko Unlimited; founder of Complex magazine |
Marc Louis Ecko (born Milecofsky; August 29, 1972) is an American entrepreneur, artist, and fashion designer. He is the founder and serves as the chief creative officer of the apparel brand Ecko Unlimited. In 2002, he also established Complex magazine.
Early life
Born in New Jersey on August 29, 1972, Milecofsky was raised alongside his twin sister Marci and older sister Shari in the suburban community of Lakewood, New Jersey. His father was employed as a pharmacist while his mother worked as a real estate agent.
Following high school graduation, he attended Rutgers University's College of Pharmacy. During this period, he engaged in graffiti art under the pseudonym "Echo." In his third academic year, the college dean advised him to pause his studies for a year to focus on art. By 1996, he legally altered his surname to Ecko, modifying "Echo" to develop a distinctive brand identity.
Career
Ecko initiated Ecko Unltd. in 1993 as a T-shirt business, supported by modest investments from his sister and friend Seth Gerszberg. To gain industry knowledge, he traveled to Hong Kong. Early recognition from figures such as Spike Lee and Chuck D, along with a feature on Good Morning America, contributed to the brand’s rise. The company broadened its focus to include hip-hop and skateboarding fashion, adopting a rhinoceros as its emblem.
His business interests later expanded to encompass Complex magazine, ventures in video and social gaming including video games, and investments in venture capital.
Ecko was the youngest designer ever appointed to the Board of Directors for the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) and has been part of its Emeritus Board since 2010.
In 2008, he was commissioned to design new jackets for the Iron Chefs featured on Iron Chef America.
Personal life
Ecko practices Judaism. He married Allison Rojas in 2000, and the couple has three children. They live in Bernardsville, New Jersey.
In 2011, he initiated Unlimited Justice, a campaign aimed at ending corporal punishment in American schools.
He has actively contributed to charitable causes, including fundraising efforts for the Tikva Children's Home located in Odesa, Ukraine.
Published work
On October 1, 2013, Ecko published Unlabel: Selling You Without Selling Out, an autobiographical business book sharing perspectives on entrepreneurship and building personal brands.
See also
- Pages with script errors
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- 1972 births
- Living people
- American businesspeople in retailing
- American businesspeople in fashion
- American fashion designers
- American investors
- American philanthropists
- Jewish fashion designers
- Rutgers University alumni
- Businesspeople from New Jersey