Marc Worth, the visionary founder of both global trend services WGSN and Stylus, has sadly passed away. At the time of his death on January 13th, Marc, 61, held the position of Executive Chairman at Stylus.
Marc and his brother Julian hailed from a background in the clothing industry, initially working in the family business, Heat-Seal Textiles. However, it was their revolutionary idea that would reshape the trends forecasting sector.
In 1997, they established WGSN, short for Worth Global Style Network, and transformed trend forecasting from a slow-moving, physical publication-based industry into a dynamic online enterprise. During its early days, when the worldwide web was not as advanced, WGSN delivered its forecasts through CDs or satellite broadcasts.
Starting as a modest operation in London with just a handful of staff, the Worth brothers, along with their team, elevated WGSN into the world’s foremost fashion trends business. They navigated through the challenges of the dotcom bust at the turn of the Millennium and eventually sold the company to publishing giant EMAP for £140 million in 2005.
Following his tenure with WGSN, Marc briefly owned the Ossie Clark label but later divested the loss-making business. He maintained a diverse portfolio of business interests and played a crucial role as an investor and mentor for emerging companies and young entrepreneurs from various backgrounds.
Marc also held key leadership positions, serving as the Chairman of UK Israel Business (UKIB) and the Board of Governors at Israel’s Shenkar College. Additionally, he was a Trustee of The Tel Aviv Foundation and held the position of Chairman at TLVinLDN.
In 2010, Marc launched Stylus, where he initially served as CEO before transitioning to the role of Executive Chairman in April 2022.
Victoria Rennie, the current CEO of Stylus, expressed her shock and sadness at the news, describing Marc as an indomitable presence whose passion and humor will be a lasting influence on the business and the industry. She assured that Stylus would continue its mission to evolve and expand the business in accordance with Marc’s wishes, while extending condolences to the entire Worth family during this difficult time.