“I started my business on my verandah at home,” recalls Designer Mark Anthony Scott. Reflecting on his humble beginnings that were deeply planted in the rich soil of Trelawny, Scott’s early days have shaped his now-thriving career with his Mark Anthony Collections celebrated in boardrooms and boutiques across the island. Raised in the New Cargen district of the western parish, with his close-knit family of grandparents, aunts, and uncles, Scott’s journey in fashion was anything but straightforward.
He had his heart set on electrical engineering, but fate – and his grandmother, Ernita Wallace – had other plans; she subtly encouraged him to explore fashion. When the electrical engineering classes at Muschett High School reached capacity, her gentle nudge guided him toward a new path, laying the foundation for Mark Anthony Collections. “Grandma was so sure that this was my path – she wanted me to continue the family legacy in tailoring,” Scott recalls.
What began as a high school tailoring class soon evolved into formal certification at the HEART/NSTA Trust, and looking back – “she was right”, he admits with a smile. Relocating to Kingston to apprentice under his uncle Neville Wallace, a master tailor who started the family sewing legacy, Scott learnt the rules and tricks of the trade. However, driven to explore new horizons, he temporarily stepped away from fashion to venture into media production.
Little did he know, this detour would eventually fuel hi.