Dino Minichiello
Born (1968-12-28) December 28, 1968
Occupation(s)Fashion Designer, Entrepreneur
RelativesPaul Minichiello (father)
Websitehttps://cattivoragazzo.ca/, https://snapbrands.ca/

Dino Minichiello born on December 28, 1968, in North Vancouver, British Columbia, is a Canadian fashion designer, entrepreneur and the founder of bespoke luxury fashion labels: ONS (1997)[1] Dino Minichiello Designs Ltd, Minichiello Retail (1999),[2] and Cativvo Ragazzo (2016).[3] Minichiello is also the founder of Triumph Capital (2009) a private equity and investment-banking firm; and the Founder and CEO of Snap Brands (2021)[4] a direct-to-consumer (D2C) Telehealth company.

Early life

Dino Minichiello is the son of fashion designer, Paul Minichiello. In 1954, at the age of 14, Paul Minichiello immigrated to North Vancouver, Canada, from Civitanova del Sannio, a small town in the Italian Province of Isernia, where he worked as an apprentice for an Italian master tailor. After working for a series of clothing shops upon arriving in Canada, Paul eventually opened his own bespoke clothier ‘Paul’s of North Shore’.[5] His unique style caught the eye of local and international celebrities. Soon after it opened, his modest North Shore shop became a regular stop on the travels of many touring musicians, actors, athletes and high-profile businessmen.

As a child, the young Dino was swept up by his father’s outgoing personality, bold ideas and colourful network of clients. Dino literally grew up at the knees of his father’s all-star clientiele, such as Jim Pattison, Jack Poole, Murray Pezim, Wayne Gretzky, Sonny and Cher, Al Wilson, Carl Weathers, Jack Wasserman, Leslie Nielsen, Pat Quinn, Harold Snepts, Dennis Ververgaert and Jerry Korab.[6][7]

One of his father’s friends was boxing coach and Golden Gloves Alumni, Elio Ius, of the "North West Eagles" boxing club.[8] Taking Dino under his wing, Ius began training Dino from his personal home gym, where Dino studied the art of the fight from the ages of 13 to 17. His training soon matured into an appreciation and passion for Mixed Martial Arts serving as a catalyst to his later interest in venture capital activity on behalf of under-publicized Mixed Martial Arts events.

Experiencing dyslexia from an early age, Dino became adept at working around the conventional education system and, in the process, discovered that he had all of the makings of a successful entrepreneur. While taking business classes at Capilano University, Dino reports having hired and directed a small team of business students to articulate a business concept that he had envisioned for his final project. Dino was awarded an A+ by his business professor. Instead of being censored for cheating, he was awarded extra marks for creative and innovative team building that had increased the odds of his business concept being accepted in the market place.

Recognizing that dyslexia was responsible for his heightened sense of visual and sensory learning, Minichiello began to embrace his previously thought ‘disadvantage’ as a gift. In 2002, he began painting; teaching himself the techniques of the old masters as well as contemporary art forms. His effort resulted in an invitation to exhibit his first painting at the North Vancouver Community Arts Gallery which was featured in the North Shore News.[9]

The family business, and his father’s success, made a large impression on Dino, and soon after he graduated high school he designed and created his own zip-up dress shirt.[10] It was a hit, and all his friends wanted one for themselves, but it wasn't until his mid-twenties that he felt ready to step into his father’s footsteps.[10]

From 1995 – 2005, Minichiello widened the application of his artistic experiment with the launch of "Naturally Creative" landscape design. Using hand drawn designs to improve the backyard aesthetics of his upscale north shore clients, Dino’s popularity soon attracted the attention of local media. The North Shore news published a contest called the “Ugliest Backyard Contest”. The grand prize was a Naturally Creative solution, awarded to the Ugliest Yard winner. A two-page spread, featuring before and after photos of the Ugliest Yard transformation, marked the event finale.[11]

Professional Life

ONS

Print advertisement for ONS undergarments , 1997

In 1996 Minichiello launched ONS, a chic but sassy line of bespoke undergarments, boldly branded to “look best on the bedroom floor”.[12] Sometimes playfully referred to by insiders as ‘One Night Stand’, ONS undergarments were brightly colored boxers, briefs and G-strings in fabrics like burnout velvet, stretch velour and imported silk. ONS was one of the first brands of underwear marketed as a lifestyle choice. Each ONS purchase included a complimentary (and flavoured) ONS-labeled condom, with portions of sales going to HIV and AIDS research. The boundary-pushing marketing and designs created a buzz, shooting Minichiello into the Vancouver fashion scene as one of the first designers to anticipate the unlimited possibilities of underwear conceived as play, entertainment, identity, and social activism.[12][13]

Appearing in Vancouver magazine,[12] Vancouver ECHO,[14] Vancouver Taxi,[15] and the North Shore News,[1] each cover story profiled him as one of the city's most promising young designers responsible for putting Vancouver back on the international fashion map.

Minichiello retail

Leaving ONS at the height of its popularity, Dino moved into the Yaletown fashion scene in 1999, with first-rate designer, Julie Berg, and a classically trained master Italian tailor under the label, Minichiello. The Minichiello label produced luxury collections of men and women’s apparel, which Dino marketed as “Old World Italian Design with a New World Attitude”.[16]

Dino's new store and fashion line quickly gained him celebrity clients such as Rodney Dangerfield, Nick Gilder, Pat Quinn and Olympian Charmaine Crooks.[2]

During this time he was also nominated for "best emerging designer" by the B.C. apparel industry.[2]

The Minichiello family label is now owned and operated by Dino’s sister, Julie Minichiello.

Triumph Capital

In 2009, Dino decided to capitalize on the abundance of ideas and opportunities he was encountering within his social and business network. He began raising venture capital for underfunded start-ups to such an extent that he closed Minichiello; taking a detour from fashion to found Triumph Capital, a private equity and investment banking firm, with the idea of bringing under-funded, ahead-of-the-curve projects into new levels of profitability. In 2014, Dino and his team established an ambitious, live-event media and post-production company to feature under-publicized Mixed Martial Arts events. It was christened Takedown Fight Media. Takedown produced a publicity package that was sold and distributed to networks across the globe. Ken Pavia was made director of business development and Takedown quickly acquired the participation of more than 30 international MMA organizations.[17] After suffering a personal financial loss trying to stop shares plummeting on a stock market short, Dino closed Triumph Capital.

Cattivo Ragazzo

Before Dino’s father passed away in the summer of 2014, Dino made a “beautiful promise” to him: to return to the family legacy of bespoke fashion. True to his word, in 2016 Dino launched an edgy, exclusive bespoke menswear under the defiant label, Cattivo Ragazzo, (meaning “bad boys” with chivalry). Taking the Minichiello "new world attitude" to new heights, each garment simultaneously embraced and broke the classic mold. Dino’s personalized silk linings captured the untamed individuality unique to each client, and polished it with the impeccable and knowing detail of classical Italian bespoke tailoring. This ability to recognize and represent North America’s obsession with individualism and capture it under the coveted European standing of class, inspired an intense client following. Custom orders streamed in from sports professionals such as Bob Lenarduzzi; MMA fighter and columnist, Cheick Kongo; professional freeride mountain bike athlete, Geoff Gulevich; pro skateboarder, Cameo Wilson; Hall of Famer, Al Wilson; entertainer, Jim Byrnes; actors, Aleks Paunovic and Peter Shinkoda; and film producer, Gabriel Napora.[18]

Cattivo Ragazzo, continues to cater to its bespoke clientele, while moving online with a new up-and-coming, masculine chic ready-to-wear collection.

Snap Brands

With the slow down of retail during the Covid pandemic lockdowns in 2020, Dino and his team leveraged the opportunity to incubate their most visionary project to date under Snap Brands. Snap Brands is a direct-to-consumer (D2C) telehealth company that uses voice technology and audio biomarkers to instantly analyze the nutritional needs of its customers, with extreme accuracy. Snap Brands analytics result in personalized recommendations of select types and combinations of high quality health supplements and functional mushroom based health products, under the Snap in-house ÜRSTAX brand. Snap Brands partners with, acquires, develops, distributes and sells health and wellness products and services as part of its ecosystem.

Personal life

Dino married Stacey Henderson in 2000. In 2005 they had a daughter, Capri Minichiello. Dino and Stacey were divorced in 2010.

Dino reports that his daughter, Capri, is his greatest inspiration.

Dino speaks highly of his mother, Joan, as someone who shared many common interests and activities with him during his childhood, especially cooking, hiking and attending garage sales. It is to his mother, that Dino attributes his values of chivalry and respect for women, and is the guiding mantra implied by the Italian translation 'Cattivo Ragazzo'.

Charity work

Throughout the years Dino has played an active role as a fundraiser for a variety of local, national and international charities, including: the Heart and Stroke Foundation, World Vision, the Children's Wish Foundation, the ALS Society of Canada, A Loving Spoonful, and the Richard Brodeur Charity Golf Classic.

References

  1. 1 2 Christensen, Layne. "Designers ride the waves of fashion". (June 15, 1997).
  2. 1 2 3 , Layne. "Minichiello opens Yaletown boutique". North Shore News, p. 21 (June 20, 1999).
  3. ↑ "Cattivo Ragazzo". Cattivo Ragazzo. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  4. ↑ "About". Snap Brands. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  5. ↑ Rattan, Surj. "Master tailor back in business". (April 28, 1991). North Shore News, p.37
  6. ↑ Empey, Dave (November 28, 1979). "Rocky’s ‘Apollo Creed’ pays a visit". The Citizen, p. 33
  7. ↑ "North Shore tailor makes his mark".
  8. ↑ "Clubs & Coaches". Canadian Amateur Boxing. 5 November 2009. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  9. ↑ "Art for Rent". North Shore News. January 15, 2003.
  10. 1 2 Christensen, Layne. "Dino follows dad’s lead". (August 25, 1996). North Shore News, p. 17
  11. ↑ Spitale, Maria (August 31, 2005). "Ugliest Backyard Makeover". No. August 31, 2005. North Shore News.
  12. 1 2 3 "The Goods". (Jan/Feb 1998). Vancouver, p. 47
  13. ↑ Holloway, Karen. "No longer under wraps". (March 26, 1997). Vancouver Echo, p. 3
  14. ↑ "Sudden exposure". (March 26, 1997). Vancouver Echo, cover and p. 15
  15. ↑ Xtra! West."Cover".(October 29, 1998).
  16. ↑ Parry, Malcolm. "Minichiellos measure those loading freely". (June 18, 1999). The Vancouver Sun, p. A3
  17. ↑ Marrocco, Steven.(September 23, 2011) Ken Pavia discusses sale of MMA Agents, new role with Takedown Entertainment. MMAjunkie.com. Retrieved on 2012-01-26.
  18. ↑ "Dino Minichiello | the Top 100 Magazine | Profile".
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