{"id":16968,"date":"2022-03-02T20:00:01","date_gmt":"2022-03-03T01:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blackfashioncanada.ca\/database\/?post_type=cpt_portfolio&p=16968"},"modified":"2026-06-16T02:38:28","modified_gmt":"2026-06-16T06:38:28","slug":"marc-rutherford","status":"publish","type":"cpt_portfolio","link":"https:\/\/blackfashioncanada.ca\/database\/fr\/profiles\/marc-rutherford\/","title":{"rendered":"Marc Rutherford"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t

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Born in Mississauga in 1972 to Jamaican parents, Rutherford discovered fashion through Toronto's nightlife scene before modelling in Montreal during the 1990s boom.<\/li>\r\n \t
After modelling stints in Montreal and New York, he became director at Elite Models Toronto, then relocated to manage Elite's L.A. office and co-founded Eight by 10 agency.<\/li>\r\n \t
Often the only Black person in rooms and on sets, he faced constant pressure to prove his worth.<\/li>\r\n \t
He founded Ruth Gravity Artists, a boutique agency championing Black, Asian and South Asian talent in film and television.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul><\/span><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Picture it: Milan, Italy. You’re standing in the lush courtyard of Versace\u2019s palatial headquarters, mingling casually with legends Donatella Versace and makeup artist Pat McGrath. It\u2019s the kind of scene that could leave even the most seasoned fashion insider starstruck. Moments like these have <\/span>defined Marc<\/span> Rutherford\u2019s path, and more often than not, he was the only <\/span>Black man<\/span> in the room. His rise through the fashion and entertainment industries has been shaped by that awareness and served to fuel his commitment to representation, diversity and mentorship. <\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Long before Rutherford was navigating fashion weeks in <\/span>Paris<\/span> or making power moves in Los Angeles, he was just a tall, curious kid with a taste for house music from the suburbs in Mississauga. The eldest of three boys born to Jamaican parents who immigrated <\/span>to Canada<\/span> in the 1960s, his father studied mechanical engineering at Ryerson <\/span>University (now Toronto Metropolitan University);<\/span> his mother began her 30<\/span>–<\/span>year career as a social worker for the government.<\/span><\/p>
Rutherford<\/span> was <\/span>only<\/span> 14<\/span> when his uncle took him along with his cousins to The Twilight Zone, Toronto\u2019s legendary after-hours club, known simply as ‘The Zone’.\u00a0 \u201cI shouldn\u2019t have been there, but I was tall enough to pass,\u201d Rutherford says, laughing. \u201cThe lights, the sound, the energy; something clicked.<\/span>\u201d <\/span>The raw artistry of nightlife enchanted him. This early exposure to subcultures and nightlife sparked his interest in the world of fashion and image.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>
His<\/span> path to <\/span>working in<\/span> fashion wasn\u2019t a straight catwalk<\/span>, though<\/span>. After attending Saint Ignatius Loyola High, Rutherford enrolled at Carleton University for Legal Studies. As a student<\/span>,<\/span> he<\/span> worked for the Federal Court of Canada<\/span>, b<\/span>ut disillusionment crept in over impersonal bureaucracy and backlogged cases.<\/span><\/p>
Not quite ready to return to Toronto and craving something different, he followed the recommendation of his Carleton University roommate, Arlington Forbes, and moved to Montreal, and it changed everything.<\/span><\/p>
In the early <\/span>19<\/span>90s, Montreal was Canada\u2019s fashion capital, with a booming textile industry fueling demand for local talent. Rutherford landed a bartending job at Buonanotte, a chic Italian spot on Boulevard Saint-Laurent, where he started meeting stylists, photographers, and creatives. Before long, he was hanging out at Planet Claire, a commercial photography agency. \u201cI was always around. Eventually, they just gave me a job,\u201d he recalls.<\/span><\/p>
Friends recommended <\/span>that<\/span> Rutherford check out the local Montreal modelling agencies. \u201cI went to Giovanni, Montage, and Folio. Folio signed me,\u201d he explains. His tall frame and natural poise quickly made him a sought-after model. \u201dWork came quickly. Back then, Hondo (Flemming)<\/a> was the top Black model, and I was kind of number two. It was just Hondo and I, two soul brothers in Montreal,\u201d he laughs. Zellers and Hudson\u2019s Bay shot everything in the city, and there was plenty of <\/span>work, b<\/span>ut after the 1995 Quebec referendum, the industry took a hit. Companies moved their operations to Toronto, and the momentum vanished almost overnight.<\/span><\/p>
Sensing it was time to move on, Rutherford followed his instincts and his old roommate, Arlington Forbes, to New York. \u201cHe was getting into film and TV, so I figured I\u2019d bring my book and see what happened.\u201d He visited all the major agencies, but a meeting at Wilhelmina proved pivotal. \u201cThe director flipped through my book and said, \u2018You\u2019re not ready for New York yet.\u2019 She was right. It stung, but it made me realize model<\/span>l<\/span>ing wasn\u2019t the path.\u201d<\/span><\/p>
Eventually, he returned to Toronto and reconnected with photographer Christoph Strube, a former colleague from Planet Claire. \u201cChristoph asked me if I\u2019d ever thought about representing models,\u201d says Rutherford. \u201cI was ecstatic.\u201d Strube called Elite Models with a glowing reference, and Rutherford was hired.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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\u201cAfter 30 years in this industry, I started thinking about how I could take everything I\u2019ve learned and use it to open doors for others,\u201d he says. <\/span><\/p>
\u201cEspecially for young Black, Asian, South Asian, and other people of colour who don\u2019t always get a seat at the table. I want to help them build lasting, sustainable careers.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Once settled at Elite Toronto, Rutherford quickly began thinking beyond the local market. He saw <\/span>an<\/span> opportunity in importing talent from international hubs like Paris, Milan and London. While other agents balked at the cost, Rutherford leaned in. \u201cI thought immediately, No, I can,\u201d he says.<\/span><\/p>
Regular trips to Europe followed. On one trip to Milan, ticketless and unprepared, he bumped into Celia Sears,<\/a> currently the owner of Show Division<\/span>, p<\/span>roviding key hairstylists and makeup artists for top designers and fashion weeks worldwide. \u201cShe said, \u2018Paul Wright couldn\u2019t make it. Take his press pass.\u2019\u201d Rutherford spent the week in the photographers\u2019 pit with a tiny digital camera, squeezed between long-lens pros. It was classic Rutherford hustle<\/span>,<\/span> and it helped push him all the way to agency director.<\/span><\/p>
A shake-up at Elite led to another pivot, this time to L.A. Rutherford took over Elite\u2019s West Coast office, relocating with his wife. \u201cL.A. was still a B-market,\u201d he explains. \u201cNot like New York, Paris, or London. The big talent passed through, but they didn\u2019t live there. It was a lot of denim and swimwear, and talent trying to move into TV and film. But I got the rhythm pretty quickly.\u201d<\/span><\/p>
After four years, Rutherford was ready to create something of his own. He partnered with producer Damion Brennan and launched Eight by 10, an agency representing photographers and directors.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>
One of their first signings was Jimmy Cohrssen, a Paris-based interiors photographer with clients like Louis Vuitton, Dior and Architectural Digest<\/em>. <\/span>Cohrssen says, <\/span>\u201cMarc always goes the extra mile. He gets it done<\/span>.<\/span>\u201d<\/span> Rutherford returns the compliment: \u201cJimmy always puts the client first.\u201d<\/span><\/p>
Business boomed. Their Sunset Boulevard office was thriving. But despite the momentum, L.A. never quite felt right. \u201cThere were a few scary moments,\u201d Rutherford says, including one involving an active shooter outside his office. In 2013, he and his wife decided to return to Toronto.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Marc Rutherford with Celia Sears\n[Worn photo - digitally enhanced by BFC]<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Whether it was on set or at high-level meetings, Rutherford often found himself as the only person of colour. \u201cFrom early on, I understood I wasn\u2019t just representing myself,\u201d he reflects. \u201cI was representing every Black professional and creative who didn\u2019t get the invite. That meant I had to be twice as prepared, twice as sharp, and always on point.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>
He remembers being the only Black person on set, in castings, and later, in boardrooms. That visibility came with pressure. \u201cThere was always that sense of needing to prove something,\u201d he says. \u201cNot just that I could do the job, but that I belonged there. That we belong.\u201d<\/span><\/p>
The conversation around diversity heightened in 2020 after the murder of George Floyd, but Rutherford is clear-eyed about what\u2019s changed and what hasn\u2019t. \u201cThe door opened a bit wider, sure. But it\u2019s not swinging open on its own,\u201d he insists. \u201cWe still have to fight for our place, for our value, for our visibility. Representation doesn\u2019t just happen. It\u2019s built, day by day, by people willing to keep pushing.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Photo credit: Laurel Breidon<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Ruth Gravity Artists, Rutherford\u2019s agency named after the first four letters of his surname, is his latest venture. It\u2019s a boutique agency representing principal actors, writers and directors in film and television. The agency reflects <\/span>its<\/span> mission to level the playing field. \u201cAfter 30 years in this industry, I started thinking about how I could take everything I\u2019ve learned and use it to open doors for others,\u201d he says. \u201cEspecially for young Black, Asian, South Asian, and other people of colour who don\u2019t always get a seat at the table. I want to help them build lasting, sustainable careers.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\u201dBack then, Hondo was the top Black model, and I was kind of number two. It was just Hondo and I, two soul brothers in Montreal,\u201d he laughs. <\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Rutherford is uniquely qualified and positioned for this role. \u201cI know what that feels like. And I know how to help others navigate it.\u201d\u00a0 His vision is to build a fully integrated agency that connects clients to opportunities in publishing, branding, advertising, and public speaking, and <\/span>to expand<\/span> into New York and other markets.<\/span><\/p>
From model to agent to agency founder, Rutherford has built his influence on a commitment to diversity, representation and mentorship across fashion and entertainment. He\u2019s worked actively to break down barriers through advocacy, inclusive hiring and leadership that amplifies underrepresented voices. By pushing for systemic change, he\u2019s played a key role in reshaping the landscape for emerging Black talent.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Fashion and Diversity<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t