Taking Stock: Berg & Berg in 2023

For well over a decade we have been slowly growing and nurturing the Berg & Berg brand, and with that in mind we felt like a bit of introspection was in order. Looking back on the story so far with founder Mathias Berg, and Creative Director Andreas Larsson, we gave ourselves a moment to take stock, and reflect on what Berg & Berg means in 2023.

Words: Nathan Sharp. Photo: Pablo Espinoza

In the 14 years since Berg & Berg began, the things that have remained the same say just as much as the things that have changed. Maybe more, in fact. In its earliest incarnation, Berg & Berg was a small run of ties, scarves and socks, each item made to last, and designed to weather the oft-changing winds of style and fashion. Those defining principles haven’t shifted an inch in the intervening years, but what’s on offer from B&B certainly has. “A gradual trend towards casual dressing – greatly accelerated by the pandemic – made ties something of a niche concern,” explains founder Mathias Berg who, along with his wife and business partner Karin, founded the company back in 2009. “And while we’ve held onto the ties, along with the socks and scarves, it was always our ambition to present our customers with more.” In the space of just over a decade, Berg & Berg has evolved slowly and organically into what you see today: a sophisticated wardrobe of meticulously considered staples.

Running parallel to the guiding principle of quality is the equally important principle of value. “Whether it’s a pair of socks or a tailored jacket, we try to offer the very best quality at a reasonable price, and this is built into the business itself,” adds Andreas Larsson, who serves as the brand’s Creative Director. “We work in a way which allows these ideas to stay front and centre, building close relationships with all of our suppliers, and only selling to customers directly. We’re lucky to be able to work this way, and to have found so many like-minded people on both sides of the equation: it’s thanks to the work of our expert manufacturers, and the patronage of our passionate customers that we’re able to remain uncompromising when it comes to the finished product.”

And while poring over books of fabric swatches is an important part of the Berg & Berg process, there’s an understanding that a really good product must be more than the sum of its parts.

ANDREAS LARSSON

We’re lucky to be able to work this way, and to have found so many like-minded people on both sides of the equation: it’s thanks to the work of our expert manufacturers, and the patronage of our passionate customers that we’re able to remain uncompromising when it comes to the finished product

Fine fabrics, high quality buttons and neat stitching will take you some of the way, but it’s only one half of product design. Feel – for lack of a better word – constitutes the other half, and while it’s harder to define it’s no less crucial. “To get our clothes feeling right required us to carefully hone our particular sensibilities, something which took time,” Mathias says. “There’s a distinctly Nordic character to our clothing which, as a Stockholm-based brand, keeps us feeling rooted, but there’s a European influence that drifts in from the Continent, too. A lot of our product is manufactured in Italy, and it was our goal to balance the elegance and masculinity of Italian tailoring with the minimalist leanings of Scandinavian culture. We draw influence from previous eras, but also the present moment, too.” It’s these things that have coalesced over the course of 14 years to make Berg & Berg what it is in 2023.

Led as always by the core team of Andreas, and Karin and Mathias, we’re excited to continue our work as Berg & Berg, maintaining as always an unshakeable emphasis on quality, value, and style.

Taking Stock: Berg & Berg in 2023

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