Berg&Berg is a new brand from Nor­way man­u­fac­tur­ing hand­made acces­sories for men and women. Bow ties, scarves, pocket squares and socks are a fine-tuned com­bi­na­tion of Scan­di­na­vian design and Ital­ian arti­san crafts. The founder Math­ias shared some of his thoughts about the com­pany for this mini inter­view.

Math­ias and Karin of Berg&Berg

Mash­mar­ket: What is your his­tory? How did you end up find­ing a com­pany of your own in the mid­dle of the finan­cial downturn?

Berg&Berg: Well, we did not first and fore­most think of the finan­cials when set­ting this com­pany up. This was just some­thing we wanted to do, and we did not want to post­pone it just because of the world econ­omy. The recep­tion from cus­tomers in both Europe and the States shows that we were right to start the com­pany now. When the econ­omy gets bet­ter, well, that means even bet­ter growth prospects. But we did not do this to retire rich; we did it because we wanted to cre­ate a col­lec­tion of stuff we wanted to wear ourselves.

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MM: The pro­duc­tion? How would you describe/defend hand­made qual­ity prod­ucts and their value vs. mass production?

B&B: After doing a lot of research on man­u­fac­tur­ers, we knew we had to do this in Italy. I think we found the guys who are really the mas­ters of their respec­tive niches. For instance, our ties are hand­made in Naples and our wool scarves are made where they really know wool, Biella in Piemonte. Work­ing with those peo­ple is what makes this fun: We bring a very clear vision of what a Berg&Berg prod­uct is to the table. Our part­ners turn those visions into reality.

MM: Biggest inspi­ra­tions? How do you go about turn­ing them into qual­ity products?

B&B: I believe we take a Scan­di­na­vian approach to high-end acces­sories. We like the clean clas­sic stuff, both fresh and sub­dued colours and in tra­di­tional pat­terns. Our inspi­ra­tions come from a wide range of sources; every­thing from the min­i­mal­ist Scan­di­na­vian brands to JFK, Ivy League, Grace Kelly and Gianni Agnelli. The brand is really a reflec­tion of our own taste.

MM: How’s your future look­ing like? Where do you want to from here?

B&B: I think we have had a fly­ing start, with repeated cus­tomers all over the world. Of course we want to expand the prod­uct line, maybe move into leather goods. After some time, maybe you will see Berg&Berg show­ing up in selected stores around the world. Time will tell.

MM: Any­thing else you’d like peo­ple to hear?

B&B: We are really proud and excited of our fall/winter col­lec­tion. Great tex­tures, nice mate­ri­als and bit more sub­dued col­ors. One tip guys, check out the unlined wool and wool/silk ties. And girls, check out the cash­mere shawls!

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