Author name: Odalisque

Building a Brand with Soul: Henrik Berg on the Story Behind MORJAS Ulrika Lindqvist For Henrik Berg, founder of premium footwear label MORJAS, the magic lies in the details — not just in the shoes, but in the entire brand experience. From a Stockholm apartment stacked with boxes to a flagship store and a newly launched women’s line, Berg shares how frustration became fuel, how timelessness trumps trend, and why good design should always leave a lasting impression. Ulrika Lindqvist: Can you tell us how long you’ve been working in accessory design and what originally inspired you to pursue a career in this field?Henrik Berg: MORJAS was launched in 2017 and I worked on it 1.5-2 years before launching so I’ve been in the business for about 10 years.I’ve always been drawn to the full experience of a brand, not only product design, but the whole spectrum of the brand universe. From visual aesthetics to materials, silhouettes and packaging and so on. To me, it’s important to blend a variety of ingredients that together create a memorable taste.This has been with me since a young age, I’ve been interested in both aesthetics (furniture, architecture, art, music, style) and business and how the two worlds can interact. The two don’talways overlap naturally, but when they do, it’s really interesting.My first real career experience came from working at Maria Nila, a beauty brand where I launched the brand globally working as an Export Manager. It was stimulating to work with the full scope of brand building, from product to storytelling to customer experience. Again, the full scope of a brand is something that has remained my core since. UL: What motivated you to found MORJAS?HB: I was a frustrated customer. Period. I was a customer of high-quality shoes, but kept running into the same frustrating experience where I didn’t think that the value you received matched the price you paid – from product to brand experience. That disconnect between product and brand, price and service, became a frustration I couldn’t shake. MORJAS was born out of that tension. I wanted to create a brand that didn’t just deliver great shoes, but gave you the feeling of being taken care of, from start to finish. UL: Please tell us about the process in creating the SS25 collection.HB: SS25 is the most extensive collection we’ve released so far. We’ve focused more on casual styles this season, including sneakers and boat shoes. Every new season begins with the team sharing product ideas and design proposals. We look at the collection as a whole and ask what’s missing, what can be improved, and what adds value. We’ve always prioritised refining what we have before adding new styles. This year is no exception, with an updated boat shoe, a new deck shoe, and a complete redesign of The Trainer. UL: Can you walk us through a typical workday?HB: No day looks the same, which is part of the appeal. We’re a team of fourteen, so I stay close to most parts of the business. I hold meetings, sync with different teams, and try to carve out time for creative and strategic work. That could be researching products, outlining a new campaign, or shaping future steps. The energy at the office and the people around me are a big source of inspiration. UL: How do you view trends in the world of accessories—would you say you follow them, or goyour own way?HB: We observe trends, but we’re not driven by them. Style, to me, is separate from fashion. It lasts longer. The aim is always to create pieces that feel relevant today but still resonate in five or ten years. That’s why we spend time refining shapes, silhouettes, and materials over time. We want things to age well. UL: What is your favourite piece from the collection?HB: The Penny Loafer will always hold a special place. It was the first shoe we launched back in 2017, and still feels like the anchor of the brand. It’s traditional but distinctive, with a balance between Swedish design and Spanish soul. Right now, I’ve been wearing the new boat shoe in taupe nubuck on repeat. And once summer hits, I’ll basically live in The Espadrille and our unlined penny loafers. UL: What would you say are the three core values of MORJAS?HB: Deliver WOW. Be kind. Take action. These values shape how we operate, how we treat each other, and how we interact with customers. UL: How would you describe the MORJAS customer?HB: Curious, detail-oriented, and quietly confident. They appreciate quality, but they don’t need to shout about it. There’s a shared mindset among many of them: people who care about the small things, how something feels, how it’s made, how it’s presented — because those things say something without saying too much. UL: Please tell us a memorable moment from your journey with MORJAS?HB: There are honestly too many to mention. The first day I launched will always be a strong memory. I had about 200-250 pair of shoes from floor to ceiling in my small apartment and orders came flooding in and I had not even thought about getting a printer to print the shipping labels. So mywife ran down to the store and bought one and I kept packing like a maniac. We were very lucky to sell out the first batch in the first week which was an overwhelming response.Another one was when I and my dear friend and photographer Abraham Engelmark got our way into Italy during Covid to portray John Goldberger (AKA Auro Montanari) for his first brand story ever. It was our first major campaign and to date still one of the best we’ve done. When we opened our first flagship store in Stockholm, Casa MORJAS, in 2023 was another big moment. More recently, launching MORJAS Women has been one of the biggest milestones in our journey.Seeing the response and excitement around it has been incredibly rewarding. UL: What are your plans for the future for MORJAS?HB: To continue refining what we’ve built. That means listening to our customers, evolving with purpose, and staying focused on long-term value. We’re not in a rush. The aim is to build something that lasts

An Interview with Celeste Lee Arendse: The Interworkings of Her Craft text Natalia Muntean Janae: What inspired you to start Selfi?Celeste: Growing up, my sister and I used to draw on every surface we could find. Both my parents were in the fashion industry, so industry talk was always an essential part of the conversation at dinner. Along with that, I was really interested in art and started drawing from a young age, as well as customising existing old clothes. I think it definitely started early, and many of those moments led me to become a designer today. J: What goals did you have in creating your first collection?C: I saw a niche of creative women in industry who were not wearing office wear to work but attire that can blend from day to dinner, or for lack of a better word, creating more transient clothes. I was interested in the modern career women who have a love for travel, great food, and who appreciate art and design in Cape Town at the time. J: When it comes to fabrics, what are the ones that you really enjoy using? And why?C: With each collection, we strive to incorporate fabrics that are kinder to the environment. The fabrics we like to use are cotton twill, ramie linen, rayon linen, hemp, and sometimes silk. We examine the amount of water used in the production of our fabrics, considering whether it contributes to microfibre pollution or greenhouse gas emissions, and how long it will take to decompose after purchase. All these factors have led us to select the most eco-friendly plant-based fibers carefully. J: What role does sustainability play in your brand?C: The fashion industry produces a lot of waste season after season. Disposing of mock trials, samples, and fabrics that are no longer needed by design houses. With the dumping of these waste textiles, toxic chemicals are released into the environment and break down into the soil when they are buried. Every season, we donate all our mock trials and samples to St Anne’s home for abused women and children in Woodstock, Cape Town, and Emmanuel Children’s Day Care Centre in Atlantis. Here, the textiles we donate get repurposed and used for skill development through craft and sewing. J: How do you approach functionality and creativity with your collections?C: It’s important to me to create clothes that are authentic but not intimidating or uncomfortable to wear. Clothes that are both durable and body-shaping are essential. We often redesign silhouettes season after season that fit well, and we will make slight changes in collar or pocket details J: Could you tell me more about how you incorporate African culture and identity into your work?C: Self-identity and culture are all about identity. In previous collections, we have drawn inspiration from indigenous tribes, such as the San people of South Africa, and explored the herbs and rituals they used for healing purposes. Weed colours and textures from these elements have been incorporated into our collections and lookbooks. We have also incorporated rock art female body silhouettes into knitwear pieces we have designed to celebrate the San people’s body and the curvaceous nature of the South African female form. We have also had a dress called the Ostrich Egg dress, which was quilted to resemble an ostrich egg used by the San People for drinking. J: What kind of woman or person do you have in mind when you design pieces for Selfi? C: We design with the modern global woman who loves to travel, great food, and who appreciates art and design. She is self-aware, conscious, and is rooted in exploring herself, always striving to be the best version of herself. J: Can you shed some light on your connection between your brand and the charities you work with? C: Every season, we donate all our mock trials and samples to St Anne’s home for abused women and children in Woodstock, Cape Town, and Emmanuel Children’s Day Care Centre in Atlantis. Here, the textiles we donate get repurposed and used for skill development through craft and sewing. J: What makes Selfi stand out in the South African fashion landscape?C: It’s always been important to me to create a band with a purpose rooted in self-empowerment. Clothes with a mission that can raise the vibration of my environment, may it be through the people who make the clothes, to the women who wear them, or how it affects the earth. It’s all one chain; everything is connected. With this mindset, that is what makes us different. J: What is next for Selfi?C: I wish to do more collaborations with like-minded brands. Creating authentic experiences around fashion based on connection and high vibration experiences locally and internationally.