A.W. BAUER & CO: THE LEADING NAME IN SWEDISH BESPOKE TAILORING

A.W. Bauer & Co, or Bauer as the firm is more famously known, is the pre-eminent Swedish tailoring house with a long and illustrious history serving royalty and Scandinavian gentleman for more than 150 years. The firm has been given new life following the eventual takeover by young entrepreneurial Swedish tailors seeking to reinvigorate the appeal of bespoke craftsmanship but bringing a modern twist to the house’s traditional approach.

From their refined studio and showroom in Stockholm’s Brunnsgatan, an elegant street in Stockholm’s old city centre and in the heart of the city’s prime retail district, Bauer greets old and new customers keen to engage the country’s only remaining bespoke tailor and shirtmaker.

The firm has continued this tradition since its foundation in 1863 by Julius W. Bauer. The firm remained a bastion of the traditional sartorial landscape of conservative Sweden and the exalted clients whose names filled the house’s order books. For much of the brand’s history it remained a rarified and genteel outfitters akin to the oldest of the Savile Row tailors.

A.W. Bauer & Co has long-been associated with the Swedish Royal Court, outfitting and cutting bespoke garments for various members of the Swedish Royal Family including the King of Sweden. Indeed, such was the King’s admiration for the house that, following a number of commissions, the firm was issued a Royal Warrant acknowledging them as Purveyors to the Court (Kunglig Hovleverantör). The Bauer house held that distinct honour for a number of years, adding to their prestige and reputation.

Typical of such a firm, the brand relied heavily on legacy customers, with many of their clients having inherited their tailor of choice over generations: their father was fitted by Bauer, as was his father and so on. Those in the know were familiar with the brand and little in the way of marketing was needed.

Whilst this approach had suited the firm (excuse the pun) over many decades, changing consumer habits would shift away from the stuffier old menswear houses towards high fashion brands and unconventional tailoring houses. Coupled with the rise of mass produced suiting and the shift to business casual attire and relaxed dress codes, the firm experienced a slow but steady decline through the 1980s, 1990s and into the 2000s. Bauer had witnessed the demise of every other bespoke tailor in Sweden over its history and remained the last true bespoke house left.

Their survival was testament to the tailoring house’s adherence to high quality materials and attention to detail honed from years of catering to the most demanding and selective clientele in Scandinavia. However, under the stewardship of Borje Moberg, the firm looked to be coming to its natural end with demand being in terminal decline whilst costs continued to rise. Privately, he and his team were considering closing the brand down in the early 2010s. Moberg was a renowned tailor, a master of his craft and easily the most expert bespoke clothier in Sweden. He had his dedicated customers and brought in many new clients, but traditional Swedish sensibilities that had historically defined attire choices had been displaced by a more casual, more performance-oriented fashion.

Fortunately, it would be at this time that a young and ambitious Frederik Andersen would present himself before Moberg, seeking to study the sartorial arts under his masterful eye. Andersen had extensive tailoring experience, having been engaged in the production of theatrical costumes. However, the snooty world of bespoke tailoring tended to view theatrical costumiers poorly as stage outfits were often designed to a very different specification than high-end custom suits. Andersen was rebuffed but would return, repeatedly, until Bauer acquiesced and arranged for him to regularly come in and support the team whilst learning the craft.

Over the months, Andersen would apprentice for Bauer, learning the house’s specialist techniques and honing his craft, drafting and cutting patterns and delivering bespoke, handmade suits to the firm’s exclusive clients. Andersen would also learn that management was planning to close down the storied house.

Eager to continue the tradition and to rejuvenate Sweden’s most important tailoring house, Andersen partnered with Martin Ekolin and the two proposed to takeover the house. Over the following decade, the two partners would acquire ownership of the firm, completing their acquisition when Moberg retired in 2014.

Under their direction, the firm would embrace bold and innovative designs, referencing Andersen’s background in costume design, the brand would begin to attract new, younger customers, many of whom would be entirely new to the bespoke tailoring experience.

The company’s store would be modernised whilst still respecting its heritage, adhering to a design aesthetic that resembles a private members’ club crossed with scenes from a Ralph Lauren catalog. Cosy, clean with a hint of whimsy, the showrooms are distinctively Scandinavian and fun.

Andersen and Ekolin have been at the helm since then and the firm has thrived as customers seek out individualistic, custom apparel, perfectly designed and cut to their unique silhouette. The house has further grown to offer a bespoke shirtmaking service and produces their own range of accessories and other tailored and casualwear pieces.

A.W. Bauer & Co welcomes new customers, however visits are strictly by appointment only so please get in touch in advance. The Bauer showroom also displays a range of ready-to-wear items that customers may peruse and purchase. The company does not offer an online sales option. Nonetheless, some Bauer items do appear on secondary retail sites, new or pre-owned (with some of the older silhouettes being quite popular amongst buyers of vintage tailored pieces).

Have you visited the team at Bauer? How was your experience? If you’ve had a piece commissioned, our readers would be delighted to know what you think.

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