Scan Magazine | Design Profile | Barberians
Left: 26-year-old Martin Mollerup is the man behind Barberians, a successful new Danish skincare brand for men. Top right: With a full range of nature-based stylish products and shaving gear, Barberians is bringing back the forgotten art of nurturing a beard – and the skin underneath.
How to tame your inner barbarian As any visitor to Copenhagen will know, recent years have seen a noticeable rise in the popularity of the wild-man, or hipster, beard. This new trend has also brought about a renewed focus on the old-fashioned art of shaving, grooming and facial care for men in general. Headed up by the 26-year-old Copenhagener Martin Mollerup, the nature-based face care brand Barberians is leading the way with products that focus on the pleasure of using high-quality beard, skin and scent products. By Signe Hansen | Photos: Barberians
Over the years, beards have served many different purposes for men. At the dawn of times, the main function of a beard was to keep you warm while, later on, Vikings, or barbarians, grew massive beards to intimidate the enemy. Today the beard is a symbol of masculinity, used to express fashion sensibility and status. But keeping a beard and nursing your skin, be it a full Viking do, a small stylish moustache or a cleanly shaven chin, is an art form that has been neglected in Denmark for many years, says founder of Barberians, Martin Mollerup: “We are the first in Scandinavia with an original full-range shaving and grooming brand, including gear, grooming, hair and 16 | Issue 92 | September 2016
fragrance. Our team of developers are experimenting left, right and centre, and rediscovering some of the many products that haven’t been produced for decades in Denmark. It’s the meeting of the barbarian and the man of today.” The idea behind Barberians arose when Mollerup was studying in California, where the American shaving culture has seen a massive revival. Being an ingrained Copenhagener, Mollerup was adamant that all Barberians’ products had to originate in Copenhagen. Besides, all products are based on organic and natural ingredients, and tools are made in a stylish Scandinavian design while
elegantly adhering to the traditional. But that does not mean that the fellow ‘barberians’ will have to spend hours in front of the mirror. “Barberians is about more than a beard; we want to make it masculine to take care of yourself. We want to make it an enjoyable experience to get ready in the morning or for a night out, do your hair, moisturise and put on a personal fragrance. Of course, many might think that this is something that will take hours, but that’s not the case. It’s just a question of making it a part of your lifestyle, and in reality it only takes a couple of minutes more than when you use regular products, and your body and soul – not to mention your partner – will appreciate it very much,” Mollerup rounds off.
For more information please visit: www.barberianscph.dk