Since its inception in 2007, Burg&Schild has become a byword for quality, authenticity, and style in the world of menswear. The aesthetic they created and the goods they carry set the benchmark for stores of similar ilk.
They were among the first to offer their kind of product range in combination with a quality of service that sees customers become friends and the store a hangout for like minded folks.
Living in Berlin, it is easy to forget how lucky you are to have access to a store like Burg&Schild. It’s hard to find something like it elsewhere.
Obviously, I have a very personal attachment to Burg&Schild – and I’m thrilled to bring you the news that everything I love about the physical store is now available for purchase online.
It was in Burg&Schild I first came into contact with top quality denim – although it would be a few years until I became aware what that really meant.
When I did, it was the natural choice for me when buying my first quality denim item.
Even though I was well into breaking in my first pair of raw denims, the act of buying something in Burg&Schild felt like a rite of passage.
I’d arrived, still on the shore, but on my way.
Before we go any further on the topic of the online store, I’d like to bring us all up to speed on the current state of affairs.
Since the two friends Shane Brandenburg and Kay Knipschild founded Burg&Schild, the store has grown and evolved into the mecca it is today.
Along the way Kay brought Red Wing to Berlin, Hamburg, and more recently Munich while Burg&Schild continued to serve up ‘clothes not costumes for real men.’
At the beginning of 2013, the two friends parted ways – at least in business. The split was totally amicable and for the simple reason that one was into boots, while the other was into the rest of the outfit. As Shane puts it himself:
“Kay was the boot guy, while I was the denim guy.”
This kind of pragmatism can be found in all aspects of Burg&Schild, from the items on offer, the service to the general philosophy underpinning the whole venture. It was also carried over when venturing into the virtual marketplace.
Shane will be the first to admit that he’s not an “online person.”
So when setting up the webstore he made a pragmatic choice and handed the business over to a company with the skills necessary to do this right.
This means we get the best of both worlds.
Shane as the curator of the products on offer with the service, skill and infrastructure from people who know the online world inside and out.
Over the years, Shane found that a lot of the Burg&Schild customers were not necessarily from Berlin:
“Berlin is a tourist city. Our customers were always asking if we were online or if you could send the stuff. Now just seemed like the right time to give our out-of-town customers the opportunity to buy our goods online. Giving them the same experience and service, just in the online world.”
With Shane consulting, the developers have worked hard over the last 11 months – and the results are astonishing. I can honestly say, I have never seen a bricks and mortar place translated into the virtual world so well.
Like the physical store, the website is the result of Shane knowing exactly what he wants and compromising on nothing.
The moment you open the front page this full screen video sets the scene.
It puts the clothing and gear into the context of Burg&Schild. When you enter the online store itself, the lookbook and the navigation all gives you the same feeling; the same atmosphere as being in the shop itself.
The products are given the same space, pictured next to each other they compliment and don’t compete.
While stocking the webstore Shane took the opportunity to get back to his roots; defining things that he finds timeless and essential. And he keeps a strong relationship with the brands he carries:
“Partnerships are very important for us. We know and admire the people we work with. Everything is made in the US, Japan or Europe. No ‘Made in China’ brands.”
The relationships he has fostered has allowed Shane to collaborate with a number of brands over the years.
The latest Burg&Schild collaboration comes from For Holding Up The Trousers, the Copenhagen based belt and braces manufacturer. The collection consists of three belts; all handcrafted by the founder Morten Kristensen.
Another recent collaboration is with ROOKTOWN Revived of Sweden, the Rooktown x Burg & Schild Biker Bag:
“This is really what motivates me, working with people who are really, really into what they do. Everything hand crafted, by one person from start to finish.”
Shane also lets slip the upcoming collaboration between Burg&Schild and Indigofera.
“Iconic Items. Purpose Made.”
This collection of 6 pieces is inspired by his strong passion for motorbikes. Each piece being the definitive iteration of that particular garment.
Shane did not get into the specifics, but we can imagine that the collection will be a full outfit – maybe an accessory in there for good measure.
No matter what it’s bound to be cool, and rest assured that we will bring it to you as soon as we know the full story.
As I said, I have a strong personal attachment to Burg&Schild as a physical place. Therefore, I was slightly worried that the store’s venture into the virtual world would cause a loss of its authenticity.
Ten seconds on the website made me totally forget my trepidation, it was exciting and immersive. As close to the real thing as it is possible to be.
Head over there for yourselves – you will not be disappointed.
2 comments
…”clothes, not costumes, for real men.”
I love pure denim, old trucks, and retro stuff of all sorts, but I cannot help thinking that this is a Berlin costume party with “A Mythical America” theme. The bearded dudes in their urban lumberjack/easy rider duds are free to riff off that old CCR/HA lookbook all day long, but the talk of “authenticity” here is just as silly as the idea that men are made “real” by menswear.
Cool article. Love the new blog design!