Mads Nørgaard (*1961) is the family's third generation of retailers and designers.
Mads' grandfather Matthes Mathias founded the shop on Strøget in 1944 but died the following year from his WWI injuries. Matthew was born in the southern part of Jutland, then part of Germany, and fought on both fronts for the Germans.
Matthes opened Sørgemagasinet on June 6, 1944, selling clothes for mourning. The shop continued after he passed but transitioned to selling fabric by the meter as the times changed.
Mads' father, Jørgen (1930-2020), was trained in the business and bought the shop in 1959. He and his wife Ellen – Mads' mother – transformed the troubled fabric retailer into a happening, transcultural shop in dialogue with the emerging younger generations, the youth rebellion and the women's liberation of the sixties and seventies. Alongside their own designs, the shop was one of the first in Denmark and the region to sell the latest fashion from 'swinging' London and Paris.
Mads opened his first shop in 1986, which only sold menswear and his own small collection to begin with. After a few seasons, he expanded into womenswear and started working with Jørgen. They eventually merged the shops while keeping the businesses separate.
Mads bought Jørgen's shop in 2011 and has since expanded the business by opening more shops, venturing into e-commerce, and much more.
Mads is married to Cecilie/Sille and together they have two children, Nova and Vitus. They live on a houseboat in the Copenhagen harbour.
Legally the business is split in two. The shops on Strøget are owned solely by Mads, while Mads Nørgaard - Copenhagen is owned by Mads and his business partner Managing Director Jacob Østergaard Andersen Bing.
