Andersen-Andersen was founded in 2009 by Cathrine Lundgren-Andersen and Peter Kjaer-Andersen, when the husband-and-wife-team had the idea to create a durable and classic sailor sweater. Cathrine’s background in product development and Peter’s in art direction is fused together with a strong belief in craftsmanship - a collaboration which has proven to be a winning combination. Their products are all made in Italy from 100% merino wool using extra spun fibres and the brand is sold in some of the best stores in the world, Japan being their strongest current market.
The duo recently moved in to a new studio which overlooks the Copenhagen harbour and which is conveniently close to their beloved boat.
We met up with Peter and Cathrine to get answers to a few questions of ours.
How did you end up wanting to make knitwear?
We found a vintage sailor sweater at a second hand shop and just loved the feel and look of it. We also loved imagining its history and the places it had been prior to being found by us in the shop. The idea and life of this old sailor's sweater inspired us to create our own reinterpreted version of this classic garment, one that was made to last. We thought to ourselves; let’s make the world’s best sailor sweater.
What is your most important task in life and in your work?
In life, our most important task is to be good people and ensure our family is happy. In work we produce sweaters that come in the best possible quality, that's our bottom line. We also ensure that we are true to ourselves in whatever task we perform, never cutting corners in any part of our process.
What is your most important source of inspiration in your work and or life?
We find inspiration is many aspects of life, specifically art, history and good craftsmanship in all areas of life and culture. It’s important to always be invigorated by beauty whether it’s produced by a person or by nature. We are also heavily shaped by traditional maritime culture and the knitting traditions that were produced in the past as well as the craftsmanship of days gone by.
What is your favourite occupation at the moment?
At the moment, we are working on the new lookbook for our upcoming sailor sweater collection. We love producing our sweaters and put a lot of creative energy and effort into the catalogue for promotional purposes.
What is your relation to Goods and or Kasper the owner of Goods?
We remember his first location, when Goods was very new in a modest basement on Classensgade. Already then we knew that something good and special was happening. Kasper really has a talent for selecting amazing international brands. He is both skilled and hardworking. We are proud to be part of his established shop here in Copenhagen.
What makes your partnership with Goods relevant for you and your business?
There is a certain synergy between his clientele and our product, it’s a great fit. We are also extremely happy to see Andersen-Andersen sweaters presented so well in his beautiful shop. Beyond the handsome interior, and curated feel of the shop, the location is perfect, placed in an ideal neighborhood right by the beautiful lakes in Copenhagen.
What’s your favorite place in Copenhagen?
Our favorite place would have to be on our boat, which is docked in Frederiksholms Kanal. We often sit there and drink coffee in the morning with a historic view over the Marble Bridge and Christiansborg - the houses of parliament.