The Masai Clothing Company was founded in 1992 by siblings Nina and Hans Rye in Copenhagen. The company developed as a strongly value-oriented family business. In 2015, the company's shares were sold to an investment fund. In 2020, the company changed owners again.

Since December 1, 2020, Henrik Steensgaard has been leading the company as CEO. The former investment banker was most recently the CEO of the well-known furniture brand Hay and brings many years of experience in the consumer goods sector.

"I am very excited to take over a strong brand like Masai and to continue developing it both domestically and internationally," said Henrik Steensgaard. "I enjoy working with products that can improve the lives of customers. All of this I have found in the Masai brand."

A Strong Brand Identity

Masai appeals to an older customer base and offers fashion that is thoughtfully created. "Masai offers a very relevant product to its customers," says Henrik Steensgaard. "That is why the brand also enjoys an extremely high customer loyalty."

Masai designs clothing that appeals to customers on many levels. Naturally, the appearance of the collections is of utmost importance, but a lot of attention is also given to the inner values. The brand has a very high recognition value. "We are known for our beautiful hand-painted prints," raves the CEO. "We also create outerwear that is both flattering and comfortable to wear. We want our customers to not only look good but also feel comfortable."

Exclusivity is a priority at Masai. "We want to appeal to all women with our designs," adds Henrik Steensgaard. "We are inspired by women of all ages and body types."

Sustainability is Not a Fashion Trend

Sustainability is not seen as a fleeting fashion trend, but as an important part of the company's philosophy. About two-thirds of the products can claim to be sustainable in some form. "The fashion industry has a great responsibility towards the environment, which deserves more than just lip service," emphasizes Henrik Steensgaard. "As a company, we want to contribute our part."

For this purpose, Masai has examined the UN's sustainability goals and committed to four of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals. "These goals represent the areas where we might have the largest negative impacts on our surroundings, and therefore also the areas where we have the greatest opportunity to make real and significant improvements," explains Henrik Steensgaard. Here, Masai is pioneering.

The company is the first Danish fashion brand that aims for full traceability of its main fiber viscose. Through the partnership existing since 2019 (FSC® C152037) with FSC® Denmark, Masai strives to achieve FSC certification by 2022 for all viscose garments.

An International Brand

In an extremely competitive industry, Masai has also successfully positioned itself in the international market. Today, the clothing is sold in more than 1,300 independent multi-brand stores and department stores in 25 countries, as well as in 13 own boutiques in Denmark.

Besides Denmark, the United Kingdom, Germany, and the USA are Masai's largest markets. "In Germany, we have an independent sales organization with showrooms in Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Munich, and Sindelfingen," describes Henrik Steensgaard. "We are also present with separate online shops in the various national markets. Furthermore, we are active in wholesale."

A Difficult Year

As for many other companies, the last year was a challenge. "Corona has hit the fashion industry in general and brick-and-mortar retail in particular very hard," confirms the CEO. "Masai has weathered the crisis relatively well, but we too had to accept losses. For us, the challenge for the future lies in aligning our online business with brick-and-mortar sales and wholesale. We need to earn the respect of our wholesale customers by also respecting their business. However, an end to the lockdown is in sight. This makes us very confident."