Moz Sweden: Playful elk design from Sweden, loved across the world

Rooted in the Swedish way of life, Moz Sweden is the lifestyle brand that gave birth to the beloved elk, or moose, design. Massively popular across the world, in particular in Asia, this charming figure can be seen in design shops and souvenir boutiques, and has a massive following online.

The story of Moz Sweden is nothing but spectacular. Born from the idea of a playful elk design, the Swedish brand is now as well-known as Moomin and Hello Kitty in some parts of the world. But let us start from the beginning.

In 1996, entrepreneur Anders Bylin founded Färg & Form, a design company offering interior décor details and gift items. Two years later, he came up with the elk design, initially just intended as a logotype, which gave birth to Moz Sweden.

Products such as coffee mugs, kitchen towels, napkins and fridge magnets were added to the range, and immediate success followed. Nowadays, annual retail sales of the Swedish brand’s products reaches around 1 billion SEK world-wide.

The Swedish way of life

A creative spirit, Bylin has always nurtured a love for nature, as also reflected in his designs with animal themes. “The Swedish way of life tends to be close to nature, with our right to public access to nature being an important part of culture,” he says. “Ever since I was a child, I have spent a lot of time in nature and created things by hand. Moz was inspired by the memory of meeting an elk one day – the king of the forest.”

The simple, clean Scandinavian design reflects the idea of being close to nature, and close to each other. “Swedes love spending time in nature, and many of us enjoy holidays in the countryside, in close proximity to the wind, the birds and the water,” says Bylin. “But we also love feeling the buzz of the city, meeting friends at restaurants and cafés, enjoying the pulse of something bigger. It’s the perfect balance between the quiet outdoors and the vibrant city life.”

Big in Japan and beyond

The Japanese market showed a keen interest in the brand early on, in particular following the Ambiente consumer goods trade fair in Frankfurt, Germany – the world’s largest fair for interior design with over 100,000 visitors from around the world. Moz Sweden is as well-known in Japan these days as Moomin and Marimekko, if not more.

“The playful elk figure has a positive connotation and, overall, Japan has a positive view of Scandinavia,” means Bylin. “In many ways, I think Sweden and Japan go hand in hand. When I visited Japan, I realised that things went so smoothly and people were calm, similarly to Sweden.”

Even though the elk is not a character as such, like for instance Hello Kitty – true to the Japanese kawaii style, which emphasises cuteness – or Tove Jansson’s Moomin, there is something adorable about the innocent playfulness of the figure that catches people’s attention. The designer reflects; “Sweden has a lot of elk-inspired souvenir products, but our elk is a bit different. It has a cleaner expression that stands out in the market, more design-focused.”

Joyful world-wide ambitions

In Asia, the popularity has spread also to Taiwan, South Korea and Hong Kong, and Moz Sweden is in the process of establishing itself in China. “Our business in Asia exceeds the rest of the world by far, and the brand is constantly growing overall,” says Bylin. “What an amazing journey it has been so far, and I’m excited that Moz Sweden continues to grow with more products, more markets, and more licensees around the world.”

Moz Sweden continues to offers products for a joyful life, from interior décor to clothing and outdoor essentials, with a green vision at heart. “We are on a constant journey to make our products sustainable and green, and to make it easy for you to make sustainable choices,” concludes Bylin.

Web: mozsweden.com
Instagram: @mozsweden
Facebook: moz sweden