CV
FULL NAME—Mads Mathias Nørgaard.
BORN—25.04.61 in Copenhagen, Denmark
ORIGIN—Norwegian mother, Danish father
Married to Cecilie Nørgaard and father of two children.

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1982-86 — Literature and social studies at Copenhagen and Roskilde universities. Whilst studying, Mads worked in various fashion related areas as well as arranging independent art exhibitions in galleries.

1986 — Mads establishes his independent shop, MADS NØRGAARD on the pedestrian street ‘Strøget’ in the main area of Copenhagen. The shop specialises exclusively in men’s fashion. From the beginning he also introduces some of his own designs in the shop.

1987-88 — Mads opens ‘Nørgaard under Jorden‘ (Nørgaard under Ground) in partnership with his father, Jørgen Nørgaard. ‘Nørgaard under Jorden’ was a combination of second hand and high fashion clothes and accessories for both men and women.

1989 — Mads, together with his father Jørgen Nørgaard, disbands ‘Nørgaard under Jorden’ and opens the café: ‘Café Europa 1989’ in May of the same year. ‘Café Europa 1989’ is their tribute to the Europe that was abused both through the cold war and the European community debate.

1990 — The original shop ‘Mads Nørgaard’ expands in size. Mads also starts working with women’s wear for ‘Nørgaard paa Strøget’, owned by Jørgen Nørgaard.

1995 — Mads expands his own designs and establishes his own show room above the shop at ‘Strøget’. His first collection is men’s clothing only, under the name ‘Mads Nørgaard – Copenhagen’.

1996 — The women’s collection is introduced in May 1996, and is sold elsewhere than Mads’ own shop. It has four collections per year: spring, summer, autumn, winter.

2001 — The Mads Nørgaard – Copenhagen collections are shown and sold internationally.

2005 — Mads holds his first major fashion show in August; the first of three in the Christiania-trilogy. This is held in the Grey Hall at the free town Christiania in Copenhagen.

2007 —In March 2007 the ballet called American Mixture has its world premiere. Mads Nørgaard designed the costumes as part of an invitation by the Royal Ballet in 2006. It consists of 3 individual ballets and Mads Nørgaard designs for the last and longest called Rhapsody – a ballet concert where Nicolo Fonte is the choreographer and the recognized rock band Kira and the Kindred Spirits play live on stage.

2008 — Mads is invited to design for iGoogle. He designs four personal interfaces or “skins”. Among the other designers invited are Phillip Starck, Coldplay, Jackie Chan, House of Dagmar, Ivana Helsinki, Lance Armstrong, Oscar de la Renta, Dolce & Gabbana & Diane von Furstenberg. Mads also designs the visual identity for the album ‘Sound of Copenhagen’ by the DJ’s Kjeld Tolstrup and Le Gammeltoft. The album is launched during Copenhagen Fashion Week in August. Mads also introduces a 100% organic underwear line for men as the first Danish designer to do so.

2009 — In September 2009 Mads Nørgaard makes a T-shirt collaboration with the artist Garder Eide Eimarsson in connection to the exhibition The World is Yours at Louisiana art gallery (The World is Yours 5th of September – 10th of January 2010).

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In addition to these activities Mads writes articles, reviews, designs for events and theatre, does lectures, exhibits and is a member of several committees:

1993–2005 Member of KCC/Copenhagen City Centre’s management committee.


1994-95 Member of Montmartre’s management committee.


1994 exhibition ‘Fashion of the future’ (on the ferry to Kronborg).


1995 exhibition ‘Danish Design Now’ (Sophienholm).


1996 exhibition ‘Hyper Hall’ (Øksnehallen).


1996 Member of the committee for the concert hall and club ‘Vega – House Of music’.


1996 Joint organiser of the art exhibition ‘Update’ from March – April 1996 in the Turbinehalle in Copenhagen for the ‘Copenhagen – cultural capital of Europe’.


1997- Member of the Roskilde Selection Committee for the Roskilde Festival.


1997-1998 Member of the management committee for the cultural fund Ministry of Culture.


1999-2005 Member of the WoCos council, KCC + WoCo.


2001 Chief-Editor of the first Danish encyclopaedia of fashion, Fra Couture til Kaos – From Couture to Chaos, Politikens Forlag 2002.


2005- Member of Danish Design Council, as the only clothes designer.


2006-2007 Founding member of Danish Fashion Institute and member of the board.