TANN visits bespoke tailor Maximilian Mogg

There are tailors who make suits, and there are tailors who build worlds around them. Maximilian Mogg belongs firmly to the latter category.

His atelier sits quietly in Berlin, but its reach extends far beyond the city, with permanent locations in Cologne, London and New York, and regular trunk shows in Zurich, Los Angeles, Hamburg and Vienna. The aesthetic is unmistakably British. Strong shoulders, generous lapels, long jackets and a deep appreciation for the traditions of Savile Row. Yet what makes Mogg interesting is not simply his tailoring. It is his relentless curiosity. A conversation about jackets quickly becomes one about interiors, architecture, aesthetics, rituals and the pursuit of refinement in everyday life.

We visited Maximilian at his Berlin atelier to talk about style, craftsmanship, routines and why elegance is less about clothes and way more about intention.

TANN: Many readers will know your work already, but for those who don't: who are you and what exactly do you do?

MM: My name is Maximilian Mogg. I'm 34 years old and the founder of the tailoring house that bears my name. We currently have ateliers in Berlin, Cologne, London and New York, and through trunk shows we're also present in Zurich, Los Angeles, Hamburg and Vienna.

We make bespoke clothing for both women and men, as well as the accessories that accompany it.

The answer arrives matter-of-factly, but it quickly becomes clear that Mogg's business was never about simply supplying suits.

TANN: Who typically comes to you?

MM: Interestingly, relatively young people. That's probably the most obvious pattern. They tend to understand the English aesthetic we're built around. At the end of the day it's a very classic style, rooted in Savile Row tailoring, but with influences from the thirties and seventies.

People don't come because they simply need a suit. They come because they're genuinely interested in clothing and have already spent time thinking about it.

When Mogg founded the company, many Germans didn't even realise bespoke tailoring was available domestically. His response was radical in its simplicity.

"We decided to create a clear house style. This is what we do. Take it or leave it."

TANN: Are you a trained tailor yourself?

MM: No. I've sewn maybe twice in my life and not particularly well.

I've been obsessed with menswear since I was fifteen. Back then I was buying and selling vintage ties and vintage suits, often altering them for customers. What fascinated me was the process of restoring garments.

An Anderson & Sheppard suit should still look like an Anderson & Sheppard suit. A Huntsman suit should still look like a Huntsman suit.

I've always cared deeply about preserving the original intent.

That sensitivity to heritage runs through almost everything Mogg does.

Even when discussing customers, he refuses the notion of a "typical" body type.

TANN: You once made a dinner jacket for (German comedian) Felix Lobrecht. How do you approach a client who doesn't necessarily fit the classic tailoring silhouette?

MM: I don't really believe in a typical body type.

Every body is different and tailoring has to respond to that.

For Felix we softened certain details. For example, we reduced the prominence of the rope shoulder because a very athletic physique combined with an aggressive shoulder line can become too much visually.

You always have to adapt the style to the person in front of you, while staying true to the fundaments of your house style.

A few minutes later he demonstrates exactly what he means, pinching the shoulder of a jacket hanging nearby.

TANN: Can you explain the shoulder construction you're known for?

MM: We use a raised shoulder construction. The sleeve is intentionally cut larger than the armhole and then eased in by hand.

That's where the famous roping comes from. The sleeve sits almost on top of the shoulder before it's attached.

It's one of the signatures of English tailoring and something we're particularly known for.

The gesture is small, but revealing. Like many craftspeople, Mogg can explain an entire philosophy through a single seam.

If tailoring is the profession, aesthetics seem to be the obsession.

The conversation drifts naturally towards interiors, colour palettes and furniture.

TANN: Your interests seem to extend well beyond clothing.

MM: Absolutely. Interior design has become a huge passion.

The process feels surprisingly similar to tailoring. You begin with one detail, then another, and suddenly you've disappeared down a rabbit hole.

Recently we've redesigned this entire space. I became fascinated by English interiors, particularly the work of Robert Kime. Then one reference image led to another, which led to Pinterest boards, books and endless research.

Now I'm doing the same thing with my apartment upstairs.

TANN: What appeals to you about interiors?

MM: The permanence.

When you choose a wall colour, you can't wake up the next morning and casually decide you don't like it anymore.

You have to think more carefully. I am glad that I have Nick Hodson-Taylor as my port of call whenever I feel uncertain about a decision.

And I've realised it's much better to save for the thing you truly want than to buy something temporary. That's true for furniture and it's true for clothing.

Little by little you build your ideal home in exactly the same way you build your ideal wardrobe.

The idea resurfaces repeatedly throughout our conversation: patience over impulse. Intention over convenience.

Eventually the discussion arrives at a larger question.

TANN: What does elegance mean to you?

MM: For me, every decision should be an elegant one.

That doesn't necessarily mean formal. It simply means considered.

Whether it's what you wear, what you eat or how you arrange a room, there should be some thought behind it.

In many ways that's what elegance means today. Forget about perfection. It is about deliberation.

It is perhaps the closest thing to a manifesto offered during our time together.

The atelier itself reflects the same philosophy. Nothing feels accidental. The colours, the lighting, the proportions of the room and, naturally, the clothes.

Yet Mogg remains remarkably unsentimental about the work.

TANN: What part of the process still gives you the most satisfaction?

MM: Every pattern still passes through my hands.

Not because I can't trust my people, but because I'm the final quality control.

Sometimes that's frustrating because it makes me the bottleneck.

But it gives everyone confidence. I know the patterns intimately because I developed them. I know where they succeed and where potential problems might occur.

Quite frankly, I enjoy it.

Perfectionism surfaces repeatedly.

A conversation – or shall we say lively argument – about button sizes, for example, recently occupied him and his team for several days.

For all the talk of refinement, however, Mogg's personal routines are surprisingly straightforward.

TANN: Do you have any rituals that help structure your day?

MM: Exercise.

Every morning I either go for a run or spend half an hour on the rowing machine.

Then in the evening I do strength training, Pilates or swimming.

I usually end up with around ten sessions a week.

It helps enormously with my ADHD. Ritual creates calm. Even if work becomes chaotic, those routines keep me grounded.

Then comes a smile.

TANN: And when does the routine stop?

MM: Friday and Saturday nights.

That's when I like going out.

I enjoy nightlife, I enjoy letting off steam.

It's funny because I usually end up in the same three places anyway, but that's where I feel completely free.

As our conversation comes to an end, Mogg shows us a collection of shirts, ties and tailoring details. The explanations become increasingly technical. Collar heights, lapel shapes, shoulder treatments and sleeve construction.

What lingers afterwards is the conviction behind the tailoring.

In an age increasingly driven by speed, convenience and endless choice, Maximilian Mogg advocates for something slower: developing taste carefully, understanding why things look the way they do, and investing time into the details most people never notice.