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In his early twenties, Andreas von der Heide was not entirely sure about his life path. A chance encounter with Virgil, who would soon become a good friend, unfolded an unexpected entrepreneurial path, leading to the creation of Les Deux.
The brand’s signature style, a mix of preppy and streetwear, balances sporty elements with tailoring-oriented fits, and has gained Les Deux a loyal following: over the years, the company evolved from a side hobby to a fully established menswear brand, with a team of 130 people, flagship stores and retailers all over the world.
Beyond that, Les Deux also aims at making a positive social impact, giving back to the communities living where their garments are manufactured: through the Legacy project, the brand makes charitable donations supporting education and fostering the creation of urban playgrounds around the planet.
In this interview, Andreas recalls the initial struggles and the enthusiasm that helped overcome them, and shares with us his beliefs on why a company shouldn’t only be profit-oriented.
Beyond your role at Les Deux, what personal passions or hobbies do you pursue, and how do they influence your work at Les Deux?
I was lucky enough to start a family when I was quite young, so naturally I spend most of my time off with them. I also used to run a lot; regrettably, though, I had to stop recently after an injury. I loved long-distance running, so anything above 100 kilometers, and I even ran the Sahara 250k at one point. It’s been a way of always testing the limit, it was my health and meditation. Now, from early spring until late fall, I love to go spearfishing in the sea.
We also have a gym in the office, so I actually keep running small distances there; and we also play football and basketball together with the whole team. I always try to bring my own interest into the company time, also to influence my coworkers.
Can you tell us about your background and what led you to start Les Deux?
When I was 20, I met a great friend—someone from a completely different background and culture. Despite our differences, we connected instantly and wanted to create something together. That’s how Les Deux was born—founded on friendship. My friend was fluent in French, and from the start, we had international ambitions. That’s why we chose the name Les Deux, which means “The Two”—a reflection of our partnership.
Before starting Les Deux, I was in the military and didn’t really know what I wanted to do. Then I met Virgil. We started talking about t-shirts, and soon, we were making our own, sewing military patches from the U.S. and France onto plain white tees and selling them to friends and family. At the same time, I was studying law and working at Joe & The Juice because we weren’t making any money from the brand yet.
People kept asking me, “Are you going to commit to Les Deux full-time, or will you become a lawyer?” To be honest, I wasn’t sure. But I always promised myself that whatever I did in life, I’d do what I loved most. My father passed away when I was two, and that shaped my perspective. One day, I won’t be here anymore, but when I look back, I want to know I had fun, gained experience, traveled, and did what I was passionate about.
I love fashion, but even more than that, I love entrepreneurship. I love building something from nothing, connecting with people, and creating opportunities. When we started Les Deux, we had no experience in production, sales, or retail. We had no industry connections—we were completely self-taught. But what we did have was the right people around us, and from the beginning, we treated Les Deux like a big company, even when it was just an idea.
Our first real challenge came with production. The factory we found required a minimum order of 500 t-shirts, and we didn’t have the money for that. But we made it work. Once we had the first batch, we hit the road, visiting 50 stores, pitching our brand. We started in Copenhagen and expanded across Denmark. Out of those 50 stores, 48 rejected us, but two gave us a chance. That was all we needed. Seeing our t-shirts in those stores felt like a huge win.
From there, we focused on building street hype—getting our t-shirts on the right people, including local celebrities. The momentum grew. After selling our first 200 t-shirts, we reinvested in 300 sweatshirts, and that cycle continued. After a while, Virgil moved on to work on his own projects and my good friend Kristoffer stepped in and had a huge impact as a Co-Founder, and later CEO. Step by step, Les Deux grew into what it is today—available in around 1.200 retailers worldwide.
Do you think this multi-faceted background of yours has helped achieving what you’ve done, from an entrepreneurship perspective?
To be honest, being an entrepreneur you either have it or you don’t; and when you start a brand in your early 20s, you have no real work experience. I always told myself that if I wanted to be a lawyer in Copenhagen, I’d have to work 70 to 80 hours a week, and if I had to invest that much time into something, I’d rather build something of my own, alongside my friends, and do it in a way that truly mattered to us. I think that mindset is what drove us in the beginning.
Is there a book, a movie, a trip, or a place that has inspired your life or the direction of the brand?
There’s a Danish book called Hunger in Paradise. The core idea is that when a company reaches a certain size, they can become complacent, believing they’re untouchable. But then, out of nowhere, a competitor emerges—just as Apple did with Nokia—and disrupts everything. Nokia, once dominant, was suddenly out of business.
That concept has always stuck with me. No matter how much Les Deux grows or how well we’re doing, we must always believe we can be better tomorrow. We have to keep pushing ourselves and making a difference.
The second book that has deeply influenced me is called Deficit, and it focuses on the social responsibility that comes with building a company. It emphasizes that while making a profit and scaling a business is great, it’s just as important to respect the people who work for you—both locally and in production countries. If you don’t value people and your surrounding communities, then what’s the point of success?
At Les Deux, we measure success in two ways: financial performance on one side and human impact on the other. We ask ourselves: How happy are our employees? How many have been affected by stress or other workplace issues? That book really put things into perspective for me, reinforcing the idea that focusing solely on profit is short-sighted. Success is about seeing the full picture—balancing business growth with responsibility.
These two books have had a profound impact on how I approach strategy at Les Deux, both from a human perspective and a professional one.
What are the core values that Les Deux embodies? How do you ensure these values remain central as the company continues to grow and how do they influence everything it does?
At Les Deux, we have three core values that are never up for discussion.
First, we stay humble. It doesn’t matter if you’re the CEO or working in the warehouse—everyone helps each other out. Even as we’ve grown into a big business, my business partner and our CEO, Kristoffer, still steps in when the warehouse is under pressure. Everyone does. No one is above doing the work, and that’s a fundamental part of our culture.
We also stay united. Creating a great company isn’t just about work—it’s about building an environment where people thrive. That’s why we’ve invested in things like a meditation room, a gym, and a basketball court. It’s about fostering well-being, connection, and making sure people enjoy coming to work every day.
But most importantly, we stay hungry. This ties back to Hunger in Paradise—the idea that success can make companies complacent. We refuse to let that happen. I give a lot of myself, and my management team does the same, both personally and professionally. In return, we expect everyone to push for more—whether that’s through our legacy projects supporting local communities, putting in the extra 10% when it’s needed, or constantly adapting to stay ahead. Hard work and smart thinking are what keep us relevant, and we never take our place in the market for granted.
In your opinion, what makes Les Deux truly stand out? What is the one thing that sets your brand apart?
From a customer’s perspective, there are so many brands and options out there today. When someone chooses to buy from a particular brand, it’s rarely just about the product—it’s about something more. I love that discussion because if it were only about quality, it would be a much simpler game. Men’s fashion, at its core, is fairly straightforward. The range of colors and fits is not so broad, and once you win over a male customer, he tends to be quite loyal.
For us at Les Deux, it has always been about building a brand with real meaning. When people think of Les Deux, they shouldn’t just see a clothing brand—they should see a company that wants to make a difference. From the beginning, we set out to improve lives, starting with our own. We wanted to build a business that would allow us to support our families, help our employees thrive, and take responsibility for the communities where we produce and sell our goods.
That’s why we created our Legacy Program, which focuses on giving back—whether it’s building schools, basketball courts, or other community projects. Wearing Les Deux isn’t just about fashion; it’s about being part of a movement, a journey that stands for something bigger than just clothes.
Communicating that message gets more challenging as we grow, but that’s why we invest in our traveling team. When our products land in a store in Italy or the U.S., our team is there, on the ground, sharing our story, connecting with people, and making sure people truly understand what we stand for. Any brand that’s just selling clothes doesn’t stand a chance. We have to be more than just a product.
At the end of the day, fashion, at least in my eyes, is a people’s business. That’s what sets Les Deux apart. We don’t just sell clothing; we connect, we engage, and we take responsibility for the people and communities we interact with. That’s what makes us different.
Les Deux Legacy demonstrates that your brand is about more than just fashion—it has a tangible social impact. How did this initiative come to life, and what have been the most meaningful results so far?
When we first started out, we were involved in building schools in Africa and other projects, but we felt like we were missing a clear direction—a red thread tying it all together. Then, in our early 20s, both my business partner, Kristoffer, and I became fathers. Having my first son made me reflect on what truly matters. It brought me back to the book I mentioned earlier—because if life is only about profit, then what’s left when you’re gone? That’s when we created Legacy.
At its core, Legacy is a CSR platform where we take responsibility for the communities where we produce and sell our goods. The first project we launched was two and a half years ago in Turkey near a production site. We discovered that while the parents were working, their children were left in refugee camps with no access to education. So, with the help of a local project coordinator, we built a school for them.
At first, no kids were showing up. We soon realized the issue—many older siblings were responsible for taking care of their younger brothers and sisters. To fix that, we bought a school bus to bring them to class. We then expanded the school by adding a kindergarten, hired teachers, and brought in a kitchen team to provide warm meals every day. When the earthquake hit Turkey, we made sure all of our workers’ families had food for a month. It’s about more than just business—it’s about standing by the people who help us produce our clothing.
The next project took us to New York. At a school where 80% of students rely on scholarships or financial aid, we found their basketball court in terrible shape—completely run down. So we stepped in and funded a brand-new, fully refurbished court, giving those kids a proper space to play.
This year, we’re in negotiations to refurbish a basketball court for our local community in Copenhagen, near our HQ.
Every project we take on—whether it’s building schools or basketball courts—follows the same philosophy. Legacy is about supporting kids, education, and sports within the communities we’re connected to. That’s the foundation of everything we do.
Les Deux has a very distinctive aesthetic. How would you describe the signature style of Les Deux? What are the key design elements that make your brand and products instantly recognizable?
If I had to describe our collection in one word, it would be duality. The name Les Deux itself, meaning “the two”, reflects that balance. We bring together prep and streetwear, sporty elements with tailored suiting, minimalism with boldness. It’s about opposites meeting and complementing each other, which is why we call our aesthetic modern nostalgic.
Of course, there’s also the logo, but what truly defines us is that we’re not just about a single product or a fleeting trend. Fashion is always evolving, but for a brand to have longevity, it has to be more than just a product—it has to stand for something.
Within our collections, we offer both classic suits with slim, narrow legs and more relaxed, street-inspired jeans with a wider fit. That versatility allows us to connect with a broad range of customers, meeting them where they are. Some days, you might want a more tailored look; other days, something more relaxed and streetwear-inspired. That flexibility—that duality—is at the core of who we are.
Are there specific products that you consider truly iconic for the brand and that have consistently been customer favorites over the years?
If I had to pick an iconic piece, I’d say it’s the Royal T-shirt with the military patches. It was the first design we did, and it was a game changer for us. We sold 500 of those T-shirts, and that’s when we started to see the momentum build.
From there, we developed the Anchor T-shirt with the bold logo, which became another signature piece. But the real turning point came with the Como Pants. These were a suiting-style pant, and they became our first international success. It was the first product that really clicked and laid the foundation for us to grow and build on.
What do you think makes them stand out as unique?
The T-shirts really represent Les Deux at its core. They embody Scandinavian simplicity with a great fit, high quality, and a fair price point. The Como Pants were a breakthrough for us, too. They captured the perfect fit that was right on trend at the time, and to this day, they remain a key product in some markets.
That said, in places like Scandinavia, the U.S., and Paris, we’ve shifted to a slightly wider fit, but the Como style is still a major influence. It’s really about a blend of representing Les Deux through our story, our logo, and our design philosophy, while also nailing the perfect fit—something the pants truly achieved.
Are there any meaningful moments in the history of the brand that you would like to share with us?
Looking at where the business is today, it seems simple, but in the early days, it certainly wasn’t. There were times when we nearly went bankrupt, and the quality of some of our products wasn’t where we wanted it to be, so we had to send a lot of things back. One of the most memorable challenges happened when we were launching at Harvey Nichols, which was a big deal for us. They gave us the opportunity to build a shop-in-shop, but we didn’t have the manpower, and we couldn’t afford to hire extra help, so my business partner and I went to London ourselves to set it up.
We had all the furniture scheduled for delivery, and we planned to build everything ourselves overnight. But when we opened the boxes, two key pieces of furniture were missing. We were standing in the middle of London, with a premium client, and we had to train staff and start selling the next morning. The manager at Harvey Nichols told us, “You’ve messed this up. You’ve got 24 hours to fix it, or we’re not opening the shop.”
At midnight, I called a carpenter back in Denmark and basically told him, “You have to get this done. You have to deliver these pieces to London by noon tomorrow.” So, the carpenter drove from Copenhagen to France, crossed under the tunnel to the UK, and got to London the next day. We finished building the shop just in time to open the next morning and ended up with a successful opening, and we’re still working with Harvey Nichols today.
These kinds of moments that no one sees from the outside really capture the entrepreneurial spirit. It was all about finding a way to make it work, no matter how hard we had to push. That’s probably one of the best stories of our early days.
Looking back at your journey, what has been the most important lesson you’ve learned running Les Deux?
In the beginning, we spent about three years working on the side while trying to grow the business. As entrepreneurs, we also built other ventures alongside Les Deux. But throughout it all, we remained focused on our core foundation, constantly refining it and thinking about how we could improve. Our focus has always been on who we are and what we do best. I think that’s a really important lesson.
We’re a menswear brand, and a lot of people have suggested that we could make a lot more money if we expanded into women’s wear. But we’ve always said, “No, that’s not our thing.” There are plenty of talented people doing great work in women’s fashion, but we want to be the best at menswear.
I often think about Ralph Lauren and what he’s accomplished in his lifetime. It’s absolutely incredible. That’s the kind of legacy we want to build in the menswear space—something timeless and impactful.
Can you share an interesting or unexpected fact about Les Deux that would surprise our audience?
Everyone talks about design, but what most people don’t know is that until about a year and a half ago, Les Deux didn’t even have a dedicated designer. All the creative work and collection development was handled by our Creative Director, Mathias, who joined us ten years ago. Mathias trained as a graphic designer, and he still oversees all the collections today. However, we did hire our first official designer about a year and a half ago. Despite that, I think we’ve managed the design process pretty successfully over the years.
Is there something new that we can expect from Les Deux in the upcoming months or years?
We’re hoping to open our first own-brand store in Paris this year—that would be a big next step for us in retail and in representing Les Deux. But there’s a lot more coming up too. We’re actually going on a world tour with our basketball team! We’re kicking it off in Berlin in a couple of weeks, and then we’ll be hitting up a lot of cities across Europe this summer.
