Iconic Canadian Fashion Companies : Style Democracy

Keeping a family business alive for nearly a century is no easy task and no one knows this better than the Berg family of Toronto. With a legacy dating back to 1930 when Ira Berg opened up an upscale boutique bearing his very name, the business has transformed and thrived by adapting to the ever-changing fashion industry.

The latest iteration of the Berg family business is StyleDemocracy, which was founded in 1999 by Ira’s grandson Michael. Armed with his in-depth knowledge of the fashion industry and more than 35 years of experience driving consumer behavior, Michael created “the first company in Canada to offer the outsourced management of warehouse sales events to the general public.” Today, Michael continues to oversee the biggest and most popular warehouse sales in North America for sought-after brands such as Puma, Nike, Lacoste, Frank & Oak, Nordstrom and more.

Trend Hunter recently spoke to Michael and his son Oliver about the Berg family business and how its legacy influenced the founding of StyleDemocracy. As Michael explains, it was the liquidation of his grandfather’s store that initially gave him the idea to help other brands sell their excess inventory in the same way. In his words, StyleDemocracy is the only company in Canada that combines an event management business with a digital component to create experiential, consumer-driven events.

This passionate entrepreneurial spirit is shared by Michael’s son Oliver, who explains his own reasons for joining the family business. In Oliver’s eyes, there is no limit to what the company can do and he envisions everything from themed marketplaces to online solutions for warehouse sales in the near future.