Bertil Espegren

Miami - Model and Writer

Bertil Espegren hails from Grimstad, which he describes as “a little seaside town in Norway.” He’s harder to track down now; “If you don’t find me at the Helen Mar in South Beach,” he says, “or in Dumbo, NYC, you might find me in my airstream on the Mesa in Taos, N. M., or off the grid high on a hill in Norway somewhere—where you wouldn’t find me.” A model and a writer, Espegren does decorating and design projects both in Miami and Mexico.

Q&A:

Any notes on your education ?

I left right after high school for a year of sabbatical. Ended up sailing the west coast of Africa and ran out of money in Cape Verde, but had a one way ticket with TWA and took off to the USA. Arrived with five dollars in my pocket, spent it on a plate of pasta at JFK, and I never returned to my home country to live. My education comes from the various situations and the wonderful people I have encountered through 30 years of traveling through all levels of life.

Best vacation ever?

Walking 200 miles along the Bandiagara cliffs in Dogon, Mali. Or the month I spent at the Soneva Fushi in the Maldives.

Favorite dinner?

Any meal with longtime friends catching up on life and its joys and its challenges.

Favorite dessert?

Fig sorbet.

Underrated food?

I’m not going to lie; once in a while I crave a Big Mac.

Dream Road Trip?

Albert Einstein
The Dali Lama
Marlyn Monroe

What does luxury mean to you?

Being in fashion for 25 years, luxury to me is craftsmanship. A product is luxe when it is handmade, tailored for few. Luxury is research, the chance to experience new routes, to find new and not predictable or already seen solutions.

Luxury is exclusiveness.

Got a philosophy to live by?

I have learned to live by the Hindu principle of dharma. I wake up every day and do my duty to the best of my ability. I do this without regards of result. Also to live a life with empathy and compassion to every living thing. It challenges me every day to become a better person.

Favorite actress and or actor?

Christopher Waltz
Cate Blanchett

Favorite bands?

The Who, the Stones, Nina Simone.

Car you drive now?

Audi A5 sport.

Car you’d like to drive?

Aston Martin.

Got a favorite watch?

1972 Rolex submariner T model.

Got a dream watch?

Vintage Rolex Daytona Paul Newman.

Do you have any philanthropic interests/endeavors?

Built the first Waldorf school in Central America with two teachers from Washington.

Best work advice you ever got?

Do something every day to better your day and yourself.