BY SHALEEN DESTEFANO

I met Nate Axvig in his shop Aktiv, a space lined with racks of high-end outer wear, perfect for the unpredictable weather of Colorado. He’s a man who strives for quality over quantity. In a world where goods are mass-produced in big box outlets, it was refreshing to see his knowledge and passion as he told us his story.

Let’s start all the way back at the beginning. How did you go from law to opening a Scandinavian clothing shop in Denver?

My wife, Leslie, and I were litigators for 16 years and decided we needed a change. She found us a program at the University of Oslo that focused on Communication and Technology Law, basically the law of the internet. We thought that would be a great transition from litigation so we both applied and were accepted. The program focused on key tenets of data privacy, intellectual property and e-commerce. We rented our house and moved to Oslo in July of 2016 with our two kids. The two children attended elementary school in Oslo and along with them we lived as Norwegians for 13 months. Something that struck us immediately was how similar Norwegians and Coloradans dressed. Like in Denver, Oslo coffee houses were packed with people who looked like they were either finishing a hike or just about to head out on one. Technical clothing was everywhere, just like in the Mountain West but instead of seeing Patagonia and North Face, we saw brands we had never heard of before. We started to buy and were blown away by the quality. The seeds of Aktiv were planted.

You have deep Norwegian roots. How do some of these customs translate into the store as well as your home?

I grew up in North Dakota which leans heavily into it’s Scandinavian heritage. At home, we celebrate holidays by making lefse which is kind of like a potato tortilla that you roll with butter and sugar. In the shop it is hard to see where the heritage ends and the business begins. The closest Norwegians get to a national motto is, “there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing.”  We couldn’t agree more and that can be found in all of our pieces from wool base layers to outer shells. We are also close to a Winter Olympics which is a huge deal to the Scandinavian countries. We will be all in on the Olympics this time around by airing coverage and profiling some of our brands that are part of the national teams. 

When we met, it became clear early on that you put so much thought and care into the goods you sell. Can you tell us more about your buying philosophy?

We try not to complicate things when we choose clothing. First, the garment has to work, while pragmaticism isn’t sexy, it kind of is in the outdoor world. Second, we bring in things that are original and can’t be found in other places. We actually have a section on our website called Only at Aktiv that is filled with items only available through us in the USA. Finally, we select things that make sense for Colorado. That means a lot of layers and not so much a focus on waterproofing.

Not only do you put quality, sustainability and responsibility first with your goods. But Aktiv also gives back. Can you tell us a bit more about your philanthropic focus?

Certainly, we are members of 1% for the Planet which means that we contribute at least 1% of our sales to environmental causes. Our focus over the past few years has been on water and the support of nonprofits tasked with protecting fresh water. In addition, we are also focused on driving down the prevalence of single use water bottles which usually end up in landfills instead of the recycling chain. 

What are your bestsellers?

Our overall bestseller is the Half Zip Comfy by Bjorn Dæhlie for men and women, see https://aktivstyle.com/collections/bjorn-daehlie/products/half-zip-comfy-by-daehlie-for-men and https://aktivstyle.com/collections/bjorn-daehlie/products/half-zip-comfy-by-daehlie-women. Designed as a cross country midlayer, the windproofing at the front coupled with the breathability of the sleeves and back make it a sweater tailor-made for Colorado. It doesn’t hurt that we have it in Broncos colors, too. 

What winter sports do you and your family enjoy the most?

Leslie and the kids love downhill while I have found myself on the cross country trails more recently. We actually tried biathlon last winter at Devil’s Thumb Ranch and thought it was 1. a blast and 2. hard to hit the target while standing.

Have you and your family adopted the Hygge lifestyle at home?

100% and especially during the colder months. We usually have candles going and the fireplace on while we watch the Avs and Nuggets and hang out as a family.

What can we expect from you in the future?

We hope to continue to bring the very best of Scandinavia to Colorado. Specifically, I have been trying to bring in 66 Degrees from Iceland for years and it is slated to land next fall.

View the entire collection at aktivstyle.com or in person in the Stanley Marketplace at 2501 Dallas St #102.