ByBarb

ByBarb is a Swedish hair-accessories brand based in Stockholm, built around clips, pins, tiaras, silk and elastic hair ties, and a small range of daily hair-care tools. It was founded by Hanna von Schantz and Sara Svederman, who say they launched the label in 2020 after noticing that the hair-care industry concentrated on liquid products while accessories and everyday routines went largely ignored [2]. The underlying company, ByBarb hair accessories AB, was registered slightly earlier, on 2 October 2019 [10] — so the brand dates its public launch to 2020, while the legal entity was incorporated in late 2019.

The name does not refer to a person. According to the company, "Barb" is a feeling rather than an individual: a calm, uncomplicated attitude to hair care centred on gentle handling, protective styling and a few well-chosen tools. That idea runs through the brand's signature concept, the "hair capsule wardrobe" — the notion of choosing fewer but more considered accessories that last over time, rather than accumulating more.

Von Schantz and Svederman built ByBarb around a stated gap in the market. The brand describes its starting point as "a longing for hair products that actually deliver on their promises, in both quality and design." A 2023 editorial feature in the Swedish beauty title Daisy Beauty echoed this, describing the label as founded with the ambition of making hair accessories that last [8]. Company records list Sara Svederman as both chief executive and chair of the board.

ByBarb frames its catalogue as a curated set of essentials rather than a broad assortment. The company says its aim is "a thoughtful collection of the few but important products that genuinely make a difference" for hair, and it presents daily care — brushing, gentle drying, sleeping on silk, protective styling — as a set of small rituals rather than chores. The brand's stated values cluster around quality, timeless design, sustainability and a "fewer but better" approach. It sells no makeup, skincare or fragrance; hair accessories are the core line, with a secondary range of hair-care tools and silk goods.

The brand's catalogue spans hair clips, bobby pins, tiaras, and both silk and elastic hair ties, alongside tools for everyday styling. Its silk ties are made from mulberry silk, which the company highlights as a renewable natural material. A recurring signature product is the Judy clip: in a 2026 "best hair clip" group test by the Swedish review site Testix, the Judy was rated 8.2 out of 10 and won the "Best for Styling" category, placing fourth of five overall; reviewers called it sleek and robust but noted it was expensive next to budget alternatives and offered limited colour choices [9]. ByBarb has also run a subscription option, sending subscribers a box every three months containing silk hair ties and one surprise accessory [8].

Sustainability is central to how ByBarb presents itself. The company says it wants to help reduce the environmental impact of the fashion-accessory industry by offering timeless, durable products in renewable materials. Its stated material palette includes organic cotton, recycled polyamide, deadstock fabrics and biobased cellulose acetate, which the brand describes as a renewable, biodegradable alternative to fossil-based plastic. The mulberry-silk ties are certified to the OEKO-TEX standard, which the company explains as meaning the products contain no harmful substances [7].

Production is split between specialist suppliers in China and the brand's own manufacturing in Sweden, where it designs and makes hair ties and bands from deadstock fabric [7]. Each purchase comes with a fabric pouch for storage, and ByBarb publishes care instructions intended to extend product life. The brand has also worked with the Swedish initiative Smart Textiles on a circular collection that reuses material in its hair ties.

In 2025, ByBarb's circular hair-tie project was awarded the Hederspris (Honorary Prize) for sustainable design by the Swedish interiors magazine Plaza Interiör [2]. Beyond that award and the Testix test placement, editorial coverage includes the Daisy Beauty feature on the brand's accessories.

ByBarb is active. The Stockholm-based company continues to operate a live webshop that ships across the EU, and its visibility is recent: the 2025 Plaza Interiör award and a 2026 product test both fall within the past year. Company filings describe a small operation, with two employees and reported revenue of about 2.7 million SEK for 2023 [10].