Meet the Bearded Alchemist behind the Superfurry brand, Ivan Della Morte

Psst: Superfurry has a special offer – read at the end of the article for the special code for discounts!

Ivan was born on March 14, 1972, in Switzerland, the youngest of three children in a patriarchal household of Italian immigrants. He came out to himself at just 11 years old, never with struggle, but with a quiet sense of ownership. Queer literature found him early, and it confirmed what he already felt instinctively: that the problem was never his. He grew up with ADHD and dyslexia in a world that wanted to tell him how to behave, only sharpening his stubbornness and my hunger for freedom, a freedom he would spend his life building on his own terms.

His teenage and young adult years were shaped by the Swiss countryside and later the liberation of Zürich, where he threw himself headlong into the rising Acid House, Techno, and Trance scenes of the late 80s and early 90s. Queer raves and house parties became his playground spaces where dressing up, acting wild, and belonging to a like-minded crowd felt like a birthright. He witnessed some truly epic moments on those dancefloors. Through all of it, he kept his footing: always holding down a job, always keeping a home.

In 1994, he continued the family tradition of immigration, arriving in Amsterdam with 85 Guilders and three pieces of luggage. The Netherlands became his permanent home — thirty-two years and counting. Being fluent in five languages — English, Italian, German, Dutch, and French — has never been just a practical skill; it reflects the patchwork of cultures, communities, and lives he has moved through and made his own. A free soul by nature, he never felt the pull toward conventional relationships, though he holds one lifelong companion close, a friendship he deeply cherishes.

Today, he works as a Train Manager for Dutch Railways and runs Superfurry, his one-man premium beard care brand — the first LGBT+ & Queer Beard Care Brand in the world. At 54, he is promiscuous and fabulous — and entirely unapologetic about both.

Left Image Credit: Ralf Konig, and the Centre Image Credit: Copper head Magic

Luka Musicki (L.M.): Welcome, Ivan, to the Bear World Magazine interview with me. Have you ever been interviewed about Superfurry before?

Ivan Della Morte (IDM): I did two live Q&A for a beard channel on YouTube, which was fun to do, and looking forward to answering your questions. 

L.M.: So, tell us a bit about your life growing up in Switzerland? 

IDM: As mentioned in the intro bio, I had a tough youth at home but in a way quite wild outside of home doing a lot of things hush hush and everything behind the back of my strict parents, and all this in a rural side of the swissgerman speaking part in Switzerland And I always was very curious about everything what was going in this world. 

L.M.: What was your childhood like? 

IDM: Tough, my parents were very old-fashioned and strict and physical, nowadays it would pass as abusive behaviour. But I never give up on myself. Luckily I had enough role models and people telling me to stay true to myself. Which laid the foundation of who I became eventually. 

L.M.: When and how did you come out as gay?

IDM: Besides my rich fantasy life, I escaped the toughness of home through books — fiction and thrillers being my favourites, with Stephen King leading the charge. Queer literature was always close by too, and it taught me early on that it’s society that has an issue with me being gay, not the other way around.

But to answer your question directly: at 11, I came out to myself — having known it deep inside me for a while already (no pun intended) — and had my first homoerotic experience around that time too. Over the following years I came out gradually to people I trusted, and from my early twenties onward I lived openly and unapologetically as a homosexual.

L.M.: And when and why did you join the bear community?

IDM: Well, I always had a foot — or let’s say a paw ,in all communities. Zürich back then wasn’t that big, so the different scenes mixed and mingled a lot, which gave me a strong sense of belonging and community.

From my early twenties though, I knew that due to my hairy appearance I would fit best into the Bear community, and find my home there. That said, I have always found men and lived out my sexuality freely across different scenes and communities.

L.M.: You are very passionate about beards, as I am as well, which is called being a pogonophile, the love of beards. Have you liked beards for a long time? 

IDM: Well yes  moustaches, beards, hairstyles… HAIR. There’s just something about HAIR. For as long as I can remember, I’ve had facial hair, and I’ve worn it in every style imaginable  from a thin French pencil moustache on the upper lip, John Waters being a clear reference, to a full Mexican stacho, from mutton chops to a chin curtain and for a long while even a massive Bavarian curl, you name it, I’ve had it. I’ve always taken full advantage of my ability to grow facial hair easily, and honestly, I’ve enjoyed every version of it.

L.M.: And what is your passion for beards stemming from?

IDM: So… those Hollywood Technicolor movies  Hercules, gladiators, ancient Greek mythology  they really got me as a kid. And then seeing men with those majestic beards. Plenty of those in Switzerland, I can tell you. I remember telling myself: “One day I’ll have one too! And I’ll f*** them too!”

L.M.: On a more personal note — your own beard: how long is your beard at the moment? And what is your beard care routine? Do you trim it, or do you keep it long?

IDM: My beard is roughly 40cm long, and my care routine varies quite a bit from day to day and occasion to occasion. Which is, I’ll admit, rather contradictory for someone who owns his own beard care brand. Sometimes I simply put it in a bun with nothing in it at all.

For work, I like to mix the Product X Beard Care Lotion with a Beard Oil  either Fluid Platinum or Waikiki Gold, depending on the fragrance mood I’m in. Fresh out of the shower, after washing my beard with the Beer Beard Wash, I apply the Beard Care Balm, usually RESCUE+  and sometimes an additional oil on top of that. On days when my beard is feeling particularly unruly, I reach for my vegan Beard Wax to tame it back into shape. As for trimming, I do that roughly every six months or so, but never more than a centimetre or two at a time. My basic rule is simple: grow three centimetres, trim one off.

L.M.: You are the creator and founder of Superfurry. When did you establish it as a brand? Why did you establish it? Was there a gap in the market for good-quality beard care, or was there another reason?

IDM: Well, good question. I’ll try to keep it as short as possible. Superfurry was since early 2000 my nickname on all Gay dating sites (no apps back then ) and still is actually. I’m very hairy. This translates to Superfurry.

 Eleven years ago I was going through my handlebar moustache period and went looking for a styling wax. At a well-known global brand ( Lush ) they were asking €17 for a 7 gram tin. I thought: absolutely not. I looked at the ingredients  beeswax, sheabutter, essential oils for fragrance  and said to myself: I can make that. And so the foundation was set, with a simple homemade moustache wax.

Not long after, a colleague train driver with a truly majestic beard asked whether I could make a balm for him. After two trials, two errors, and a considerable mess in the kitchen, the third time’s the charm. The Superfurry Beard Care Balm was born. One year later I officially registered Superfurry as a brand at the Chamber of Commerce.

I should also mention that the lady who makes my soap bars and Beer Beard Wash brought something very important to my attention: there are strict regulations in Europe governing cosmetics, and every formula needs to be professionally assessed for safety before it can be sold. So I invested a significant amount of money to have all my formulas properly safety-assessed and officially notified for production. And from there it took off into what Superfurry is today , quality beard care that is affordable, without any compromise.

L.M.: I really like the design of Superfurry. It is a picture of a bald bear with a medium-sized beard, smiling and with big, bold eyebrows, who is in front of a simple anchor design and a red tartan pattern behind the anchor. It is like a maritime captain design. It looks like my partner (the Quooka – Sea Captain beard look and maritime feel) to be honest and I think that is why I have a biased opinion of how lovely the Superfurry design is. So, can you tell us what was the origin of the design of the logo, and how you designed it, and why you are passionate about it for a tattoo? 

IDM: All credit goes to the incredibly talented Moh Moritz Rifai from Cologne, a good friend of mine who creates Bear-inspired manga art and has a truly remarkable gift for drawing. He designed the logo in just 15 minutes on his iPad, with the original intention of making a portrait of me. I was immediately in love with it.

I asked Moh Moritz for permission to use it for the brand, and from there we built on it together with a few personal touches. Another friend added the anchor  a reference to the two anchor tattoos I have on the middle fingers of both hands to give the logo a more butch appearance. I then added the red and white gingham pattern myself, to reflect the homemade, handcrafted feeling that is at the heart of Superfurry.

Getting a tattoo of the logo was the next logical step for me, being a tattoo aficionado. Moh Moritz also designed the sailor riding a seahorse on my left forearm another piece I’m very proud to carry. He has incredible talent, and what makes it even more special is how genuinely humble he is about it.

L.M.: On your social media for Superfurry (Facebook), you do reels about various beard care routine, which is great for men to know how to take care of their beards. It is especially helpful when you are doing it shirtless so I can pay more attention, haha.

IDM: I get asked so many times about how to use my products and what routines to follow. Since every beard is different — and so is every lifestyle — I like to show that there are several ways to take care of your beard, and that there is no one-size-fits-all solution.

As for the shirtless part , that’s actually because I decide on the spot to record a tutorial, which also explains the less-than-perfect lighting, the sound quality, and that raw, unedited, slightly chaotic feel to the videos. And hey… if it helps get your attention, why not?

L.M.: Do you mind telling me about your tattoos and the significance of them? 

IDM: There’s no deep hidden meaning behind them — nothing spiritual or secretive. They simply reflect who I am, what I like, and how I felt at a particular period in my life.

I am quite superstitious, so the lucky charms on my fingers are there to manifest good fortune — and I must admit, I have been genuinely blessed in life so far. On my left arm I have the Latin phrase Ubi Voluntas, Ibi Via — where there is a will, there is a way — which is very much my leitmotif in life.

On my back and shoulders there are wings and a crown — more symbols of statement than of specific meaning. Though perhaps the crown carries a quiet nod to the fact that my ancestors were Dukes, and the wings reflect a certain enlightenment that came to me through life experience. Make of that what you will.

L.M.: Can you tell us about your nipple piercings? Are they painful to get, and do they provide any benefits?

IDM: I did them when I was 21 , Painful no not really well the process of getting pierced, but the 6-8 month of healing different story, f***ing hell!  Benefits ? yes play them well and you will see how far you can get me, for sure as far as where the next sling hangs. I think they call it  “wired”, hehehe.

L.M.: If you do not mind me asking — what do you do in your day job?

IDM: I work partime as a Trainmanger for the Dutch railways, I couldn’t be more happier with my job.

L.M.: You seem to like the sign in one of your pictures that says “Not Made to be Subtle” — how does that resonate with you personally?

IDM: As you may have already noticed from my answers, I am not subtle. I can be raw and frank about my opinions — I call things out the way they are rather than beating around the bush. I do have a kind and friendly spirit, but my upbringing and life experience have taught me one very clear lesson: cut the crap and don’t waste my time.
So yes, I can be common, ordinary, and a little chavvy — that’s just calling it what it is. But I can equally be quite the old-school classy Dandy, with old-fashioned values and a certain refinement that perhaps not everyone expects at first glance. Both are entirely and authentically me. 

L.M.: What do you do as hobbies or activities in your spare time, outside of your day job and Superfurry?

IDM: Well Superfurry takes up a lot of time time, but i do consider it as a hobby I can be busy with product  production while listening to Podcasts or when I’m labelling products I watch/stream series. 

And then there’s another passionate hobby that I have a reputation for, it involves being naked and fornicate and shuffling stuff up my and other guys/Bears butt … I’m very Sex positive. 

L.M.: Would you say being a bear has helped your career? Is your audience primarily bears, both in work and in life?

IDM: Honestly, I must admit that until now my main customer group has been cisgender heteronormative men. I work hard to attract more gay and queer customers, but it remains quite a challenge — I suppose it is still a fairly niche market within an already niche market.

That said, I deeply appreciate every single returning customer, regardless of how they identify. Because at the end of the day it’s actually pretty simple: do you have a beard, or can you grow one? Then you should consider Superfurry your beard care company.

L.M.: Is there any advice you would give to someone interested in the beard care industry, or in growing and taking care of their beard?

IDM: Starting in the industry – Do your Homework , In Europe there are strict guidelines to be followed before you are allowed on the market. Taking care of your beard – Let it grow, thinking of trim the beard – Don’t do it ! 

L.M.: What are your career goals for the future?  

IDM: I’m 54 — I take it one day at a time, and trust that everything will develop the way it’s meant to. I hope life keeps blessing me with good memories, and plenty of men to enjoy.

Thank you Ivan for answering my questions and getting to know you better as the Superfurry Bear! Now it is time to answer some quick-fire questions.

• Location: Amsterdam – The Netherlands 
• Pronouns: Hairy/Horny
• Relationship status: F***able
• Favourite Drink: Cold unsweetened Hibiscus Tea
• What type of guy are you into? Hairy and bearded, burly is a plus, Middle eastern, Latino. I’m quite promiscuous, so if we match energy, we have a match.  
• Favourite Cities/Vacation Spots: Berlin, Gran Canaria, Zürich, Barcelona 
• Idea of a good date? Pass me the lube, please. 
• What do you look for in a guy? Big skilled hands that know how to plow ass
• Where can you find yourself?
  • Facebook (Business): https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063992982542
  • Website: https://superfurry.nl/
  • Email: hello@superfurry.nl
  • Instagram business: superfurry.nls
  • instagram private/spicy: furrydandy
  • TikTok: superfurry_nl 
  • Scruff/Planetromeo/Growlr/Grindr: Superfurry 

Special Offer from Superfurry!

If you are interested in investing in great beard care, check out Superfurry.nl and enter the code: “WOOF10” to get 10% discounts off on everything with the code, so you can get your favourite SuperFurry merchandise! Ivan has been aware of the struggle with shipping costs, so he will add additional goodies to your shopping cart to compensate for the high shipping costs all over the world. Just mention “BWM” in your order.

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