Hasta La Ideas

The Republic of Fritz Hansen is typically referred to by the name of its founder, a Danish cabinetmaker who established himself as a prominent local craftsman in the second half of the 19th-Century. The company has since evolved from an esteemed local shop to an international brand, though the name has been synonymous with high-quality home furnishings for nearly a century and a half.

Fritz Hansen’s latest design, FAVN (pronounced “fOWn”), a new sofa design by Spanish designer Jaime Hayón, was well-received when it debuted in Milan last month, and the design is now on view at their showroom in Soho, at 22 Wooster St.

We had the opportunity to sit down with Christian Rasmussen, Head of Design at Fritz Hansen, on the occasion of NY Design Week 2011, to discuss the past, present and future of the esteemed Danish brand.

Christian Rasmussen

Let’s start with the basics: how would you characterize Danish design?

Well, it’s difficult because it’s something we don’t think that much about… Actually, it’s much easier for you to say what Danish design is, but if I’m to say how I see it…

You know, Denmark is a very small country; historically, we are a nation of peasants—we’ve never had silver, gold, we didn’t have a mountain of marble like the Italians—but we always had wood. It’s always been about getting the maximum out of limited resources, and somehow that sticks to us.

I think that’s why we ended up with this very minimal, considered and analytical approach to design. We’re always looking for a good reason for doing what we’re doing. I think that’s something that characterizes Danish design: it needs to have a function. There needs to be a strong idea—you need to make the right decisions. You have very limited resources, it’s part of the whole process: designing is making choices, and to make the right choices, you have to have the right set of values. I think they come out of that tradition, that Danish approach to design.

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