Cecilie Manz
This Danish designer brings a refreshing approach to technology, furniture and more
A true visionary, this Danish designer is bringing a refreshing, modern approach to technology, furniture and more
Think of Danish design and it’s hard not to focus on the iconic pieces of Arne Jacobsen, Hans J Wegner and Poul Kjærholm. However, there’s a new contender for the Danish design crown: Cecilie Manz.
‘ The heritage and gravitas of Danish design is something you try and live up to,’ she says with typical modesty. ‘It’s perhaps something all Danes are born with: a sense that quality and longevity are important.’
Manz set up her Copenhagen-based studio in 1998 and is nothing if not prolific, but all of her designs perfectly stand the test of time. Take her ‘Minuscule’ seat designed for Fritz Hansen in 2012. It’s a beautiful bucket of a chair, soft yet structured, and perfectly padded to engulf whoever sits in it. Then, there’s the ‘Caravaggio’ pendant lamp designed in 2005 for Lightyears (now owned by Fritz Hansen), already an iconic lighting design. Both of these products look as fresh as if they’d been created in the past six months.
Manz has also proved her ability to adapt through her long and successful collaboration with Danish company Bang & Olufsen, using her warm, human take on form and function to transform the rather clinical world of audio speakers. To date, she’s created seven designs – her latest, the portable ‘Beoplay P6’, which boasts full 360-degree surround sound from a compact unit, debuted at this year’s Milan Furniture Fair.
Increasingly in demand from brands around the world, Manz’s workload shows no sign of diminishing. Novelties include her ‘Degree’ kitchen cabinet designs for Ikea upcyclers Reform, a beautiful wooden screen for Finnish brand Nikari and a collection of refined furniture for German firm Gloster, which incorporates stylish low-level seating and tables.
She may be as understated as her products, but there can be no denying that Cecilie Manz is a true master of modern minimalism (ceciliemanz.com).