Legacy of Acentury
During the ‘Discover the Story of Carl Hansen & Søn’ event which was held in Space Furniture KL last year, I made a random observation which stuck with me ever since: a professional weaver from the brand’s Aarup factory deliberately f lew in to demonstrate the consuming process of weaving a CH24 Wishbone chair. It was fascinating to watch, though I found my eyes being drawn to the tattoo on the weaver’s left forearm instead. The chair he was weaving resembled the pattern on the tattoo, which I oddly find endearing. The fact that an employee is willing to ink the design of one of the brand’s most signature products on his skin, speaks volumes of his passion for it. I could not tell if Knud Erik Hansen, who was all suited up for the occasion, bears any similar tattoo. But one thing is for sure: he bears a great responsibility that comes naturally with his last name. Imagine my surprise when he told me that managing his family enterprise was not something he had foreseen. Apparently, the second as well as the youngest son of Holger and Ella Hansen has spent most of his younger days forging a career in other industries, including shipping and construction, in which he has displayed an intrinsic business acumen at various top management positions. As much as he enjoys furniture and design which has been constant throughout his life, there
The story of Carl hansen has been written for over a hundred years now and his grandson erik is penning a new Chapter for The next hundred
were other interests and priorities too. It was not until year 2002 that he finally returned as the third-generation owner and CEO of Carl Hansen & Søn. Erik’s entrepreneurial spirit and experience were exactly what the company – which was facing some slight commercial challenges at that time – needed. By the time he took over the reins, the business named after his grandfather was already over 90 years old. To take nearly 10 decades of heritage and to make it better is no small feat, especially one as exceptional as theirs. Erik was clearly proud of what his family had achieved as he walked us through the brand’s history timeline. He shares about how his grandfather, who had always been known for his high quality work as a trained cabinet maker, went from owning a humble workshop (just the size of a small two-room f lat) making bespoke furniture to opening a big factory producing a smaller series of its most popular pieces. Hand craftsmanship that was his expertise soon became the firm’s hallmark, up until today. That, as well as its collaboration with many design talents and masters has set it apart from its other counterparts. Carl Hansen & Søn’s collaboration with Hans J Wegner is probably the most iconic of them all, so much so that it has become an integral part of the brand’s identity. All thanks go to Ejvind Kold Kristensen who was Holger Hansen’s sales manager back in the 1940s. He has been keeping an eye on the up and coming Danish furniture designers and was highly impressed by Wegner, whose designs won critical acclaim at exhibitions and yet remained relatively unknown outside of specialist circles. Kristensen knew he could take the company to the next level, which Wegner did after designing several models for Carl Hansen & Søn which were deemed radical at that time. The Wishbone chair that the tattooed weaver was working on for instance, was one of the most wellknown creations of Wegner, which had later gone on to be a driving force
Hand craftsmanship that was Carl Hansen’s expertise soon became the firm’s hallmark, even until today
in the ‘Danish Modern’ movement. In fact, 2014 marked Wegner’s 100th anniversary. In commemoration, the company decided to bring to life one of its many never-before-released prototypes which was launched worldwide – the CH88. Why CH88? “When it stands alone, it does not say ‘hey, look at me’. But it says ‘I am here and I am here to fulfil a purpose’. It reminds me of Wegner himself. He could have walked into a room and no one would have noticed the presence of a designer as great as him. So CH88 is a fantastic memory of Wegner, portraying him when he is at his best,” explains Erik who fondly remembers the designer. As he heads Carl Hansen & Søn, Erik – while tweaking the modus operandi to allow the family enterprise a greater space
Carl Hansen & Søn’s collaboration with Hans J Wegner is probably the most iconic of them all
to grow – is determined to carry on the founding values which he has inherited from the previous generations. It is clearly ref lected from the way he chooses which designers to work with. “It is not so much the designers but the designs. Physically, they need to last forever and must ref lect the brand. There are many other factors involved as well but, at the end of the day, quality comes first.” Tadao Ando, the latest designer who made the mark, has created the sculptural Dream Chair in collaboration with Carl Hansen & Søn as a tribute to Wegner. Erik describes the experience of working with the Japanese architect as “good fun” and is planning to collaborate with more designers of similar calibre, though his biggest ambition is to keep the company growing at a healthy rate as it is now while continuing to make furniture of high quality and sustainability for the next 100 years. It will make his grandfather very proud.