Niels Strøyer Christophersen, Frama

To understand Frama’s philosophy, it’s worth surveying the last half-century of Danish design. In the 1950s and 1960s, leading designers such as Hans J. Wegner, Arne Jacobsen, Finn Juhl, Børge Mogensen and Poul Kjærholm fathered a mid-century movement that would become known as Danish Modern. The country’s design output maintained a steady standing over the following decades, and has experienced a second golden age over the last twenty years. Brands such as HAY, Gubi, and Muuto gained iconic status, and mainstream design retailers fell under the spell of Scandinavian minimalism.

And then, there was Frama. The company never seemed to ride the wave of Danish design, or buy into the trends which were quickly becoming clichés. “Our CEO describes our approach to business as ‘very parkour’,” says Strøyer Christophersen with a wry smile. “In other words, we take our own path. Frama was conceived in a very atypical way. In 2012 we travelled to Berlin to take part in a furniture fair. We had no experience in selling or distribution, and only brought a small collection of items with us. It might not have seemed the most strategic approach, but we were doing what came naturally to us: working freely with designers and architects, seeking to create something from nothing.”

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Full story available in the upcoming Faculty Department Vol. 2 (coming Fall 2019)

Photographed in 2018 – Copenhagen, DK