Scan Magazine
Design Profile
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Royal Copenhagen
Left: As the first pattern ever created by Royal Copenhagen, the Blue Fluted Plain porcelain has become a trademark of Denmark all over the world.
‘We are a clear backbone of what is Danish’ The story of Royal Copenhagen is almost like a fairy tale. Grand royal weddings, heart-warming Christmas dinners and elegant Sunday coffees – the iconic bluepatterned porcelain has been part of life’s big and small moments in Denmark for centuries. By Signe Hansen
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Photos: Royal Copenhagen
Few brands have achieved the iconic status of Royal Copenhagen. Founded in 1775, pieces of the company’s classic hand-painted Blue Fluted Plain porcelain are found in almost all Danish homes. But what transformed the company from just a porcelain producer into an international brand was the introduction of the Blue and Black Fluted Mega at the beginning of the new millennium. Creative director Niels Bastrup explains: “Through the first 200 years of our history, it was easy to look at us as just a 12 |
Issue 101
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June 2017
producer. But around the year 2000, when Blue Fluted Mega made an entry into the portfolio, our transformation from quality seal to desired brand began. Today, that brand is essential to how we work and how we brief our designers. It’s vital that what they create is drawing lines to our design DNA – we are a clear backbone of what is Danish.”
From China to Denmark to the world When Royal Copenhagen first began producing porcelain in 1775, it was, as
with all European porcelain production, inspired by Chinese methods and traditions. However, as the company developed, its characteristic interpretation of the traditional blue patterns quickly made an impact on the European market. In the late 18th century, it began to win major prizes at the World Exhibits and, as the Danish Princess Alexandra married the Prince of Wales in 1863, the company also became purveyor to the English court. Today, with the continuing rise of Scandinavian design, the brand’s international appeal has grown even stronger. Outside Denmark, core markets such as Japan, South Korea and the US are drawn to Royal Copenhagen’s long history, elegant aesthetics and design quality. “In our