Week 5 - Alvin Du

Danish Modern is a great example of national image rebranding. Kaare Klint devised Danish modern funiture based on the idea of functionality. His ingenuity and ideals became popularized and soon spread to the United States. It's very clever how narratives can market an item so efficiently. The desire of artisan craftmanship is powerful and the Danish had definitely taken advantage of this in order to branch out into international sales. Artisan is often associated with authentic, hand-made and specialized; something that isn't mass-produced. This is to flaunt good taste. Americans perceive foreign furniture such as Scandinavian, Swiss and Danish products to be of the upmost well-crafted products but function and aesthetics aren't the only reason people place value in these. I believe simplicity also has a role in their marketing. We see this today through Ikea products. Although Ikea furniture is mass-produced, this Swedish company has overlapped any other furniture store through its simplistic function and form. Not only is it based of Swedish design, but it is also simple enough that any one is capable of assembling their products. In comparison, the Danish were effective in how they sold the idea of Danish modernity. 

Hansen, Per H. Networks, Narratives, and New Markets: The Rise and Decline of Danish Modern Furniture Design, 1930-1970. The President and Fellows of Harvard College.