A series of unfortunate events in September 1807 landed leather craftsman Wilhelm Ludvig Dahlman his dream job. When the British Army and their newly acquired Congreve fire rockets ruthlessly blitzed Copenhagen, the city was reduced to a fireball; public buildings were obliterated, and the cathedral tower toppled. Some 200 lives were lost, among them the Danish Royal Stables’ master saddler. A fortnight later, the 28-year-old Dahlman stepped into the role. He would go on to found his own company in 1825, which became the Royal Court Saddler and still reigns as the world’s oldest leather brand.
The Dahlman brand has borne witness to Copenhagen’s key moments: the introduction of concrete, the rise of the modernist ideal, the American effect and the bicycle boom. Keeping with the times, the brand underwent its own renaissance, translating its expertise in riding gear into high-end consumer goods.
Creative royalty soon flocked in. In 1942, they collaborated with architect Erik Herløw to rework their classic briefcase, the ‘Architect’s Bag’, now a piece of Danish design history (as featured in W*238). In the 1950s, they stitched the seat of Børge Mogensen’s renowned hunting chair. They even won over American jazz virtuoso Miles Davis, who sported a Dahlman belt on the cover of his seminal album Kind of Blue.
The brand entered a new chapter in 2017, when the youthful trio of Jeppe Dencker, Tove Christensen and Mikkel Lyshøj took over. One of their first moves was the renovation of the historic headquarters on Fortunstræde, the cobbled Copenhagen street where Dahlman has operated for a century. Here, customers are privy to the inner workings of the three-strong production line, furnished with all the messy charm of handmade manufacture. Scattered cuts of leather and rolls of raw vegetable tanned hide ready to be transformed into their minimalist range of hand-sewn belts, wallets and bags.
The same handcrafted ethos employed by their predecessors was deployed at this year’s Wallpaper* Handmade X exhibition. Dahlman1807 (as they’re now known) created a vinyl bag (a spin on the Architect’s Bag), vinyl brush, and leather fittings for the ‘Cabinet of Love’, a smoked oak audio station devised alongside OEO Studio, Garde Hvalsøe, Bergmann Audio and Gato Audio.
This month sees the brand trade beyond the historic shop for the first time. They’ve joined forces with menswear retailer Goods, who champion Danish craftsmanship with a roster that includes the likes of Andersen-Andersen, Mismo and Frama.
Kasper Hostrup, founder and owner of Goods had been following Dahlman’s revival closely. He approached Dencker with a pitch to expand their lines of small leather accessories to form a new collection. This includes a bi-fold wallet, coin wallet, cardholder, belt and key ring, tanned in either black, dark brown or cognac and sold exclusively in Goods’ shop on Østerbrogade. Hostrup is taking a long-term view: ‘I look forward to seeing the results of our joint venture in ten to fifteen years, when wear and tear has given the products a lovely patina.’
Stockholm-based tannery Tärnsjö will treat the leather with all-natural acids found in bark, leaves and fruit. ‘These products are the pinnacle in terms of craftsmanship, quality and simple timeless design,’ says Dencker.
This may be Dahlman’s first move into wholesale, but there’s more in the pipeline. ‘We’re not in a rush and we will be focusing on a small number of carefully selected retailers worldwide,’ says Dencker. ‘We have teamed up with some the best craftsmen and production partners in Europe who can help us grow our production volume without having to compromise on quality or design.’
Dahlman1807 isn’t just a brand with a great backstory; it’s one that, against the odds of mass-production, has sustained itself on openness to collaboration, old-world handiwork and pure labour of love. Their work is beginning to fly the long-held nest, but it looks like the oldest and most valued leather producer in Denmark is tanning, stitching and buckling its way to global acclaim.
INFORMATION
The Dahlman1807 & Goods collection launches on 23 May. For more information, visit the Goods website, and the Dahlman1807 website
ADDRESS
Østerbrogade 44, Copenhagen
-
Tour Nuanu Creative City, a new Bali district informed by art, nature and technologyWelcome to Nuanu Creative City: Bali’s unprecedented 44-hectare creative development is taking shape
-
DS Automobiles makes good on its conceptual promises with the new DS No.8An all-electric flagship, DS No.8 is either a high-riding saloon or a low-slung SUV. Either way, it illustrates a welcome dose of fresh thinking from the French manufacturer
-
Why is the watch world so fascinated by science fiction?This year watchmakers have once more ventured into outer space for our timekeeping needs, with a new generation of young watch brands showcasing sci-fi styles
-
Carl Hansen & Søn reissues two masterpieces by Danish pioneer Kaare KlintDanish design powerhouse Carl Hansen & Søn presents a bed and chair originally designed in the 1930s by Kaare Klint, the founder of the Danish Modern movement
-
Tableau presents previously unseen Poul Gernes flower lampDanish design studio Tableau worked with the Poul Gernes Foundation to bring to life the design for the first time
-
The Danish shores meet East Coast America as Gubi and Noah unveil new summer collaborationGubi x Noah is a new summer collaboration comprising a special colourful edition of Gubi’s outdoor lounge chair by Mathias Steen Rasmussen, and a five-piece beach-appropriate capsule collection
-
Reform kitchens’ New York showroom opens in BrooklynLocated in Dumbo, Reform kitchens’ New York showroom brings Scandinavian kitchen design to the American East Coast
-
3 Days of Design 2022: best of Danish design, and moreExplore the best new spaces and furniture launches from Danish and international brands and designers at Copenhagen’s 3 Days of Design 2022
-
Danish studio Tableau takes flower arranging into uncharted watersWe talk to Tableau Copenhagen founder Julius Værnes Iversen on the studio's evolution from flower shop to fully-fledged design operation and its collaboration with artists, designers and design brands
-
Talent and textiles come together in a new project by Kvadrat Febrik28 emerging designers from around the world create furniture and objects using Kvadrat Febrick fabric range
-
World View: Letter from DenmarkThe World View series shines light on the creativity and resilience of designers around the world as they confront the challenges wrought by the Covid-19 pandemic. Working with our international contributors, we reach out to creative talents to ponder the power of design in difficult times and share messages of hope. Among designers in Denmark, there has been some disorientation, but also patience, resilience, and a newfound sense of purpose and generosity, writes our commissioning editor TF Chan.
