The Grande Dame of Danish Design

Considered the First Lady of Danish Design, Nanna Ditzel gained international renown for her daring and forward-thinking work across furniture, textile, and jewellery design.

Known for her keen interest in materiality and an experimental approach, Ditzel — who often worked together with Jørgen — remains one of the most prolific creative minds of the Scandinavian mid-century movement, with countless innovative designs to her name.

A Pioneer of Her Time

Highly unusual for her time, Nanna Ditzel was educated as a cabinetmaker during the war and graduated as a furniture designer from the School of Arts and Crafts’ furniture school in Copenhagen in 1946.

Nanna Ditzel’s collaboration with Getama Furniture yielded several remarkable designs, including the ‘Ring’ chair, the ‘Vita’ sofa, pictured above. With an innate ability to seamlessly blend form and function, Ditzel revolutionised the field of modern furniture design, leaving an indelible mark on the industry.

Innovative and Elegant Designs

In 2021, Georg Jensen presented a capsule of iconic mid-century designs by Nanna Ditzel. The re-issued pieces show the designer’s legacy of bold silver designs executed with a modern lightness of expression.

Nanna Ditzel made history as the first female jewelry designer for Georg Jensen, leaving a lasting legacy in the industry.

A necklace characterised by Nanna’s simple yet expressive almost leaf-like shapes, designed in 1954.

Beautiful imagery sourced from Georg Jensen archives and @nannaditzeldesign

Although Nanna Ditzel was not a silversmith nor a goldsmith, she has still created some of Georg Jensen’s best-known jewellery pieces. By infusing organic forms with mid-century modernism, Ditzel created innovative, elegant, and fluid designs – all balanced by discreet simplicity.

"A true visionary in the world of design, Ditzel possessed an extraordinary array of talents that spanned across various disciplines. From her groundbreaking furniture creations to her innovative textile designs and jewellery marvels, Ditzel's diverse range of abilities knew no bounds."

Great Dane & Georg Jensen celebrate Nanna Ditzel’s 100th Birthday

In celebration of Nanna Ditzel’s centenary year, we are proudly hosting a series of exhibitions across our three showroom locations in partnership with Georg Jensen, offering a captivating showcase of her multifaceted talent. More details announced soon.