Through our exclusive distribution relationship with Fredericia Furniture ( www.fredericia.com ) , Hightower Group is proud to represent the designs of Nanna Ditzel.

Often referred to as the grande dame of Danish Design, Nanna Ditzel was born in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1923. Trained as a cabinetmaker before studies at the School of Arts and Crafts and the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen. Nanna's contemporaries at the School of Arts and Crafts included noted designers Grete Jalk and Kristian Vedel. The teaching staff was an all-star collection including Peter Hvidt, architect Peter Koch and Orla Lolgaard Nielsen.

Upon gradtuation from the Royal Academy in 1946, Nanna established her own design studio together with husband Jørgen Ditzel and has since then been working in the design sector for nearly six decades.

Working during a period of Danish Design leadership, fronted by the likes of Finn Juhl, Borge Mogensen, Hans Wegner, and Arne Jacobsen - Nanna Ditzel was respected as a peer and innovator.

From the start of her career in the post war years, she has been challenged by new materials and new techniques. Has worked in various materials such as fibre glass, wickerwork and foam rubber and in various disciplines such as cabinet-making, jewelry, tableware, applied art and textiles.

In the 50's she experimented with split-level floor seating. From 1968 to '86 lived in London, establishing the international furniture house Interspace in Hampstead with Kurt Heide.

Among her designs in continuous production are jewelry for Georg Jensen , textiles for Kvadrat and furniture for Fredericia. The Trindid chair designed for Fredericia has been a worldwide success.

Nanna Ditzel has exhibited internationally at One Woman exhibitions in Amsterdam, Berlin, New York, Vienna, London, Stockholm, Milan, Glasgow, Manchester, Reykjavik, Paris and Denmark.

Awarded numerous international prizes, including, in 1990, the Gold Medal in the International Furniture Design Competition, Japan, for her Bench for Two (Fredericia ). Elected Honourable Royal Designer in London in 1996 and awarded the lifelong Artists' Grant by the Danish Ministry of Culture in 1998.

Further information: The film on Nanna Ditzel, her designs and working methods (Produced 1991 by Danish Ministry of Education). Motion and Beauty; The Book of Nanna Ditzel, by Henrik Sten Møller (Published by Rhodos 1998).