WHO WE ARE
Though Grethe Meyer could only have dreamt of today’s global appetite for Danish design, rooted in those very values of aesthetics, functionality and humanism which she herself so fully embodied, she was clearly determined that her name and vision should be carried on.
Before passing away at the ripe age of 90, Grethe Meyer had willed the body of her work to Design Museum Denmark, thus safeguarding her important contribution to the Danish cultural heritage. In her will she had also stipulated that her only daughter Dorthe Salicath should be the caretaker of her legacy. Dorthe Salicath spent the next eight years devoting herself to this task, working with among others Coop, Menu A/S and Georg Jensen on new productions of her mother’s designs.
Dorte Salicath passed away in 2016 but not without having assured that her niece, Isabel Bernadette Brammer, would carry on as the next design guardian. Representing a clear line of female succession for the brand, Isabel Bernadette Brammer has now embarked on a mission to raise awareness of the proud design legacy and reach new partnerships that will bring yet more of Grethe Meyer’s designs to life. This has resulted in new design collaborations with Republic of Fritz Hansen, Holmegaard, Bodum & FDB Furniture as well as the first documentary about Grethe Meyer.
THE LEGACY OF THE ROUND TABLE
Together with the Grethe Meyer Design brand I have been entrusted with some of Grethe’s cherished private possessions – perhaps most importantly her dining table, made by her dear friend and colleague Børge Mogensen. It is a wooden table, quite wonderfully worn and it is, of course, round. What better way of ensuring an openness of communication, a sameness of position and spirit than welcoming guests to a round table? And so this table, where Grethe dined with splendid dishes – served on her own cookware, glasses, bowls, plates, cutlery etc. – to secure the well-being and enjoyment of her family and friends, is now in my home and used for a multitude of purposes: meals, meetings, planning & brainstorming. In its own way this symbol of my great-aunt’s hospitality is therefore a constant reminder of the tremendous responsibility and privilege that now is in my custody. As the guardian of her legacy I firmly believe Grethe’s time has truly come and that the potential of her brand has only just started to unfold. It is my task – challenging and inspiring – to further this development, embrace these opportunities and devote myself to the purpose of securing Grethe Meyer Design a place at the round tables of the world. Isabel Bernadette Brammer Owner of Grethe Meyer Design.
THE FUTURE POTENTIAL
While Grethe Meyer’s designs surely are a perfect match for today’s interior and culinary trends, the more you look at, feel and handle them, the more you realize how rooted these objects are in something much more profound – something that transcends changing fashions and trends. Certainly, this has to do with Grethe Meyer’s ability to look back and learn from the forms, techniques and materials of the past in order to be able to produce things truly “liberated from time” – foreverware – equally suited to serve the past, the present and the future. This is the timeless quality, which distinguishes and permeates Grethe Meyer’s designs; and this is why they will last, why they are collected, cherished and passed on from one generation to the next.
”I do not think you have to expand to make room for more stuff. On the contrary, one must always be guard against things, or it will kill you. Nor should we gather things. Museums can collect beauty for us. – But you need simple and practical things. Things that work and that are easy to keep order”. GRETHE MEYER