A century and a half ago, interior design company Fritz Hansen took shape in Copenhagen, defining Nordic design by crafting iconic furniture that stands the test of time. Over the years, Fritz Hansen has brought to life furniture designs that combine efficient technology with traditional craftsmanship, with a firm belief in Nordic simplicity. "We started with a basic concept—to make the best chair possible in the world and focus on quality and craftsmanship. The story of the company is made by humans, they love the company so much because the company has been present for generations,” shares Dario Reicherl, CEO of Fritz Hansen Asia. During the course of their designs, Fritz Hansen has managed to establish both a planet-positive philosophy and a culture-centric vision, a philosophy shared by their recent collaborator Gut Oggau. Established in 2007, Gut Oggau Vinery was created by Stephanie and Eduard Tscheppe Eselbock with a vision to ideate something that lasts—to be inspired and to inspire. With an emphasis on biodynamic cultivation, Gut Oggau was able to increase the vitality of the vineyards. With a unique approach to wine personalities, their vineyards are canvases that shape culture, transforming wine into more than just a beverage.

Homogenous ideologies and a love for wine among Reicherl and Gut Oggau's founders, thus, brewed a superlative collaboration between the craft furniture brand and the wine brand, launched in November 2021 in Copenhagen, Austria, Tokyo, New York and Seoul. The collaboration can be traced back to 2017 when Reicherl first discovered Gut Oggau and the idea of the collaboration sparked. "I fell in love with the label because they tell stories of design and art putting together stories of the family. So I started reading about the Gut Oggau family story and discovered Stephanie and Eduard and I started drinking all their wine,” shares Reicherl. The collaboration is rooted in nature, art, culture, and sustainability. "We are different parts of this chain that keeps circling. Originally wooden furniture goes down to agriculture and forest culture. Fritz Hansen creates awareness about the environment and sustainability, how everything is going back to the soil, similarly for food and wine, many people don’t know how it is produced or how it should be produced in a balanced way. This is the same culture we share,” explains Eduard.

The Grand Prix™ chair in wood by Fritz Hansen, designed by Arne Jacobsen is the highlight of this collaboration. Four Grand Prix™ chairs were dyed in Gut Oggau's red wine, ranging from light to dark. The concept of the wine along with the chair design narrates a story of the relationship between Gut Oggau's wine and Fritz Hansen's furniture: "Just like Fritz Hansen's furniture lasts generations, although our wine bottles empty out fast, the memories and conversations shared along with it last a lifetime and with this collaboration with the wine on the chair this is the message that is put across," describes Eduard.

Additionally, Gut Oggau has produced 120 bottles of red wine, each with its own label, designed by Vald, reflecting the story of shared respect for nature and artisanal skills. The label front captures the collaboration into one illustration and the rear narrates the story of how the collaboration unfolded. "For us, it was important to have a label similar to ours but without the face, so we illustrated the chair on the label. It was an out of the comfort zone situation. We put the feet of the chair as a bottle of wine in wax to make it more lively,” explains Stephanie.

The Fritz Hansen X Gut Oggau collaboration comes from the heart. "We didn’t have any expectations, from the start it has been a very personal project, we celebrated the collaboration regardless of the response, although we knew that this would bring no harm. But of course, the outcome was much more than what we expected because of the feedback and friendship that has been built,” shares Eduard. In a world where architecture and design are predominantly influenced by the end product, this collaboration shines a light on the environment, process and people that make the product, arching a step towards sustainability. “We just wanted to enjoy the collaboration and our mutual respect for the environment by making great chairs and great wine,” shares Reicherl.

The limited edition collection juxtaposes the inanimate characteristics of the chair with the animate experience of the wine. A fine blend of design and culture, experience and tradition, defines this collaboration, setting an example of how two uniquely independent brands can come together and create an integrated identity through design.

Tap the cover video to watch the full conversation with Dario Reicherl, CEO of Fritz Hansen Asia, and Stephanie and Eduard Tscheppe Eselbock from Gut Oggau.

Text by Ria Jha