Gubi was founded in 1967 by Jacob and Sebastian’s parents, Gubi and Lisbeth Olsen. They initially focused on producing Olsen’s furniture designs and selling textiles to the retail sector. Eager to make their own mark, the sons opened a concept store and introduced fashion into the equation. In fact, they were amongst the first to import Prada and Helmut Lang to Denmark, returning their focus back to the family business in 2001.
Since then, Gubi has transposed the original creative vision into a contemporary context, putting them on the map as a global player on the design scene. In an ever-changing international landscape, it takes an enormous amount of drive and determination to keep chasing icons. It’s that type of endless energy, enthusiasm and entrepreneurial spirit which has catapulted Gubi into an iconic status all its own.
Chasing forgotten icons has led Gubi to the re-launch of designs from the 30’s, 40’s, 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. Originally created by artists, sculptors, designers and architects from France, Italy, England, Spain, Sweden, Denmark, Hungary, Germany, Japan and elsewhere. Talented professionals whose work has been featured at MoMA in New York, Victoria & Albert Museum, London’s Design Museum, the National Museum in Stockholm and the Arktikum Museum in Finland, among others. Each piece is exquisite in its own right with a story to tell, capturing a fleeting moment in history which remains relevant to this day. A perfect example is Bestlite, a series of Bauhaus-influenced lamps first produced in 1930 by British designer Robert Dudley Best. (Winston Churchill is one of several highly esteemed owners.) We spotted a Bestlite lamp in 1989 and resurrected this beloved icon of last century as part of a stunning 13-piece collection re-launched worldwide.
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