Danish Originals

From his apartment in Bedford-Stuyvesant in Brooklyn, New York, Gentofte-born Danish-Spanish-Brazilian restaurateur SEBASTIAN PEREZ recalls growing up in Copenhagen until he was six, and moving to New York at 13. Having opened his fourth location in East Williamsburg, Sebastian reflects on the early bootstrapping days of Smør, created with his partner and fellow Dane, Sebastian Bangsgaard, and his vision of providing approachable D...

On the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, from his home in the Garden District of New Orleans, Holbæk-born Danish tenor saxophonist and composer CHRISTIAN WINTHER recalls moving to "The Big Easy" in 1997 to play with and learn from some of his jazz idols. Staying true to the birthplace of American jazz and also continually innovating, Christian talks about performing on the stages of the iconic Preservation Hall a...

From her home studio in the West Village in Manhattan, New York-born American-Danish theater and voice actress VANESSA JOHANSSON reflects on growing up American with a Danish architect-father from Copenhagen. Vanessa talks about her work with the Scandinavian American Theater Company, with its mission to bring cutting edge work by contemporary Scandinavian playwrights to American audiences. And she talks about the creative an...

From his home in Newbury Park, Thousand Oaks, Hobro-born Danish professional rider and horse trainer and abstract painter KENNETH VINTHER reflects on moving to California via Germany in his 20s, and on his career competing with and educating show jumping horses. He highlights his best horse, a Holsteiner named Colicchio, once the best in class on the US west coast, and the difference of riding between Denmark and the US — the forme...

From his home in Silkeborg, Aalborg-born Danish whisky maker and co-founder of Stauning Whisky ALEX HØJRUP MUNCH talks about the award-winning New World premium rye whisky. He shares the joy of introducing Stauning to Americans, and reflects on the challenges breaking into the US market, and the effects of evolving tariff policies. On the business that began with nine founders on the Danish west coast focusing on rye, a Danis...

​From her home in London, Funen-born, Danish screenwriter LINE LANGEBEK talks about her widely celebrated Oscar-nominated film The Girl with the Needle (2025), a historical psychological horror film based on the true story of Danish serial killer Dagmar Overbye. Line talks about Raising Films, a UK-based organization she helped create that advocates for parents and carers in the screen sector, and her commitment ...

From his home in Thousand Oaks, California, Nivå-born Danish craft brewer JEPPE JARNIT-BJERGSØ recalls his start as a schoolteacher to kids with special needs and as a beer expert, brewer, and entrepreneur. He talks about his 2012 move to New York with his wife and young children that resulted in years of explosive growth, of his company Evil Twin Brewing, and a Michelin Starred restaurant. And he shares his latest adventure, Jarni...

On a visit to Los Angeles to meet with Twentieth Gallery about her new creations, Bonderup-born, London-trained, New York-based Danish designer CAMILLA STÆRK speaks about her brand, STÆRK, deeply rooted in her Danish heritage and shaped by a fascination with Old Hollywood and film noir, and spanning fashion, furniture, lighting, rugs, and accessories. She also reflects on her creative partnership, Stærk & Christensen, which ext...

From his apartment in Greenwich Village, New York, Odense-born Danish creative marketer KRISTIAN THOMASSEN recalls leaving home immediately after high school, and experiencing a deep feeling of belonging in New York City. Kristian pays homage to his mentor in his new city, a fellow Dane, or two, and describes his fast-paced work developing campaigns for brands to reach a young demographic with a Gen Z mindset. Lastly, Kristian shar...

From his Michelin-Starred restaurant Elske he co-owns with his wife Anna Posey in Chicago's West Loop neighborhood, California-born Danish-American chef and restaurateur DAVID POSEY talks about his path in American fine dining that's always incorporated a Danish or Scandinavian profile. He reflects on his and his restaurant's recent roles on the popular tv series The Bear, the joy of experiencing the ...

​From her home in Bel-Air, London-born British-Danish interior designer and stylist KRISTINA HASLUND talks about her namesake Studio Haslund that blends Danish modernist style with Los Angeles' indoor-outdoor living. She retraces her roots with her Danish mother, her first career in the music industry, and how mid-century design and architecture are top reasons she calls LA home. And she explains why she has fallen in lov...

From Dumbo, Brooklyn, Frederiksberg-born, Vejle-raised, Copenhagen- and New York-based Danish pianist and composer NIKOLAJ HESS gets ready for his upcoming concert at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Nikolaj talks about how he translates visual art to music in his project Transformative Reflections, film scoring, and his many jazz adventures, highlighting New York as a jazz capital. And he talks about improvisation, and...

​From her home in Nørrebro in Copenhagen, Haderslev-born Danish-English multidisciplinary artist ​BIRGITTE MOOS CHALCRAFT talks about her time in Los Angeles at the start of the booming art scene in the Arts District of Downtown LA. There she was inspired by her fellow artists and the land and street art movements. Birgitte talks about her focus on the intersection of psychology and art, her interest in quantum physics, and h...

In his home in Winchester outside of Boston, Aalborg-born Danish entrepreneur NICOLAI ROTTBØLL is excited about life in the US where he continues his work with international organizations on sustainability and green transition. He talks about the importance of positive thinking, his largest project Our World 2050 that calls on one million children to share their vision of our collective future, and the book he's authoring...

In her home in Studio City, Los Angeles, Christianshavn-born Danish author, collector, and gallerist MUS WHITE recalls moments from the 60 years she has lived in California, having left Denmark upon her high school graduation. She talks about starting out as a juvenile probation officer, then becoming a published author and translator, a historical photography dealer and exhibition maker along with her husband, and a recogniz...

In Los Angeles for the Annie Awards with his nominated short film, Hans Christian Andersen's The Swineherd (2023), Viborg-based Danish producer SØREN FLENG describes how he came to the industry through Denmark's world-renowned animation school, The Animated Workshop, and the unique community of animation professionals. He gives a sneak peak on his current project with a US partner, and shares his thoughts on the power...

From her home in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, Danish creative director SIMONE FABRICIUS reflects on having loved New York City since seeing it on the movie screen in the '80s, and moving there 15 years ago after a decade in Paris from Denmark. Simone talks about her work, which she calls "play," in brand, packaging, visual design, and illustration, and how she's particularly excited about the explosive developments and opp...

From her home in New York, Pulitzer finalist and Ebbe Munck Prize-winning Danish writer and editor LOUISE BOKKENHEUSER talks her upcoming novel How to Organize the World, and recalls her time as a war correspondent in Bagdad, Iraq for The Los Angeles Times and what her experience taught her about human beings' capabilities in treating each other. She further shares her thoughts on the state of journalism in the US under a secon...

From his apartment in Battery Park City in Manhattan, where he's called home since 1992, award-winning Odense-born Danish cartoonist and graphic novelist HENRIK REHR revisits starting his comic shop and drawing studio Den Blå Bil in his hometown in Odense. Henrik discusses his book Tribeca Sunset: A Story of 9-11 about his family's experience during the 2001 terrorist attack in New York City and shares his thoughts on...