HISTORY

SOFTLINE – FROM PRODUCER OF RAW MATERIALS TO DESIGN COMPANY

Softline was established in 1979 as a division of K. Balling-Engelsen a/s, producer of polyurethane (PU) foam and sub-supplier to the Nordic furniture industry. The founding of Softline created synergy and new business areas out of the processing of PU foam, so that it could be utilised in a range of innovative, functional furniture for modern lifestyles.

The company’s profile was refined further in the 1980s, when Softline began to collaborate with designer Kurt Brandt. Among other things, he created the Pax sofa bed, one of the company’s first big sales successes. The Pax sofa could be transformed into a double bed in one movement, a combination of design and functionality that was groundbreaking.

Kurt Brandt had a unique ability to exploit the attributes of foam materials to the maximum, and he created a whole series of trendsetting furniture throughout the 1980s and 1990s. The Diva sofa and Solo relax chair are good examples of the attractive, sculptural and timeless products that elevated Softline into a leading position in the market for modern furniture.

The success spread quickly in the 1980s and 1990s from Denmark to the export markets, particularly Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France and the Benelux countries. Other markets in Europe, the Middle East and Asia also displayed a growing interest in Softline’s products.

Following Kurt Brandt’s death in 1997, Softline collaborated with a number of new designers, in part through design competitions held in Denmark. The young designer Flemming Busk participated in one of these in 1999 and today he is one half of designer duo busk+hertzog, who have influenced Softline’s collection with their unique designs. Since then, a number of new designers such as Thomas Müller, Jörg Wulff, Stine Engelbrechtsen and Hiromichi Konno have emerged and made their mark on the company’s design profile.