From 1971 to GERDA: How We Rebuilt DANSK Copenhagen and Took It on the Road
DANSK Copenhagen at a Glance
- Danish family-owned jewellery brand, founded in 1971 by Jette Storm, Christian's mother.
- Run today by Christian and Malene, the second generation, with Christian's daughter managing social media.
- Copenhagen office in Denmark; Christian and Malene design and run the brand on the road across Europe in their camper van, GERDA.
- Scandinavian design: calm, considered and made to wear every day.
- Made from premium 316L stainless steel: waterproof, hypoallergenic and resistant to tarnishing.
- Slow fashion: made to keep, not replace. We don't do Black Friday.
Some decisions don't arrive all at once. They build slowly, shaped by the world around you, until one day the path forward becomes impossible to ignore.
That's exactly how it happened for us.
This is the story of how DANSK Copenhagen went from a Copenhagen jewellery business to a Scandinavian brand designed and run from a camper van. You'll meet the people who made it possible, learn why we sold almost everything we owned, and see how life on the road quietly reshaped the way we create. It's personal, it's honest, and it's still unfolding.
A Scandinavian Jewellery Brand with More Than 50 Years of History
DANSK Copenhagen has been part of our family since 1971. Christian's mother built something real from the ground up — a jewellery business rooted in craftsmanship, trust, and an eye for what endures.
When Christian and I took the reins, we inherited more than a company. We inherited a responsibility. More than five decades of relationships, reputation, and resilience. That kind of history doesn't sit lightly on your shoulders. You can read more about the brand itself on our About DANSK Copenhagen page.
Over the years, DANSK Copenhagen lived through everything an industry can throw at a family business. The highs that remind you why you started. The lows that test whether you truly believe in what you've built. Trends came and went. The market kept changing. We adapted, we evolved, and we kept going.
So when the pandemic hit and the world shifted in ways none of us expected, we didn't simply wait for normal to return. Christian and I looked at each other and asked a question we'd perhaps been circling for a while: what do we actually want DANSK Copenhagen to become?
Rebuilding a Danish Jewellery Brand in 2022
In 2022, we made our decision. We were going to rebuild the business from the ground up — not to abandon what it had always been, but to take it somewhere new.
The vision was clear. We wanted a version of DNSK Copenhagen we could run from wherever we chose to be, as long as we had Wi-Fi.
The Quiet, Unglamorous Work
Between the vision and the reality came years of preparation. The kind of work nobody celebrates but everything depends on.
We made deliberate changes to free ourselves up:
- We outsourced the accounting.
- We moved our warehouse to a pick-and-pack facility.
- We reviewed every workflow and asked whether it could be more digital or automated.
More often than not, the answer was yes. It took time and patience. It asked us to let go of ways of working that had been in place for a very long time.
But with each change, something opened up. We found space — space to focus on the parts of DANSK Copenhagen that truly matter, the parts no software can replace. By the end, we had built a business that could move with us.
The People Who Keep Us Moving
No vision like this works without the right people around you.
Around the same time, Christian's daughter — who'd been modelling for DANSK Copenhagen since the pandemic began — stepped into managing our social media. She brought something fresh and genuine to how we show up.
Our Copenhagen office keeps DANSK Copenhagen rooted in Denmark. When meetings and customers call, we fly home — and the business keeps running wherever GERDA is parked.
Today, DANSK Copenhagen is still a family business at heart: one company with more than 50 years of history, and a shared belief in where it's heading.
Saying Goodbye, and a New Companion
Before we get to GERDA, there's something else worth telling you.
For years, our Great Dane Zoey travelled through life with us. She was enormous, gentle, and entirely convinced she was a lap dog. Saying goodbye to her, when her old age finally asked that of us, was one of the harder things we've done. She was part of this story too.
Not long after, Louis arrived.
Louis is a mix of Bichon Havanais and Maltese, and he is, in almost every way, the opposite of what came before. Where Zoey filled a room, Louis fills a heart. He is small, spirited, and the perfect travel companion.
When we fly back to Denmark for meetings or client work, Louis tucks neatly into the hand luggage and comes along without a second thought. He took to van life with the same easy confidence he brings to everything. Life on the road would feel notably emptier without him padding around GERDA.
Van Life: Selling Everything for GERDA
Here's the part that still surprises people.
We sold almost everything we owned.
Not because we had to. Not because we were in crisis. But because, after everything we'd been through, we'd both arrived at the same quiet conclusion. The life we were building didn't need to look like the life we'd had before.
So we sold the furniture, cleared out the home, and kept what mattered. And what mattered, beyond each other and Louis, was DANSK Copenhagen.
We moved into GERDA — our camper, our home, our rolling office. And we pointed her towards Europe.
We won't pretend it's always easy. The signal drops at exactly the wrong moment. GERDA needs attention when a deadline doesn't care. The line between working hours and wandering hours has to be managed with intention.
But this life has surprised us in the best way. It works. And more than that, it suits us.
How Life on the Road Shapes Our Scandinavian Design
Something about this journey has changed how we create, and we didn't fully see it coming.
When you stand in an ancient Italian hill town watching evening light fall across terracotta rooftops, something shifts. The same happens beside a lake at dawn, or over a meal shared with people whose language you barely speak but whose warmth you feel completely.
The world becomes material in the truest sense. Nature, culture, people, the textures and rhythms of unfamiliar places — all of it feeds back into the work. Into how we think about design, about beauty, about what DANSK Copenhagen stands for.
The roots of every design stay unmistakably Scandinavian — calm, considered, unfussy. But the soul of each design now picks up a little of the road. The ideas come differently. Less forced, more felt.
Italy has left a particularly deep mark on us. The light, the food, the history, the slow pace of life. It finds its way into everything we make.
Slow Fashion and 316L Stainless Steel: Made to Last
This way of living has only deepened a belief we already held. We don't want to make things you replace. We want to make things you keep.
That's why DANSK Copenhagen jewellery is made around quality that endures. Our collection in premium 316L stainless steel reflects exactly that:
- Designed to last. It resists tarnishing and daily wear far better than brass.
- Kind to skin. Hypoallergenic and gentle, even for sensitive skin.
- The same design you love. A stronger foundation, with the soul intact.
- A fair price. Better quality, with no premium barrier.
This is slow fashion the honest way. A design you reach for every morning becomes part of your story. It earns its place by lasting — and that, to us, is the whole point.
Come and Follow the Journey
This isn't the end of the story. It's very much the beginning.
GERDA keeps moving. DANSK Copenhagen keeps evolving. Louis keeps charming everyone he meets. And we keep discovering that business and adventure, structure and freedom, are far less at odds than most people imagine.
If you'd like to follow along, you'll find us at @danskcopenhagen — life on the road, new designs and the work behind every collection.
Whether you're curious about nomadic life, rethinking your own business, or simply wondering what happens when you stop waiting for the right time — we'd love to have you with us.
Made with Love. Designed to Last. Explore what we're making — and there's plenty of room to follow along.
With love, from the road,
Christian & Malene
Frequently Asked Questions
When was DANSK Copenhagen founded?
DANSK Copenhagen was founded in 1971 by Jette Storm, Christian's mother. It has been a Danish family-owned jewellery business for more than 50 years.
Who runs DANSK Copenhagen today?
Christian and Malene run DANSK Copenhagen as the second generation of the family. Christian's daughter manages social media.
Where is DANSK Copenhagen based?
DANSK Copenhagen has its office in Copenhagen, Denmark. Christian and Malene design and run the brand on the road across Europe from their camper van, GERDA.
What is DANSK Copenhagen jewellery made from?
The collection is made from premium 316L stainless steel, which is waterproof, hypoallergenic and resistant to tarnishing. Some designs are made in brass, which is fashion jewellery and should be kept dry. Read about 316L stainless steel.
How can I follow the journey?
Follow @danskcopenhagen on Instagram for life on the road, new designs and collections.