Min and Max

Helena Christensen discovered her early love of objects while growing up in the outskirts of Copenhagen. “I was digging in the dirt as a little girl, trying to find objects from the past, because we lived next to a potato field where there were actually objects from the Second World War, even from the ’30s, ’40s, ’50s. Little pots or dolls,” says the supermodel. “I was always interested in finding curious objects, collecting them, and later on designing them.” 

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A true Scandinavian, Christensen, 56, never lost this fundamental passion for design, even as she went from Miss Denmark in 1986 to becoming one of the quintessential supermodels of the ’90s. She went on to open a short-lived curated design shop, Butik, out of Soho, New York, in the the aughts, and she later launched a studio, Stærk&Christensen, which she continues to run with friend and fellow Dane, the artist and designer Camilla Stærk.

Now, Christensen is joining forces with legacy Danish design brand BoConcept as its global artistic director, collaborating on creative campaigns and lending her eye to new product lines. Her deep admiration for Danish design immediately gave her common ground with the brand, founded in the 1950s and among those to find themselves swept up in the broader international mega-wave of mid-century modernism. “I am obsessed with Danish design—I think it’s one of the things about being Danish I am very proud of, how many talented architects and designers Denmark has fostered throughout the decades and centuries,” she says, further touting the “great minds” such as Kaare Klint behind 1950s modern Danish design in particular. “[It’s] a simple way of living, in a very comfortable, almost poetic way. The many dark months living in a Nordic country, the way people build a warm cozy nest around them, is a big part of growing up in Denmark.”

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BoConcept’s aesthetic falls squarely into this tradition. “They have beautiful, timeless, elegant, classic, modern pieces, with very clean lines,” says Christensen. Such designs, she adds, are exactly what she looks for when decorating her own home—where, you might be surprised to hear, there’s far from a universal minimalist scheme at play. “Every place I’ve ever lived is filled with objects that I collect from all over the world. My walls are full of art. There is barely an empty spot on any surface,” she says. Christensen adds that the “explosions” of fabrics and colors she’s also quite fond of owe to the influence of her Peruvian heritage, through her mother. With this, Danish design offers a core organizing principle: “When you pair an eclectic home with furniture pieces that have simple organic shapes, the combination creates a very good balance.”

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So, what can BoConcept’s fans expect as the brand heads into its Christensen era? On top of her design background, the fashion icon also brings to the table a photography portfolio. A selection of her nature images—think flowers, plants and trees, their shapes translated here both literally and abstractly—will be the inspiration for posters, fabric patterns (for rugs, pillows, etc.), and silhouettes of vases and other sculptural objects. Separate furniture designs will combine a series of Christensen’s favorite things (namely, fabric, shapes, colors): velvet, with curvy, organic lines, offered in two shades—a “faded eggshell-blue” and “mellow champagne-based tone, with a tiny hint of antique rose.”

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Whatever else comes next, Christensen seems to be the type who can figure it out as she goes, no problem—the true mark of a designer, really. Stærk&Christensen, for instance, is finalizing a line of prefabricated homes done in partnership with an Icelandic architect, the project nearly a decade in the making. She’s coming to BoConcept with the same level of determination, savvy, and willingness to learn. “It made total sense when they approached me—I live and breathe design and art and interiors anyway,” she says. “To me, it's about mixing together everything and somehow making it work.”