The Le Klint brand stands for traditional Danish lighting design. She is best known for her hand-folded lampshades, which still characterize the extensive range today and are available in numerous variations. Le Klint is just as committed to its own history as to supporting young Scandinavian designers, and uses new technologies and traditional craftsmanship in the design and manufacture of its lamps. Le Klint consciously sticks to the Odense location and aims to create high-quality design made in Denmark.
Le Klint was founded in 1943 by Tage Klint, but the company's history begins earlier, when Tage Klint's father, the architect and engineer Peder Vilhelm Jensen-Klint, had the idea for a folded paper umbrella that was placed on a petroleum lamp could be. Family and friends were called in to further develop this lampshade - initially for personal use. After all, it was Tage Klint's idea to market the umbrellas commercially. He contributed an elastic collar to the design, which is now considered one of the typical identifying features.
Even today, the umbrellas are still carefully handcrafted at the company headquarters in Odense. Responsible for this is the specially trained specialist staff who learn the special folding techniques for each model in a three-year training course. Due to their expertise and often decades of experience with the numerous folding techniques, the so-called “folders” are also often called upon to develop new lamp models.
While the tradition of folding lamps is kept alive in this way and is still a cornerstone of the brand today, Le Klint has long been working with young designers on lamps that also use other materials and production methods. Metal, wood and plastics as well as designs that are sometimes inspired by the past, sometimes futuristic and minimalist, give Le Klint new impulses. The brand moves between Scandinavian design tradition and the modern zeitgeist.
Le Klint has been a purveyor to the royal court since 2003 and has, among other things, equipped the royal yacht Dannebrog and the reception halls at Copenhagen Airport with its historic and typically Danish lights.