Recently, InteriorDaily spoke with Marie Lamberechts, who has recently started as Sales Manager for Benelux & France and PR & Marketing Manager for the Danish lighting brand Tom Rossau, named after the designer.
While we talked, Marie was surrounded by Tom's creations. 'Our offices are right next to the store, so we're surrounded by the lamps,' Marie says with a laugh. Behind her is a special edition, number 111, also known as the "Lego lamp". 'A fun fact is that Tom grew up near the place where Lego blocks were originally made in Denmark.' Like a box of Legos, this lamp can also be assembled by people themselves. 'This makes it easy to ship or store for shops. We'll be presenting this as a Christmas gift at the end of the year.'
From motorcycle gear to lamp design
Marie is originally from Ghent, Belgium, and has been living in Copenhagen the last three years. She explains how the Tom Rossau brand came about. 'Tom started the brand himself. In the early 90s, he was travelling on his motorcycle and learned to make clothing for motorcycling. Friends became interested, leading him to open a store in Copenhagen. For the shop, he made furniture and lamps. Passersby noticed the lamps and there was a demand for them.' The lamps as we know them now, with their characteristic slats, came about by happy accident: 'Tom experimented with birch and discovered, when one of the lampshades burst apart, how the material works and how he could create interesting shapes with it. This led to the official start of the brand as we know it,' says Marie.
In 2006, they won their first award at a fair in Denmark with the TR7 lamp, still one of their bestsellers, and in 2022, they collaborated with the Copenhagen Opera House. 'It's a relatively new building, for which we made the lamps in a large format. They almost became sculptures.'
Danish design
The lamps are handmade in the workshop inside the store, located at the beginning of Frederiksberg. The materials come from Europe, but production, design, and development are entirely in-house. Marie explains how the Danish and Scandinavian backgrounds are visible in the design. 'In terms of design, I wouldn't say the lamps are minimalistic, but they do fit into many different interiors. Additionally, the cosy, warm light, known as the "Hygge" feeling, is typically Danish. This is enhanced by the use of birchwood and Japanese paper, giving a Scandinavian feel.'
Market and consumer trends
According to Marie, the market trends are similar to those in Western Europe. 'People are cautious and don't take big risks. The first half of 2024 has gone particularly well, given the circumstances. We see a very slight growth compared to last year, but we are cautious. We notice people have less purchasing power, just like in the rest of Europe. This is definitely a "challenge" we have to deal with.'
In terms of consumer trends, Marie expects more modern and sleek designs to appeal in the Benelux. 'I think our white lamps will do better in the Benelux. Danish consumers tend to prefer more romantic designs and often choose birchwood.'
Scale Up!
Denmark is Tom Rossau's largest market. 'We also sell to Germany, where we are now steadily growing, and in other countries like the Benelux and France. We didn't have a sales representative for this before, but now we do,' Marie laughs. 'We also sell internationally, in Japan and the US, but mainly in Europe, with Denmark leading. Hopefully, more countries will join in the future.' These are also the plans for the future for Tom Rossau: to grow and gain more international recognition. 'Scale up!' says Marie.
For more information:
Tom Rossau
Frederiksberg Allé 5
1621 Copenhagen, Denmark.
+45 7194 0000
[email protected]
www.tomrossau.com
Marie Lamberechts
[email protected]