In a world that values excess over substance, the Danish design community aimed for authenticity across the board, as the 12th edition of 3daysdesign kicked off Wednesday.

“Our Keep It Real theme for 2025 honors individual expression and experiences, echoing our deep desire for a world that’s more caring, inclusive and conscious. It’s a call to action to be true to your own vision,” said the event’s managing director Signe Byrdal Terenziani.

A celebration of one-of-a-kind pieces, landmark collaborations and anniversaries heightened the excitement around the city. Upscale furniture brand Fritz Hansen unfurled pieces made with Cypriot-born, London-based designer Michael Anastassiades. A tribute to Finnish creativity, two torchbearers of Finnish design Marimekko, the lifestyle brand founded by Viljo and Armi Ratia in 1951, and Artek, an upscale furniture firm founded by Finnish modernism pillars Alvar and Aino Aalto, Maire Gullichsen and Nils-Gustav Hahl in 1935 unveiled a limited-edition furniture capsule, while Royal Copenhagen released its 250th anniversary exhibit and fresh new home decor under the stewardship of its relatively new creative director Jasper Toron Nielsen. Elsewhere, established and emerging designers came together, embracing past and future design concepts.

Here, a list of unexpected standout events and launches.

Tableau, a Tribute to Bronze, Marble and Glass

The Copenhagen-based multidisciplinary design studio and concept store opened its Landemærket 10 space to the creations of nine artists and designers for an exhibit called “Project Materia.” All creatives were invited to travel to Pietrasanta, Italy to visit marble and bronze workshops before producing functional pieces. Creatives included digital-to-visual artist Andrés Reisinger, Denmark-based Cathrine Raben Davidsen, interior design brand Louise Roe and designers Helle Mardahl and Jacob Mathias Egeberg, as well as Netherlands-based Forever Studio and Laurids Gallée, Onno Adriaanse and William Van Hooff.

Reisinger, who was born in the digital sphere, said working with bronze and marble was a learning curve. “Marble, bronze and glass demanded an entirely different approach. They required me to design not just the object but the process itself — to anticipate how material behaviors might generate unexpected results and to incorporate these contingencies into the work,” Reisinger said.

Hay Brings Back Mario Bellini’s Amanta Sofa

Danish furniture firm Hay brought back Mario Bellini’s Amanta sofa, which was conceived in 1966. Bellini, a pioneer of the modular sofa system and icons like the Camaleonda, originally created the Amanta for C&B Italia. Today, the model has been filtered through Hay’s lens with a variety of updated colors and a shell and cushions made of mostly recycled materials. The new edition of the Amanta will launch worldwide in August.

The Potential of Recycled Murano Glass

Luca Nichetto presented the Danish design community with an innovation from his native lagoon. The Venetian designer worked with fellow Venetian start-up Rehub on a range of table lamps called Upglas for a company called Astep. “It’s not just a light, it’s a vision for a more sustainable future,” said Nichetto, who is also the artistic director of eight-centuries-old Venetian glass maker Barovier & Toso. Denmark-based Astep was founded by Alessandro Sarfatti. His parents Riccardo Sarfatti and Sandra Severi started Luceplan with architect Paolo Rizzatto in 1978. Alessandro is also the grandson of Gino Sarfatti who started Arteluce in 1938.

Iittala’s Tribute to Alvar Aalto

For the first time since it was founded in 1881, Finland’s Iittala unveiled a line of scented candles. The collection features three unique fragrances, ranging from the crisp coolness of lakeside breezes to the grounding notes of oakmoss, suede and cedarwood. The new line is a tribute to Finnish designer Alvar Aalto who greatly shaped the design brand’s identity with iconic models like the Aalto vase which is still mouth blown to this day.

Mushrooming Designs

Husband-and-wife team Marije and Bart Schilder debuted their first collection of mycelium furniture, which includes the Venosa lounge chair and Porcini Campinio set. Named Aifunghi, the firm pioneers the use of renewable materials to create what they call “seductive” designs out of sustainable materials.

“We envisioned furniture that not only genuinely embodies sustainability but disrupts traditional practices and sets a new benchmark for luxurious and environmentally responsible design,” the firm said.

Aifunghi uses a mycelium based composite, a material that combines herb fibers with natural binding power to make recyclable furniture.

In the same vein, California-based Mycoworks also presented at 3daysofdesign. Mycoworks is also the creator of a mycelium material called Reishi, which is first grown in a sheet before it is harvested and finished into a soft material in Spain. Mycoworks unveiled pieces like Eaves Lamp made with multidisciplinary design firm Atelier Axo and a divider called the Subject Matter Paravent with Danish designer Maria Bruun.

Fast Forward

Italian innovative material firm Fenix and laminate design company Formica joined forces to present the Fast Forward project curated by Milan-based Federica Sala, who made a splash at Milan Design Week 2025 with “Romantic Brutalism: A Journey Into Polish Craft and Design.” For Fast Forward, six international designers were tapped to reinterpret a specific time period through the creation of contemporary furniture pieces. Among those artists and studios was Italian designer Federica Biasi, Rotterdam-based Laurids Gallée, Swiss-based Panter&Tourron, South African designer Thabisa Mjo, London-based Tino Seubert and Uchronia. Uchronia is the Paris-based multidisciplinary that showcased the Hôtel Uchronia centerpiece at Paris’ Maison&Objet in January.

Sala said her research started from the 1920s. The exhibit is a reflection on the surfaces, colors and patterns between 1920 to the 2000s, when Fenix came to the fore with its innovative materials and surfaces.