The Modern Dane is a company deeply rooted in their Scandinavian values of craftsmanship, sustainability, quality, respect for the raw material, and a deeply held belief that good design enriches our lives. Its founder Jacob Andsager brought these values with him when he founded the Seattle-based The Modern Dane in 2019. The Modern Dane’s designs all pay homage to the splendor of Nordic nature and aim to bring its beauty into their customers’ bedroom.
The company has earned a loyal following of customers since they launched thanks to the unparalleled comfort of the garment washed and naturally thermoregulating organic European linen, their gorgeous Scandinavian designs, and not least their above-and-beyond customer service. One of their customers, Kim T., stated “The quality is great. So comfortable as well. Customer service is a breath of fresh air! Love this company!”
In adherence to The Modern Dane’s ethos of quality and sustainability, they source their flax exclusively from the so-called “flax belt” that stretches through Belgium, France, and The Netherlands. The loamy soil and temperate oceanic climate in this area Flax naturally produces linen of superior quality, comfort, and durability. And because this climate is its natural habitat, flax can be grown here with no artificial irrigation and zero pesticides or defoliants making it a uniquely ecofriendly alternative to cotton.
In addition, The Modern Dane’s linen is GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) certified, which guarantees that the textile adheres to the most stringent environmental as well as social criteria throughout the entire organic textiles supply chain. The growing of organic linen in Europe captures and removes 330,000 tons of CO2 from the atmosphere annually and all work is done in compliance with the International Labour Organization (ILO). The ILO is devoted to promoting social justice and internationally recognized human and labor rights, pursuing its founding mission that social justice is essential to universal and lasting peace.
The Modern Dane’s bedding is also OEKO-TEX Class 1 certified, guaranteeing that what you sleep in has been rigorously tested for legally banned and regulated substances such as Azo dyes, formaldehyde, phthalates, and heavy metals like nickel. But The Modern Dane goes further by also excluding harmful chemicals without explicit legal regulation, such as pesticides or allergenic disperse dyestuffs. They do this to ensure their customers can go to bed at night knowing that what they drape over their skin is safe and doesn’t expose them to any harmful chemicals, which is unfortunately often the case with traditional cotton bedding.
The Modern Dane’s bedding is woven and hand-sewn in Portugal, where the proud tradition of textile craftsmanship dates to the 1700s and the finest European bedding is produced, adding a touch of heritage and artistry to their customers’ sleep experience.
The Modern Dane invites their customers to surround themselves with the essence of Scandinavian design, craftsmanship, and sustainability. Experience the transformative power of organic European linen bedding, thoughtfully created to enhance your sanctuary and redefine your sleep.
Founding Story
The Modern Dane found Jacob Andsager grew up in the small town of Broager, Denmark, and has been living in the US since 2002. After spending 10 years in Chicago, a city he loves, he says arriving in the Pacific Northwest “felt like coming home.” Yet after some time, he started to feel that he was losing touch with his own heritage and culture; he wanted to reconnect with the values of home.
"I had the idea of bedding—treating it as a canvas,” he said, adding that these items naturally become an intimate part of our lives, with one-third of one's life spent in bed. He dreamt of nature motifs that would honor where he comes from.
However, when Jacob dove into the world of textiles he quickly discovered why cotton is called "the world's dirtiest crop"— Billions of pounds of pesticides and fertilizers, and billions of gallons of water spent on irrigation depleting fragile ecosystems; not to mention the human costs of child labor and the poverty it leaves in its wake. Jacob knew he wanted no part in this industry and went looking for an alternative. After much research and connecting with various environmental organizations and consortiums, he learned about certified organic European flax linen and he knew he had found the answer. “I fell in love with linen,” he said, “head over heels. Flax needs zero irrigation and zero pesticides, it's a natural carbon sink, and the processing is purely mechanical requiring zero chemicals. It is where quality meets sustainability, naturally. Plus, it's just a gorgeous textile which offers unparalleled comfort.”
After discovering that Portugal is "the cradle of textiles," he traveled to the beautiful town of Guimarães in 2018. Here he attended a trade show taking place in a magical setting — atop a hill, in an ancient monastery. Though the trip there took some 36 hours (and involved mishaps like getting stranded in a train station), Andsager found it to be a worthwhile, “incredible journey.” He got the chance to talk to at least 30 manufacturers, and he traveled to factories to oversee fascinating parts of the process like weaving.
When launching The Modern Dane, he chose to use only GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard), OEKO-TEX, and certified European Flax linen, "which means that every part of the final product has been tested to meet the highest environmental and toxicological standards." When it came to determining the aesthetics, Andsager knew he wanted to utilize the duvet covers' big surfaces, allowing “the beauty of the linen to shine through.” The exquisite yet simple patterns come from "my own expression of Scandinavian nature," he said.
Andsager is proud of the fact that The Modern Dane works direct-to-consumer, meaning they cut out the middleman and sell much higher-quality products at a lower cost. It also means they can take control of details like delivering items in eco-friendly boxes, and it leads to great relationships with customers as well.
Seeing the way the products have been received has brought much joy. Andsager always appreciates getting feedback, especially from those who have happily redesigned entire rooms based on their new bedding. “I go to bed thinking of the thousands of people sleeping under our linens and enjoying a safe and soothing sleep," Andsager said, “It’s been a thrill."
Jacob Andsager was born in Denmark in 1974. He obtained a Bachelor's degree in Comparative Literature in 2002 and moved to Chicago that same year to complete a Master's Degree in Information Architecture. In 2012, Jacob supplemented this degree with an MBA from Kellogg School of Management and was recruited by Amazon where he spent close to 10 years in a variety of marketing, product, and vendor management managerial roles. In 2020, Jacob was brought into the National Nordic Museum as their Head of Digital Strategy and spent the next two years driving their digital transformation.
Jacob Andsager launched The Modern Dane, a direct-to-consumer brand specialized in organic European flax linen bedding, in August of 2019. It is his work of passion that allows him to reconnect with his Danish roots and express his appreciation for Scandinavian design. The Modern Dane is selling its premium quality linen bedding online in the US, Canada, the UK, and Australia today.
