modebranchen.NU NU International no. 01 2019 | Page 80

SOMMER
GOOD LUCK TROLL
JESPER SOMMER
Originally, humble Danish woodcutter Thomas Dam created the
little Goodluck Troll. Today the troll has become a design icon in
its new version from the Danish design company bySommer ApS.
BY HELLE MATHIESEN
Just like any other fairy tale, the story of the beloved sion made by Jesper Sommer from the Danish design
humble woodcutter Thomas Dam first became a world Things ApS.
potbelly, big-haired troll includes both heroes and vil-
lains. The little Goodluck Troll from Denmark, created by
phenomene in the early 1960’s. But unfortunately he
never received credit for the more than 200 million sold
trolls worldwide because crooks sold replicas of his ma-
sterpiece. Thomas Dam died of cancer in 1989 - poor and
with a dream that his trolls, not the replicas, would get
another chance.
In 2016 the Goodluck Trolls were the superstars of the
DreamWorks Animation movie “Trolls” – and “Trolls 2”
is coming up in April 2020. And finally Thomas Dam’s
dream came through.
Today the troll has become a design icon in its new ver-
80 | ISSUE NO 01 JANUARY 2019 | MODEBRANCHEN.
y
company bySommer. bySommer has the license to pro-
duce the trolls from Thomas Dam’s family company Dam
The bySommer Goodluck Trolls are sold from design
stores, interior shops and department stores in Den-
mark, Sweden and Norway - and from Harrod’s and Self-
ridges in London. And bySommer has grown from being a
small company with only two employees - Jesper and his
wife Mette - to a larger company with 14 employees and
export to other Northern countries.
Creating new, respecting old
With more than 25 years of experience from the design
industry, Jesper Sommer had a plan for the trolls that in-
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