Mogensen was a trained cabinet-maker and furniture designer at the Copenhagen School of Arts and Crafts before entering the school of furniture design at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. He then became present-day Fredericia’s founding designer from 1955 until he passed in 1972.

Mogensen’s goal was to create furniture with a restrained aesthetic and preferred to work in refined yet rustic, natural materials such as solid oak, high-quality leather, wool fabrics, and brass mountings. He believed that furniture should create a sense of tranquillity and a modest appearance that encourages people to live their lives unpretentiously. He is renowned for his masterful sense of proportions and his ability to create beautiful and distinctive furniture by emphasizing simple horizontal and vertical lines.