Graf Lantz coasters of Merino wool felt, motivated by ones that were being ubiquitous in Bavarian taverns
Holger Graf and Daniel Lantz are the founders of Graf Lantz, a Los Angeles-primarily based company whose artisanal line of homeware and own add-ons is firmly rooted in international journey and tradition.
The Graf Lantz collection—a fusion of German precision, Japanese perspective and California soul—builds on and reflects the disparate geographical backgrounds of the founders. Daniel Lantz was born in Utah but discovered himself living in Japan. Holger Graf was elevated in a gingerbread village in Germany before going to Munich to go after his doctorate in structural engineering. The companions now are living in LA.
Graf Lantz products and solutions are deceptively simple. Most are handmade of Bavarian Merino wool felt. In addition to being practical, they’re colorful, eye-catching and invite the feeling of touch. In point, the fabric appears to be addictive individuals buy one item and impulsively invest in one more.
Forbes.com spoke to Daniel Lantz to locate out additional about the founders, the corporation, and the impact of vacation on their types and particular daily life.
When did the organization begin up?
The “manufacturing facility” creating housing the firm’s thoughts and inspiration.
I achieved Holger, who is a buddy of one of my associates, even though I was on organization in Germany. Ironically, we got into an argument that first evening. Holger was appropriate and I was completely wrong but it appeared to have sparked a thing. The relaxation is history.
We put down our roots in California in 2009, and started out Graf Lantz from our apartment in West Hollywood. It was an 800-square-foot space, crammed from ground to ceiling with equipment, materials, cabinets and people. We are tenacious, a single of our very best characteristics, and we liked staying in the middle of all the function 24 hrs a day. But the lack of room lastly became way too a lot and we looked outward.
We moved our manufacturing unit into a beloved, century-aged (1912) grocery shop in the Silver Lake district of Los Angeles in 2012. The constructing is in our DNA now and we will never leave it.
By the way, the constructive arguments in between Holger and me haven’t stopped simply because they constantly lead to the finest decisions.
How have been your felt merchandise encouraged?
Some of the Graf Lantz equipment
We created our to start with items employing a rich but mostly forgotten textile, Merino wool felt, which we even now count on greatly now. We chose it due to the fact it is gentle like Cashmere and Alpaca but with unequaled fiber energy.
Germany is world-renowned as the source of wool felt coasters, typically utilised in Bavarian taverns. Holger grew up surrounded by them all over the place and afterwards recognized that no one realized about the abilities of the substance. So we seized on the prospect to convey it below.
To color the felt, we use sustainable OEKO-TEX dyes that are non-poisonous and absolutely free of substances.
What ended up your initially merchandise?
We to start with developed wine totes, which are nevertheless a greatest-vendor for us currently. They are made of the Merino wool felt that turns out to be a normal insulator, and they are trimmed with leather-based. Despite the fact that the felt is soft, it features potent security for a bottle, is by natural means stain resistant, and has h2o-wicking homes. The totes are extremely well-liked hostess gifts.
We then moved on to the Jaunt bag and then Bierfilzl Coasters.
What are your most well-liked solutions?
Colourful, eye-catching trivets and placemats
In conditions of sheer quantities, our coasters are most well-known. We sold 15,000 sets previous yr. Our trivets and placemats have also been in higher demand from customers, specifically for the duration of COVID which established off a renewed curiosity in property decor. About the final year, we bought 9,000 trivets and 7,000 placemats.
We also offer a good quantity of seat pads and tissue box addresses.
One particular of your COVID masks was a short while ago featured in The New York Times. How did the corporation pivot throughout the pandemic?
We designed a entire line of facial area masks designed of natural cotton and European linen that grew to become pretty preferred because people are anxious about acquiring non-organic supplies towards their faces, and are concerned about respiration through them all working day.
We’ve marketed about 300,000 masks and for each one offered, we have donated ten meals to Feeding The united states, totaling above 3.5 million foods to day.
Pre-COVID, purses manufactured up 70% of our profits but that determine has dropped to 20%. Masks now make up 60-70 % of our company and we have attained over 70,000 new consumers by our mask sales.
The most popular face mask is the a single that was talked about in The New York Occasions, the Zenbu Organic Cotton Mask. In impartial lab tests, The New York Occasions Wirecutter acknowledged it as giving the most effective balance of filtration and breathability (when applied with a filter insert).
Cotton and linen masks that give ease and comfort, filtration and breathability
We were being delighted with this recognition for the reason that we built and designed our face masks like every thing else we do – with infinite analysis and testing to execute a large-high quality item we are content to set our identify on.
By the way, how did the company pick its not-straightforward-to-try to remember identify?
Truthfully, a absence of creativeness and information of how businesses are named: Holding it easy is normally the match.
Who is your levels of competition?
We don’t appear at opponents due to the fact in normal, we are not competitive folks. We’re positive they are out there but we concentrate on our factor and depart that kind of depth to our wonderful crew.
As far as part designs go… certainly David Bowie. He is generally a purpose design for all the things. I just know that if he had worked in felt, that would also have been amazing.
With the chance of international journey on the horizon, what are your favourite sorts of journey?
Holger Graf and Daniel Lantz, whose patterns are inspired by vacation and culture
Holger and I did the extensive length matter concerning Los Angeles, Tokyo and Munich for decades right before eventually landing in LA. We in fact selected LA simply because going anywhere from listed here is fairly quick even on a moment’s recognize.
We adore vacation far more than everything, and all of the minimal bits of magic and inspiration that will come with it: the odor of airports, the way the stars appear from diverse lodge rooftops, even the jet lag. We really like it all.
Holger is a single to dive into studying all he can about a put just before traveling there, which has benefited us so substantially. There have been a lot of moments when he’s taken us to a spot I would not have expected to appreciate and we experienced the most awesome time. He is constantly a block forward of us, exploring and receiving misplaced in the sights of anywhere we are. I personally like to just wing it and immerse myself in the society when I get there.
As for destinations… oh guy, we want to go almost everywhere once it is safe and sound to journey. Character wonders anyplace, at any time is how we like to roll. The very first merchandise on my wish listing will be going paragliding in Tasmania or possibly the Alps.
I love that you can just things an airfoil in a backpack and fly rather considerably any where in the entire world, so that is my aspiration of the second. Holger would most likely be jetting quickly to a tiny town in Mexico that he would like to keep solution, to maintain its ponder. We’re just enthusiastic to have that experience of boarding an plane the moment yet again. Holger will be steadfastly in his aisle seat and I will be at my window looking at it all go by.
Notice: This conversation has been flippantly edited and condensed for clarity.