Making Of

Daniel and Holger taking a break at Graf & Lantz

Growing up in Germany Holger is very familiar with felt used as traditional material. He went on to graduate with a PhD in engineering from the renowned Technische Universität in Munich, Germany and moved to Los Angeles to work as a structural engineer. On a trip back home he rediscovered felt and was inspired by its many uses in European design. What started with playing with a couple of yards of felt turned into a whole line of bags, home accessories not limited to felt but also other materials like leather and canvas. Even though he gave up his previous career to concentrate on this new venture the engineering background still shows in design philosophy stressing modern lines and structural aesthetics.

Daniel spent 10 years in Japan which heavily influences his design aesthetic. After attending Otaru Shoka Daigaku university he started an organic produce coop in the mountains of Hokkaido. The need to build a larger farm house drew him to Kajiwara Hisao, a famed wood artisan and master carpenter in the traditional Japanese style of wa daiku. His relationship with Kajiwara San shaped Daniel’s design ideals which are based in the marriage of understated luxury and traditional techniques.

The combination of east and west and ancient and modern are the basis and influences to the continued growth of Gräf & Lantz.

Holger Graf working with Felt to make a Handbag

Starting out on a small scale with a prototype of a wine carrier we ran into the problem many start-ups face – trouble finding quality production and not being able to meet manufacturing minimums. The only way moving forward at that point was to buy a sewing machine, take a sewing class and learn how to do it ourselves.

With the growth of our line we expanded our workspace, added machines and were able to hire and train skilled workers. The benefit of in-house production enables us full control over the quality of our products and flexibility from small to larger runs.

The making of a bag starts with the selection of leather and fabric. We hand cut the materials making sure to maximize yield and selecting the appropriate areas of the hides for use in our bags. The parts are then assembled in steps and stitched together by our small team of experienced bag makers. All finishing, quality control, packaging and shipping is done in house to deliver our best product.

Due to our commitment to handmade quality we only keep limited stock of our products. Although immediate delivery is our goal, please allow up to one week for your order to ship.

Merino Wool Felt

Traditionally made with wool, felt is considered to be the world's oldest fabric.

Although these days there are mainly synthetic fiber felts on the market there are still a handful mostly European producers left that specialize in high quality wool felt.

We import our custom felts from Germany which has a rich history of felt manufacturing that continues today.

 

The felts we use are made of merino wool which is prized for its ultra fine fibers and soft feel. The natural oil content of the wool makes our felt stain and water resistant.

If any spills occur just dab off moisture with a wet towel or rinse lightly with water and it can be dry cleaned as well if necessary.

Best of all wool felt is a natural, sustainable and biodegradable material.

Our felt is certified according to the Oekotex standard (www.oeko-tex.com)