Vicki von Holzhausen began her career in the automotive industry by working for luxury car manufacturers namely Audi and Mercedes-Benz in Europe. There she won many awards because she applied many concepts that received positive responses. Her husband, Franz von Holzhausen, is the chief designer at Tesla so he also knows a lot about the sustainability mission.
After returning to her home country, Los Angeles, America Vicki tried to create a brand that combines her technical expertise with an ethical approach to offer products that add value to the world.
Fashion products, namely handbags and accessories, were launched in 2015 using the name von Holzhausen. This brand is an accessory collection based in Malibu with a focus on design, sustainability, and quality of life. This collection offers a variety of practical and easy-to-use bags and accessories in a timeless palette.
Vicki von Holzhausen and Animal-Free Bags
Initially, this brand created its product from animal skin and finally decided to use an animal-free alternative, Technik leather textile. She explained in the name of sustainability and ethics, she decided to switch to using vegan skin exclusively. She said that the leather tanning industry is the second largest pollutant industry in the world, especially the negative impact on water pollution. She is increasingly aware that the leather industry, in the end, does not reflect the mission carried out by her, namely sustainability and not damaging the earth. Holzhausen’s core mission is to create an alternative that is 100% sustainable and ethical.
She is very strict with her commitment to be environmentally conscious and concerned about social impacts, also thinking about ethical values but still look fashionable and functional. For example, most of the products they make are larger size so they can load 15 “laptops, a feature that meets the needs of their digital nomadic generation.
Vicki von Holzhausen and her Vegan Skin Bag
Therefore, the leather accessory brand that has now become vegan should be proud because it has provided the latest innovation. When starting using Technik leather, von Holzhausen designed textiles with a focus on modern luxury consumers who are practical and nomadic. Consumers are increasingly concerned about animal welfare and the environment so she believes that skin is no longer luxurious. Conversely, a well-made animal-free alternative is something fancy.
She said that consumers began to show interest in different and future-oriented attributes than what is usually considered ‘fancy’. In their case, she saw genuine leather as an ordinary item. On the contrary, leather is made with the science behind it look more ‘luxurious’ because it is far more unique and requires effort to design.
Based on her experience of running her brand, von Holzhausen, she explains the needs of modern luxury customers. She continued that their clients care about styles that have additional benefits. They still want the aspirational look, beautifully designed products. The customers also want to know that the product is made in an ethical and sustainable way and they are willing to pay a premium price to have it.
In accordance with its ethical standards, this brand follows a transparent price, the DTC or direct to customer distribution model and provides 10% profit from each purchase to return to their local community, Los Angeles.
The brand has a partnership with a charity, Hope Gardens, part of the largest homeless shelter in Los Angeles and this collaboration has been carried out since the founding of the brand in 2015. The purpose of Vicki von Holzhausen is to build a brand based on the principles she believes in, the future approach, timeless and sustainable.
