Vicki von Holzhausen has been making a name for herself marketing a vegan leather substitute for women's handbags, shoes and furniture.Now, she's taking her material to the auto business.
Late last year, von Holzhausen, the name of her Los Angeles material lab and design house, produced vegan seat covers for a specially created version of the G. The designer makes clear — she is not a supplier to Tesla. But the project served as notice to automakers and to Tier 1 interior suppliers that von Holzhausen is in the house.
"There's definitely a desire from customers for this," she told Automotive News.
"We're a material innovation company," von Holzhausen said, offering her elevator explanation of the business she began to assemble in 2015.
"We produce next-generation materials that replace both leather and plastic. We create things out of our materials in order to help people understand how to replace these incumbent materials."