Company History
Graff is one of the world’s premiere creators of fine jewelry and unique gems revered worldwide for the expression of their exclusive art. All stones are inscribed with the Graff logo and a GIA identification number that is unique to the stone and made by hand. The House of Graff began in London and currently has stores in the most prestigious cities throughout the world.

Case Study Concept
Recognized worldwide as a prominent jeweler, Graff would like to maintain its high profile and exclusivity while expanding its product line to include a totally different category – high end furniture. By appealing to modern and contemporary art collectors, students will present their design suggestions for a Graff chair, table and or couch.

Design, Business and Marketing Plan Solution
Graff challenged the project team to develop a collection of high-end furniture to appeal to modern and contemporary art collectors in keeping with the quality and exclusivity of the Graff brand. The team developed conceptual designs based on the founder’s own love of modern artists such as Andy Warhol and explored different themes. After feedback from the company, students combined Graff’s key tenets of the most exclusive and rare materials used for their pieces into more robust design models. Our design objective became to create a unique line of sculptural furniture that fused modern art with luxury and would intrigue the sophisticated Graff customer and art collector. Students focused on developing a table and chaise lounge, and have identified very talented wood, steel and upholstery studios in NY and London that can help Graff create unique and refined pieces.

The project team has recommended unveiling Graff’s new furniture line at an exclusive VIP launch event at The High Line in New York, a unique abandoned railroad that is being reinvigorated thanks in part to prominent celebrity supporters. The High Line would provide not only a beautiful and unique venue but more importantly, it would allow Graff to team up with The Friends of the Highline to help revitalize the beauty of NYC.

The PR firm the team plans to hire for the launch will also be responsible for helping to coordinate ongoing marketing and public relations efforts for Graff. The furniture will be sold through a showroom in NYC and at Graff stores in Beverly Hills and Chicago.

The Graff Project Team
Bob Angus, Columbia Business School
David Fletcher, Columbia Business School
Ki Ki Han, Parsons School of Design
Nicole Lapsys, Columbia Business School
Grace Rhee, Columbia Business School
Zeina Talje, Columbia Business School