Beauty Boss: David Klass, Founder and CEO of Archipelago
David Klass.
Our latest #BeautyBoss is David Klass, Founder and CEO of Archipelago—an elevated line of luxe fragrances, home essentials, bath and body products that inspire the art of living well. The brand was created with the intention of bringing fragrance and memorable experiences from around the world into people’s homes and transporting them to another place.
All of their products are made with responsibly formulated ingredients and their body care collection features key ingredients including sweet almond, sesame, grape seed, and avocado oils, as well as vitamin E, raw sugar, and natural botanicals to hydrate and nourish skin. In addition to bath and self-care products, Archipelago is also known for its statement candles, reed diffusers, and home cleaning products.
We chatted with Klass who shared the inspiration behind the brand, secrets for success, beauty tips, and much more.
When was Archipelago founded and what does the name mean?
We started the company in 1997, taking our name from the view of Santa Catalina, part of the archipelago of islands that sit just off the southern California coast. We started off in really humble beginnings, working out of a small garage space in Santa Monica, CA. We’ve long since outgrown that small space, but we’re still located near the beach in Santa Monica.
What inspired the creation of the brand?
Archipelago came about as a result of our own travels. As avid travelers, we often found ourselves visiting places where local plants and botanicals had made their way, often over the course of generations, into people’s homes and bathing rituals. What we saw and experienced was so different and more natural than anything we could find at home and we soon found ourselves asking: if we could source the plants, could we recreate the products (and if so, would other people like them as much as we did?)
It turns out that with a lot of trial and error, and help, we were able to recreate them. We found that friends, neighbors, and the local community did like them! Our very first products were candles and bathing products that were scented with 100% natural essential oils. It’s amazing how far we’ve come; and at the time, that was unheard of and a lot of so-called “experts” told us it couldn’t be done.
Archipelago Grass Boxed Candle ($44.50) is inspired by the meadow with green notes of wild grasses, oak moss, and the faintest hint of freesia oil.
Does Archipelago have a hero product?
Our hand cremes, lotions, and scrubs are made with premium plant oils and natural esters—instead of the greasy and oily synthetic alternatives that most people are used to—so those definitely stand out and have developed a cult following. Our top-selling bath blends are Oat Milk, Charcoal Rose and Morning Mint.
When it comes to our candle and diffuser fragrances, it is so uniquely personal that we have found it best to offer a wide variety of choices, but the top sellers throughout the year are Botanico de Havana (which is this amazing blend of bergamot, ylang-ylang, and pressed tobacco flower), Big Sur (where we paired California cedarwood with amber and musk to create this moody and sultry scent), and as simple as it is, Pomegranate Citrus always seems to make it into the top 10—there is just something that so universally appealing about the combination of those tart fruits.
We recently released our Grass fragrance for the summer (which is open, airy, and green—like a walk in a dew-covered field)—and with the summer months upon us, I think that’s quickly going to show up in the top 10.
What are your favorite products from your brand?
I get asked that question a lot, but it is so hard. I always feel like I’m being asked to choose my favorite child! But, like everybody else, I have my favorites. When it comes to fragrance blends, I tend to gravitate towards more complex and meditative blends in the evening, and more open and green scents during the day. If I’m really feeling adventurous, I’ll layer a few of those fragrances together within the space.
Here are my current obsessions: Rue Saint-Honoré is this beautiful blend of deep mahogany wood, cardamom and bitter orange that I can’t seem to get enough of—and it’s the first thing that people comment on when they walk into my office. That fragrance reminds me of the fabulous antique stores that are on the Rue Saint-Honoré.
During the day and especially in our kitchen, we turn to the greener and more open scents, like our Arugula. It’s green, ozonic, and immediately makes me think of my wife’s garden. I always love the smell of the fresh cut stems.
For bathing rituals, my tastes are simple—but I really, really like our Morning Mint Body Wash. It’s blended with naturally invigorating mint and citrus essential oils that fill the shower with an amazing scent that I use to jump start my day. At this point it’s a standing joke in our house—but please don’t talk to me in the morning until I’ve had a chance to enjoy my morning coffee and my Morning Mint!
Archipelago Oat Milk Lotion ($34) keeps skin looking fresh and supple with dried milk solids, jojoba esters, and other premium ingredients.
Where are your products sold?
Our products are sold in several thousand upscale boutiques, spas, and department stores in the U.S. like Nordstrom, a growing number of countries worldwide, and on our website.
Future plans for the brand?
To see our future, we always say that we lean into our past. At Archipelago’s very core is a commitment and passion to try to make and offer responsibly formulated products that can help people relax and take a momentary break from their busy lives. The reality is that by the time that most of us snap our laptops shut, clean up the kitchen or get the kids down, we might only have 10 or 15 minutes left for ourselves. Those are the 10 or 15 minutes that Archipelago tends to spend a lot of time focusing on.
So look for us to continue creating an expanded range of simple, self-pampering luxuries that can be used to transform everyday and ordinary experiences into something a little more special. It can be a great fragrance that greets you when you walk into a room, a sugar scrub that can turn an ordinary bath into an in-home spa treatment, or a spot cleaner that uses natural plant enzymes instead of harsh chemicals to remove a stain. There are so many new ingredients and resources that are accelerating this transition from artificial to natural. It’s really an exciting time to be creating new products.
Archipelago Botanico de Havana Reed Diffuser ($52) features one of the brand’s most popular fragrances that pairs citrus notes of bergamot with smooth tobacco flower, ylang-ylang, and worn leather.
Who inspires you?
Proud papa here. I’m inspired daily by my two daughters. Watching them navigate the demands of their young careers and on top of that, the everyday demands of life and family is remarkable. Not for a lack of trying, but I could never—in a million years—juggle as many balls as well as they do!
Secret to success?
Create products or services that allow people to form an emotional connection to whatever it is that you’re selling—at the end of the day, that is what keeps them coming back.
Beauty secrets?
If you read any of Archipelago’s DMs, you’d see that this list just keeps getting longer, but here are two that have come in recently that look like they will stand the test of time.
Combat frizzy hair: A lady recently wrote to tell us that she takes an almond-sized amount of our Oat Milk Lotion, rubs it between her hands and then applies it to her hair. She claimed that it had become a lifesaver to help with frizz. And it turns out, she’s right—the jojoba esters and plant proteins allow the product to go on dry, without a greasy buildup—and the before-and-after results are amazing.
Hand and cuticle hack: The one they’ve even got me doing is, somebody stumbled on the fact that if you keep and use our sugar scrubs at the sink to be used daily, the natural oils and sugar can and will transform dry, red, and chapped hands into ones that look and feel healthy.
Wellness tips?
Drink a lot of water, get enough sleep, choose to stay clear of unnecessary chemicals, and try to figure out a way, each and every day, to find a few minutes to just quietly breathe and relax.
Best advice?
Don’t focus on what everybody else does.
Favorite way to relax?
I draw a hot bath, light a candle, and read before climbing into bed.
For more information, visit Archipelago’s website and follow on Instagram: @archipelagobotanicals
[Images courtesy of Archipelago]
Kamala Kirk is a University of Southern California graduate and has been an editor/writer for more than a decade. She has written for E! Online, Total Beauty, TravelAge West, Malibu Times Magazine, and many more. She resides in Los Angeles and is a proud pug mom. Follow her on Instagram: @kamalakirk