Two Decades of Greatness – Anton Assaad of Great Dane

Born from a passion for Danish design, the 20-year story of Great Dane is one of crucial relationships, protection of local artisanal manufacturing and a focus on authentic Scandinavian design. The main protagonist in this story is Founder Anton Assaad, a man whose guidance has helped craft a legacy of greatness spanning two decades to date.

“One of the biggest milestones in the past 20 years was moving from vintage furniture to new,” says Anton. “Looking back, it was quite a risky proposition; we had developed a reputation for bringing quality vintage Danish furniture into the Australian market, but key to our success was upholding our ethos for quality and integrity despite the new direction.”

The main protagonist in this story is Founder Anton Assaad, a man whose guidance has helped craft a legacy of greatness spanning two decades to date.

This core ethos is demonstrated throughout every aspect of the brand, particularly through the integral relationships forged over the past 20 years. “We are extremely proud of the workshops we have supported, the jobs we have helped to maintain and the collaborative partnerships we have forged over the journey,” states Anton. “Good will always be the enemy of great. Whether it is a designer we collaborate with or a product we bring to the market, we don’t do it unless it is an accurate representation of the Great Dane brand. I think that has helped cultivate invaluable brand loyalty.”

This uncompromising pursuit of greatness will be celebrated throughout Great Dane’s vicennial anniversary year and highlighted by some significant developments for the business, including the launch of a new showroom space in Brisbane, the development of a brand new website and the recent release of the Ilse Sofa by renowned British designer Ilse Crawford. “It was quite humbling to be on the radar of one of the world’s preeminent international designers and for her to be excited by the prospect of working with an Australian company in the form of Great Dane,” says Anton. “The biggest challenge we had to overcome, after securing the exclusive rights to produce the iconic design in the Australian market, was to manufacture the sofa locally, using the same processes as in Europe.”

“Good will always be the enemy of great. Whether it is a designer we collaborate with or a product we bring to the market, we don’t do it unless it is an accurate representation of the Great Dane brand.”

To rise to this challenge, Great Dane placed a strong emphasis on traditional techniques and sustainable manufacturing, as well as locally sourced natural materials. “The sofa uses an interwoven horse-hair lock method to form its outer layer, which also doubles as the primary stuffing material, thus eliminating the need for any foam or petroleum-based products in the manufacture of the sofa,” Anton explains. “Along with coil springs, the internal structure is also hand filled with organic Australian sheep wool, which we sourced from a farm just outside Tullamarine. The sofa is extremely environmentally sustainable, meaning that whilst it is manufactured using old-fashioned techniques it also maintains contemporary ideals.”

Though 2022 represents a year of celebration and reflection for Anton and his team, his gaze still remains resolutely on the future and continuing the legacy of greatness he has worked hard to build. “We are currently in discussions with Edition Office about converting a block of land in inner-city Melbourne into Great Dane headquarters,” he says. “Our vision is to create a home for Great Dane, which has been designed to effectively promote what our brand is all about.”

Though 2022 represents a year of celebration and reflection for Anton and his team, his gaze still remains resolutely on the future and continuing the legacy of greatness he has worked hard to build.

Founded on a fundamental dedication to being great – not only in name but in execution – Great Dane has emerged as a brand with an uncompromising emphasis on excellence. For Anton, this 20 year journey represents his life’s work – a legacy that will only continue to grow in years to come.