A crushed snapback led to an idea that captured an undiscovered corner in the travel industry. Autopilot is an American luxury luggage and accessories travel brand, combining luxury and utility to create a classic aesthetic.
Founders Christopher Tuning & Talib Graves-Manns took their idea and started a luggage line that speaks to sophistication and creativity. We got the chance to sit down with Christopher & Talib to further discuss their journey and learn more about their company Autopilot. Check out their interview below:
Autopilot founders Talib Manns-Grave (left) and Christopher Tuning (right).
Tell us a bit about yourselves, Autopilot, and how it all began.
Christopher: My parents have worked in the airline industry since before I was born -- so I grew up traveling much more than the average person. This frequent travel and corresponding experiences and observations created, at a very young age, my interest in making innovations across the entire travel experience.
The creation of Autopilot (formerly referred to as Life on Autopilot) began in Brooklyn, I was tired of getting my baseball hats crushed in transit so I came up with the idea for the Skycap, the first handcrafted baseball hat carrier. The creation of that Skycap morphed into creating other travel pieces which inturn morphed into creating this whole luggage and travel brand we call Autopilot.
Talib: I grew up within entrepreneurship, both my matriarchal and patriarchal sides of my family are entrepreneurs - we are four generations in. As A result of growing up within entrepreneurship I always knew that I was going to follow their lead and legacy. My father and mother owned a high-end women's apparel boutique in Rittenhouse Square Philadelphia (Richard B. Manns The Clothier) for a number of years, and that piqued my interest in “CPG” products and the brands that make them popular.
Around 2008 or so, I was visiting Christopher in his apartment in Brooklyn and he showed me the prototype for the Skycap, and I immediately knew that he was onto something big. Over the course of the next few years or so we began to talk more about the vision and ultimately decided to join forces to bring Autopilot to life!
The truth is the process in manifesting/creating something from sketch pad to market-ready takes time, resources, and GRIT to make to pull-off - we are excited to be in the position we are now to have created products that have market demand, so much so that we have accomplished product orders with HBO and New Balance to-date. We love collaborations, and plan on doing many more.
What makes Autopilot’s products different from other brands?
A couple things make us unique, first is that all of our products are derived from a culture embedded in Sports, Hip-Hip, and living shared experiences with people through travel.
To date, we have created many firsts in the marketplace. (1) The skycap line is the first handcrafted baseball cap carrier and backpack on the market. (2) Our weekend backpack is the first travel backpack with a shoe compartment. (3) Our latest innovation, the Bruce, is the first carrier that holds bottles and cigars.
These luggage innovation examples make us different from other brands primarily because our approach to research & design are deeply rooted in taking the voice of the customers and making real-time observations. We focus on how people travel for comfort, whether that travel is on an airplane or going to a friend's house for a kick-back.
What was the moment when you knew that this was what you were supposed to be doing?
Christopher: My special moment was when I was developing the Skycap and realized how much I loved the product itself. I was so passionate about perfecting the product, and watching people get satisfaction out of using the Skycap, I then knew that there was nothing else I wanted to do but make luggage pieces that blend utility with style that people loved and cherish.
There’s not much representation in the luxury travel product space from Black owners. What kinds of things have you dealt with being Black in this space?
We’ve received a lot of support and love from not only our Black community but we’ve been widely accepted by all cultures.
We would be remiss if we weren’t honest, and make this work appear easier that it is - this work is hard work. Our team manages our supply chain, fulfillment, research/design, business development and marketing. Across general entrepreneurship the hard truth is that many black entrepreneurs are often under-funded, under-resourced, and more often than not overlooked. At Autopilot we have experienced these realities, but we are steadfast on charting our own course and figuring somethings out as we go.
If there are investors and strong brand collaboration opportunities amongst the Black & Abroad network, please reach out!
What’s one thing you know now that you wish you knew when you decided to start Autopilot?
The lessons are simple:
However much hard work you think it takes to start a business multiply that number x 10.
Always remember that everything we see is just a thought manifested, it's up to us to make it manifest. Stay creative.
What can we look forward to from your upcoming projects?
High quality craftsmanship, more conversation starter products with high functionality, and experimenting with some new sustainable materials.
Where can we find your products online?
Website: www.autopilotworldwide.com
Instagram: instagram.com/autopilotworldwide
