Werner G. Scharff
Werner G. Scharff (July 7, 1916 – August 17, 2006) was a German-American arts patron, fashion designer, and land developer. He was co-founder and chairman of Lanz Incorporated, a designer and manufacturer of dresses and nightgowns. The Lanz flannel granny nightgown became a staple of women's nightwear in the late-1950s. As a large landowner, Scharff has been called a pioneer of Venice Beach in Los Angeles for contributing to the development and expansion of the city. His investments include the Cadillac Hotel, Beach House on Ocean Front Walk, L.A. Louver, and James Beach Cafe. Early life Scharff was born in Landau, Germany, the youngest of three brothers. His father, a grocer, died when Scharff was 10, forcing him to leave school and join the family's grocery business. By age 20, Scharff, with the family business failing, used his savings to move with his brother Kurt to New York City in 1937, arriving as political refugees. Career Once in New York, Scharff and his brother partnered with Austrian retailer Sepp Lanz, an émigré, in his Austrian-style clothes and sleepwear retail store. Scharff soon discovered there was a demand for the clothing line in California. In 1938, the Scharffs and Lanz relocated