The Luxury Item with Scott Kerr - podcast cover

The Luxury Item with Scott Kerr

Scott Kerr
The Luxury Item is the leading podcast on the business of luxury. Join brand and luxury expert Scott Kerr for insightful discussions with CEOs and other leaders of the world's most influential luxury brands. The show shines a spotlight on the most powerful trends and financial forces impacting the global luxury market, the evolving demands of consumers and the outlook for the sector. You'll get valuable insights and takeaways that will inspire you to rethink your strategies and unlock new growth opportunities. Want to get in touch? Email us, scott@silvertoneconsulting.com
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Episodes

S15 E02: Eyal Shani, Celebrity Chef and Restaurateur, The Good People Group

Scott Kerr is joined by Eyal Shani, iconic Israeli celebrity chef and founder of the hospitality brand, the Good People Group, which includes Shmoné, Miznon and a global lineup of some of the most respected and popular restaurants. Eyal discusses how he gained notoriety as the "godfather of Israeli cuisine" from his high-end Tel-Aviv restaurants and carving out a reputation as a chef who disrupts the status quo. He also talks about why his Israeli street food inspired Miznon restaurant chain is ...

Jul 08, 202556 min

S15 E01: Jim Murren, CEO and Executive Chairman of The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection

The ‘luxury hotel superyacht’ is one of the most competitive and exciting new areas of luxury travel. The Ritz-Carlton was the first to market with the launch of the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection’s 'Evrima' superyacht in 2022. Scott Kerr sits down with Jim Murren, executive chairman and CEO of the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, to discuss why the Ritz-Carlton expanded into superyachts, the complexities of designing and building its ships and the similarities to designing one of its land-based ho...

Jun 24, 202537 min

S14 E10: David Pearson, President and Executive Chairman at Joseph Phelps Vineyards

Scott Kerr is joined by David Pearson, president & executive chairman at Joseph Phelps Vineyards, one of the most respected and acclaimed wine properties in the United States. Founded more than a half a century ago, the family-run winery was acquired by LVMH’s Moët Hennessy in 2022, adding to its portfolio of luxury wines and spirits. David discusses the winemaker's legacy of revolutionizing California winemaking in the 1970s, how its flagship Insignia wine became a status symbol around the ...

May 27, 202544 min

S14 E09: Amar Lalvani, President and Creative Director, Lifestyle Group at Hyatt

The lifestyle hotel segment is red hot, driven by experience-focused offerings that appeal to new generations of travelers. Scott Kerr speaks to Amar Lalvani, president and creative director at Hyatt's new lifestyle group, a dedicated division primarily focusing on lifestyle hotels including brands like The Standard, Thompson Hotels, Dream Hotels, Bunkhouse Hotels, and others. Amar discusses why Standard International was sold to Hyatt, the thinking behind Hyatt's brand groupings strategy, what'...

May 13, 202542 min

S14 E08: Gilles Mendel, Fashion Designer and Co-Founder of House of Gilles

Scott Kerr is joined by world-famous fashion designer Gilles Mendel, who recently launched a new business venture House of Gilles, a couture atelier he founded along with his daughter Chloe Mendel Corgan. Gilles discusses the next chapter of the family-run house and how its offerings are bringing the essence of a Parisian atelier to New York City. He also talks about the rise of young couture clientele and their new expectations, why there has been a greater appreciation for artisans, why coutur...

May 06, 202528 min

S14 E07: David Rosenblatt, CEO of 1stdibs

Scott Kerr sits down with David Rosenblatt, CEO of online luxury design marketplace 1stdibs, to discuss how the 25-year-old company evolved from providing vintage and antique offerings of the Paris Flea Market online into a publicly-traded $400 million e-commerce powerhouse. He also talks about taking the helm of 1stdibs and transitioning the business model from a listings platform to a full online marketplace, why wealthy buyers and professional sellers are attracted to 1stdibs, capitalizing on...

Apr 22, 202537 min

S14 E06: Adam Banfield, President and CEO of Baccarat North America

Baccarat, French luxury crystal house with a remarkable legacy, recently celebrated its 260th anniversary. Scott Kerr sits down with Adam Banfield, president and CEO of Baccarat North America, to discuss the brand's vision of moving beyond crystal and become a true lifestyle brand. Adam talks about how it brings Baccarat's brand identity to its hotels and residences, investing in its boutiques to improve the shopping experience, expanding into wax, porcelain and leather product categories, winni...

Apr 15, 202537 min

S14 E05: Jean-Bernard Forot, Head of Patrimony at Piaget

Piaget is among the most recognized luxury watch and jewelry brands in the world. Scott Kerr is joined by Jean-Bernard Forot, head of patrimony at Piaget, to discuss how the 150-year-old Swiss company evolved from being a movement manufacturer for established watch brands into a renowned luxury watchmaker and jeweler. Jean-Bernard also talks about his role as gatekeeper to Piaget's archives and how new collections are brought to life, celebrating 150 years with a record-setting ultra-thin tourbi...

Apr 01, 202553 min

S14 E04: Sam Chamberlain, CEO of Americas at Ponant Explorations Group

As the world of luxury travel continues to evolve, expedition cruising has emerged as a remarkable fusion of adventure and refined indulgence. French luxury cruise operator Ponant Explorations Group (which is owned by Kering's parent holding company Artémis) takes adventurous travelers to some of the world’s most remote and untouched corners. Scott Kerr sits down with Sam Chamberlain, CEO of Americas at Ponant Explorations Group, to discuss why expedition cruising on small ships has been a break...

Mar 18, 202533 min

S14 E03: Jonas Tåhlin, President of Spirits Brands at Moët Hennessy

Jonas Tåhlin leads Moët Hennessy's global spirits business, overseeing prestigious Maisons such as Belvedere Vodka, Glenmorangie and Ardbeg single malt whiskies, and Volcan de mi Tierra Tequila. He also spearheaded the joint venture with Beyoncé Knowles-Carter to launch SirDavis American whisky. Jonas joins Scott Kerr to discuss how Moët Hennessy is attacking the challenging spirits market, teaming up with Harrison Ford for Glenmorangie's new global campaign, Ardbeg veering off the whisky market...

Feb 25, 202535 min

S14 E02: Stefano Peccatori, President & CEO of Rizzoli International

Scott Kerr speaks with Stefano Peccatori, president & CEO of Rizzoli International Publications, the famed Italian publishing house recognized for producing high-end illustrated books in fashion, architecture, art, and design and its world-famous Rizzoli Bookstore in New York City. Stefano discusses how its Milanese founder Angelo Rizzoli went from poverty to successful book publisher to producing films like '8 1/2' by Federico Fellini. He also talks about how why Rizzoli is "not just a luxu...

Feb 11, 202547 min

S14 E01: Matthew Upchurch, CEO of Virtuoso

Matthew Upchurch is a prominent figure in the luxury travel industry as the CEO of Virtuoso, a leading global network of travel agencies specializing in luxury and experiential travel. He sits down with Scott Kerr to talk about why he believes the power of human expertise, technology, and personal connection has positioned Virtuoso at the forefront of luxury travel's future. They also have a deep conversation about who today's luxury travelers are and what they want, the resurgence of the travel...

Feb 04, 202559 min

S13 E10: Daniel Daggers, Founder and CEO of DDRE Global and Star of Netflix's 'Buying London'

Daniel Daggers, founder and CEO of DDRE Global and star of Netflix's luxury real estate reality show 'Buying London', sits down with Scott Kerr to discuss how the TV series has impacted his business, how his firm's revolutionizing the luxury property market in London and what's been dampening the sentiment among wealthy buyers. He also talks about who's snapping up London's high-end properties, where their wealth is coming from, and seeing the effects of the great wealth transfer play out in lux...

Jan 28, 202529 min

S13 E09: Michael Savage, CEO of Space Perspective

Scott Kerr is joined by Michael Savage, CEO of Space Perspective, a commercial spaceflight company that will take passengers to the edge of the Earth's atmosphere in a luxurious balloon-lifted capsule. Michael discusses the emerging space tourism market, what luxury services wealthy passengers will experience at 100,000 feet, successfully completing its first test flight, and how the company is striving to make space travel more accessible. He also talks about how Richard Branson became an inves...

Jan 21, 202539 min

S13 E08: Jean-Marc Pontroué, CEO of Panerai

Panerai CEO Jean-Marc Pontroué sits down with Scott Kerr to discuss how the 165-year-old Florentine luxury watchmaker grew from supplying watches to the Italian Royal Navy to the brand of choice among Hollywood action stars and passionate watch enthusiasts. Jean-Marc also talks about its long-standing ties with maritime and its influence on design, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone accelerating the brand's popularity, how being acquired by the Richemont Group launched Panerai in the h...

Jan 14, 202545 min

S13 E07: Hélène Poulit-Duquesne, CEO of Boucheron

Scott Kerr is joined by Hélène Poulit-Duquesne, CEO of French high jewelry house Boucheron, to discuss how the company is preserving the innovation and creative design legacy of its founder Frédéric Boucheron and her push to revive the identity of the 166-year-old "sleeping" luxury brand. She also talks about how being a small and nimble company has enabled Kering-owned Boucheron to quickly bring boundary-pushing concepts to market, why her partnership with creative director Claire Choisne has b...

Dec 24, 202454 min

S13 E06: Andrea Zagato, CEO and Marella Rivolta Zagato, Art Director at Zagato

Scott Kerr speaks to Andrea Zagato and his wife Marella Rivolta Zagato, the powerhouse duo leading the legendary Italian design house and coachbuilding company Zagato. CEO Andrea Zagato discusses how his grandfather Ugo grew a small coach build company in Milan more than a century ago into a top name in automotive design and forging long-standing partnerships with Alfa Romeo, Aston Martin, Ferrari, Maserati, and many others. They both talk about why Zagato renews itself every 10 years, its 'rati...

Dec 17, 202455 min

S13 E05: Amy Smilovic, Founder and Creative Director at Tibi

Scott Kerr is joined by Amy Smilovic, founder and creative director behind popular fashion brand Tibi, and whose personal style ethos of 'creative pragmatism' has amassed a large devoted following. Amy discusses launching Tibi nearly thirty years ago in Hong Kong and how it gained traction in the US, what motivated her to later pivot Tibi's visual design and eventually 'completely disrupt' the brand. She also talks about how the idea of 'creative pragmatism' was born out of during Covid-19 lockd...

Nov 26, 20241 hr 4 min

S13 E04: Douglas Taylor, CEO of Bruichladdich Distillery

Scott Kerr sits down with Douglas Taylor, CEO of Bruichladdich, the legendary whisky distillery located on the Isle of Islay, Scotland. Douglas discusses the demise and rise of the 143-year-old Bruichladdich Distillery and why the brand is positioned as the 'antidote' to the whisky industry norm. He also talks the distillery's visionary and progressive approach to creating a diverse portfolio of peated and unpeated Scotch whiskies, why it also got into the gin business, the challenges and opport...

Nov 19, 202442 min

S13 E03: Robert Ettinger, CEO and Chairman of Ettinger

Scott Kerr is joined by Robert Ettinger, CEO and Chairman of Ettinger, the nearly century-old British luxury leather goods company known for its high-quality, bespoke products and traditional manufacturing methods. As the third generation to take over the business that bears his family name, Robert talks about the brand's journey to becoming one of the most renowned names in leather goods. He also discusses how being granted the prestigious Royal Warrant by the Prince of Wales was a game changer...

Nov 12, 202428 min

S13 E02: Lukas Czinger, Founder, President and CEO of Czinger Vehicles

Scott Kerr sits down with Lukas Czinger, founder, president and CEO of American hypercar manufacturer Czinger Vehicles. Founded along with his father Kevin Czinger in 2019, Lukas discusses how their 3D-printed '21C' hypercar is catalyzing a new age of designing and building cars. He also talks about why Czinger launched with a $2 million hypercar in an already saturated market, smashing production car lap records, targeting ultra-wealthy owners, and how Czinger positions itself against iconic lu...

Nov 05, 202434 min

S13 E01: Samina Virk, North America CEO of Vestiaire Collective

Samina Virk, North America CEO of leading luxury fashion resale platform Vestiaire Collective, speaks with Scott Kerr about how relying on the company's core values has helped it thrive over the last 15 years. Samina talks about fast-tracking growth in the US, the company's path to profitability and possible IPO, its crowdfunding campaign, the importance of building trust through advanced authentication, and its AI-powered search engine. She also discusses its partnership with hit Netflix series...

Oct 29, 202439 min

S12 E09: Benoit de Clerck, CEO of Zenith

Scott Kerr is joined by Benoit de Clerck, CEO of Swiss luxury watch manufacturer Zenith, to discuss the opportunities and challenges facing the 160-year-old brand and his vision for continued growth. He also talks about what brought him over from Panerai to LVMH Watches to lead Zenith, why Zenith's El Primero watch movement is regarded as one of the world’s best and most accurate, how Zenith has been faring through a slumping luxury watch market, and how it's bringing more younger watch buyers a...

Sep 24, 202440 min

S12 E08: Andrea DeMarco, President of Regent Seven Seas Cruises

Scott Kerr sits down with Andrea DeMarco, president of Regent Seven Seas Cruises, one of the world's leading luxury cruise lines, to discuss why the cruise industry is booming at record highs and why more new-to-cruise guests are wealthy Gen Xers and luxury hotel side travelers. She also talks about why Regent Seven Seas puts itself in ultra-luxury category, how it competes against the slew of new luxury hotel brand yachts, what goes into creating luxury cruise itineraries that appeal to UHNW tr...

Sep 17, 202443 min

S12 E07: Hendrik Malinowski, Managing Director at Bugatti Automobiles

Scott Kerr is joined by Hendrik Malinowski, CEO of French luxury automotive manufacturer Bugatti, a 115-year-old brand renowned for producing luxurious, well-crafted, multi-million dollar high-performance cars. Hendrik discusses the legacy of company's founder, automobile designer Ettore Bugatti and the marque's extraordinary rise to a world-class luxury brand. He also discusses why Bugatti vehicles are sold out well into the next couple years and doesn't see a slowdown, why expensive art and re...

Sep 10, 202436 min

Encore Episode: Silvio Ursini, Bulgari Group Executive Vice President, Bulgari Hotels & Resorts

In this encore episode of The Luxury Item (published September 13, 2022), Silvio Ursini, Bulgari Group executive vice president in charge of Bulgari Hotels & Resorts division joins Scott Kerr to discuss the steady and calculated expansion of the Italian jeweler's ultra-luxury hotels. Silvio talks about the recent opening of its seventh property in Paris and breaking from the usual clichés of Parisian architecture, how ultra high net worth customers are keeping its hotel business strong, and ...

Aug 27, 202441 min

S12 E06: Tiara Chesmer-Williams, VP and Head of Inclusion, Diversity & Equity at Moët Hennessy

Scott Kerr is joined by Tiara Chesmer-Williams, vp and head of Inclusion, Diversity & Equity at wine & spirits giant Moët Hennessy, to talk about how DEI can drive business success for luxury brands and the programs she's implemented to create a more inclusive corporate culture. Tiara discusses how she works with parent company LVMH on diversity and inclusion goals, ways a company can build a culture of curiosity, whether DEI efforts in the luxury industry are backsliding, and why compan...

Aug 06, 202435 min

S12 E05: Frédéric Fekkai, Founder of FEKKAI

Scott Kerr speaks with Frédéric Fekkai, legendary celebrity hairstylist and founder of FEKKAI brands. Frédéric discusses reinventing the luxury hair salon experience by creating the concept of beauty hospitality at his namesake salon atop New York’s Bergdorf Goodman and why he bought back his brand after going through a handful of different owners. He also talks about how listening to customers informed his strategies and innovations, why he and his wife purchased French beauty and lifestyle com...

Jul 23, 202433 min

S12 E04: Sabine Brunner, President of MCM Worldwide

Scott Kerr speaks with Sabine Brunner, president of MCM Worldwide, the legendary German luxury lifestyle goods and fashion house founded in 1976 and known for its high-quality leather goods and instantly recognized monogram — the Cognac Visetos. Brunner, who joined MCM in 2023, discusses injecting new energy into the brand with a fresh design team, major marketing push, and buzzy campaigns starring A-list celebrities like Cindy Crawford and Cara Delevingne. She also talks about why MCM targets '...

Jul 16, 202447 min

S12 E03: Giuseppe Santoni, Chairman and Executive President of Santoni

Scott Kerr sits down with Giuseppe Santoni, chairman and executive president of Santoni, the nearly half-century-old luxury Italian footwear company famed for its artisanal craftsmanship, high-quality leather and contemporary style. Founded as a men's shoe business by his father Andrea Santoni in 1975, Giuseppe talks about the workshop being his "playground" as a child, taking over the helm of the company at 21-years-old and growing it into one of the world's leading brands in men's luxury footw...

Jul 09, 202438 min
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