The Luxury Item with Scott Kerr

Shannon Knapp, President and CEO at The Leading Hotels of the World, discusses the business model of the prestigious hotel group, handling competition from soft branded hotels and Airbnb luxury rentals. She shares leadership lessons from the pandemic, key luxury hospitality trends, and insights from their Luxe Report. The podcast also explores the potential of the millennial market and the process of accepting new member hotels. Plus, Shannon reveals her luxury item choice for a deserted island - a fully made-up bed from a luxurious hotel for relaxation and sound sleep.

Scott Kerr sits down with Alex Assouline, chief of operations, brand & strategy at luxury book publisher Assouline. Founded in the mid-90s by his parents Prosper and Martine Assouline, Alex discusses why the brand positions itself as "the first luxury brand devoted to culture and lifestyle" and how he considers traditional luxury goods as competitors to Assouline's fine handcrafted coffee table books. Alex reveals what goes behind creating its "Ultimate Collection" of oversized masterpiece anthologies on subjects like Chanel, Rolex, wine, cigars, and Formula 1. He also discusses the surge in popularity of its Travel Series books during the pandemic, launching a successful custom high-end library division, collaborating with Zara Man on a summer capsule collection, and the role of coffee-table books in the digital-first age. Plus: Getting Gen Z to care about coffee table books Featuring: Alex Assouline, Chief of Operations, Brand & Strategy at Assouline Publishing (assouline.com) Host: Scott Kerr, Founder & President of Silvertone Consulting About The Luxury Item podcast: The Luxury Item is a podcast on the business of luxury and the people and companies that are shaping the future of the luxury industry. Stay Connected: Twitter: @theluxuryitem, @scott_kerr, @silvertone_inc Email: scott@silvertoneconsulting.com Newsletter: brilliantcut.substack.com Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review!

Scott Kerr is joined by Ulrik Garde Due, president and CEO at luxury leather goods brand Mark Cross. Having taken the helm of America's oldest luxury brand a few years ago, Ulrik discusses his approach for reviving the 176-year-old 'sleeping beauty' brand whose little black rectangular-shaped bag famously appeared with Grace Kelly in Alfred Hitchcock's "Rear Window." He also talks about the critical role of physical stores and new pop-up concepts, a re-imagined digital strategy and customer service, building cultural credibility with younger audiences, launching a vintage Mark Cross website and leaning into resale, its artists-in-residence program, and investing in digital passports. Plus: Why Mark Cross joined Amazon Luxury Stores Featuring: Ulrik Garde Due, President and CEO at Mark Cross (markcross.com) Host: Scott Kerr, Founder & President of Silvertone Consulting About The Luxury Item podcast: The Luxury Item is a podcast on the business of luxury and the people and companies that are shaping the future of the luxury industry. Stay Connected: Twitter: @theluxuryitem, @scott_kerr, @silvertone_inc Email: scott@silvertoneconsulting.com Newsletter: brilliantcut.substack.com Linktree: linktr.ee/scottkerr Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review!

Scott Kerr sits down with Gareth Dunsmore, Chief Marketing Officer at British luxury supercar maker McLaren Automotive to discuss how the brand combines hand-built and high-technology to uniquely position itself to a wide range of wealthy customers in an ever more crowded space, plans for engaging younger audiences using NFT collectables, gaining a strong female following and signing its first-ever female racing driver. Gareth also talks about McLaren's in-house bespoke division for customizing cars, programs for maintaining a strong brand connection to its customers, and its popularity in China. Plus: Building supercars for the EV era Featuring: Gareth Dunsmore, Chief Marketing Officer at McLaren Automotive (cars.mclaren.com) Host: Scott Kerr, Founder & President of Silvertone Consulting About The Luxury Item podcast: The Luxury Item is a podcast on the business of luxury and the people and companies that are shaping the future of the luxury industry. Stay Connected: Twitter: @theluxuryitem, @scott_kerr, @silvertone_inc Email: scott@silvertoneconsulting.com Newsletter: brilliantcut.substack.com Linktree: linktr.ee/scottkerr Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review!

Scott Kerr is joined by Didier Guillon, President and Artistic Director of the Valmont Group and Sophie Guillon, CEO of the Valmont Group. The husband and wife team lead the Swiss luxury beauty brand Valmont, whose roots date back to 1905 and has a strong celebrity following. Sophie and Didier discuss acquiring the cellular cosmetics company more than 30 years ago and driving growth through its four business pillars. They also talk about why art is core to Valmont's brand DNA, the advanced science behind its cosmetic products, opening luxury residences in Europe for valued clients, the importance of Valmont's global art foundation, how they're attracting younger customers, and why Valmont is thriving in China. Plus: Breaking into the U.S. with a new luxury spa at the Carlyle Hotel in New York City Featuring: Didier and Sophie Guillon of the Valmont Group (lamaisonvalmont.com) Host: Scott Kerr, Founder & President of Silvertone Consulting About The Luxury Item podcast: The Luxury Item is a podcast on the business of luxury and the people and companies that are shaping the future of the luxury industry. Stay Connected: Twitter: @theluxuryitem, @scott_kerr, @silvertone_inc Email: scott@silvertoneconsulting.com Newsletter: brilliantcut.substack.com Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review!

Scott Kerr sits down with Chloe Mendel, co-founder and creative director at sustainable luxury faux-fur brand Maison Atia to discuss reinventing the market before the luxury giants started dropping animal fur. The emerging designer talks about how the first collection came together, channeling design inspiration from 1970s chic, winning the attention of Kate Moss, Gigi Hadid and other style icons, training in the atelier of her father, Gilles Mendel of J. Mendel fame, and why she favors the direct-to-consumer model. Plus: The brand's close partnership with animal charity PAWS Chicago Featuring: Chloe Mendel, Co-Founder and Creative Director at Maison Atia (maisonatia.com) Host: Scott Kerr, Founder & President of Silvertone Consulting About The Luxury Item podcast: The Luxury Item is a podcast on the business of luxury and the people and companies that are shaping the future of the luxury industry. Stay Connected: Twitter: @theluxuryitem, @scott_kerr, @silvertone_inc Email: scott@silvertoneconsulting.com Newsletter: brilliantcut.substack.com Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review!

Scott Kerr is joined by Andrew Haarsager, head of Cartier's Retail Innovation Lab, to discuss how it designs and tests new forms of retail experiences for the French luxury jeweler and watchmaker, both in and beyond the boutique. Andrew also talks about Cartier's approach to the role of retail in this new world, creating an in-store vitrine to display holograms of select high jewelry pieces, working with Cartier's internal 'Liaison' program for sales associates, why heritage brands must learn to speak in new ways to younger consumers, and why Cartier is not jumping so quickly into the avatar economy. Plus: What the luxury boutique will look like in 10 years Featuring: Andrew Haarsager, Head of Retail Innovation Lab at Cartier (cartier.com) Host: Scott Kerr, Founder & President of Silvertone Consulting About The Luxury Item podcast: The Luxury Item is a podcast on the business of luxury and the people and companies that are shaping the future of the luxury industry. Stay Connected: Twitter: @theluxuryitem, @scott_kerr, @silvertone_inc Email: scott@silvertoneconsulting.com Newsletter: brilliantcut.substack.com Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review!

The Luxury Item podcast returns for Season 5 on Tuesday, November 30, 2021. The Luxury Item is a podcast about the business of luxury and the people and companies that are shaping the future of the luxury industry. Host Scott Kerr interviews industry leaders from across the luxury sector who share crucial knowledge on exactly how they’re sharpening operations to meet a changed sales picture and strengthening customer experiences in the new luxury landscape. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or wherever you prefer to get your podcasts. Stay Connected: Twitter: @theluxuryitem, @scott_kerr, @silvertone_inc Email: scott@silvertoneconsulting.com Newsletter: brilliantcut.substack.com

Scott Kerr sits down with Falguni Desai, chief executive officer of the luxury men’s grooming brand The Art of Shaving to discuss how it's navigating the many challenges in the razor industry. Falguni also talks about how its founders elevated shaving to a luxury experience, shifting from a mall-centric to online sales strategy, winning over beard-loving Millennials, and new creations from its GilletteLabs innovation division. Plus: What's next for the men's grooming industry. Featuring: Falguni Desai, Chief Executive Officer at The Art of Shaving (theartofshaving.com) Host: Scott Kerr, Founder & President of Silvertone Consulting About The Luxury Item podcast: The Luxury Item is a podcast on the business of luxury and the people and companies that are shaping the future of the luxury industry. Stay Connected: Twitter: @theluxuryitem, @scott_kerr, @silvertone_inc Email: scott@silvertoneconsulting.com Newsletter: brilliantcut.substack.com Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review!

Scott Kerr talks with Nick English, who co-founded the British luxury watch company Bremont along with his brother Giles. Nick discusses how they were inspired to launch Bremont by their late father and mutual passion for aviation. He also talks about the enormous task of building a luxury watch brand, bringing watchmaking back to the United Kingdom, winning over young watch buyers, its collaborations with Jaguar and the British military, and the importance of the new watchmaking facility ('The Wing') in breathing some life back into British manufacturing. Plus: Why Bremont will never make a connected watch Featuring: Nick English, Co-Founder of Bremont Watch Company (bremont.com) Host: Scott Kerr, Founder & President of Silvertone Consulting About The Luxury Item podcast: The Luxury Item is a podcast on the business of luxury and the people and companies that are shaping the future of the luxury industry. Stay Connected: Twitter: @theluxuryitem, @scott_kerr, @silvertone_inc Email: scott@silvertoneconsulting.com Newsletter: brilliantcut.substack.com Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review!