The Luxury Item with Scott Kerr

Scott Kerr talks Tina Edmundson, president of luxury at Marriott International, who oversees a prestigious portfolio of luxury brands including The Ritz-Carlton, Ritz-Carlton Reserve, BVLGARI Hotels & Resorts, St. Regis Hotels & Resorts, EDITION, The Luxury Collection, JW Marriott and W Hotels. Tina discusses her strategic priorities in her role since being elevated to president, why the Marriott International and Starwood Hotels merger was a "perfect marriage" and the white space it filled in the luxury segment, and where Marriott is exploring growth opportunities to reach UHNW customers. She also talks about more guests holding its luxury hotels to an even higher standard of experience driven services, building meaningful connections with guests through hyper-personalization, and big luxury travel themes over the next 12 months. Plus: The core strategy behind its brand adjacencies like the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection and St. Regis branded residences. Featuring: President, Luxury at Marriott International (marriott.com)Host:Scott Kerr, Founder & President of Silvertone ConsultingAbout 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: Email: scott@silvertoneconsulting.comListen and subscribe to The Luxury Item wherever you get your podcasts. Tell a friend!

Scott Kerr is joined by Guido Conti Caponi, chief operating officer at Loretta Caponi, the legendary family-owned Florentine luxury label founded by his grandmother more than 50 years ago and renowned for its hand-embroidered sleepwear, linens, and ready-to-wear. Guido talks about the brand's remarkable history and how Loretta turned her love for the craft of embroidery as a young girl into a successful global business with a client list that includes top Hollywood celebs and European royals. Guido also discusses how he and his mother Lucia, who oversees design, are taking the brand into the future, riding the 'quiet luxury' movement, the company's growth and distribution strategies, and bringing younger audiences into the brand. Plus: The challenge of finding skilled artisans to help keep up with product demandFeaturing: Guido Conti Caponi, COO at Loretta Caponi (lorettacaponi.it)Host:Scott Kerr, Founder & President of Silvertone ConsultingAbout 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: Email: scott@silvertoneconsulting.comListen and subscribe to The Luxury Item wherever you get your podcasts. Tell a friend!

Scott Kerr is joined by Deborah Calmeyer, CEO and founder of ultra-luxury African safari company ROAR AFRICA, to discuss how she turned her love for Africa and her desire to share its beauty with the world into a business. Calmeyer talks about her journey from growing up in the Zimbabwean bush to moving to New York City and launching a luxury African travel company, how the company's female-centric approach is a new model for the male-dominated African safari industry, what's fueling the surge in safari tourism, how luxury travelers to Africa have changed, and creating custom itineraries that cater to the upper echelon of global wealth. Plus: Why "being the in the wild is a prescription for the soul"Featuring: Deborah Calmeyer, CEO and Founder of ROAR AFRICA (roarafrica.com)Host:Scott Kerr, Founder & President of Silvertone ConsultingAbout 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: Email: scott@silvertoneconsulting.comListen and subscribe to The Luxury Item wherever you get your podcasts. Tell a friend!

Legendary fashion designer Norma Kamali joins Scott Kerr to talk about the journey of running her own business for over 50 years, her enthusiasm for technology, and her continuous drive to learn and create. Famously known for her innovative designs like the "sleeping bag" coat and "parachute dress", Kamali, now 78, discusses her approach to designing clothes that are timeless, why she embraced e-commerce before the rest of the fashion industry, and building a custom AI tool to preserve her design legacy. She also talks about how the 80s AIDS epidemic inspired her to put health and wellness at the heart of her brand and what the key is to building a strong brand identity. Plus: Why Norma Kamali returned her Apple Vision Pro soon after she purchased itFeaturing: Norma Kamali, Fashion Designer and Owner of Norma Kamali, Inc. (normakamali.com)Host:Scott Kerr, Founder & President of Silvertone ConsultingAbout 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: Email: scott@silvertoneconsulting.comListen and subscribe to The Luxury Item wherever you get your podcasts. Tell a friend!

Antoine Pin, managing director of Bulgari's watch division, sits down with Scott Kerr to discuss the realities of the shifting luxury watch market, how the brand is aiming to win the battle for the wrists of wealthy buyers, and the artistic inspiration behind some of the new luxury timepieces that mark the 140th anniversary of the storied Roman jewelry house. Antoine also talks about why gold is a hallmark element of Bulgari and the current trend towards yellow gold timepieces, why the brand introduced a collection of watches that incorporate the original design sketches on the dials, and why multi-brand watch retailers are a key part of its long-term strategy. Plus: Antoine announces Bulgari's new world's thinnest watch unveiled at Watches and Wonders and why the brand keeps creating ultra-thin watches.Featuring: Antoine Pin, Managing Director of the Bulgari Watch Division (bulgari.com)Host:Scott Kerr, Founder & President of Silvertone ConsultingAbout 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: Email: scott@silvertoneconsulting.comListen and subscribe to The Luxury Item wherever you get your podcasts. Tell a friend!

Scott Kerr speaks to Raphael Sauleau, CEO of IYC (The International Yacht Company), one of the world’s largest superyacht brokerages, about the health of the luxury yacht market and the shifting buyer demographic. Raphael discusses his main strategic focus since joining as CEO in 2022, how he's navigating a market reversal after the post-pandemic yacht-buying boom, the rising influence of wealthy Millennial yacht owners, and fashion designers taking on superyacht projects. He also talks about how "quiet luxury" hit the superyacht market, why more UHNW owners are adding fitness facilities on their boats, and the role of strategic partnerships with luxury brands in IYC's growth. Plus: How the role of yacht broker has evolved in the new digital era and yachting influencers Featuring:  Raphael Sauleau, CEO of IYC (The International Yacht Company) (iyc.com)Host:Scott Kerr, Founder & President of Silvertone ConsultingAbout 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: Email: scott@silvertoneconsulting.comListen and subscribe to The Luxury Item wherever you get your podcasts. Tell a friend!

Scott Kerr speaks to Simon Kim, owner and CEO of Gracious Hospitality Management, the brand behind the highly acclaimed Michelin-starred Cote Korean Steakhouse in New York City, Miami, and Singapore as well as the newly opened high-end fried chicken and Champagne concept Coqodaq. Kim, who came to the U.S. from Korea at age 13, talks about what's driving Americas' sharp demand for Korean cuisine and his journey to fulfilling his lifelong dream of opening a game-changing Korean restaurant. He also talks about what he learned about fine dining hospitality from working for the world's best chefs and opening (and closing) his very first restaurant. He discusses the economics of running a Michelin star restaurant and the importance of having a great restaurant culture. Plus: How being a restaurateur has changed the way he thinks about food and his customersFeaturing: Simon Kim, Owner and CEO of Gracious Hospitality Management (gracioushm.com, cotekoreansteakhouse.com, coqodaq.com)Host:Scott Kerr, Founder & President of Silvertone ConsultingAbout 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: Email: scott@silvertoneconsulting.comListen and subscribe to The Luxury Item wherever you get your podcasts. Tell a friend!

Scott Kerr is joined by Greg Spencer, Chief Executive Officer of Timbers Company, a leading luxury vacation homes and rentals company that offers the ability for HNWIs to buy whole and fractional ownership in vacation properties in the world's top destinations. Greg discusses how Timbers Company strives to deliver the same top-of-the-strata services and opulent experiences to its wealthy co-owners as ultra-luxury hotels, why the wrenching correction in the second-homes market didn't impact Timbers' business, creating a culture of hospitality excellence through creative solutions, and why the 'experiential luxury' trend compliments its business model. Plus: Big luxury travel themes for the coming yearFeaturing: Greg Spencer, Chief Executive Officer of Timbers Company (timberscompany.com)Host:Scott Kerr, Founder & President of Silvertone ConsultingAbout 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: Email: scott@silvertoneconsulting.comListen and subscribe to The Luxury Item wherever you get your podcasts. Tell a friend!

Scott Kerr sits down with John Gerhardt, global creative director at Moët Hennessy, the wines and spirits business of luxury giant LVMH. Gerhardt, a TIME Magazine "Design 100" honoree when he was at luxury retailer Holt Renfrew, discusses his role as the Moët Hennessy brand lead and partnering with the twenty-seven Maisons, how Moët Hennessy is re-evaluating its creative approach in a challenging market, and how its heritage brands are speaking to a new generation of drinkers. He also talks about the strategies behind some of the rebranding and new product efforts he's been involved in. From refreshing the Chandon sparkling wine brand, to rebranding a 200-year-old French vineyard to launching MH's first-ever cocktail bar in Paris. Plus: What the luxury fashion industry can learn from high-end wines and spiritsFeaturing: John Gerhardt, Global Creative Director at Moët Hennessy (lvmh.com/houses/wines-spirits)Host:Scott Kerr, Founder & President of Silvertone ConsultingAbout 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: Email: scott@silvertoneconsulting.comListen and subscribe to The Luxury Item wherever you get your podcasts. Tell a friend!

In this encore episode from March 14, 2023, Scott Kerr sits down with Anish Melwani, chairman & CEO of LVMH for North America to discuss the evolving relationship between luxury and the US consumer and why LVMH is well positioned to navigate through economic uncertainty. He also talks about price increase trends, why luxury is connected to our identity, the role of the physical store and measuring customer impact, the relationship between the maison's creative and business leaders, and the latest on the Aura Blockchain Consortium. Plus: How LVMH approaches Web3 and the metaverseFeaturing: Anish Melwani, Chairman & CEO of LVMH for North America (lvmh.com)Host:Scott Kerr, Founder & President of Silvertone ConsultingAbout 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_incEmail: scott@silvertoneconsulting.comDon't forget to subscribe, rate, and review!