The Luxury Item with Scott Kerr

In this encore episode (published January 18, 2022), Scott Kerr is joined by Shannon Knapp, president & CEO at The Leading Hotels of the World, a prestigious hotel group with a worldwide collection of more than 400 independently owned and operated luxury hotels. Shannon discusses Leading Hotel's business model, its unique selling proposition to potential member hotels and the brand standards these independent hotels must meet to join the collection. She also talks about how it's handling the acceleration of competitive soft branded hotels and Airbnb luxury rentals, the leadership lessons learned from the pandemic, key luxury hospitality trends and insights from its inaugural Luxe Report, and speaking to young wealthy travelers. Plus: Is the metaverse part of Leading Hotel's future?Featuring: Shannon Knapp, President and Chief Executive Officer at The Leading Hotels of the World (lhw.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.comNewsletter: brilliantcut.substack.comDon't forget to subscribe, rate, and review!

CASADEI is one of the largest exporters of Made in Italy luxury shoes all over the world and its designs favored by top celebrities and models. On this episode, Scott Kerr speaks with Arianna Casadei, the third generation of the founding family and newly appointed CEO of the 65-year-old brand. Arianna discusses how growing up in the family business and learning from her father, renowned Italian shoe designer Cesare Casadei, has prepared her for leading the company. She also talks about her top priories in the new role, how women and shoe design have changed since her father elevated the brand's international growth in the 80s, and celebrating 10 years of the bestselling "Blade" heel style. Plus: Casadei goes phygital with a limited run NFTFeaturing: Arianna Casadei, Chief Executive Officer of Casadei (casadei.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!

Isamaya Ffrench is a globally-renowned British makeup artist known for creating a beauty revolution with her dramatic transformations to some of luxury fashion's buzziest labels and biggest celebrities. She joins Scott Kerr on The Luxury Item to discusses launching and growing her namesake beauty brand ISAMAYA and her unconventional approach to beauty. She also talks about what she learned working alongside iconic luxury fashion brands like Burberry, YSL, Louboutin, and Tom Ford, her drop model strategy of themed collections including the new one with NSFW lipstick packaging, and collaborating with Vivienne Westwood before she passed. Plus: Isamaya on her newest role as the beauty curator for Off-White *WARNING: Some of the content has NSFW themes and may not be suitable for childrenFeaturing: Isamaya Ffrench, Makeup Artist and Founder of ISAMAYA (isamaya.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!

Anish Melwani, Chairman & CEO of LVMH, discusses the evolving relationship between luxury and US consumers. Topics include price increase trends, the role of physical stores, measuring customer impact, and the Aura Blockchain Consortium. Also, LVMH's approach to Web3 and the metaverse.

Scott Kerr speaks to Larry Korman, president and CEO of AKA Hotels & Hotel Residences, a company that has been an integral force in the luxury extended-stay sector. Larry discusses what's driving the explosive growth of hybrid luxury hotel/residence experiences and AKA's rapid expansion in major cities. He also talks about why many celebrities and long-stay business travelers prefer AKA to traditional luxury hotels, how its brand philosophy of "providing calm in chaos" resonates with guests, the importance of capturing a city's spirit when designing new properties, and the shortfalls of established hotel groups getting into the extended-stay space. Plus: Key luxury travel trends that will play out in 2023Featuring: Larry Korman, President and CEO of AKA Hotels & Hotel Residences (stayaka.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!

D-J Hageman, vice president of marketing at super-premium tequila brand Patrón Tequila, joins Scott Kerr to discuss why tequila is so hot right now and why it's leading the spirits premiumization trend. He also talks about Patrón inventing the super-premium tequila category in the '90s, the brand's longtime popularity with the hip-hop community, its first incursion into the luxury tequila space, Web3 strategy, and the proliferation of celebrity tequila brands. Plus: Will an agave plant shortage lead to a tequila bust cycle?Featuring: D-J Hageman, Vice President of Marketing at Patrón Tequila (patrontequila.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!

On the newest episode of The Luxury Item podcast, Scott Kerr speaks with Tom Marchant, owner and co-founder of award-winning bespoke luxury travel operator Black Tomato. The company has made a name for itself by pulling together expertly tailored, highly imaginative private travel experiences that give clients insider access to some of the world’s farthest-flung destinations. Tom discusses how he built and grew the Black Tomato brand in the face of crippling travel sector disruptions. He also shares a few of Black Tomato's luxury travel trend themes for 2023, (including "Storification and "World Family Robinson"), what's motivating today's wealthy travelers, and how Black Tomato forged a partnership with the James Bond movie franchise to create a curated trip that mimics 007's most iconic adventures. Plus: The importance of being humble, thoughtful, curious, and remarkableFeaturing: Tom Marchant, Owner and Co-Founder of Black Tomato (blacktomato.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!

Scott Kerr is joined by Martin de Dreuille, global vice president of marketing for iconic French premium vodka brand Grey Goose. Martin discusses why the super premium vodka market is surging in popularity, facing challenges from the fast-growing whisky and tequila categories, how the brand has evolved with the changing nature of luxury, why it was time for a brand refresh and new creative platform in 2019, the newest "Viva Le Martini" campaign, the role of disruptive local activations in telling the Grey Goose story, and the brand's expanding Web3 marketing investment. Plus: How Grey Goose was born out of a collaboration between a French cognac cellar master and an American entrepreneur Featuring: Martin de Dreuille, Global Vice President of Marketing at Grey Goose (greygoose.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 Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review!

Scott Kerr sits down with Michelle Freyre, global brand president of Clinique, one of the top players in the prestige beauty market and part of The Estée Lauder Companies' portfolio of brands. Her brand oversight also extends to Origins. Michelle discusses joining Clinique at the start of the pandemic and the challenges of navigating through an altered beauty industry. She also talks about competing against indie and D2C disruptor brands, why the iconic Clinique brand is so popular with Gen Z consumers, harnessing the power of TikTok, how its virtual services and digital investments have been paying off, and the company's commitment to diverse representation in its marketing campaigns and in the workplace. Plus: How Clinique is putting a spotlight on underrepresented identities in the metaverse Featuring: Michelle Freyre, Global Brand President at Clinique and Origins (clinique.com and origins.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 Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review!

Famed Japanese luxury jewelry brand Mikimoto is the world leader in cultured pearls. Kentaro Nishimura, chief operating officer at Mikimoto America joins Scott Kerr to discuss the resurgence of pearls and how the 129-year-old Mikimoto brand has gained its worldwide reputation. Kentaro talks about Mikomoto's unique process of cultivating pearls, competing with other jewelers, partnering with avant-garde fashion label Comme des Garçons, why more men are wearing pearl jewelry, and how the aesthetics of its new NYC flagship store pays tribute to the sea. Plus: Are cultured pearls good for the environment? Featuring: Kentaro Nishimura, Chief Operating Officer at Mikimoto America (mikimoto.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 Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review!