The Luxury Item with Scott Kerr

Scott Kerr is joined by Julie Wagner, CEO of the Beverly Hills Conference & Visitors Bureau who leads the strategy, development and implementation of all efforts supporting one of the most recognizable luxury destination brands in the world. Julie discusses her role in helping the Beverly Hills brand stay relevant in the U.S. and internationally, post-pandemic strategies for bringing back international tourists and appealing to wealthy millennials, key findings from its “Beverly Hills – The Future of Luxury” study, trying to curb Airbnb/short-term rentals in Beverly Hills, and why she's excited about the metaverse opportunity. Plus: Do TV shows like "The Housewives of Beverly Hills" help or hurt the brand? Featuring: Julie Wagner, CEO of the Beverly Hills Conference & Visitors Bureau (lovebeverlyhills.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 Laura Azaria, general manager of couture brands at L’Oréal which oversees designer portfolios like Prada, Valentino, Mugler and Victor&Rolf. Laura discusses last year's surge in prestige beauty sales and why the fragrance category generated the most growth. She also talks about the re-branding strategy behind Valentino Beauty, why Lady Gaga and Adut Akech were chosen as brand ambassadors, how consumers shifted their fragrance habits during the pandemic, where TikTok and livestreaming commerce fit into the marketing mix, and new competition from DTC fragrance brands. Plus: Is there a metaverse opportunity for fragrances? Featuring: Laura Azaria, General Manager of Couture Brands at L’Oréal USA (loreal.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!

High-end American menswear designer and entrepreneur Todd Snyder speaks with Scott Kerr about launching and growing his namesake brand in 2011 after heading up menswear at J. Crew. Todd discusses how designing for the modern American male has changed since his days at Ralph Lauren and J. Crew, finding success in shifting to a direct-to-consumer model early on, and how being acquired by American Eagle Outfitters has been key to the company's growth. Famous for his collaborations with American heritage brands like New Balance, Timex, Clarks, L.L. Bean and others, Todd talks about the cultural capital he brings to these mashups. Plus: How growing up in the seventies and eighties has influenced his designs Featuring: Todd Snyder, Fashion Designer (toddsnyder.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!

Stefano Canali, president and CEO at Italian luxury menswear brand Canali, talks to Scott Kerr about how the 88-year-old company is shaping its future with new investments and innovations. Stefano discusses the inspiration behind its F/W22 collection, why formalwear is not dead despite the pandemic-induced working-from-homewear shift, the lessons learned from past challenges that helped him navigate the company though the COVID-19 crisis, and how the company's founding values and Italian DNA continue to drive its vision and style. He also points to a full slate of major projects in 2022 including re-platforming its e-commerce, a new store concept, a more robust CRM program and expansion in China. Plus: Thoughts on Canali entering the metaverse any time soon Featuring: Stefano Canali, President and Chief Executive Officer at Canali (canali.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 Miah Sullivan, SVP, global marketing & brand communications at German fashion house Hugo Boss to discuss its major rebranding effort and new star-studded global campaigns. She also talks about the company's "Claim 5" growth strategy, the thinking behind Millennial-targeted "BeYourOwnBoss campaign, its record breaking BOSS X Russell Athletic social campaign, how it's leveraging a wealth of data to inform marketing decisions, the brand's metaverse opportunity, and how shifting consumer moods impact the marketing strategy. Plus: How the pandemic spurred Hugo Boss to push away from being a men's suit brand Featuring: Miah Sullivan, SVP, Global Marketing & Brand Communications at Hugo Boss (hugoboss.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 Melissa Lefere-Cobb, senior vice president, division head at iconic French luxury fashion house Hervé Léger to discuss reviving the once-popular red carpet staple brand. Melissa talks about why she hired creative director Christian Juul Nielsen to establish a new brand vision and modern-day aesthetic, the challenges of keeping a heritage brand culturally relevant, Gen Z discovering Hervé Léger on TikTok and The RealReal, 'Share the Love' secondhand fashion program, taking on the athleisure category, and the brand's digital commerce imperative. Plus: Why in-person shows are still important to Hervé Léger Featuring: Melissa Lefere-Cobb, Senior Vice President, Division Head at Hervé Léger (herveleger.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

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!