The Luxury Item with Scott Kerr

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 and women into the brand. Plus: Why Zenith was the first Swiss watchmaking manufacture to open itself to the public.

Featuring: Benoit de Clerck, CEO of Zenith (zenith-watches.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: 
Email: [email protected]

Listen and subscribe to The Luxury Item wherever you get your podcasts. Tell a friend or colleague!

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 travelers, and the upcoming launch Regent Seven Seas new Prestige-Class ships. Plus: Why the new Grandeur ship boasts a multi=million dollar art collection that includes several Picassos and the first Fabergé egg on display aboard a passenger ship.

Featuring: Andrea DeMarco, President of Regent Seven Seas Cruises (rssc.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: 
Email: [email protected]

Listen and subscribe to The Luxury Item wherever you get your podcasts. Tell a friend or colleague!

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 real estate investments are considered key competitors, ways it keeps ultra-wealthy customers engaged and loyal to the brand, and why the new $4 million hybrid hypercar Tourbillon takes its name from the watchmaking world. Plus: Why he feels an electric-powered Bugatti vehicle doesn't lose its soulful connection to the driver

Featuring: Hendrik Malinowski, Managing Director at Bugatti Automobiles (bugatti.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: 
Email: [email protected]

Listen and subscribe to The Luxury Item wherever you get your podcasts. Tell a friend or colleague!

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 approaching each hotel as "jewels." He also discusses the upside of being "outsider" in the hotel industry and exploring Web3 opportunities. Plus: Why fashion brands often fail in the hospitality business

Featuring: Silvio Ursini, Bulgari Group Executive Vice President, Bulgari Hotels & Resorts (bulgarihotels.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: [email protected]

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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 companies should reframe the DEI conversation as a business-driver. Plus: Can luxury be exclusive and inclusive at the same time?

Featuring: Tiara Chesmer-Williams, Vice President and Head of Inclusion, Diversity & Equity at Moët Hennessy (mhusa.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: 
Email: [email protected]

Listen and subscribe to The Luxury Item wherever you get your podcasts. Tell a friend!

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 company Côté Bastide,  how he adjusted his formulations to meet the demands of the post-Covid self-care market, and his first-ever professional ambassador program. Plus: How Fekkai intends to thrive in a hyper-competitive haircare category.

Featuring: Frédéric Fekkai, Founder of FEKKAI (fekkai.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: 
Email: [email protected]

Listen and subscribe to The Luxury Item wherever you get your podcasts. Tell a friend!

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 'rule-breaking mavericks', how the Visetos monogram stays relevant with each collection, investing heavily in its digital capabilities and next-generation metaverse platform, debuting at Milan Design Week, and how MCM is positioning the brand in the turbulent luxury market. Plus: What will make MCM stick with consumers in a culture flooded with brands?

Featuring: Sabine Brunner, President of MCM Worldwide (mcmworldwide.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: 
Email: [email protected]

Listen and subscribe to The Luxury Item wherever you get your podcasts. Tell a friend!

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 footwear. He also discusses how the brand's values have helped guide it through economic downturns and shifting tastes, his strong ambitions to grow the women's category to half the business, and how Italian brands should be speaking to Gen Z about the importance of "Made in Italy" manufacturing. Plus: New footwear trends that are driving the evolution of the market.

Featuring: Giuseppe Santoni, Chairman and Executive President of Santoni (santoni.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: 
Email: [email protected]

Listen and subscribe to The Luxury Item wherever you get your podcasts. Tell a friend!

Scott Kerr is joined by Christian Vernet, CEO of La Compagnie, a unique Paris-based airline that offers premium all-business-class transatlantic flight experiences but at competitive pricing. Christian discusses why the 10-year old company's all-business-class model has endured while others have failed in the space, how post-pandemic trends have influenced its strategies and offerings, and why upgrading from Boeing to Airbus jets was a game changer. He also talks about La Compagnie sustainability commitments in light of business class having a greater environmental impact and Brexit's role in the carrier's decision to cancel London service. Plus: Why the Summer Olympics has hit bookings to Paris

Featuring: Christian Vernet, CEO of La Compagnie (lacompagnie.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: 
Email: [email protected]

Listen and subscribe to The Luxury Item wherever you get your podcasts. Tell a friend!

Scott Kerr is joined by Peter Rawlinson, CEO and CTO of American luxury electric automaker Lucid Motors, to talk about how the company evolved from an electric battery and powertrain supplier to a frontrunner in the electric vehicle market competing head-on with the German luxury manufacturers. Rawlinson, an auto industry veteran who engineered the Tesla Model S, discusses the technology innovations and design thinking behind the Lucid Air (its first vehicle) as well as its upcoming Gravity model entry into the completive luxury SUV market. He also talks about the EV marketplace and where it's going, how Lucid intends to generate consistent demand for its vehicles, scaling the business to profitability, and capitalizing on Tesla's media 'noise'. Plus: Why Chinese automakers are still years behind on EV tech

Featuring: Peter Rawlinson, CEO and CTO at Lucid Motors (lucidmotors.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: 
Email: [email protected]

Listen and subscribe to The Luxury Item wherever you get your podcasts. Tell a friend!