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: scott@silvertoneconsulting.com

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: scott@silvertoneconsulting.com

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: scott@silvertoneconsulting.com

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: scott@silvertoneconsulting.com

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

When it comes to high-end audio equipment, few companies have cornered the market quite like McIntosh Group. The group has been a leader and innovator in the premium and luxury audio category for decades and today has a portfolio of the world’s most revered audio brands including McIntosh, Sonus faber, and Rotel. Scott Kerr speaks with McIntosh Group CEO Daniel Pidgeon about how McIntosh became a favorite among audiophiles and audio enthusiasts and why the pandemic drove consumers to invest more in higher quality audio experiences and the ultra-wealthy to install the best audio systems in their private jets and yachts. He also discusses its car audio partnerships with Lamborghini, Maserati, and Jeep. Plus: The backstory on how McIntosh amplifiers shaped music history by powering the Grateful Dead's legendary 'Wall of Sound' concert in the 1970s

Featuring: Daniel Pidgeon, CEO of McIntosh Group (mcintoshgroup.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: scott@silvertoneconsulting.com

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

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 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: scott@silvertoneconsulting.com

Listen 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 demand

Featuring: Guido Conti Caponi, COO at Loretta Caponi (lorettacaponi.it)

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: scott@silvertoneconsulting.com

Listen 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 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: scott@silvertoneconsulting.com

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