The Luxury Item with Scott Kerr

Scott Kerr sits down with Benoît Repellin, the highly respected auctioneer and global jewelry head at premier international auction house Phillips, to discuss the mechanics, the culture, and the human drama behind the jewelry auction world. Benoît sheds light on the strong appetite for signed jewelry pieces from heritage Maisons, why valuing jewelry comes down to art, nature, and provenance, and how Millennials and Gen Z are reshaping the collector base and are drawn to pieces surfaced through pop culture moments. Benoît talks about how curation, not volume, is Phillips' competitive edge and how the smartest collectors buy with passion, patience, and a discerning eye. He grounds almost every conceptual point in specific, real auction stories. Plus: How Repellin's 100k Instagram followers have directly translated into consignments and bidders
Featuring: Benoît Repellin, Worldwide Head of Jewelry at Phillips (phillips.com)
Host: Scott Kerr, Founder & President of Silvertone Consulting
About: The Luxury Item is the leading podcast on the business of luxury, and an important resource for global industry decision makers who want to stay one step ahead. Listen to insightful conversations with leaders of the world's most influential luxury brands as they share the latest trends, insights, and strategies that are helping them forge a strong path forward.
Let me know what you think of the show. Email me at [email protected]
Listen and subscribe to The Luxury Item wherever you get your podcasts. Tell a friend or a colleague!

Manolo Blahnik is one of the world’s most influential footwear and accessories designers. His shoes are known for their elegance, craftsmanship, and being a favorite of Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City. Scott Kerr sits down with Kristina Blahnik, CEO of Manolo Blahnik and the eponymous designer's niece, to discuss how she's been growing the brand globally while keeping the magic and artistry of the family-led business alive. Kristina talks about how her architecture training shapes how she works as CEO, how being independent keeps the company on a craftsmanship-first growth path, why the company leaned hard into a DTC strategy, and how the brand is protecting it's "insider" aura with younger customers. Plus: Why its virtual archive is protecting and extending Manolo Blahnik’s legacy
Featuring: Kristina Blahnik, CEO of Manolo Blahnik (manoloblahnik.com)
Host: Scott Kerr, Founder & President of Silvertone Consulting (silvertoneconsulting.com)
About: The Luxury Item is the leading podcast on the business of luxury, and an important resource for global industry decision makers who want to stay one step ahead. Listen to insightful conversations with leaders of the world's most influential luxury brands as they share the latest trends, insights, and strategies that are helping them forge a strong path forward.
Stay connected: [email protected]
Listen and subscribe to The Luxury Item wherever you get your podcasts. Tell a friend or a colleague!

Among the plethora of camera brands on the market, none is as synonymous with luxury as Leica. Scott Kerr welcomes Mike Giannattasio, president of Leica Camera Americas, to discuss how Leica has not only survived, but thrived, in the smartphone era, how Leica’s 35mm innovations and the original Leica I helped invent modern street and documentary photography and why younger creators are rediscovering “real” cameras and what Leica’s resurgence says about authenticity and analog craft. Mike also talks about Leica’s expansion into sport optics, projection, and mechanical watches as extensions of its precision‑engineering DNA, collaborations with luxury brands like Hermès and Moncler. Plus: Why the Leica community has been described as a cult-like subculture.
Featuring: Mike Giannattasio, President of Leica Camera Americas (leica.com)
Host: Scott Kerr, Founder & President of Silvertone Consulting
About: The Luxury Item is the leading podcast on the business of luxury, and an important resource for global industry decision makers who want to stay one step ahead. Listen to insightful conversations with leaders of the world's most influential luxury brands as they share the latest trends, insights, and strategies that are helping them forge a strong path forward.
Let me know what you think of the show. Email me at [email protected]
Listen and subscribe to The Luxury Item wherever you get your podcasts. Tell a friend or a colleague!

Scott Kerr is joined by Ons Gherib, senior vice president of design & construction at Belmond, one of the most enduring luxury hospitality brands and whose philosophy is anchored in 'slow luxury'. Ons, who joined Belmond a year ago, has played an instrumental role in Belmond's journey to elevate its hotels, trains, safaris and river cruises offerings to new heights of luxury and experience. Ons discusses how Belmond's slow luxury ethos show up in design and construction decisions and why Belmond invests in renovating existing properties rather than pursuing growth. He also talks about how being part of LVMH has helped Belmond grow and collaborate with sister Maison's like Dior and Guerlain. Plus: Designing a new luxury train car with Oscar-winning director Baz Luhrmann
Featuring: Ons Gherib, SVP of Design & Construction at Belmond (belmond.com)
Host: Scott Kerr, Founder & President of Silvertone Consulting
About: The Luxury Item is the leading podcast on the business of luxury, and an important resource for global industry decision makers who want to stay one step ahead. Listen to insightful conversations with leaders of the world's most influential luxury brands as they share the latest trends, insights, and strategies that are helping them forge a strong path forward.
Let me know what you think of the show. Email me at [email protected]
Listen and subscribe to The Luxury Item wherever you get your podcasts. Tell a friend or a colleague!

Scott Kerr speaks to Stephanie Macleod, director of blending, Scotch whisky at Bacardi. Stephanie oversees the blending and innovation for some of the world’s top luxury whisky brands, including Dewar’s Scotch whisky and Aberfeldy single malt whisky. Macleod, one of the few women in her role, discusses her journey from food science student to Dewar's award-winning master blender—only the seventh one in brand's 180-year history. Stephanie talks about what goes into designing new whisky expressions to keep drinkers engaged and moving them up in price and status, tailoring expressions to compliment regional tastes and habits, why India is a major priority for Dewar's, and why she loves being a public-facing representative of the brand. Plus: How Stephane mentors the next generation of whisky makers
Featuring: Stephanie Macleod, Director of Blending, Scotch Whisky at Bacardi (bacardi.com)
Host: Scott Kerr, Founder & President of Silvertone Consulting (silvertoneconsulting.com)
About: The Luxury Item is the leading podcast on the business of luxury, and an important resource for global industry decision makers who want to stay one step ahead. Listen to insightful conversations with leaders of the world's most influential luxury brands as they share the latest trends, insights, and strategies that are helping them forge a strong path forward.
Stay connected: [email protected]
Listen and subscribe to The Luxury Item wherever you get your podcasts. Tell a friend or a colleague!