Meet the Tastemakers

Iain Watson

CEO, David Collins Studio

What moment in your current job really cemented your passion for what you do? Working on The Studio’s high profile restaurant and bar projects was fascinating, as well humbling when I saw the positive reaction to our projects in the media and from the customers. We are lucky to work with such inspirational clients where our hospitality projects have great longevity – the average lifespan of our hospitality projects is 18 years which really demonstrates timeless design.

What professional achievement have you been most proud of over the past year? It is an honour to be listed in the Walpole Power List 2023!  We are so fortunate to have such a dedicated and loyal team – and it is a testament to all of them that we have been chosen for this award.  It has been an incredible and rewarding year creating more designs than ever in 10 different countries.

A particular highlight, among our many projects, is our first largescale maritime project. It's an exciting new chapter for The Studio to be entering this exciting sector with Cunard, working on their new flagship Queen Anne.

What is a key professional goal you’ve set for yourself over the coming year? I want to look at The Studio culture as post pandemic much has changed. Now we are back working together again it is important to look again at the employee experience. We are researching new ideas for social, knowledge sharing and development, looking at different ways to invest in the team. We are also continuing our work towards our sustainability goals through our partnership with Positive Luxury.

Personally, what highlight is on the horizon for 2023? I am finally planning my sabbatical, which I have been thinking about for some time. I am excited to plan living abroad, expand my yoga practice and volunteer. That said, I do want to make sure that I leave is sufficient time to do nothing!

davidcollins.studio

Sarah Haywood

Founder and Creative Director, Sarah Haywood Weddings & Celebrations

What’s a great piece of helpful career advice you’ve been given, that you’d pass onto others? “There are no short-cuts to experience and expertise: hone your skills and treat every mistake as learning experience.” That advice was from my editor in my first career in TV news, but is pertinent when building a business and in a different sector.  I have had many learning experiences since, I am still learning and dreaming big (because if your dreams do not scare you, they are not big enough).

What professional achievement have you been most proud of over the past year? This time last year we were still under Covid restrictions in the UK and, as a company, we had to sit back and watch our overseas competitors take business from under us as a result. I am proud of the part I played in ensuring our decimated sector pulled together, was heard, pushed through and did what it took to restore confidence and re-establish UK event professionals as among the best in the world. I truly believe that we are.

What is a key professional goal you’ve set for yourself over the coming year? I have a small obsession with space travel and my ultimate ambition is to arrange the first wedding in space! It’s a long shot and I need help to make it happen, but I’m working on it.

Personally, what highlight is on the horizon for 2023? I’ll be hosting some of my international event friends and colleagues over the Coronation and I have a big birthday the week following, so I’m looking forward to showing London off and then planning my own party.

sarahhaywood.com

Jeremy Hackett

Founder and Chairman, Hackett London

What’s a great piece of helpful career advice you’ve been given, that you’d pass onto others? This is not so much advice I have been given, but advice I am asked for by others  who have ambitions to create a brand. I always say that to be a successful brand you need to have a point of view, otherwise you are just a retailer that sells stuff. Oh, and a good accountant is a plus.

What professional achievement have you been most proud of? I have never really thought of it as a job, it has always been a passion. That said, returning to Savile Row and opening the JP Hackett Townhouse there has certainly been a major highlight 

What is a key professional goal you’ve set for yourself over the coming year? As a shopkeeper, opening shops is always a thrill and recently we opened a Hackett shop in Battersea Power Station – one of my favourite buildings in London. I understand internet shopping, but there is nothing like the ability to touch and try on clothes and to be able to help customers face-to-face.

Next year is an important year for me and Hackett: it will be our 40th anniversary. How time flies! I am currently working on a couple of projects, but at the moment they need to remain secret. Watch this space.

Personally, what highlight is on the horizon for 2023? As the Patron of the Sussex Spaniel Association and the owner of two Sussex Spaniels, Muffin & Harry, we will be celebrating 100 years of the association this year.

I am also planning a road  trip in America, where I have family across the country, and possibly a trip to Australia to see family there also. I have a passion for photography and hope to have a book published titled My London.

hackett.com

Leanne Roberts-Hewitt

Founder, Wildabout 

What’s a great piece of helpful career advice you’ve been given, that you’d pass onto others? My first boss and mentor when I worked in five-star hospitality in Australia told me, "You are only ever as good as your team, so don’t be afraid to employ staff with better skill sets than you." It’s pretty simple advice and has been at the core of my whole professional career.

What moment in your current job really cemented your passion for what you do? I love the buzz of big build event set ups. The passion and excitement grows each time!

What professional achievement have you been most proud of over the past year? I am most proud of steering our company through Covid after the events industry was dormant for 18 months, and coming out the other end busier than ever.

What is a key professional goal you’ve set for yourself over the coming year? To entrust more to my amazing team and build on my work-life balance. As an entrepreneur that’s always a challenge.

Personally, what highlight is on the horizon for 2023? Finally a trip to Australia at the end of the year with my family. We haven’t been able to get back since before Covid. 

wildabout.co.uk

Alex Christou

Founder, Eight Lands

What’s a great piece of helpful career advice you’ve been given, that you’d pass onto others? Not advice as such, but my step-father, and my partner in the business, had a much more realistic view on how long it takes to build a business based on his significant experience, whereas I was unrealistic when we started out. His confidence that things would come together if I kept pushing was a great source of comfort. I now recognise that good things aren’t built overnight and am much more patient when it comes to business.

What moment in your current job really cemented your passion for what you do? When we were first able to introduce Eight Lands vodka and gin to people. Witnessing the positive feedback to our spirits was a real joy. I could see that we had achieved what we set out to do in terms of producing high quality liquid that people would enjoy.

What professional achievement have you been most proud of over the past year? I was incredibly excited to see Eight Lands in the United States for the first time. Having started in New York towards the end of 2022, we are going to be launching into California and Massachusetts in 2023. Each one of these has the potential for massive growth for our young brand.

What is a key professional goal you’ve set for yourself over the coming year? In 2023, I am going to be taking a much more strategic approach to our marketing efforts. The last couple of years have been quite reactive due to the pandemic, but now we are in the position to start growing brand profile across multiple markets and I want to do that properly.

Personally, what highlight is on the horizon for 2023? I have two family holidays booked with my wife and son: one skiing in Switzerland and the other a summer holiday to the south of France. These times to switch off and focus on family are so important.

eight-lands.com

Alex Le Roux

Founder and CEO, ALR Music

What’s a great piece of helpful career advice you’ve been given, that you’d pass onto others? The principal of my university (Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts) told me to do what you love, to find a niche and excel in it. And so, I went onto build a company in the most niche of areas: producing live music for luxury private events. We have now grown the business to lead the market in Europe and it’s fantastic to be able to forge new paths within the events industry whilst working with the best musicians in the country.

What moment in your current job really cemented your passion for what you do? For the past 5 years, we have provided the music for the US Ambassador to the UK’s 4th of July celebrations at Winfield House in Regent’s Park. The house has the largest garden in London, aside from Buckingham Palace, which for one day turns it into the most luxurious of music festival sites! Watching 2,500 people enjoying our bands on the main stage is a highlight of my year.

What professional achievement have you been most proud of over the past year? We were lucky enough to be asked to programme the music for the wedding of Brooklyn Beckham and Nicola Peltz in West Palm Beach, USA in April. We flew 25 musicians in to perform throughout their amazing day, from a string orchestra to a 10-piece party band. It was such a success that it led to us to opening an office in the US, giving us the opportunity to work on more extraordinary events across the pond.

What is a key professional goal you’ve set for yourself over the coming year? The last year has been about international expansion for the company, and my goal is to establish our status as a luxury music provider in the US and the UAE. One of our local American bands, Brooklyn Soul, recently began residencies at a number of incredible venues in New York, including The Ned Nomad, Dumbo House (Soho House Brooklyn) and the brand new Aman New York. I’m looking forward to seeing where this will lead for us.

Personally, what highlight is on the horizon for 2023? I am lucky enough to be able to combine personal and professional trips every now and then, so my family and I brought in the new year in Thailand, watching one of our bands headline the festive celebrations at the Amanpuri in Phuket. Then onto Dubai where we enjoyed the winter sun and some great meetings with some of our new UAE clients as we start working more in the region.

alrmusic.co.uk

Stephen Briars

Chief Creative & Commercial Officer, The Conran Shop

What’s a great piece of helpful career advice you’ve been given, that you’d pass onto others? One that has always stuck with me for twenty years from a legendary CEO. Almost verbatim: "You are the expert in your field. Do you know why this project delivered weakly? Because you listened to the opinion of people who should be focused on their own jobs, you then compromised on your beliefs. Never compromise on your beliefs. It’s what we pay you for."

What moment in your current job really cemented your passion for what you do? It isn't really a single moment. In the beginning I inherited some really browbeaten and unfocused creatives in the brand. Unhappy talent working in individual teams. Having oversight on retail, ecommerce, marketing, and press allowed for cohesion without undue debate, and with a focus on pulling talent together on projects. Once that was in motion, the mood changed, speed of delivery increased, and the team dynamic changed for the better.

What professional achievement have you been most proud of over the past year? Survival in the face of adversity.

What is a key professional goal you’ve set for yourself over the coming year? This year we will open a new store concept on Sloane Square. We still conceive and design our own shops internally so this is an exciting and significant project for us. It runs alongside design for two new stores in Tokyo and a first store in the Middle East. In parallel we will also launch a rebrand in 2023, our first update in thirty years.

conranshop.co.uk

Jules Maury

Head of Scott Dunn Private, Scott Dunn Private

What’s a great piece of helpful career advice you’ve been given, that you’d pass onto others? When I first started working in the travel industry, my mentor at the time told me that the most valuable asset I would ever have is knowledge. That really stuck with me. This knowledge would be the key to opening doors to any conversation with a potential client and the most valuable gift was to keep that travel knowledge up to date.

Since then, I have made it my mission to travel as much as possible, always seeking out what I call 'the magic’: insider experiences, private access, incredible local guides, special restaurants. Things that other people may not know about. It’s this ever-evolving travel knowledge that allows me to craft extraordinary travel experiences for my guests and is the driving force behind my career in the travel industry.

What moment in your current job really cemented your passion for what you do? I’ve been lucky enough to visit a lot of incredible places and meet some wonderful people during my career and personal travels, but one moment that really stands out was my trip to Rwanda. Trekking through the African rainforest to meet a family of mountain gorillas is a moment I will never forget – and made even more special by our expert guides (former poachers who have been retrained to care for these gentle giants). A journey to Rwanda is very humbling. It is a country with such a dark history that has totally reinvented itself, while still remembering the suffering of its people in the Kigali Genocide Memorial – which is a must-visit.

What professional achievement have you been most proud of over the past year? It’s been an exciting year for me professionally, but I’m most proud of myself and Scott Dunn Private for being recognised among a selective list of 21 leading travel specialists in the inaugural Robb Report Travel Masters 2023 list.

What is a key professional goal you’ve set for yourself over the coming year? My goal in 2023 is to introduce more discerning travellers to the world of Scott Dunn Private, bringing lots of exciting travel plans to life. I am also hoping to win the Conde Nast Top Travel Specialist award again in 2023. If I do, it would be my 5th year running – so a huge achievement!

Personally, what highlight is on the horizon for 2023? I am hoping to tick-off one of the last remaining destinations on my travel bucket list: Bhutan. I’ve heard such wonderful things about the destination, which is leading the way globally when it comes to sustainable tourism. I’m also finally going to discover the Nile on a river cruise and head to the Pantanal in Brazil in the hopes of encountering the elusive jaguar.

A friend’s 50th birthday celebration in Cape Town will be another highlight. And it may not happen this year, but meeting giant pandas in China and spotting a polar bear are also high on my wish list!

scottdunn.com

Marie Karlsson

Managing Director, Cole & Son

Marie Karlsson has served as the Creative & Managing Director of luxury British design house and Walpole Member Cole & Son since 2018. Cole & Son is known for its beautiful, English artistic work, which is seen throughout its portfolio of wallcoverings, textiles, and accessories.

With a background in the arts and interiors industries, as Creative & Managing Director, Marie has a multidisciplinary role where she is driven by her passion for art and craft. Alongside her creative team, Karlsson designed the cover art for last year's Walpole Book of British Luxury. Read more about this in our interview here.

cole-and-son.com