The Gstaad Guy Podcast

The Gstaad Guy sits down with Charlotte and Peter Fiell, the design historians, authors and curators behind Taschen's Ultimate Collector series, to explore what separates objects that endure from objects that end up as decoration. Across 35 years and a body of work that includes 1000 Chairs and an 11 kilo, 200,000 word volume on watches, the Fiells reflect on a career spent among the world's greatest collections, and on a publishing brief that has never changed: create the best book there has ever been on the subject.

The conversation moves from the psychology of collecting and the specific neurotype the Fiells keep encountering among serious collectors, to the quartz crisis that nearly ended Swiss watchmaking and instead gave rise to the independents. They argue that design began 2.3 million years ago rather than at the Bauhaus, that constraints make designers better rather than smaller, and that the value of an object lies in the quality of its connections. Charlotte also recounts the moment ChatGPT invented an entire book for her doctoral research, complete with author and ISBN, making the case for scholarship, editorial rigour and physical things in an age spent almost entirely on screen.

Filmed at the TASCHEN London bookstore.

(00:00) Intro ✨🎙️

(04:26) The Phone Call From Benedikt Taschen 📞✨

(07:21) Why These Are Not Coffee Table Books 📖🔍

(10:01) What The World's Top Collectors Have In Common 🏆🔍

(16:10) The Neurotype Behind The Urge To Collect 🧠🔮

(22:53) Design Began 2.3 Million Years Ago 🪨⏳

(24:25) A Thousand Chairs And A Unified Theory Of Design 🪑💡

(31:11) Constraints, And Where Design Ends And Art Begins ⚖️🎨

(37:50) Nobody Actually Needs A Mechanical Watch ⌚💭

(39:52) Feeling The Soul Of The Watchmaker ⌚❤️

(46:32) The Quartz Crisis That Remade Swiss Watchmaking 🇨🇭⚡

(50:23) Why Physical Things Ground Us In A Digital Age 🌿💻

(53:10) Why Only One Publisher Can Make Books Like This 📖👑

(56:26) When ChatGPT Invented A Book That Did Not Exist 🤖📖

(58:58) À La Poubelle vs. Fantastique 🗑️✨
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The Gstaad Guy sits down with Matteo Franceschetti, co-founder and CEO of Eight Sleep, the company that has quietly become one of the most powerful sleep labs in the world, to explore what happens when Silicon Valley obsession meets the most underinvested area of human health. From his early days as a fitness-obsessed entrepreneur to building a medical-grade platform trusted by everyone from elite athletes to Formula One drivers, Matteo reflects on the vision, data, and relentless focus on performance that made Eight Sleep impossible to ignore.

The conversation gets into the science of temperature cycles, what a billion hours of sleep data can actually tell you about human behaviour, and why AI is turning what was once a passive nightly ritual into an active tool for recovery and longevity. Matteo speaks candidly about the pace of technological change, what it means to build and live with your life partner, and why hospitality's next great shift will be towards wellness rather than aesthetics. Forward-thinking, data-driven, and genuinely revelatory, it is a conversation about optimisation, ambition, and why the most productive thing you can do is sleep better.

Filmed at Faena Miami Beach, Premier Oceanfront Corner Suite.

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Chapters:
(00:00) Intro ✨🎙️
(02:13) Background 📖🌱
(04:19) Becoming An Entrepreneur 💡🚀
(05:32) Silicon Valley 💻🌉
(06:01) Bringing Technology To Sleep 🛏️💡
(08:10) The First Product 🛏️✨
(09:28) Temperature Cycles For Perfect Sleep 🌡️😴
(12:27) Evolution Of Eight Sleep 📈🛏️
(17:09) Mass Data 📊🔍
(19:21) Discovering Sleep Patterns 😴🔬
(21:40) Consistency ⏰💪
(23:53) Offices Around The World 🌍💼
(26:26) What AI Can Do 🤖💡
(29:11) How Preventative Can Sleep Technology Be? 🛏️🔮
(34:40) Brand Positioning 🎯📈
(37:52) Charles Leclerc 🏎️🌟
(39:48) Working With Your Life Partner 🤝❤️
(45:00) The Pace Of AI ⚡🤖
(50:21) AI Exceeding Human Output 🤖📈
(53:04) Becoming A Generalist 🧠🌍
(55:58) Being AI Native 🤖✨
(59:08) The Eight Sleep Community 🤝😴
(1:01:39) Status & Substance 💎⚖️
(1:06:26) Price Per Sleep 💰😴
(1:07:52) Hospitality Should Become Wellness First 🏨🧘
(1:11:59) À La Poubelle vs. Fantastique 🗑️✨
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The Gstaad Guy sits down with Jade and Grant Goulden, the siblings behind Jaded London, the boundary-pushing fashion brand that has built a devoted global following by moving at the speed of culture and refusing to wait for permission, to explore what it truly means to turn instinct into a business. From running operations on WhatsApp to personally delivering clothes to Kylie Jenner, theirs is a story of agility, nerve, and an unwavering focus on product above everything else.

The conversation gets into what it means to identify a trend before it has a name, why trust between co-founders who are also family is both the greatest asset and the greatest test, and how the distinctly London approach to style became the brand's most powerful currency. Jade and Grant speak candidly about hiring the customer, the discipline of doing things differently when the industry pulls towards convention, and why moving fast without a plan is only reckless if you do not know what you stand for. Energetic, unpretentious, and sharply observed, it is a conversation about boldness, timing, and what happens when two people back each other completely.

Filmed at The Twenty Two (London), Gingko Suite.

(00:00) Intro ✨🎙️

(02:03) Marketing At The Speed Of Culture ⚡🌍

(02:38) Awareness Of Culture 👁️🌍

(04:25) One Unified Team 🤝💪

(07:39) From Idea To Product 💡👔

(09:21) Starting A Fashion Brand 👗🚀

(18:04) The "London Look" 🇬🇧👔

(21:48) "Hiring The Customer" 🛍️💡

(25:06) The Jaded Woman & Man 👩👨

(27:39) Family Business 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦💼

(29:18) Working With A Sibling 🤝❤️

(36:50) Designing The "Parachute Pant" 👖✨

(39:14) Personally Delivering Clothes to Kylie Jenner 🚗👗

(41:21) "We Didn't Have A Business Plan" 😅🚀

(43:10) Agility & Hustle ⚡💪

(48:48) Collaborations & Influencer Marketing 🤝📱

(55:00) Fashion Trends 👗📈

(58:37) Stepping Into The Fashion World 👔🌟

(1:03:03) Doing Things Differently 🔀✨

(1:06:15) À La Poubelle vs. Fantastique 🗑️✨
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The Gstaad Guy sits down with Vito Cinque, owner of Il San Pietro di Positano, one of the most beloved and enduring family-run hotels on the Amalfi Coast, to explore what it truly means to build a place where guests do not just return, they belong. Rooted in a deep love for the region, its produce, and its people, Vito reflects on a life shaped by the belief that doing what you love, and doing it with complete sincerity, is the only philosophy worth running a business on.

The conversation moves through the meaning of family in both the personal and professional sense, the quiet complexity behind experiences that appear effortless, and why substance has always mattered more than status at Il San Pietro. Vito speaks about the farm to table philosophy that connects the hotel to its land, what it takes to earn the kind of loyalty that brings guests back year after year, and why the next generation of hospitality will be defined by those willing to go bespoke in a world pulling towards the generic. Warm, grounded, and full of quiet wisdom, it is a conversation about excellence, identity, and what it really means to show up every single day.

Filmed at Palazzo Santa Croce in Positano.

Chapters:
(01:33) Owner & Operator 🏨👔
(03:31) Reoccurring Guests 🔄❤️
(05:28) Early Life 👶🏻🌱
(07:45) Il San Pietro di Positano 🌊🏨
(10:15) Food Of The Region 🍋🍽️
(11:42) Farm To Table 🌿🍽️
(12:28) History Of The Property 🏛️📖
(16:27) Joining The Business 🤝🏻🤝💼
(20:22) The Meaning Of "Family" ❤️👨‍👩‍👧‍👦
(24:19) Working With Your Brother 🤝🏻 ❤️
(27:49) Why Guests Keep Coming Back ❤️🔄
(31:04) Doing What Feels Right 🧭❤️
(32:45) Types Of Hotels 🏨🔍
(35:14) Preservation 🏛️🌿
(43:36) Making The Complex Seem Simple ✨⚖️
(47:10) "Why Do You Show Up Everyday?" 💪🏻🌅
(49:26) Hotel Gift Shops 🎁🛍️
(52:06) What It Takes To Be An Exceptional General Manager 🏆👔
(54:53) "How You Do Anything Is How You Do Everything" 🎯✨
(57:38) Next Generation Consumer 👶🏻📈
(1:02:56) Italy 🇮🇹❤️
(1:05:29) À La Poubelle vs. Fantastique 🗑️✨
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The Gstaad Guy sits down with Aaron Levant, CEO of Complex and one of the most conviction-driven figures in modern media and culture, to explore what it truly means to build something at the intersection of taste, access, and community. From the early days of street culture to architecting ComplexCon into one of the most distinctive live experiences in the world, Aaron reflects on a career built not on following trends but on understanding them before anyone else does.

The conversation gets into the art of thinking laterally, why being a generalist in a world of specialists is an underrated advantage, and what it really takes to democratise cultural experiences without diluting what makes them matter. Aaron speaks candidly about the stigma of trying and failing, the discipline of having strong conviction when the room disagrees, and why the future of retail belongs to those who can make people feel something. Restless, sharp, and deeply knowledgeable about how culture actually moves, it is a conversation about hustle, belonging, and what happens when good taste meets genuine dedication.

Filmed at The Maybourne Beverly Hills Garden Suite.

(00:00) Intro ✨🎙️

(01:06) Backstory 📖🌱

(03:28) Thinking Laterally 🧠🔀

(06:04) Wearing The Same Outfit 👔🔄

(09:14) What is Complex? 🤔💡

(11:37) ComplexCon 🎪🌍

(14:04) A Sense Of Belonging 🤝🏻❤️

(15:08) Typical Complex Consumer 👥🎯

(21:30) Taking A Bet 🎲💪🏻

(28:05) Democratising Experiences 🌍✨

(31:35) Art 🎨🖼️

(33:38) A Generalist In This Day & Age 🧠🌍

(36:16) Cultural Meshes 🌍🔀

(39:09) Street Culture 🏙️👟

(40:36) The Business Of Complex 💼📈

(45:10) Curation As A Form Of Innovation 🎯💡

(49:02) Creating Partnerships 🤝🏻🤝🌟

(51:27) Collectibles 🏆✨

(53:59) Headlines vs. Real Depth 📰🔍

(58:33) Sneaker Culture 👟🔥

(1:02:01) Design & Function 🎨⚙️

(1:06:19) The Future Of Retail 🛍️🔮

(1:10:05) Streamers & Live Shopping 📱🛍️

(1:13:10) Next Generation Of Hires 👶🏻💼

(1:17:45) Being A First Mover 🚀🌟

(1:19:01) À La Poubelle vs. Fantastique 🗑️✨
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