Spirit of 608: Fashion, Entrepreneurship, Sustainability + Tech: How Perrin Paris is Reinventing Ethical Luxury for the next 100 years with Instagram Influencer Olga Pancenko

How Perrin Paris is Reinventing Ethical Luxury for the next 100 years with Instagram Influencer Olga Pancenko

Mar 27, 2018

Luxury is changing. How it used to be: big names, recognizable logos, It girls carrying It bags. But technology and a swelling desire on the part of shoppers to know what's happening behind the scenes of the brands they sink their dollars into are opening the doors for a new scenario, one where luxury isn't simply about brand reputation and price, but also intimately connected to how something is made, the team who makes it possible and why it's being made in the first place. You might say, then, that the story behind the brand - and the why fueling its future - has never been more important. Fittingly, then, for this week's episode, it's a welcome bonus to have a guest who has much to say about the rich history of a luxury handbag company whose roots stretch back more than a hundred years and a quite fascinating story of her own. Listen to this week's conversation to hear how our guest went from advising Fortune 500 companies (Google, PepsiCo, BMW, Walmart Group, Burberry + many more) on their communications and marketing strategy during her time with British PR firm Freuds (owned by Matthew Freud, grand-grandson of Sigmund Freud) before leaving to join a family-owned luxury brand with an international presence. At the same time, she's a digital influencer with more than 60 thousand followers on Instagram and a world traveler who's visited 40 countries, lived in 5 of them and speaks 7 languages.

Meet this week's guest, Olga Pancenko, COO of Perrin Paris.

What you'll learn

Perrin Paris started out as a glove company, whose history stretches back to 1893, back when gloves were must-have accessories. While gloves may no longer be the stylish wardrobe staples they once were, that didn't stop the family-owned company. Listen in as Olga explains how Perrin is using its heritage and history to innovate and come up with the statement-making, modern products that are ushering in a new era for the luxury brand.

How you'll be inspired

In our numbers-obsessed world, it's refreshing to learn that this is one ethical luxury brand that's very comfortable not reaching everyone. Hear Olga explain that Perrin not only has a niche market, but also niche distribution. Bottom line: they know exactly who they are, who their customer is, and what characteristics their brand and wholesale partners should have. Find out how this kind of exclusivity is part of what's working well for Perrin today.

What you'll tell your friends

Hey, this woman I listened to on the Spirit of 608 podcast not only has a badass job with Perrin Paris, but she's also somehow finding time to be an influencer herself. Not only is her Instagram feed gorgeous, but she's dropping lots of tips and insight for anyone growing an Instagram account today (and no, she doesn't feel the need to snap a photo of every single meal she eats!) Her tips? Maximize on community and communication. Get the lowdown on those and much more in this week's episode.

Resource of the week

As an IG aficionado, Olga's resources picks are all about the gram: Unum - an app that'll help you plan out your IG, especially if you're particular about that grid; VSCO - for some awesome filters; and Facetune - in case you've got trouble finding your angle for those selfies, this app will help you look better!