The Gstaad Guy sits down with Silvio Campara, CEO of Golden Goose and one of the most unconventional operators in luxury, to explore what it really takes to build a brand that people feel they belong to rather than simply buy from. From joining a small Venetian sneaker company to leading one of the most recognisable names in the industry, Silvio reflects on a career defined by instinct over convention, an obsession with the people behind the product, and the conviction that imperfection is a position of strength rather than a compromise.
The conversation gets into why he believes traditional luxury's reliance on desire is its greatest failure, how culture replaced money as the currency of status, and what a brand actually owes the customer beyond the transaction. Silvio speaks candidly about running a company with no employees but dreamers, why he refuses to let anyone stay one version of themselves, and why he calls himself the chief emotional officer rather than the chief executive. Warm, contrarian, and openly critical of the industry he leads, it is a conversation about ambition, belonging, and why the flaw is the point.
Filmed at Mandarin Oriental, Milan.
(00:00) Intro ✨🎙️
(01:28) Chief Emotional Officer ❤️👔
(03:02) A Founder Selling A Mission 🚀💡
(06:23) Betting Everything On Sneakers 👟🎲
(08:36) Customers Become The Designers 🛍️🎨
(11:50) Imperfection As Strength 💪✨
(15:07) A Binary Phone Has No Shades 📱⚖️
(18:20) Nobody Has Time To Desire ⏰💭
(21:55) Culture Is The New Currency 🌍💰
(25:30) Handmade To Break 🤲💥
(27:09) Disney, Ferrari And Icons 🏰🏎️
(31:43) Ninety Golden Goose Babies 👟👶
(36:24) No Employees, Only Dreamers 💭✨
(41:31) Why 70% Are Women 👩🔍
(44:18) À La Poubelle vs. Fantastique 🗑️✨
(48:41) A Message For Students 📚💌
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
