At Lexden Luxe, we work with ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNWIs) around the world to provide guidance and advice on a whole range of topics from wealth management to travel and lifestyle. Recently, our co-founder Professor Dr Phil Klaus – the world’s leading authority on UHNWIs – and I thought of another way we could add further value for our client base and provide another layer of knowledge.
The Luxe Visionaries series is a must-see talk show all about bespoke luxury experiences, taking viewers behind the scenes and into the minds of the most brilliant people from the sector. Interviewing CEOs, designers and ambassadors, we sought to learn more about the values that drive the world’s leading luxury brands, and understand the passion that fuels the quest for excellence.
Curated for every client
“Our role is never to just sell jewellery or watches. We want to create moments that clients will carry with them for life.” That’s how Cartier Ambassador Duangchai Bersier (below) explained to us that luxury in its truest form has never been about the object alone. For the world’s most discerning clients, the brilliance of a diamond or the complexity of a watch movement matters deeply, but what endures is the experience that surrounds it. And Cartier has long understood this.
Cartier Ambassadors are entrusted with representing an iconic brand, while nurturing relationships built on trust, discretion, and intimacy. Duangchai was keen to highlight how Cartier’s value lies in the bespoke experiences curated for each client – in moments that are as individual as the clients themselves.
Duangchai went on explain how trust is also integral, and how it can never be created in a single encounter: “We spend time learning about our clients: what they choose to buy, what inspires them, the milestones in their lives, and the details that make them unique. That is where trust begins.”
This approach requires patience and a genuine attentiveness. Cartier Ambassadors remember the smallest things: a client’s favourite metal finish, the anniversary date of a marriage, even how they prefer to be welcomed when they step inside the boutique.
“It is about showing clients that you see them and remember them,” Duangchai reflects. “When a client realises you know them beyond their purchases, the relationship becomes something far more meaningful.”
Wild at heart
As pillars of trust, sustainability and authenticity are essential to underpinning brand value. At the forefront of this ethos is Scottish retreat brand KABN. Rooted in the wild beauty of Scotland’s landscapes, KABN is redefining what sustainable luxury can mean. Led by CEO Amber Pledge (below), the company offers an invitation to disconnect from the noise of modern life and reconnect with nature, without sacrificing comfort or design. For UHNWIs, such experiences answer a growing desire: spaces that embody exclusivity and privacy, while aligning with their values of sustainability and authenticity.
From the outset, KABN has rejected the notion of sustainability as a finished state. Instead, Amber views it as a process of continual refinement: “Perfection isn’t possible,” Amber concedes, “but we can show our guests what progress looks like, from eco-friendly septic systems to natural mattresses and prefabricated builds that reduce waste.”
For UHNWIs, this transparency is all important. Rather than delivering polished marketing promises, KABN opens its process to scrutiny, even planning to share the evolution of new projects: “We are going to start putting into software information about the build process, meetings with our architects, really showing people how we create what we create and the behind the scenes,” Amber explained.
This openness fosters trust, a cornerstone of client experience management, and positions KABN as a thought leader in sustainable luxury. Unlike many hospitality ventures that chase rapid expansion, KABN is pursuing deliberate, intentional growth. The focus is not on scale, but on crafting truly distinctive experiences. “What’s important to us as we grow is that we partner with aligned landowners,” says Amber. “That way, each site tells its own story.”
Understanding every client is different
Despite operating in contrasting sections of the luxury market, the parallels between KABN and Cartier are undeniable. Without brand integrity, clients will go in search of new companies who do embody their values. Another key component is understanding client privacy, and this is where Cartier comes into its own.
“Discretion is one of the greatest luxuries we can offer,” says Duangchai Bersier. “Our clients must feel that their trust is safe with us, no matter if it is a private appointment at home or a discreet transaction in the boutique.”
This discretion extends to the very rhythm of service. Some clients enjoy celebratory occasions, bringing family and friends to mark their purchases. Others prefer quiet, unseen arrangements. Cartier’s Ambassadors are trained to adapt seamlessly, ensuring that whatever the preference, the bespoke element feels effortless.
“Every client is different,” Duangchai continued. “What we offer them must be different too. That is what makes the experience truly personal.”
An ocean of ideas
If there is one place that opulence and the desire for boundless horizons meet, it’s out on the open water. And for UHNW clients, a yacht naturally becomes a statement of identity, a private sanctuary shaped around their deepest preferences. Managing this level of expectation demands a designer who listens, adapts, and balances creativity with personalisation.
Meet Alberto Mancini (below), founder of Alberto Mancini Yacht Design. Alberto’s career – from Riva to Azimut and Mangusta, and now through to his own studio in Monaco – illustrates how design can become an extension of managing the client’s luxury experience; turning yachts into living platforms that resonate with each owner’s world. “I am, before anything else, a purist designer. Whether it was cars or yachts, my passion has always been about shaping beauty and function into one language.”
Alberto is a master of understanding what resonates, of striking the right chord in his client’s imagination. It’s something he’s learned through years of hard work in the design sector, first with cars, before moving on to yachts.
Lessons learned from the automotive sector shaped his approach to the UHNW client experience. In the automotive world, identity is rooted in brand; in yachting, identity belongs to the owner. Mancini’s sensitivity to this distinction helped him establish his studio in 2007 and begin collaborations with some of the industry’s most prominent shipyards.
“In automotive design you learn that every line, every curve, tells the story of a brand,” he explained. “With yachts, I use the same approach: you cannot simply copy and paste from one client or shipyard to another,” Alberto tells us.
We couldn’t help but notice how this respect for identity aligns with one of the pillars of our Lexden Luxe MEPA proprietary framework: Managing Expectations. By evolving brand design languages gradually rather than radically, Alberto ensures continuity for shipyards while still delivering innovation. This balance is crucial for UHNW clients who seek novelty but never at the expense of brand integrity.
Guiding ethos
World-class design is also about fostering inclusivity, an ethos that marks the path ahead for wilderness escape specialists KABN.
Their next project in the Cairngorms will include the brand’s first fully accessible cabin; a move that combines inclusivity with KABN’s signature aesthetic. “We’re currently building in the Cairngorms; one of the cabins is going to be accessible, which is the first time we’ve created an accessible unit. We are really excited to make it a beautiful space,” Amber shared. For UHNW clients, this philosophy reflects a shift in luxury: from owning more to valuing experiences that feel unique and intentional.
We asked about other ways KABN seek to stand out in a crowded market: “We try and provide experiences that elevate the cabin experience beyond just a self-catered property and sort of merge that boundary between self-catered and a hotel stay,” Amber added.
From fire-side dining with Michelin-trained chefs to personalised yoga sessions or whisky tastings, each offering deepens the sense of place. These moments also serve as subtle education in sustainability, exposing guests to eco-conscious practices and products that may influence long-term behaviour.
Again, this speaks directly to Lexden Luxe’s MEPA proprietary principle of extraordinary experiences: creating lasting memories that go beyond comfort and enter the realm of transformation.
Looking ahead
We asked Alberto what was on the horizon at Alberto Mancini Yacht Design. Upcoming projects include Azimut’s new 44-metre Grande flagship and a 56-metre Tankoa for a New York-based client. Both exemplify how Mancini continues to evolve his craft while staying anchored in client-centred thinking.
“At the end of the day, my work is about people. The sea is the stage, but the yacht must reflect the life and dreams of its owner,” he reflects.
In Mancini’s work, we see how innovation, heritage, and client vision can coexist, proving once again that in the UHNW world, design is never just about form. Indeed, all of the visionaries we spoke to had lessons for everyone seeking success in the UHNW world to take on board.
Duangchai Bersier taught us that Cartier’s approach reveals a service model wrapped in a philosophy of care. How building long-lasting trust, curating memorable experiences, and being ever mindful of discretion, are the pillars of trust and loyalty – where true brand integrity can be found.
For Lexden Luxe, Amber Pledge and KABN stands as a powerful example of how client experience management and sustainability intersect in luxury. Stillness without compromise as both a promise and a philosophy shaping luxury travel.
Image credits:
MAIN © Patrick Hartmann
KABN interior © Kabn Company /Paul Miller
