Brian Aker
Brian Aker
VICE PRESIDENT, CLIENT RELATIONS AND DEVELOPMENT
Brian Aker is Vice President for Client Relations and Development at 360bespoke. In this senior management role, he is responsible for the firm’s branding, messaging, publicity and business development, as well as recruitment. He negotiates client agreements, pitches, legacy business accounts and sales growth. Brian is a veteran of luxury sales and marketing, with 20 years of experience managing retail operations and accounts with companies as varied as Tom Ford Beauty, L’Oreal Luxury Division-Lancôme, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Sephora. In addition to hiring and training sales executives, his leadership fostered retail growth in several U.S. markets including New York, Chicago, Cleveland, and New Orleans. He has helped major beauty companies achieve seven figure revenues through his management acumen, sales prowess and keen understanding of the competitive beauty market, was integral to the launch of Rinna beauty, and handled Lolita and Sheralven.
My definition of heaven is … strolling aimlessly around Florence, Italy
One thing I never leave home without … Tom Ford sunglasses
First thing I do in the morning is … make a pot of Darjeeling and watch the sunrise
Favorite travel accessory … a corkscrew
My personal style is … classic 80s New England preppy
Favorite designer is … Halston in his full 1970s glory
What I wore today … Ferragamo loafers, J Brand jeans, and a simple Polo shirt
Favorite musician(s) … Mina, Claudio Baglioni, and Stevie Wonder
Ski or après ski? .. Après, bien sûr
Favorite Hotel … Claridge’s
Favorite scent and the memory it triggers … Tom Ford Venetian Bergamot which triggers memories of Italian vacations densely packed with beauty, incredible food, and the most beguiling people
Favorite drink … Campari and soda
Favorite Restaurants … La Grenouille and Balthasar
Favorite Bar … The King Cole Bar
Favorite Store … Bergdorf’s
Least Favorite drink … anything with tequila
Favorite destination … Florence, without a doubt
When I go to a five-star hotel, the first thing(s) I do is … pull the drapes closed to eliminate any natural light
Personal motto … Never let them see you sweat
Proudest Moment … saving a friend from delicious scandal
Pet peeve(s) … slow walking pedestrians, indecisiveness, grammatical errors, crosstalk, tardiness, and religion
My favorite movie quote … “Fasten your seatbelts; it’s going to be a bumpy night”
Best thing to do on a rainy Saturday night … watch classic MGM films by candlelight with a simple Beaujolais
I most often dream about … having a backyard, a grill, several pets, and children, at which point I wake up screaming
My guiltiest guilty pleasure is … gelato