The Sunday Edit | Interview with Michael Perris
As we hit the halfway mark of April, we continue to focus upon the people that make the magic happen at Magnusson. Next up on our roster is Michael Perris, our in-house Design Consultant and Dapper Gent about Town.
Style has always been a way of life for Michael Perris. Michael comes to The Magnusson Group with a deep background in video production, fashion, fragrance and aspirational branding. After working for almost a decade at Ralph Lauren as Polo’s Executive Film and Video Producer, Michael launched On Trend Films, an award-winning creative media company where he directed supermodels, iconic designers and entertainers as well as developed branding and fragrance concepts for iconic luxury brands like Louis Vuitton, Tom Ford, Michael Kors, Ralph Lauren and Estee Lauder. It was only a matter of time before his passions motivated him to create his own podcast, STYLE PHILOSOPHERS WITH MICHAEL PERRIS. Each episode explores unique style philosophies of creative gurus that are the driving forces behind the DNA of a concept, brand, product or image. As a fragrance innovator, he also co-founded The Bubble Collection, an indie niche unisex line of fine fragrances.
Our Marketing Director Heather Zises was able to locate Michael in between podcast sessions and fragrance campaigns to ask a few q's...
Michael Perris and Liza Minelli
HZ: What is your background?
MP: Marketing, video and event production, and aspirational branding and are the driving forces behind my professional career. As a student at Kent State University in Ohio, I founded the Artist Lecture Series. My very first production was a lecture with Leonard Nimoy from Star Trek. It was a smash hit and I was off and running. I hosted many celebrities from various creative fields including fashion. It was at that point I realized I was hooked on entertainment and fashion.
After college, I moved to New York City and secured jobs producing videos for entertainers like Liza Minnelli and top fashion designers like Ralph Lauren. At Polo, I worked exclusively with Ralph and became his executive film and video producer for nine years. Throughout my tenure at Polo, I gained invaluable skills working alongside a lifestyle marketing genius. This set a new course for my professional life, inspiring me to start my own production company, "On Trend Films." As a creative director, I was fortunate to have produced documentaries, television spots, and brand segments for many global luxury brands. My business partner Gregory Cole and I also developed blockbuster fragrance concepts for Ralph Lauren, Marc Jacobs, Tom Ford and Michael Kors. This spate of success drove the decision to start another chapter in our lives based on our passion for fragrance. During the pandemic, we launched and produced our very own line of fragrances called The Bubble Collection.
The Bubble Collection, by Michael Perris and Gregory Cole.
HZ: What do you do in your extra time?
MP: Building The Bubble Collection with my business partner Gregory Cole. For the last four years, we developed a brand that includes six fragrances. We are currently pursuing investors, raising the necessary funds to expand the growth of our company in sales, distribution, public relations and advertising. We will also be adding new products and categories to the existing line. We will introduce three new eau de parfum fragrances, scented candles, a line of scented blowing bubbles and bath and body products.
Michael Perris and Lauren Magnusson
HZ: What was the path that led you to The Magnusson Group?
MP: Last year I was researching estate sale companies to sell my personal estate and a dear friend and estate sale shopper highly recommended The Magnusson Group. She said they were "the best in class" in North Jersey, and she wasn't wrong. I met with the entire team and I watched them work their magic. I realized the type of things they do are very similar to the things I do in my career. They pre-produce, market, stage and execute magnificent live events that are beautiful, fun, profitable and engaging. My partner and I worked alongside the team at every step, from staging to selling. We realize it was an unorthodox endeavor for both parties, but we were into it and felt compelled to be a part of it. The experience was exhilarating, and we enjoyed the process immensely. Shortly after the sale, Lynn, Drew and Lauren asked us if we’d be interested in collaborating. The answer was a resounding yes!
Michael Perris recording an episode of his podcast, STYLE PHILOSOPHERS
HZ: What are some things no one would ever guess about you?
MP: I'm an equestrian, I’m portrait artist. One of the pieces is archived in The Library of Congress. I play piano. I’m also a podcaster. My podcast is called STYLE PHILOSOPHERS which you can listen to wherever you get your Podcasts. I took a bit of a sabbatical from producing them. But I'm currently in pre-production on a new episode “The Style of Drag”. I'm also fascinated with various world religions past and present.
The Divers , George Hoyningen-Huene, from Michael's collection.
HZ: What are some things you like to collect?
MP: Vintage clothing and accessories, dogs, chairs, lamps, religious art, black and white photography...and of course, fragrances.
HZ: What do you like to do for fun?
MP: Learning. Eating good food. Having cocktails…many cocktails. Listening to music. I LOVE MUSIC! Music from the 20s - 50s mostly. Jazz instrumentalists and vocalists. Highly produced Pop music such Steely Dan. Motion picture soundtrack composers like Henry Mancini, Michel Legrand, John Barry, Nino Rota. I also love old movies. Silent films, pre-code and films from the golden age of studios. Watching YouTube videos. Hacking and jumping horses. Working on my genealogy. Staying up very late. I find I'm most creative in the wee hours.
HZ: What do you dislike?
MP: The morning. Calories. Having visual OCD. Spelling. Trends. Dumbed down style. Dumbed down conversation.
Michael Perris and Gregory Cole at The Parthenon in Athens
HZ: What are some of your favorite cities or places?
MP: I am an urban creature. Manhattan, Paris, London, Rome, all of Italy, all of the Greek islands and any destination I can scuba dive. I have never been to Morocco, Egypt, or New Orleans. I can't wait to explore them.