This season, STYLE Canada’s Editor in Chief, Elise Gasbarrino sat down with Bob Park, Chief Brand Officer for GE Appliances Canada, to discuss their latest collaboration that seamlessly merges luxury kitchen appliances, fine dining, and high fashion. Partnering with Michelin-starred chef Patrick Kriss and iconic Canadian retailer Holt Renfrew, Monogram is elevating both the home and lifestyle experience in a truly unique way.
Elise Gasbarrino (EG): We’re so excited to be here today! Monogram has always stood for elevated living, and now you’ve brought together fashion with Holt Renfrew and fine dining with Chef Patrick Kriss. How did this collaboration come about?
Bob Park (BP): This collaboration actually dates back to the pandemic. At that time, many companies—including us—weren’t focused on selling appliances, but more on how to give back and make a social impact. Monogram is a premium brand, catering to the affluent individual, so we thought about how we could showcase what Monogram represents while making a meaningful difference. We make the highest quality product, so we thought who better to partner with than the best in the culinary industry; Michelin-starred chef Patrick Kriss. We had a conversation about what we wanted to do and thought ‘Why don’t we treat healthcare workers to an event, free of charge, where they can experience a meal from chef Partric Kriss.
Alo is very expensive, but it is also sublime and wonderful. We took 130 healthcare workers to the event, and Chef Patrick did a wonderful job. So spiralling from that, we thought what else can we do? We have the best appliances and the best chef, and we are out of the pandemic… so, how do we go further?
And that’s when we decided on a fashion lifestyle. When we thought of luxury, fashion, and accessories, Holt’s (Holt Renfrew) is what came to mind, and has transpired into a wonderful partnership.
We created a cross-country dining series—exclusive, VIP events introducing Holt’s clientele to Monogram while experiencing meals by Patrick. It’s a perfect combination of food, fashion, and home luxury.
EG: It’s such a perfect fit, especially now, post-pandemic, when so many people are investing in their homes and spending more time cooking. Did you notice any shifts or trends during that time?
BP: Absolutely. During the pandemic, people were stuck at home, not travelling or dining out, so they started putting more money into their homes, especially the kitchen. We saw a huge uptick in sales—so much that we couldn’t keep up with the demand! The room where people are spending the most time is actually the kitchen, so lots of the home renovations are focused here.
So, there are a few things we needed to look at. Obviously, in a kitchen appliance you’re looking for functionality, but at the same time you are looking at style. When you have friends over, you are usually sitting in the kitchen. It made sense for us to focus on the style with Monogram, as the kitchen is more than just a place to cook — it’s a place you live.
EG: That makes total sense. The kitchen is such a focal point now. So, as we move forward, what does the future hold for Monogram and home cooking trends?
BP: We’re seeing a couple of things. Those who had never cooked before suddenly got into it. We find that there is a trend towards our consumers staying home a bit more. I think one thing the pandemic did was to put more attention on the fact people can make things at home just as great.
There is also a lot more attention post-pandemic in how my house looks, with more time spent on attention to detail. I think the people are going to want to invest in their homes, and if you don’t have nice appliances in a nice kitchen, I can definitely see that market growing. And with new levels of technology coming into the kitchen it is a really exciting time.
EG: Smart appliances? That sounds exciting! Can you share more about that?
BP: We’ve partnered with Hestan, a company that developed a smart pan, which essentially communicates with the appliance and an app with precision controls to heat the pan to an exact level. It’s almost what I like to call “dummy proof”, you can automatically control the heat to the temperature you need at the time you need it.
EG: That’s genius! As a new mom, I’ve definitely burned my share of meals from being too distracted. I’d love something like that. So, is there anything else exciting coming up for Monogram?
BP: We’re really excited about the ongoing partnership with Holt Renfrew and all the new projects coming up in 2025. There’s so much intersection between culinary and lifestyle, and we’re working on some innovative ways to combine those worlds. It’s fun to see food and fashion come together—it’s all about living a well-rounded, elevated life.
EG: Food and fashion—it’s the perfect combo! Thanks so much for sharing this with us, Bob. We can’t wait to see what’s next for Monogram.
