Luxurious fabrics, quality materials, and a unique reverence for the island of St. Barth are all fundamental to the Jacques Zolty brand. Discover the past, present, and future of the timeless brand in an interview with Zolty himself, and Paolo Nicola Rossini and Francesco Giliberti, the men behind the brand.

PHILIPPE COMBRES: In your book &ldquo;Carnet Intime de St Barth,&rdquo; we learn that you were a model for the greatest masters of fashion photography like Guy Bourdin, Peter Lindbergh, and Patrick Demarchelier. What do you remember from that period? 

JACQUES ZOLTY: Ah, what a lovely question! Initially, I took it as an extended vacation; I never took this job seriously. I did it for fun and, I admit, to mingle with the fascinating world of fashion. Then, I became interested in what was happening around me, as I always do. It allowed me to learn the photographer&rsquo;s craft by observing their methods, how they played with light and characters, and I met a multitude of incredible people, famous people. When you&rsquo;re among the top ten models on the planet, all doors are open to you

PC: Can you tell us what life was like in Saint Barth in the 1980s?

JZ: What a delight! I still remember my arrival at that tiny airport; there were no passport controls, by the way. I had no plans; I had a few friends already living there, but I preferred to arrive fresh without talking to anyone. Upon arriving at the port, a hand tapped my back; it was a friend of mine from Paris. By the late afternoon, the whole island gathered at the Select. It was like a movie with all these characters that could be in a film&mdash;Vietnam veterans, big tough guys with beards whom I later learned were involved in a bit of smuggling, artists, everyone was there, and there was immense joy. At that time, it was truly what one can imagine as beauty. There wasn&rsquo;t even a telephone, only two phone booths on the dock. There was no concept of time; nobody was really working. I think only 20% of the population had to work in small hotels or in food. It was a delight, no time, no stress.
By the way, since everyone talks about luxury here in St Barth, the real luxury was to come and walk barefoot. Because all these wealthy and often famous people were looking for an island where they were safe, where they could be left alone, and where they could come for a picnic, meaning eating barefoot and having a sardine at the Select. There was a small hut in the middle; every evening there were big pots with pieces of chicken and ribs, rice, and everyone came to eat around. Everyone was there; Bob Dylan, everyone mingled and, above all, had a lot of fun.

PC: How did the idea of creating your first perfume come about?

JZ: I was tired of buying everyone else&rsquo;s perfume, so I decided to create my own essences. At the time, my fragrance wasn&rsquo;t mixed with alcohol; I just put a drop, and it would envelop me. I worked a lot with Patrick Demarchelier, who was under contract with Vogue. One evening, at dinner, all the big names in fashion and artistic directors were at the table. There was Fabien Baron, the immense artistic director of Harper&rsquo;s Bazaar, Laetitia Casta&rsquo;s first husband, who I believe was a film producer at the time. There was the designer Christian Liaigre, and they all asked why I wouldn&rsquo;t commercialize my perfume. Fabien Baron then offered to design the bottle and packaging, Patrick Demarchelier said he would take the photo, and they kept their word. Fabien Baron came back from vacation with a huge box with three different projects. And it started; I found a factory that could make the bottle he designed. After that, I had to find the conditioner, the person who would mix the perfume with alcohol, bottle it, and make labels. I started this story all by myself in my cabin like that, as a small craftsman. Then I started finding some clients, some shops, but the most dazzling was my meeting with Colette in Paris, especially her daughter, Sarah, who immediately took the perfume exclusively.

PC: While the Jacques Zolty perfume range is developing and exporting around the world, you have decided to also launch a collection of fashion and accessories for men and women, mixing cultures and references. How did you give birth to the Jacques Zolty collections? 

PAOLO NICOLA ROSSINI: We considered perfumes as the starting point to develop a full lifestyle concept &ndash; our inspiration is our vision of the St Barth lifestyle. In the last 40 years St. Barth has become a top resort destination, known all over the world, and still it retains a simple, natural and elegant spirit. It is a place where you are as free to live as you like.

FRANCESCO GILIBERTI: Jacques Zolty is a universe of emotions and feelings that represents the simplicity of the nature in the island of St. Barth. Since the very beginning we felt the perfume was the link for a larger product line that aims to tell the story of the island lifestyle. Enlarging the line was a natural development for the brand.

PC: What is amusing is that usually, a fashion brand becomes known for its clothes, runway shows, etc., and then launches its perfume. But you did the opposite?

JZ: Yes, the clothing came about because the associates proposed to accessorize the perfume with a range of timeless pieces inspired by my white shirts, very relaxed, very casual, but I like beautiful fabric. I have always dressed in cotton, twill, and linen.

PC: You have chosen to use exclusively natural materials. Could you explain to us how and where the different pieces in your collection are made?

PNR: The spirit of our collection is built on high quality products. Based on natural materials, we work as a team to develop the thought of the product, its design, the choice of materials and our signature prints firmly connected to our identity. All the elements of the collection are manufactured mostly in Europe, choosing only suppliers that guarantee the level of quality we demand.

FG: Everything starts from the island and the willingness to create a lifestyle brand that reflects its pure DNA. Nature is essential to the Jacques Zolty universe, from the selection of the fabrics and suppliers, to the store concept that uses only natural components.

PC: What are the best-sellers of the season, the essential items to bring back from Saint Barth?

PNR: Our brand is proudly based in St. Barth &ndash; meaning that all our pieces are elated to warm climates. Light and soft linen shirts, bermudas, and trousers have been the backbone of our collection since the beginning. Printed pattern products, including shirts, swimsuits and accessories, are in high demand from our clients and we plan to add new variations each season. This season we have collaborated with Borsscino on a selection of classic hats and a special edition for Jacques Zolty.

PC: Do you feel connected to initiatives aimed at protecting the environment and the oceans of St Barth?

PNR: Protection of the ocean and nature preservation is a true priority, and the initiatives to protect the environment are very important. Even if this theme is getting well deserved global attention, the local initiatives are extremely important to bring tangible improvements, as the sum of local initiatives can bring real results and increased awareness. Some of our products, like our men's swimsuit line, use recycled materials and our goal is to move forward in this direction.

FG: At this moment in time there is a growing consensus on sustainability and environment protection. All of us are part of nature and the environment and every single action matters. Jacques Zolty is fully committed to respecting the island, surrounding oceans and nature as a whole. It has to be this way, Jacques Zolty does not compromise with these values.

PC: You have a Flagship store in Gustavia. Tell us about your retail concept.

PNR: Our brand is from St Barth so our flagship store in Gustavia is of central importance to us. Our concept of retail is to open other signature boutiques in major resort destinations in Europe and the Caribbean. In St Barth we are very happy to be working with the boutique of Hotel Cheval Blanc and starting this season we are opening a signature boutique at Hotel Sereno. Working with high end boutiques in beautiful resort hotels is an important part of our present and future retail policy. To further promote the brand on international markets we just opened a showroom in the center of the Milan fashion district and we have an online boutique that delivers worldwide.

PC: How do you see the future of the Jacques Zolty brand? PNR: We want to extend our collection of clothing and accessories while remaining firmly connected to our principles and identity. Our perfume collection, that is getting more success in international markets, will be integrated by a new thematic line of scented candles and bath products. The future of the brand is to keep its roots in St. Barth and exporting its spirit in selected global destinations.

FG: To us, Jacques Zolty is a lifestyle brand. It involves all parts of people&rsquo;s daily life. This starts with fragrances when you wake up and continues with clothing, leather, but it also includes books, framed pictures, the brand wants to expand in candles, body care and other lifestyle essentials to accompany our brand lover throughout their day.

PC: What is your dream for St Barth?

JZ: I was fortunate to have known that time, the beginning of St Barth; I am very happy, and I am fortunate to still be there now. It&rsquo;s different, maybe more comfortable, but in comfort, there is good and there is bad. St Barth is a lady who has been very elegant, who has given a lot of happiness to many people, and I still respect her, even if today she is adorned with perhaps too much expensive jewelry. When I get off the plane, even if it&rsquo;s full of cars and construction trucks, there is still joy. People come here to have fun, to dance, and swim. Despite progress and its drawbacks, St Barth will always be the paradise that exists here.

PNR: St Barth is a unique island. I&rsquo;ve had the chance to travel to many Caribbean islands and to other major resorts but St Barth remains unique. It is not just the beauty of nature, the sea, the climate; these are elements you can find in many other beautiful places. It is a particular feel that very few places have. You cannot build a place like this on paper, it is something that grows with time, on the base of a chain of conditions and events that are totally unpredictable. My dream is that it remains the very special place it has become in the last few decades, maintaining its unique charm for the years to come.

FG: Keep St Barth as it is. Jacques Zolty is 100% engaged in St Barth&rsquo;s unique footprint!

The Island Spirit

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