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.&nbsp;

PHILIPPE COMBRES:&nbsp;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:&nbsp;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:&nbsp;Can you tell us what life was like in Saint Barth in the 1980s?

JZ:&nbsp;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:&nbsp;How did the idea of creating your first perfume come about?

JZ:&nbsp;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:&nbsp;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:&nbsp;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:&nbsp;What is your dream for St Barth?

JZ:&nbsp;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.

The people of St Barth: Jacques Zolty

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