In November, while vacationing on a yacht off the coast of St. Barthélemy, Tamara Mellon took a stroll on the island and ran into Glenn Spiro, a friend who is a high-end jeweler in London. He had opened a seasonal shop on the exclusive island and invited her to visit.
“I went straight from the beach in denim shorts and a bathing suit,” the British fashion entrepreneur said. “I went back to the shop three times that week.”
Mr. Spiro is one of a handful of exclusive jewelers who have opened seasonal shops or staged weeklong exhibitions in affluent resort towns this winter, partly to cater to the continuing numbers of remote workers taking extended vacations, but also because the ultrawealthy are now used to getting what they want when they want it, even in far-flung locations.
While major jewelry houses have always followed their clients to glamorous seasonal destinations, the decision was more personal for designers such as Mr. Spiro, who said he is in St. Bart to cultivate the kind of deep relationships with clients that can’t always happen in busy cities.
“Clients are more relaxed,” he said, “the sun is shining, and people are happier.” The boutique is up a hill from St. Bart’s main shopping street, on the upstairs floor of a building with a terrace overlooking the town. You must be in the know to realize that it even exists.
