“Per anni abbiamo visitato l’isola francese chic “St.Barth’s” per sfuggire agli inverni di New York. Per chi non lo sapesse: la bellezza grezza di Saint Barthelemy non ha eguali. Quando i recenti uragani hanno distrutto gran parte dell’isola, abbiamo immediatamente detto: “Se riusciamo a trovare un posto dove stare e un ristorante o un negozio di alimentari aperto, torneremo per sostenerla”.
Quando siamo tornati, abbiamo visto un’isola in trasformazione. Totalmente spogliata della sua vegetazione, palme con le cime scomparse, e un cumulo di detriti e rottami organizzati per lo smaltimento. Ma abbiamo visto anche qualcos’altro: un costante ritorno al lussureggiante, chic, verdeggiante luogo di vacanza che conoscevamo, con una ricostruzione in corso, molti posti finiti a pochi mesi dalla devastazione e la forte volontà dei francesi di farlo accadere. Così ho selezionato e chiesto a Oscar – un residente di St. Barth – di farmi da modello, il suo fisico mi ha ricordato lo stato dell’isola: spogliato di ogni eccesso, un nucleo forte e puro.”
Richard Gerst, a photographer that I admire and like so much, and a contributor for years on my site, returns to surprise us with a job that has struck me a lot. A story in which the sensuality to which Richard has accustomed us is diluted by the desire to represent a place with images and, above all, the spirit of rebirth that this place has. I asked Richard to explain this photo shoot better. This is his answer:
“For years, we have visited the chic French island “St.Barth’s” to escape New York winters. For those who don’t know: the raw beauty of Saint Barthelemy is unparalleled.
When the recent hurricanes destroyed much of it, we immediately said, “If we can find one place to stay, and one restaurant or grocery store open, we will return to support it.”
When we returned, we saw an island in transformation.
Foliage stripped to the core, palm trees with tops gone, and a mound of organized debris and wreckage for disposal. But we also saw something else: a steady return to the lush, chic, verdant retreat we knew, with construction ongoing, many places finished just a few months after the devastation, and the strong will of the French to make it happen.
So I selected and asked Oscar to model – a St. Barth’s resident- who’s physique reminded me of the state of the island: stripped of all excess, the core strong and pure.”
Credits:
Photographer: Richard Gerst (to see more of his work, here his website, and instagram
Styled by Olivier GENET from Pasha St. Barth, concept store in St. Barth FWI (website here
and instagram here)
Model: Oscar Bingöl
Looks:
Shorts and Jacket: Ron Dorff (page 12-14)
All Swimwear: Robinson Les Bains
SBH cap: exclusive by Gents for Pasha St.Barth
