Fashion Designer Adam Lippes’s Guide to St. Barths

by Nancy MacDonell August, 2015

“I’ve been going to St. Barths since I was eight-years-old,” says fashion designer Adam Lippes, who honed his talent for creating luxurious American sportswear—his perfectly unassuming white T-shirt has a devoted following—at Polo and Oscar de la Renta before launching his eponymous line. Lippes spends three weeks a year on what he describes as, “a piece of France in the Caribbean” and considers himself an expert on its wheres, hows, and whens.

First tip: Avoid it during high season. “I never go after Thanksgiving or before April,” he says. “I like it when it quiets down and it’s empty in the best way—not a lot of people but all the restaurants are open. For me, it’s not about the parties, it’s about living a super healthy life.” Here, the designer, who recently announced he’s doing a collaboration with Target, shares his guide to navigating St. Barths like a pro.

Getting there:

“I like to fly to San Juan and connect through to SBH (St. Barthélemy Airport code) with Tradewind Aviation. I get to pass immigration in San Juan and with all the NYC-San Juan service, it gives me a ton of options. Plus the planes are new and very nice.”

Where to stay:

“When I go for a few days, I stay at Le Sereno. It is super peaceful. It was designed by Christian Liaigre and it’s on a lagoon that’s perfect for paddle boarding. There’s a great small restaurant on the beach there called La Gloriette for easy and very good lunches. When I go for a week or longer, I like to rent a private villa, Villa BOW in Camaruche or Villa GUS in Gustavia—both are with WIMCO Villas, and their concierge team is second to none so I’m well taken care of”

Where to eat:

“You can get super healthy organic meals and incredible juices from Kristine Kelly and Plant Based Daily. I also like to eat at Mayas, Do Brazil for lunch, and Le Sereno, which is excellent.”

What to do:

“I like to train with Loïc Lapeze—he’s an amazing triathlete. You can do some fun hikes to natural pools in Grand Fond and Cul de Sac and the cave in Gouveneur Beach. My favorite beach is Saline. At times we are the only people there, which is amazing.”

by Nancy MacDonell  August, 2015
Originally published on Travel & Leisure