It’s probably the world’s only fishing village where it’s easier to buy a €25,000 “mini” Celine handbag, a €4,000 Christian Dior trench or a €2,000 Rimowa suitcase than it is to pick up a rod and tackle.
Ever since Brigitte Bardot started cavorting on its beaches in the 1950s, Saint-Tropez has been better known as a place to catch a glimpse of a celebrity than a fresh sea bass. But now longsuffering locals are warning that the annual influx of the global super-rich is becoming too much – even for them.
“Independent restaurants, hotels and cafes are all being bought by luxury groups,” says Vérane Guérin, a municipal councillor. “It’s becoming not Saint-Tropez, but LVMH Ville.”
LVMH, the luxury goods company founded and run by Europe’s richest person, Bernard Arnault, owns the town’s Celine, Dior and Rimowa stores as well outlets for several of its other brands, including Fendi and Loewe. The conglomerate, whose official name is LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, also owns two of the town’s fanciest hotels: the Cheval Blanc and the White 1921.
There are LVMH restaurants serving its Moët & Chandon champagne, a Dior cafe, and even “LV by the Pool” – a beach club with branded sun loungers and parasols. » | Rupert Neate in Saint-Tropez | Friday, September 29, 2023
