KDH recently hosted a chic little sunset cocktail soiree for our favorite Southampton style stars that are chronicled in my KDHamptons StyleFILE section. Of course, Nobu was the perfect choice for a fashionable mingle between friends, power brands [including Jack Wills, LF, Calypso, and Haute Hippie], and the coolest cats who have been dubbed the “seasonnaires” of Summer 2012!

 

The crew convened to toast Mike Vilensky’s article documenting the haute Hamptons scene for the Wall Street Journal [see article below], and nosh on Nobu specialties including:  Nobu Tacos with Bigeye Tuna, Rock Shrimp Tempura, Yellowtail Sashimi with Jalapeño, and specialty cocktails that taste like vacation: The Hamptons 95 and minty Mojitos!

 

 

 

 

 

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Check out Mike’s full article from the Wall Street Journal below:

 

 

SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y.—A navy blazer swung over his shoulder, Kieran Lee Lewis sidled over to a clutch of trendy 20-somethings at the pool of sushi joint Nobu on a recent evening. Mr. Lewis, a 21-year-old summer employee at nouveau-preppy British clothier Jack Wills, casually held court for almost a half-hour.

 

“He’s the new, fresh face out here,” said Samantha Watts, a 24-year-old salesgirl at LF, a clothing shop down the block from Jack Wills on this village’s Main Street. “All the girls have little crushes on him.”

 

Mr. Lewis, Ms. Watts and staffers at some of Southampton’s other newest retail outlets picked at lettuce-wrapped sea bass while Kelli Delaney, a former fashion magazine editor, photographed the scene for her Hamptons “lifestyle blog.” [KDHamptons]

 

It might not seem like this cadre of young salespeople is hard at work, but retailers in the Hamptons have begun to put a high premium on the elusive head-turning quality of carefully selected summer help.

 

Dubbed “seasonnaires” by Jack Wills, they are this tony town’s latest crop of It Kids. They don’t just work the sales floor but also throw events, mingle with tourists, ride around in a branded car, and set up online profiles. Some of them, like Mr. Lewis, have also been asked to model for the Jack Wills catalog. Like famous Hamptons faces before them—publicist Lizzie Grubman or retail entrepreneur Jeff Goldstein—they have become recognizable to many locals and business owners.

 

They chronicle their fashion choices on their employer’s website, make themselves available to blogs such as Ms. Delaney’s, and use social networks such as Instagram and Twitter to promote the store’s clothing.

 

The tactic might seem counter to the conventional notions of summer jobs, an opportunity once reserved for a community’s local unemployed hands. But Jack Wills has a different business strategy.

 

The sales force is expected to “embody the brand,” Jim Hardy, the president of Jack Wills, wrote in an email. “These young people…make this ‘Fabulously British’ brand come to life.”

 

 

 

Mr. Hardy’s import is in its second summer in the Hamptons, and its casually stylish work force is so valued that the company now sets up its summer employees in a house on chic Culver Hill Street. The employees—many flown in from England or other Jack Wills locations around the country—live rent-free and party together in one of the most expensive ZIP Codes in the U.S.

 

Asked how one becomes employed at Jack Wills, a spokesperson said potential salespeople go through “standard hiring procedures.”

 

“I don’t want to say it’s like ‘Jersey Shore’ for us out here,” said Georgina Comley, a 23-year-old Jack Wills employee. “But it’s kind of like ‘Jersey Shore’ for us out here.”

 

On their Twitter accounts, they photograph themselves dancing at local nightclubs, playing competitive rounds of beer pong and modeling in Jack Wills underwear. “Everyone at the house just wants to have a good time,” Mr. Lewis said.

 

At LF, a brand worn by the likes of Ke$ha and Rihanna, some employees have become regulars at local spots such as Georgica, a restaurant and nightclub with the feel of a rustic beach-house if a rustic beach-house had lines at the entrance, manned by multiple doormen.

 

Some high-end hangouts treat them like celebrities. “A younger clientele drives in an older clientele,” said Richie Notar, a Nobu co-owner and famed night-lifer from Manhattan’s Studio 54 days. “Having them at your place keeps it relevant.”

 

Night-life promoters have befriended the retail employees. Sean McKenna, who previously managed the Hamptons celebrity hangout Star Room, calls the group “the kids” and said he sets them up at tables and sometimes “throw[s] them a bottle.”

 

 

 

Monday nights at Georgica were declared “service industry night,” and the Jack Wills and LF workers often stop by to unwind with fellow “seasonnaires” from places like Collette, Mr. McKenna said. He even offers them reduced prices on food and drinks.

 

Their presence is updating the street style of Southampton, as famous for its country-club fashion sense as for its picturesque beaches and sprawling farms. “Southampton used to be like the Upper East Side,” said Euan Rellie, an investment banker and Bridgehampton resident. “Now it’s a bit more downtown. Ralph Lauren feels dated. Lilly Pulitzer has been ostracized back to Palm Beach. ‘Sex and the City’ is over; we watch ‘Girls’ now.”

 

Established local retailers such as preppy line J. McLaughlin and Hamptons staples such as Calypso have noticed the new crop of sales-kids. Jay McLaughlin, the co-founder of J. McLaughlin, a brand founded in 1977 on the Upper East Side and in the Hamptons since 1997, said the new stores have “made their impressions.” But his store, he said, “is a more stable clothing company.”

 

The friction doesn’t seem to be bothering the young salespeople, many of whom have ambitions outside their current jobs. For Ms. Watts, working at a store with a pop-star clientele could help kick-start her singing career.

 

“From working here, I’ve gotten a lot of contacts,” she said. “I’ve helped Ke$ha shop.” The manager at the store, she added, is a singer who plays shows at Manhattan’s Bitter End.

 

For Mr. Lewis, being a seasonnaire could help him figure out his future. “What do I want to do after college? That’s a great question,” he said. “I’m interested in fashion and modeling.”

 

Midway through the summer, some longtime residents seem to be embracing—or at least getting used to—the new crop.

 

“Southampton is dead,” Mr. Rellie said. “Long live Southampton.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nobu is located at: 281 County Rd, 39A, Southampton; 631.488.4248