Blackstone's Steve Schwarzman, who has decamped to France (for the time being at least) was hanging out in St. Tropez recently.

All was well and fun and he was attending a nice dinner party thrown by businesswoman and international social scenester, Goga Ashkenazi, at her villa, according to the New York Post.

Goga (who is pals with Prince Andrew and gave birth to a baby fathered by Kazakh billionaire Timur Kulibayev, "who controls the country’s oil industry,") first hosted a dinner for 350 people.

But the party really started when another 200 people joined for the after-party, a "topless crasher" basically tackled Grace Jones.

"Grace Jones performed in a black thong when a young woman, who guests described as a "party crasher," jumped onstage and ripped off her top to "grind" with the rock goddess, before the intruder was "escorted out by security," the Post says.

Goga, a financier herself, hangs out with bankers all the time, and they are often guests at her parties. Earlier this year, she "scored another few quick millions by cashing out of the Kazakh gold company she helped launch ahead of its $1.2 billion flotation," the Telegraph reported.

Also in St. Tropez around that time, spotted at well-known restaurant, George Soros.

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Join the conversation about this story »

SAINT-TROPEZ, France (MainStreet) -- Like a jet-set version of the hajj, July is the beginning of a Saint-Tropez pilgrimage uniting aristocrats and luminaries along the French Riviera. Every year, the French seaside city becomes the epicenter of celebrities and a CEO elite that hole up for multiweek stays at area hotels or private villas or simply dock at the city's glittery port.

The European debt crisis has done little to dissipate the high-season fervor of rich and super-rich that populate Pampelonne Beach for afternoon champagne showers and $5,000 jetpack rides over the sea. But in a notably lazy season compared with hotel and restaurant openings in previous years, Saint-Tropez regulars won't have to search for the latest it-spot. Not much has changed in the past year.

With no new nightclubs or hotels to speak of, it's a few much-anticipated arrivals among glossy retail stores making headlines. In the center of town a Louis Vuitton resort flagship of the Paris-based retailer is set to open, with expanded collections of logo-emblazoned leather goods as well as men and women's apparel. It joins fellow Parisian boutiques such as the newly remodeled Dior and outpost of Chanel (recently blessed by Karl Lagerfeld personally).

While fancier types such as Jay-Z and Sting come by yacht, everyone else makes the grand attempt to score a room at the city's better hotels, whether they reflect high-end luxury or edgy design. In July, it's not about where you want to stay but more about what hotel you can afford to get into with as few restrictions as possible. Byblos continues to be the city's hottest property, and is essentially sold out for July and August. Its Sisley-branded spa is one of the best in the South of France, and its poolside scene is epic and soundtracked with lounge anthems that get you just drunk enough to see the value in a $17,000 jeroboam of Cristal.

Hotel Sezz is the newest hotel in town, a seaside spinoff of the much-loved Paris property that still has that "new hotel smell" as well as an eatery by Pierre Gagnaire and Dom Perignon-branded pool bar, more than making up for being a bit removed from town. Closer to the action of the port, Hotel Ermitage draws the boho and thespian-artiste crowd that prefers to party on premises than be seen at any beach or nightclub. Rooms are comfy chic with a good dose of rustic glamour that's the antithesis of newer, glossy design properties such as the KUBE Hotel or Muse.

At the beach, lunch crowds bicker year after year about which club is the hottest. Usually the competition comes down to a few usual suspects, including La Voile Rouge with its elevated white terrace, red umbrellas and hip collection of fashionable lunchers. The menu is seafood perfection -- usually over heaping of fresh salad or delicious pastas. Given the $1,445 price tag on a casual wine-fueled lunch for three, it's a blessing the restaurant recently started accepting credit cards.

Farther down the sand is Le 55, with its pedigree crowd and even tougher lunch reservations. Those that can't get a table should rent a lounger on the beach and make good use of the staff, which brings beachside lunches directly to your chair. Afterward, everyone unites at Nikki Beach with its landlocked pool party and tabletop dance scene -- now celebrating its 10th anniversary at Pampelonne Beach and better than ever from 6 p.m. until sunset.

After sunset the beach clubs come to an abrupt halt and there's an exodus back into town. For dinner, Cristina's continues to be the town's top reservation, with one of the city's star chefs creating a dazzling Saint-Tropez menu of locally sourced seafood and vegetables. New this year is Strand, the second installment of a supper club eatery that began in St. Bart's and continues its it-spot status in the center of Saint-Tropez. Part serious dining room and part late-night lounge scene, the chef does fancy French cuisine with a beach twist and DJ backbeat.

By night, local hot spots such as Bar du Port lure lounge lovers for early evening cocktails as DJs turn up the volume portside with views of the pedestrian action and dining yachters. Le Quai has a fancier following, people who aren't shy about sharing their magnums of Dom with lounge guests sprawling out on the sandy-floored front terrace. Two nightclubs rule the city, though, including the perennial Les Caves du Roy and VIP Room by Jean-Roch. The Paris-based VIP Room club brand offers an incredible summer lineup of celebrity hosts that this year includes P. Diddy and members of the Black Eyed Peas.

This post originally appeared at The Street.

Please follow The Life on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

Self-tanning brand St. Tropez's summer campaign features a bikini-less Kate Moss.

Advertisers often try to avoid stars who are over-exposed — in the media sense — but Moss's ubiquity in beauty brands was part of the reason St. Tropez wanted to work with the model.

Moss has appeared in campaigns for Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, Calvin Klein, Chanel, Topshop, Rimmel, Bulgari, Mango, Agent Provocateur, Virgin Mobile and Burberry. The company said that Moss's "growing number of beauty campaigns proves that her appeal as a beauty icon resonates with confident women across all age groups globally."

“We’re absolutely thrilled that Kate Moss has chosen to work with us on our new campaign: it gives us the ultimate stamp of approval on the quality of our products,"said Michelle Feeney, CEO of PZ Cussons Beauty, the owner of St.Tropez.

The print and on-line campaign is carefully executed to demonstrate that Moss, 39, has no tan lines. (The images below aren't particularly graphic, but they may not be acceptable for viewing in more conservative workplaces.)

The campaign was created by UK advertising agency, Karmarama.

Please follow Advertising on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

Blackstone's Steve Schwarzman, who has decamped to France (for the time being at least) was hanging out in St. Tropez recently.

All was well and fun and he was attending a nice dinner party thrown by businesswoman and international social scenester, Goga Ashkenazi, at her villa, according to the New York Post.

Goga (who is pals with Prince Andrew and gave birth to a baby fathered by Kazakh billionaire Timur Kulibayev, "who controls the country’s oil industry,") first hosted a dinner for 350 people.

But the party really started when another 200 people joined for the after-party, a "topless crasher" basically tackled Grace Jones.

"Grace Jones performed in a black thong when a young woman, who guests described as a "party crasher," jumped onstage and ripped off her top to "grind" with the rock goddess, before the intruder was "escorted out by security," the Post says.

Goga, a financier herself, hangs out with bankers all the time, and they are often guests at her parties. Earlier this year, she "scored another few quick millions by cashing out of the Kazakh gold company she helped launch ahead of its $1.2 billion flotation," the Telegraph reported.

Also in St. Tropez around that time, spotted at well-known restaurant, George Soros.

Join the conversation about this story »

SAINT-TROPEZ, France (MainStreet) -- Like a jet-set version of the hajj, July is the beginning of a Saint-Tropez pilgrimage uniting aristocrats and luminaries along the French Riviera. Every year, the French seaside city becomes the epicenter of celebrities and a CEO elite that hole up for multiweek stays at area hotels or private villas or simply dock at the city's glittery port.

The European debt crisis has done little to dissipate the high-season fervor of rich and super-rich that populate Pampelonne Beach for afternoon champagne showers and $5,000 jetpack rides over the sea. But in a notably lazy season compared with hotel and restaurant openings in previous years, Saint-Tropez regulars won't have to search for the latest it-spot. Not much has changed in the past year.

With no new nightclubs or hotels to speak of, it's a few much-anticipated arrivals among glossy retail stores making headlines. In the center of town a Louis Vuitton resort flagship of the Paris-based retailer is set to open, with expanded collections of logo-emblazoned leather goods as well as men and women's apparel. It joins fellow Parisian boutiques such as the newly remodeled Dior and outpost of Chanel (recently blessed by Karl Lagerfeld personally).

While fancier types such as Jay-Z and Sting come by yacht, everyone else makes the grand attempt to score a room at the city's better hotels, whether they reflect high-end luxury or edgy design. In July, it's not about where you want to stay but more about what hotel you can afford to get into with as few restrictions as possible. Byblos continues to be the city's hottest property, and is essentially sold out for July and August. Its Sisley-branded spa is one of the best in the South of France, and its poolside scene is epic and soundtracked with lounge anthems that get you just drunk enough to see the value in a $17,000 jeroboam of Cristal.

Hotel Sezz is the newest hotel in town, a seaside spinoff of the much-loved Paris property that still has that "new hotel smell" as well as an eatery by Pierre Gagnaire and Dom Perignon-branded pool bar, more than making up for being a bit removed from town. Closer to the action of the port, Hotel Ermitage draws the boho and thespian-artiste crowd that prefers to party on premises than be seen at any beach or nightclub. Rooms are comfy chic with a good dose of rustic glamour that's the antithesis of newer, glossy design properties such as the KUBE Hotel or Muse.

At the beach, lunch crowds bicker year after year about which club is the hottest. Usually the competition comes down to a few usual suspects, including La Voile Rouge with its elevated white terrace, red umbrellas and hip collection of fashionable lunchers. The menu is seafood perfection -- usually over heaping of fresh salad or delicious pastas. Given the $1,445 price tag on a casual wine-fueled lunch for three, it's a blessing the restaurant recently started accepting credit cards.

Farther down the sand is Le 55, with its pedigree crowd and even tougher lunch reservations. Those that can't get a table should rent a lounger on the beach and make good use of the staff, which brings beachside lunches directly to your chair. Afterward, everyone unites at Nikki Beach with its landlocked pool party and tabletop dance scene -- now celebrating its 10th anniversary at Pampelonne Beach and better than ever from 6 p.m. until sunset.

After sunset the beach clubs come to an abrupt halt and there's an exodus back into town. For dinner, Cristina's continues to be the town's top reservation, with one of the city's star chefs creating a dazzling Saint-Tropez menu of locally sourced seafood and vegetables. New this year is Strand, the second installment of a supper club eatery that began in St. Bart's and continues its it-spot status in the center of Saint-Tropez. Part serious dining room and part late-night lounge scene, the chef does fancy French cuisine with a beach twist and DJ backbeat.

By night, local hot spots such as Bar du Port lure lounge lovers for early evening cocktails as DJs turn up the volume portside with views of the pedestrian action and dining yachters. Le Quai has a fancier following, people who aren't shy about sharing their magnums of Dom with lounge guests sprawling out on the sandy-floored front terrace. Two nightclubs rule the city, though, including the perennial Les Caves du Roy and VIP Room by Jean-Roch. The Paris-based VIP Room club brand offers an incredible summer lineup of celebrity hosts that this year includes P. Diddy and members of the Black Eyed Peas.

This post originally appeared at The Street.

Join the conversation about this story »

Self-tanning brand St. Tropez's summer campaign features a bikini-less Kate Moss.

Advertisers often try to avoid stars who are over-exposed — in the media sense — but Moss's ubiquity in beauty brands was part of the reason St. Tropez wanted to work with the model.

Moss has appeared in campaigns for Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, Calvin Klein, Chanel, Topshop, Rimmel, Bulgari, Mango, Agent Provocateur, Virgin Mobile and Burberry. The company said that Moss's "growing number of beauty campaigns proves that her appeal as a beauty icon resonates with confident women across all age groups globally."

“We’re absolutely thrilled that Kate Moss has chosen to work with us on our new campaign: it gives us the ultimate stamp of approval on the quality of our products," said Michelle Feeney, CEO of PZ Cussons Beauty, the owner of St.Tropez.

The print and on-line campaign is carefully executed to demonstrate that Moss, 39, has no tan lines. (The images below aren't particularly graphic, but they may not be acceptable for viewing in more conservative workplaces.)

The campaign was created by UK advertising agency, Karmarama.

Join the conversation about this story »

• Hotel Byblos in Saint-Tropez, France, has for decades welcomed almost every A-lister imaginable.
• Its nightclub, Les Caves du Roy, is among the most prestigious discotheques in France.
• Business Insider spoke with the Byblos' general manager, Christophe Chauvin, about how the hotel deals with VIPs.
• He told us about the time a very "paranoid"Lady Gaga arrived behind a handbag.
• He also shared some of the wildest requests he's received from guests.

For Christophe Chauvin, the general manager of the Hotel Byblos in Saint-Tropez, France, no request is too small or too great for his esteemed guests.

Over the years, the doors of the Byblos, on the French Riviera, have welcomed the likes of George Clooney, Bill Gates, Beyoncé, Prince Charles — and actually, pretty much any other A-lister you can think of.

Everyone at Chauvin's hotel is a VIP, though. "Everybody's important; if you're not a celebrity, you're a wealthy guy or a businessperson," he told Business Insider.

"Our other guests behave exactly like our celebrities: They want privacy, and they want to be left alone."

That's the draw of the Byblos, where rates for the most basic room appear to start at about €365 ($415) a night.

Over the years, the Byblos' celebrity guests have defined its culture. And it happened organically.

"It all started in 1971 when Mick Jagger got married at the Byblos," Chauvin said. "It completely revealed the Byblos to the celebrity clientele."

Though Jagger's marriage did not last — Bianca Jagger later said, "My marriage ended on my wedding day"— the Byblos' success with celebrity clientele did.

The floodgates were open.

'The scariest celebrity we had was Lady Gaga'

"It must be hard," I told Chauvin, "keeping all of these A-listers away from paparazzi and selfie-wielding fans."

"Actually, it's not difficult, because we have the know-how," he replied.

Apparently, there is more CCTV in the hotel than in the entire city of Saint-Tropez. There's also only one way in and one way out, carefully controlled by the hotel, he said.

However, not all celebrities are completely trusting.

"The scariest celebrity we had was Lady Gaga," Chauvin said. "She was completely paranoid."

Though Lady Gaga is now an Oscar-nominated actress for her starring role in "A Star Is Born," it's easy to forget that 10 years ago few people even knew what she looked like, as she was famous for wearing elaborate outfits that often disguised her face.

"She arrived at the hotel via the basement," Chauvin said, "walked through the lobby, into the elevator, and up to her room — all with her handbag over her face. The receptionist couldn't even see who it was!

"You couldn't even open the curtains of her room, she was so stressed out," Chauvin added.

"Eventually, when she realized that nobody cared and there were [CCTV] cameras everywhere, she started to be confident and was even smiling at the end of her stay."

'Impossible is not in my vocabulary'

Rich people know what they want, and often they're not prepared to take no for an answer.

With that in mind, I asked Chauvin about the wildest requests he'd received from guests.

"The most difficult request I had was from a regular guest, and it's a family that I love, but she's a big shopping addict," he said.

He said that when Louis Vuitton first opened a shop in Saint-Tropez, it released a limited-edition bag to commemorate the occasion — an item his client insisted on attaining.

However, the bag was not due to be released until after the guests left town, and Chauvin said he was told it was impossible to receive one ahead of time.

"I called my client and said, 'I'm sorry, it's impossible," he said. "'Impossible is not in my vocabulary,' she said. 'You find it.' And she hung up the phone."

After much deliberation, Chauvin said, he managed to persuade the designers to send his guests a bag ahead of time, provided that they sign a nondisclosure agreement and that the bag would be sealed and put in their car before departure.

"I was so proud of myself," Chauvin said. "I called my client and said, 'I got you the bag!' She said, 'Great! I want three!'"

Chauvin recalled the time another friend of the hotel wanted his daughter to get married in Ramatuelle, a charming village next to Saint-Tropez.

But there was a problem: Because the guest did not live in Ramatuelle, the priest was refusing to allow the daughter to be married there.

"I said, 'OK, but what do you want me to do?'" Chauvin recalled telling the guest. "He said, 'I don't know. Find me the solution! I have no solution — that's why I'm calling you.'"

Rather than shy away from the request, Chauvin posed as his client's cousin and went to see the priest, he said.

"I had to sign letters saying that my cousin Delphine wanted to get married there and I lived here at this address. I used the address from a friend of mine who actually lived in Ramatuelle," Chauvin said. "And after that, he said, 'Fine, they can get married in the church.'"

But things didn't quite go to plan.

"They split up two months before the wedding," Chauvin said. "I went crazy."

€2 million worth of Champagne in one night

Synonymous with the Byblos is the hotel's iconic nightclub, Les Caves du Roy.

Les Caves du Roy has more stories to tell than a library, but they don't come cheap. While entrance to the club is free, the drinks inside will set you back a minimum of €28, or about €300 if you feel like splashing out on the cheapest Champagne — that is, if you're beautiful, rich, or famous enough to make it past the bouncers.

We've had guests buying Champagne for the whole club full of 1,000 people.

In Les Caves, Champagne flows like a river — Chauvin estimated the nightclub went through about 10,000 bottles a year.

"We're actually the biggest Dom Perignon consumer in the world," he said, adding that it gets 1.5-liter magnum bottles, 3-liter jeroboams, and 6-liter methuselahs.

Chauvin said that for years, Louis Roederer "couldn't supply us with enough bottles of Cristal Champagne."

During a Champagne shortage about 10 years ago, he said, the hotel employed people to travel around Europe and buy any bottle of Cristal they could get their hands on.

"We had people driving to Switzerland just to buy six bottles, Italy to buy two methuselahs," he said.

I asked why his clientele couldn't simply drink other Champagne. "They were very exceptional products at the time," he replied.

At the time, Chauvin said, his employees were finding and buying methuselahs of Cristal from private sellers for €22,000 and selling it to partygoers at Les Caves for €50,000.

Now? They cost €8,000.

On that note, Chauvin added that "nightlife is unpredictable."

On any night, all it will take is a few big fish competing for the title of biggest spender, and sales will go through the roof, he said.

"They'll challenge each other," Chauvin said. "'You get one jeroboam? I get two. You get two? I get four.' It goes on like this.

"In 2009, we had our biggest party ever at the club, with three of our wealthiest guests. We sold almost €2 million worth of Champagne in one night. That was crazy."

Chauvin added that these super-rich clients wouldn't just keep their booze to themselves. "We've had guests buying Champagne for the whole club full of 1,000 people," he said.

"People like to be in Saint-Tropez for that also you can be Mr. Nobody, just having fun with friends, and you end up with a bottle of Cristal, drinking with your friends for free," he added.

'People in Saint-Tropez know how to behave'

Byblos has certainly proved its ability to show guests an elaborate good time while keeping things discreet.

But the limits of its security prowess may be tested in April when the hotel opens its first private beach in Ramatuelle, featuring a restaurant that can host up to 110 guests, a bar and lounge area that can accommodate 30, and a space for up to 80 sun-loungers.

Chauvin said he wasn't concerned about privacy. "People in Saint-Tropez know how to behave," he said.

"The beach, of course, we're going to be very attentive, but we're not worried about the challenges," he added.

"We'll handle it."

And the look he gave me assured me that they would.

SEE ALSO: A $1,550-a-year private members' club for restaurant regulars just raised $2 million to expand around the globe

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Elon Musk sent a $100K Tesla Roadster to space a year ago. It has now traveled farther than any other car in history.

• Tom Nelson joined the luggage company Zero Halliburton in 2017 to help rebrand the company for the next generation of travelers. 
• But he is now dealing with the coronavirus and a world where travel has ceased. 
• A new collection was just launched in January, and luckily shipments to warehouses and stores were made before the pandemic arrived.
• Right now, Zero Halliburton is focused on its eCommerce and charitable activities. It wants to develop a closer relationship with customers, and hopes they remember that it did its part during this crisis.
• Nelson relayed a favorite quote about handling a crisis: 'hand-wringing is not an effective strategy.'
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

A typical year might see the jet set summer in St. Tropez, spend a few weeks in the Hamptons, head to an art fair in Basel, or toast to a few sunsets on a yacht somewhere in the Grenadines. 

And in a typical year, that's where the luxury luggage company Zero Halliburton would come in — or, would have come in. It specializes in producing sturdy luggage made to withstand frequent travel. But then the pandemic hit. And there were no more trips to the rivieras or even simple car rides down the street.

"Travel is not at the top of everyone's mind right now," Zero Halliburton CEO Tom Nelson told Business Insider. "We have recognized that until there's a vaccine, people won't feel safe and confident about traveling again."

Nelson, who joined the 82-year-old company in 2017, has spent those years redefining the brand for the next generation. He and his team spent years extensively researching, developing three new patent-pending features, and creating an entirely new product line to help make Zero Halliburton a viable name in luxury travel once again. 

But instead of focusing on the launch of a new campaign, Nelson is now pondering — how do you keep a travel company afloat when there is no travel? 

"There is going to be a negative impact on our business for an extended period of time," he said. "We have put together a revised plan for Zero Halliburton for this year. We'll work our way through it, but we're certainly not planning on things to get back to any sort of normal in the course of this year. In fact, we really recognize this as kind of a new reality."

Zero Halliburton had been rebranding itself for the social-set generation 

Zero Halliburton released its signature aluminum suitcase in 1938. Thirty years later, it became the first suitcase to land on the moon. Throughout the 20th century, the brand became synonymous with forward-thinking designs and luxury. 

But by the time the 21st century came around, the company needed a rebrand. Buzzy startups like Away were at the forefront of millennial consumerism, while Rimowa, led by Alexandre Arnault, became a destination for trendy high-end luxury. Nelson came to Zero Halliburton to pay homage to the past while introducing designs for the future.

"The primary audience for us is the same consumer, really," he said. "An individual, the individualist who is the person who is pursuing their own road." 

The company had just launched a new collection in January, after months of redesign. A new social media strategy was being devised. "There was excitement about finally being able to relaunch this collection," Nelson said. "We all felt so good about it." 

But then the pandemic struck. As Business Insider's Katie Warren reported, airlines are now financially struggling as people cease to travel, hotels are empty, and tourist-reliant destinations are struggling. Warren spoke to 10 leaders in the travel industry who said that even when the travel industry returns, it will never be the same. 

"The world has shifted dramatically, [but] I am reminded of a quote I heard someone make many years ago," Nelson said. "They said, 'hand-wringing is not an effective strategy,' which basically means, in the face of crisis, you gotta be moving shifts."

A luggage company prepares for a world without travel 

During the early stages of the pandemic, factories began to shut down. Nelson said that luckily, the company had shipped all of its launch products to its warehouse and store before the pandemic, but it expects an impact on supply going forward. 

In the meantime, Zero Halliburton has been focused on its e-commerce and digital marketing strategy. 

Many companies during this time have started to lean on social media, as brick-and-mortar stores have shut throughout the world. Nelson said he was confident that the company's digital strategy will help it during this time, and that authentically connecting with people will help once travel does start back up again. 

"We were already embracing social media quite strongly," Nelson said. "Our shift from a wholesale business to a direct-to-consumer business had happened, starting about 18 months ago. So we're just going to lean into that even more during these times."

"It was now about how to go on the offensive," he said.

And rather than reduce the price of its suitcases, the company has also decided to donate 15% of the proceeds to help first responders. It also created the MISSION SUN project, where it donated 100 Bright Yellow Sun Carry On Travel Cases and 300 KN95 masks to medical professionals staying away from their homes at the Four Seasons Hotel in New York City. 

The bright yellow suitcases represent "positivity and cheerfulness and optimism," Nelson said, adding that sales have exceeded the company's expectations. 

"We now want to reach out to our customers who bought, in an effort to continue to keep the lines of communication open with them," Nelson said. "We're going to talk to them about their motivations for purchasing during this period." 

Despite the fact that the pandemic will hit the company's top line hard, Nelson said he hopes consumers look back at this time period and see that Zero Halliburton tried to do its part in helping others during this time.

He knows that it will probably be years until people are able to catch a sunrise in Saint Tropez. And even when people do return to the roads and the skies, the way they do so might never be the same. 

"I think we're all still working through the day-by-day," he said. "But at the same time, I have great faith in commerce, and people's desires to move forward and improve their lives. The business is going to come back. It's just going to take some time." 

SEE ALSO: How small luxury retail businesses throughout the world are handling the pandemic — and their hopes for what comes next

DON'T MISS: Amazon is teaming up with Vogue for an online store showcasing independent luxury designers, but some say it signals a 'bleak' future for fashion

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