The Influential: ZION and the Rebirth of Post-Irma St. Barts

On September 6, 2017, the strongest storm on record to ever sweep through the open Atlantic made landfall on the small Caribbean island of Saint Barthélemy. With windspeeds of roughly 200 miles per hour, much of the island was devastated. Immediately, the community on St. Barts set out to rebuild. Within six months, St. Barts’ airport was handling daily flights. Yet, St. Barts had changed. St. Barts retained its status of luxury, but had regained something as well.

---

Founded to document St. Barths incredible resilience and transformation post-Irma is the new, free, and annual magazine ZION. The rugged but lush island has undergone a rebirth, and ZION highlights this beautiful, fresh, and young image of the island.

Immediately prior to Irma, St. Barts was famous for its ostentatious style. With the waters sweeping away the settled wealth, it was up to the residents to bring St. Barts back to its roots: a getaway where millionaires and celebrities could live amongst the locals.



As a lifestyle magazine, ZION showcases a relaxed, but glamorous island, emphasizing fashion and art, specifically those made by the young creative artists that live there. Renowned brands like Hublot, Louis Moinet, Roger Dubuis, Alpina, Bell & Ross, and Zenith, to name a few, flocked to ZION to align themselves with the cultural revitalization. Nestled alongside the larger names, fit a burgeoning number of smaller brands as well.

ZION adorns the radically and reactively transformed island, bringing together, and prominently displaying, the rebirthed wave of relaxed, but avant-garde style.