Gareth Smith relishes the challenge of finding hard-to-get items for his clients. As manager of the Miami office of Quintessentially, an international private members luxury concierge service, Smith specializes in "arranging things no one else can."
QUINTESSENTIAL SERVICELEVEL 1: Members have 24/7 access to the "Ask Q" team, which provides general, high-end concierge services. Annual fee: $1,500
LEVEL 2: Members get their own personal account manager. Services are more proactive as the account manager learns members' needs and tastes. Annual fee: $3,500
LEVEL 3: Members get "kid glove" treatment, including the personal cell phone numbers of Quintessentially executives in key cities who make sure that every request goes through perfectly. Annual fee: $36,000
With offices in London; New York; Geneva; Dubai, United Arab Emirates; and Beijing, to name a few, Smith says opening in Miami was a natural given the city's growing cosmopolitan status. He arranges everything from personal shopping trips to Bal Harbour Shops to a private boutique fashion show in an executive hotel suite or dinner reservations on short notice at one of the city's top restaurants. He can get members bumped up on huge wait lists for Hermes' Birkin bags or BMW's new M3 convertible. It's all about connections, he says. But that's all he'll divulge.
Quintessentially has acquired nearly 100 members in the nine months it's been in Miami; worldwide, the company has 5,000 to 6,000 members, including British, Saudi and Danish royalty, rock stars like Madonna and Moby and big screen stars like Gwyneth Paltrow.
Annual membership fees run from $1,500 to $36,000, depending on the level of service. Applications to join, Smith says, are reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
PERSONAL SHOPPERCLIENTSYNDEY BAYNE
President / Smarter Image International
CLEARWATERHOUSH GHOVAEE
CEO, founder / Northside Engineering
CLEARWATERWHAT: Personal image development program. Helps clients develop image through color charting, wardrobe consulting and assisted shopping.
WHERE: Home visits for closet overhaul and shopping excursions anywhere from Stein Mart to Bergdorfs.
COST: $150 an hour or daily rate for out-of-town trips negotiated on a case-by-case basis.
MOTTO: "No matter where you're going, you always have something to wear."STYLE: Eclectic from casual to business. "I don't want to fit in one category."
CHALLENGE: "I wasn't aware of this type of business. I want to see what Sydney has to offer to change or improve my style."
GOAL: Likes clothes and likes to shop for them but wants help in finding what else is out there.
FAVORITE PLACES TO SHOP: Neiman Marcus at International Plaza, Westshore Plaza (both in Tampa), Macy's and Dillard's.
FAVORITE DESIGNERS: Giorgio Armani, Ralph Lauren - Polo.
Suiting Up
Non-profit Dress for Success Northeast Florida provides image counseling and business suits for low-income women making the transition into the workforce.
When a woman is referred to Dress for Success, she is paired with a personal shopper who assists her in choosing a suit and accessories from the organization's boutique. Women usually get one suit for the job interview and another for the first day at work. If the boutique's inventory is high, a client may get enough clothing for an entire workweek at no charge.
The boutique is stocked with donated gently worn business attire, and Avon often donates pearls.
Candace Moody, president of the Dress for Success Northeast Florida board, says many clients have had hard lives. When they meet with their personal shopper, it's often the first time they have ever had this kind of support and personalized attention.
Dress for Success Northeast Florida has served almost 2,000 women since it opened five years ago. There are also affiliates of the New York City-based organization (dressforsuccess.org) in Fort Myers, Orlando, Palm Beach County and the Tampa area.
Shipping and Handling
A SURE SIGNPersonal shoppers have become so popular in recent years that there is even a category on Monster.com. It lists no formal education requirements for the position but states good communications skills, tact and patience are essential for the job.
Miami-based Seabourn Cruise Lines is providing a new service to its guests: Personal shoppers in its ports of call. The excursion includes transportation by private car, lunch reservations and a shopping trip led by an English-speaking local shopping maven who knows where to get the best the locale has to offer, whether hand-woven silk in Thailand or the flagship stores of Ferragamo or Gucci in Italy. Seabourn's personal shopper programs are offered in about a dozen cities, including ports on the Cote D'Azur such as Cannes, France, and Monte Carlo, Monaco. Other cities include Athens, Greece; Istanbul, Turkey; Copenhagen, Denmark; Bangkok, Thailand; Hong Kong; St. Petersburg, Russia; and Florence, Italy. Prices range from $295 to $895.