By Elyssa Goodman
Photography By Max Dean
“If you want to feel the pulse of the island, you need to call the Prince of Dunmore,” Jay-Jay Percentie says, a smile crackling through his words on the other end of the telephone. “The Prince of Dunmore” is a nickname that the locals of Harbour Island, Bahamas, gave to him, riffing on the combination of his role as a licensed real estate agent at the island’s Dunmore Realty and his grandmother’s roots in the British Empire.
But beyond being a real estate agent, Percentie is known on and off the island as a “lifestylist,” a title coined by none other than Marie-Chantal Miller, Crown Princess of Greece. While direct royal lineage might not run through his blood, what Percentie is known for is being equal parts concierge, event planner, logistician and veritable encyclopedia of Harbour Island living for an upscale clientele that includes Elle Macpherson and India Hicks, among others.
“You have people who have been everywhere in the world, and they find Harbour Island as their special place,” says the 30-year-old Percentie. “For a small island, we have the rest of the world coming to us, and with them comes their ideas—and their style.”
Because all the elements for an event need to be imported onto the island, Percentie prides himself on assembling every shipment down to the last detail. His work has been featured in Brides magazine as well as wedding blog, Style Me Pretty.
Percentie also loves combining the international tastes of his clients with the beauty of Harbour Island living, which inspires Bryland, the clothing brand he co-produces that’s known for its upscale resort style. For Percentie, it’s just another day in the life of a Bahamian “royal.”
Originally appeared in the Fall 2015 issue.
