Chester Francis-Jackson, Contributor
International supermodel Nadine Willis. - WINSTON SILL/FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER
MY DEARS, the age of the Cancerians is upon us and the partying is well and truly in fabulously high gear!
Luvs, our North American friends and neighbours might have been celebrating their Independence Day on July 4, but for the charming Michelle Davies, outgoing public relations manager of Hedonism III resort in Runaway Bay, it was all about her, as it was the charming lassie's birthday.
Well, tomorrow security mogul and recently appointed Honorary Consul to the Ukraine, Kenny Benjamin, will celebrate his birthday, but the partying will begin tonight at his Guardsman Group corporate headquarters and it promises to be all that, and then some.
On Sunday, however, it was all about the gorgeous Dr. Saphire Longmore, as the beauty celebrated her birthday at a charmingly happening barbecue thrown in her honour by her beau, EU diplomat Alex Dropinski, at their Stony Hill abode, and pumpkins, it was a scorcher!
FUNKIEST TUNES
Hosted poolside and with DJ to the chic, Archie, spinning some of the hottest and funkiest tunes, guests not only danced up a fabulous little vibe, they downright partied hard! In between dips in the pool and/or being sprayed by the spouting faux marlin, it was clear that guests were out to party, and party they did!
And fab couple Howard Barton and his oh-so-fabulous wife Nancy Kalb-Barton jetted into the island on the weekend for their annual Jamaican vacation, and both are as hot as ever!
Then we caught up with the fabulously grand Helene-Marie Gosselin at the Ritz-Carlton Resort in Montego Bay on Tuesday evening, and y'all know that old saying - you either have it, or you don't! Well, my daahlings, Madam Gosselin does have it - that fabulous and oh so marvellous elan that sets the fabulous apart from others!
It's been a while since the one-time UNESCO's representative to Kingston and the region has been spotted in Jamaica, and my word, she has been missed as she's known for her fabulous sense of haute style. Madam Gosselin's presence on the diplomatic circuit added that regal sense of style that transported your run-of-the-mill reception to the sphere of fabdom.
She is now the director of UNESCO's office in New York, and UNESCO's Representative to the U.N., and is loving it! Mon congrats my dear!
And speaking of the Ritz- Carlton, y'all can expect the fabness for which the esteemed property is known to be turned up quite a few notches, as there's a new GM in town, and here excellence is his watchword!
Robert Jensch is the new man, and having arrived from Europe just about six months ago, he has become the toast of his charges, peers and colleagues for his professionalism and hands-on operational mode! The word is out - The Ritz is back into The Ritz-Carlton!
And speaking of fabulous resorts, my daahlings, it will be a November wedding for Grand Lido Braco's affable GM Ron Droegmyer and his fiancée, the lovely Mai Ling! It will be a Las Vegas wedding, however, and very intimate affair, restricted to a critically hand-picked shortlist of family and friends!
And after nine months as general manager of Sandals Negril, Scott Robins has been appointed the new GM of Beaches Turks and Caicos, and will take up his new appointment come next Monday.
It's all systems go, however, for his September wedding to fiancée, the charming Tricia Bridge, so wait for the nuptials as it promises to be one fine affair!
And my dears, it's that time of the year again when the fabulous and the well-to-do pack their Louis Vuittons and/or other such designer luggage and head off for their annual vacation. So snob-society will be missing a number of its more revered members for the remainder of the summer, as Desmond and Peggy Blades and Anthony and Jeanne Watson are already on the Continent with Chris and Michelle Bovell scheduled to jet out this here weekend.
DOWNTOWN DIVA
And wait for this, as come August and Jamaica's Independence weekend, the one- time burlesque dancer and reigning downtown diva, now turned high-fashion model and darling of the fashion paparazzi, the irrepressible Nadine Willis, will celebrate her birthday with a special honour. The Gucci model will have the esteemed honour of being the first Jamaican to have one of those fabulous suites at Hedo III named in her honour! Wait for it because it promises to be a swanky little affair, but more definitely anon!
And so it seems that the promised PR guru never turned up for the big pow-wow that was planned for last weekend over there on the South Coast. But there are those in corporate Jamaica who can't wait for him to get here, as if the current 'handlers' are driving some in corporate world more than a little crazy, as the calls being made to those in the business community seeking corporate recognition are not only a
little shrill, they are downright off-putting!
And as for the move to bolster the 'image', some are saying what is needed is not a PR guru, but a personality transplant.
