Chester Francis-Jackson, Contributor
Suzette Maragh can't help moving to the music.
What a season ending/opening shebang! From the east to the west, it was all that and then some!
Luvs, destination Jamaica, is still the preferred get-away for the international 'A-crowd'.
My daahlings, billionaire Paul Allen docked his yacht just off the St. Mary coastline, near Oracabessa, and motored over to the world-famous Golden Eye resort, where he was the very special guest at Chris Blackwell's New Year's Eve celebrations.
And, my dears, you know when your chief guest is one of the world's richest men, ordinary flies out the door for haute-fab! Not that the iconoclastic Mr. Blackwell, knows how to do ordinary, but so it was my darling dears, fab like that and nothing but!
So, think Champagne buffet! Think a-la carte! Think fab and unpretentiously laid-back! Think continentally chic! Think the very essence of cool, and then you'll get the picture of just how fine this outing was!
Information, Culture, Youth and Sports, Minister Olivia 'Babsy' Grange, was in attendance, as was the inter-continentally fabulous, Grace Jones, who quietly jetted into the island to see in the New Year with her long-time friend.
Meanwhile, in Port Antonio, it was all about the world-famous, Oscar-winning, Italian film director Bernardo Bertolucci and his British-born screenwriter/director wife, Clare Peploe. Both jetted into the island quietly for the New Year in San San, in one of those fabulously exclusive villas for which the parish is celebrated, internationally.
Chic party
Cindy Breakspeare-Bent boogies down with an energetic Vinay Walia.
And, international 'A crowder', the Grand Duchess of Austria, the fabulous Francesca von Habsburg, saw in Christmas at her Alligator Head villa, in Port Antonio followed by a fabulously chic party with Third World providing the music. The shortlist included some of Europe's leading citizens jamming to the hits of the famous reggae band.
Hanover was kicking too, especially at the tres elegant Round Hill. Pumpkins, here it was all imported Beluga, high glam, unequalled glitz and the rich and famous jetting in from around the globe to see in 2008 in Jamaican style.
Pumpkins, this was where style arbiter and the 'pope of fashion', Ralph Lauren, and his glamour puss of a wife, Ricky, saw in the New Year.
Middle-Eastern royalty was in tow too.
Dears, we are talking one fabulous season here, as there were at least 17 private airplanes parked in the VIP section of the Donald Sangster Airport, in Montego Bay.
My dears, we are talking Learjets, and Citations here, and nothing but, so there!
Meanwhile, in the nation's capital, two of the outstanding parties were Kenny Benjamin's at his Montgomery estate in Stony Hill and the celebratory bash of Laurie and Ruth Hussey, at their Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel, Waterloo Road, in New Kingston.
The reviews are in and one was a style magma, the other a fab-fest and then some.
No word yet on how and where the nation's first couple, Sir Kenneth and Lady Hall, saw in '08, but amidst reports of being under the weather, the Prime Minister and Mrs. Golding saw in the New Year with other revellers at the Tryall Club. Opposition Leader Mrs. Simpson Miller opted for a quiet evening at home. Former Prime Minister Edward Seaga and wife Carla made it a very intimate affair with dinner for two at their residence.
And, my daahlings, people are still talking about the fab-fest that Kingsley Cooper and his consort, Romae Gordon, hosted at Villa Ronai on Christmas Eve. My dears, it was like that, and then some! Guests included: Mr. and Mrs. Gary Sinclair; David Minott; the fab Lisa Marzouca; Steven Greig and his fab wife Nicola Madden-Greig; Safia Cooper of Red Stripe; Wesley Saulter; Air Jamaica's Tracey-Ann Menzies; Oliver Magnus and son Russell Magnus and daughter Lisanne Magnus, visiting from NY; Andre Hylton; footwear designer Bridget Brown; Olympians Juliet Cuthbert and Aileen Bailey; Canadian sprint star and Olympian gold medalist Donovan Bailey; impresario/artist/manager Sharon Burke; Wayne Nunez and his leggy companion; Jennifer Armond; artist Andy Jefferson; singer Nadine Sutherland; actor/comic Glenn Campbell; independent TV producer Judith Alberga; photographer Franz Garcia; celebrity chef Dennis Lee; the lovely Andi Golding; Sven and Tracey Volke; Paul and Sue Morris; Jason Robinson squiring his supermodel sibling Nell Robinson and their cousin, Victoria Tavares-Finson; Stephen Pottinger and the fabulous Leejay Willams.
Also present were: Paul March; Marsha Wilson, in from France; Sheldon Gordon, in from Connecticut; Jacqueline Lee-Butler, in from New York; the super sexy Simone Campbell; make-up artist to the fab, Sandra Gayle; the drop-dead-gorgeous Carla Campbell; Gaye McDonald, Pulse's, hot new Vogue sensation, recently listed in Red Magazine's top 100 in the world; Danielle Bowen, Canadian-based Pulse model; and latest discoveries Roshelle, Fallon, and Saskia.
Champagne wishes and caviar treats to playwright and actor Aston Cooke, who celebrates his milestone tomorrow! Also celebrating is legal eagle Monique Cohen, who also marks a special milestone year with an expected bash tomorrow in Stony Hill.
The always elegant Audrey Marks-Dunstan arrives to party.
Luann Goswami (left) and Vinay Walia 'buss' a move.
Earl and Gloria Wedderburn roll back the years.
Rivi Gardner and wife, Margaret, make a grand entrance. - photos by Winston Sill / Freelance Photographer
Tanny Shirley shows he can keep up with Suzette Maragh.
Oliver Jarchow and wife Floreen whom we haven't seen on the social scene for a while, make an appearance.
Grantley Stephenson and constant companion, wife, Judith.
The host Kenny Benjamin welcomes Carolyn Moo-Young and J. Lester Spaulding to the party.
Dr. Patrice Charles-Freeman looks stunning in this dress.
Gary and Bernadette Barrow make their way into the party.
