Chester Francis-Jackson, Contributor
Adrianna Bryan and Melissa Bennett show off more than the new bMobile phones when Pulse launched the bMobile Caribbean Model Search 2006 at the Caribbean Fashion Centre at the Pulse Complex, Trafalgar Road, on Tuesday, April 11.
NOW, Y'ALL know the age-old saying 'Never judge a book by its cover', right! Well, add this saying to that one: Never pre-judge a party by the invitation. And honeys, y'all can take my word for this little bit of priceless information because to do otherwise, you might just be missing out on a darn good party!
And two Tuesdays ago, some invitations went out to the fashionable and the chic, inviting them to attend at Pulse's 38a Trafalgar Road, at the Penthouse, known to those in the know as Trafalgar Bay, for the launch of this year's Caribbean Model Search. There was a twist, however, as this outing was taking on a new dimension, as it was now billed as the bMobile Caribbean Model Search, and this new branding, if anything, not only made fashionistas, fashion-bessies and style patrons somewhat jaded by this new development, it left many feeling quite sceptical.
The reasons for this scepticism were based primarily on the fact that in the past where corporate sponsorship has seen it fit to piggy-back on a successful event and/or brand, the event and/or brand,
tend to lose some of its lustre and/or
originality, to become a watered-down semblance of its former core.
CULT-LIKE FOLLOWING
In this respect, my dears, the Pulse brand is a well known brand and considered highly successful, its annual Model Search and Caribbean Fashion Week Showcase, the region's premier fashion events, attracting cult-like following. Now, in recent years, Cable and Wireless has been seen more like a struggling entity so, this here marriage of sponsorship between the telephony giant and the region's leading arbiter in all things fashion was more than cause enough for a double take for some.
Well, my luvs, it was this itty-bitty concern that caused some to hesitate upon receiving the invitation to attend at the launch. So my dears, what for mere mortals might have been an unattainable feat, Pulse pulled off with the aplomb and finesse of the grandmaster.
Luvs, have you ever arrived at a party with the notion that you will stay for half an hour, without really getting involved, but hours later you find not only that you are you still there, but you are also totally involved? Well sweet-things, this was one of those, and how!
Honeys, it was one of those a hot-number, and then some!
If this launch party was anything to judge by (and we think it was), then my dears, happy days are on their way again for Cable & Wireless.
OH MY WORD, WHAT A PARTY!
Sweet-things, it was as if all of Kingston's hot-numbers descended on Trafalgar Bay for the affair. There were two screens to highlight power-points of the night's brief presentations by Pulse CEO, Kingsley Cooper, and Cable & Wireless president, Rodney Davis.
Honeys, scheduled to commence at 6:30, it did, and by 7:00 p.m., there was hardly any room at the inn for the many guests who kept streaming in. And with famed DJ Squeeze, of Mega Jam Radio, pumping up the vibe with some funky current and past hits from the pop archives, y'all know, we are talking a fabulous stew here!
Dovecakes, it was sizzling and in haute mode as the hot models, the super fab ones and their admirers, all jammed to some fine beats, the bar pouring up some fabulous mixes, while the kitchen just kept on pumping out some hot and tasty morsels much to the delight of those in attendance.
Sweet-things, aam-a-tellin-yuh, it was one of the finest but
yet unexpected parties ever, made that much more sensational by the runway quality
of it all, as luvs, those in attendance were working it like that!
Those out included: Pulse founding partner the charming Hillary Phillips QC; Jamaica's Ambassador to Cuba Ambassador Eleanor Sherlock and hubby Bruce Sherlock; Pulse's Romae Gordon; Gurney Beckford; Lennie Little-White; noted attorney Denise Kitson; Geoff Cobbham; Marva Broomfield-Clarke; Cable and Wireless VPs David Reavely, Stephane Lecuyer, Roger Richards, and Jackie Knight-Campbell; the fabulous Sophia MaxBrown; Businessman Ribbie Chung; Caribbean Producers Devon Reid; Air Jamaica's Delia Bennett; former Miss Jamaicas Universe Angeline Martin and Raquel Wright; Mainland International Jodie Myrie, Garth Walker and Leighton Davies the drop-dead gorgeous Nathalie Passmore; Hunk and then some Lyle Edwards; Independent TV Producer Michelle Giester; and the celebrated Leroy Sibbles.
The lovely Lily Scherer and her fabulous daughter; Jon Baker of Gee-jam Music; the oh-so-hot Nathalie St. Louis; Starfish Oils Kynan Cooke; beauty Ayesha Sengalli; Dave Simpson of the fabulously 'in' Verandah; CVM President Dr. David McBean, its Marketing Manager, the charming Danielle Desulme; dancer and choreographer Tony Wilson; Fiona Bailey; Egbert von Frankenberg; the fab Odessa Chambers; noted designer of Urban wear Biggy; one half of the fabulous Sibblies twin Shauna Sibblies; Designer Gary Codner; the fab Kerry Spencer of Salon Innovation; Gairy Smith; Peter Morris of the celebrated Gymkhana; Susie Crosbie-Bridges and her fabulous daughter Bianca Bridges, in from NY; Serchen Morris; Designer Simone Clarke, of SIIM; Nigel Black of Y-Not; the ultra- fabulous Tracy Moses; Christopher Hardy; Melanie Gaugenbaum; plus several scores more.
