Left: The ever-elegant Audrey Marks. - Winston Sill/Freelance PhotographerRight: Saleem Lazarus - Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer Chester Francis-Jackson, Contributor
It's the Cinco de Mayo, everywhere, but especially so in Central and Latin America. Here in Kingston, however, it's all about that erstwhile art collector and patron of the arts, the indomitable Wallace Campbell, who celebrates his birthday today. His sister, Jennifer Lim, will be hosting a tres-chic shindig at her upper St. Andrew home to celebrate the occasion, some time over this weekend.
My daahlings, it promises to be a fab-fest, and yes, it's invites only!
Then, on April 28, it was the charming Millicent Peart who celebrated her birthday. The celebration, however, was in the form of an outing to Trinidad, for spiritual renewal. The week began, however, with one-time political firebrand, Dr. D.K. Duncan, celebrating his special day on Sunday, and it was an intimate number all the way as his constant companion, the oh so fabulous Beverly Anderson-Manley, made it a cosy twosome and nothing but!
Then the following day it was all about the fab Audrey Marks, who celebrated her birthday on Monday. No word here on the celebrations but the buzzing entrepreneur was looking like all that, and then some, on Tuesday, at Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller after-budget gala at Jamaica House. And on Tuesday, it was still all about the happening people, as it was then the turn of television personality and dancehall queen, Carlene Smith, to celebrate, and this she did with lover and confidant, businessman and former high-profile PNP activist Danhai Williams.
Champagne wishes, y'all!
Carlene
And champagne greetings (Cristal, of course), to the fab couple Saleem Lazarus and his lovely wife Anna-Kaye, who celebrated their ninth wedding anniversary on Wednesday of this week, and capped the celebrations by taking off and heading to the always buzzing north coast town of Ocho Rios and the tres-chic and decidedly fabulous treat of a hotel, the Royal Plantation, for a little bit of sun and frolic!
Many happy returns, here!
Hot number
And speaking of Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller's after-budget reception, my dears, more about that fab do later, as that was a hot number, so more anon, as what seems to be the only topic doing the rounds during and outside of the political beltway is her performance during her budget presentation.
My daahlings, even her detractors are now heaping kudos on her for what was undoubtedly one of her finest moments since being elected PNP president and subsequently Prime Minister. Dovecakes, don't know what those who are acting surprised were expecting, but if the Opposition was pinning its hopes on her giving a miserable performance to win the favour of the electorate, then those hopes must be sorely dashed by now!
And so, my dears, after many years of being social outcasts, suffering political repression and outright oppression, it seems that Rastafari, that awesome religion and way of life bequeathed to the world by Jamaica, has now come of age.
Times and things have changed since the early days of the movement, and while there is still some social prejudice in a minority of Jamaicans - to paraphrase the Virginia Slims commercial, 'we have indeed come a long way!'
Enter the petite Zahra Redwood, fabulous, possessing impeccable social skills, learned, with such style and verve that she impressed the judges of the contest and they voted her Miss Jamaica Universe 2007.
Now, you would have imagined that with the best girl winning, all would move to support her; but no, Zahra is a dreadlocked Rastafarian, and so those who look to Europe as the stereotypical prototype for beauty found her win just a tad off-putting. And rather than embrace her as a Jamaican and international goodwill ambassador, have adopted a hands-off approach.
Well my daahlings, Zahra Redwood has got style and loads of grace, and plus that little indefinable something the French called je ne sais quoi. On Monday evening at the Trafalgar Road headquarters of Pulse, she paraded selections from her vast wardrobe, to be worn at the month-long Miss Universe finals. She departed on Tuesday for her date with destiny in Mexico City on May 28. And for my word, was she hot!
Honeychiles, with the bearing known only to the regal, Zahra gave a sampling of her wardrobe in a one-woman fashion show featuring pieces from designers and clothiers: Mutamba, Moncrieffe, MaxBrown, Ashley Renée, Uzuri, Keneea Linton, Mosiah, Neah Lis, Simya, Lubica, La Pluma Negra, Melyse and Puma - and honeychiles, she worked!
Accessorised by Bling-Bling, and sporting one fine attitude, Zahra gave ample glimpses of just how fabulous she is and why, with her non-traditional look, pageant watchers everywhere should expect her to be a favourite in the Miss Universe contest.
Among the notables were: Mexican Ambassador HE Leonora Rueda; British High Commission's First Secretary Andy Jones; Honorary Consul of Ecuador, Clelia de Barretto Hunter; father of the queen Kwesi Redwood; Professor Dr. Carolyn Cooper; Maurice Foster; Hillary Phillips QC; Dr. Leahcim Semaj and his son; Barbara Blake-Hanna; the ravishing Sophia MaxBrown; E. George HoSang; Gilou Bauer; Ever Wilson and his lovely companion; the simply and absolutely fabulous Nathalie St. Louis; Eddie Channer; Sharon Beckford; fashion designer Lubica Kucerova; fashion designer Carl Williams from Uzuri; artist Bridgette Anderson; Keith Cousins; Mega Jamz diva the fab René Wilson; Hot TV hostess Amelia 'Milk' Sewell; make-up artist Paul March; and the lovely Kimala Bennett; plus a number of others.
Bon voyage, my dear, and we will be tuned in, so walk good!
Red seems to be her colour, and Miss Jamaica Universe 2007, Zahra Redwood, wears it well as she shows her wardrobe at a farewell reception, held at Pulse headquarters, Trafalgar Road, on Monday, April 30. - Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer
Beverly Anderson-Manley - Photo by Janet Silvera
Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller and her husband Errald make their way to the lawns of Jamaica House where the after- budget speech reception was held on Tuesday, May 1. - Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer
