Janet Silvera, Senior Gleaner Writer

Former Miss Jamaica, April Parchment, looking swell with her new short hairdo. She is picture perfect at Maco's launch of its new magazine 'Destinations'.

WESTERN BUREAU:

The thousands of lights that embroider the city of Montego Bay at night gave a fitting backdrop to the scene at the exclusive Silent Waters Villa on Saturday, September 9, as Maco Caribbean celebrated the birth of its latest publication, Destinations.

The panoramic view and the large turnout of social butterflies were all the publisher and partner, Caribbean Producers, needed to proclaim a place on the Second City's list of the first rate soirees for 2006.

As early as 7:00p.m., the atmosphere at the imposing Balinese villa, where celebrity, Star Jones, and her crew created waves three years ago, was buzzing with merriment and exhilaration.

The women had donned the best of haute couture; the men seemed content, while Maco's managing director, Nehysa Sooden, and her team worked the Thai-inspired tiled floors relentlessly.

Before long, it was on the lips and cemented in the minds of many that MoBay is fast becoming the island's party capital - a fact Nehysa Sooden was about to make known. "Four years ago I had my first launch in Kingston and it was a success," the Trinidadian-born raised-in-Barbados editor-in-chief told The Gleaner. "This time I have chosen to launch this new publication in the tourism capital."

Portraying the Caribbean as no other

Maco Destinations, a high gloss magazine, published by Toute Bagai Publishing, portrays the Caribbean as no other, showing the Caribbean the way it should be shown - through the eyes of its people, said Sooden, adding that places to stay and what to eat will all be featured in the quarterly publication.

The faces of which Maco spoke were also present - tourism mogul, Heinz Simonistch's wife, Elisabeth, who has mastered the art of wearing the best. Mrs. Simonitsch donned a white hand-embroidered La Perla dress, while Ann Chang-Therrien selected carefully from her Bebe collection; her husband, Ray, complemented her beautifully in white.

Orgasmic Fiji water

This party was all about looking good, savouring the best of Absolut Vodka, premium red and white wine and experiencing the orgasmic Fiji water, Caribbean Producer's latest addition.

The fabulous people who attended included Godfrey Dyer, Gurney Beckford, Karen Neita, April Parchment, Joan Lee, Violet Whitfield, Ann Chen, Cecile and Kevin Levee, Maureen Shaw, Jillian Henry, Marcia McLaughlin, SSP Warren Clarke, Stephen, Linda and Krystan Dear, Beverly Gordon, Maurice Samuels, Dominique Peterkin, Pauline Reid, Jim and JuliaSnead, Yoly and Gobind Mahtani, Anna Toby, Safia Khan, Michelle Tulloch, Antonio Ruiz, Mariano Spini, Andrea Burrowes, Blaise Hart, Heidi Stollmeyer, Paul Lalor, Bernadette Dunn plus Cecil and Jackie Bird.

Also out were MartineFontaine, Gerard and Jason Fontaine, Latoya Johnson, Karen Ffrench, Dr. Curtis and Audrey Yeates, Clive Mullings, Edmund Bartlett, John Kearney and Christine Gayle, Lynne Scott, Courtney Hamilton and Judy Farmer, Makeda Solomon, Arlene McKenzie, Yoni Epstein, Adam Stewart and Jill Simpson, Jordan Samuda and Christina Corneliak, Gopal Khiani, Stephanie Scott, Jason and Anna-Kay Russell, Bruce Hart, Serena Lue, John and Paola Byles, Anthony Graham, Shaun Henriques, Patrick Casserly, Monique Archibald, Radcliffe Murray, Craig Clare, Angelique Whittaker, Christine Gourzong, Dilip (Denny) and Veena Chandiram; Giorgio Rusconi, Ramara McConnell and Jason Lopez, Pat and Grace Hamilton, Kumar and Julie Samtani, Dinesh Dadlani, Ravi and Samara Daswani, Brian Jardim and Mitchel Watson.