By: Mary Jo Almeida-Shore 

Nick D’Annunzio’s Luau Birthday Bash 

Few, if any, events during the month of August in Miami elicit the palpable excitement of Nick D’Annunzio’s annual birthday bash, which turns the average sweltering/humid summer night into one of fever-pitch fun. 

This year was no exception.   Co-principal of Miami Beach-based PR agency TARA, Ink., D’Annunzio celebrated his birthday with a PanAm-era luau benefiting Make-A-Wish Southern Florida on Saturday, August 10, at OCHO- the hip and very private upstairs poolside bar on the eighth floor of Soho Beach House. The oceanfront deck of OCHO was transformed to resemble 1960s Hawaii as guests, who had been “leied” upon arrival-not a bad way to start- sipped on spiked Coconut Cartel coconuts- out of actual coconuts, and Reyka Vodka and noshed on “Hawaiian” tacos and chips and guac.  More than 500 guests, all dressed in-theme enjoyed entertainment by a hula dancer, who moved her hips expertly to DJ Dutch’s island-disco grooves, while Elvis’ Blue Hawaii was projected on the wall of a nearby building.  For those made sleepy by the summer heat, natural Hawaiian ginger energy shots by KLEAN33 gave them the necessary boost to party on.  D’Annunzio was surprised with  a luscious, custom-made mango sheet cake by Cecconi’s. Read the rest of this entry »

By:  Mary Jo Almeida-Shore and Maryanne Salvat

Nary a deluge nor flood could keep the fashion forward from the tents at the Raleigh hotel for the 2014 Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim (MBFWS) shows.  Arguably the best week of the summer, MBFWS brought five days of designer runway shows, presentations and parties to Miami Beach from July 18 through July 22.  The palpable excitement of the eager crowd could be felt throughout the Raleigh on Thursday, July 18, as models, designers, journalists, stylists and chefs posed and mingled beneath umbrellas for the kick-off party that took place poolside and featured a Roxy PopSurf Runway Show. Nearby, on the covered terrace, the delightful, Mercedes-Benz Presents designer Mara Hoffman, showed off the most coveted item of the week- a colorful, striking E-Cabriolet convertible, which Mercedes-Benz wrapped in a new print from Hoffman’s 2014 resort collection.  Hoffman and guests, including model, Chrissy Teigen, posed in front of the car throughout the evening-many longing to hop in and go for a spin.  The party went on past its official end time- with lots of excited chatter and a crowd who refused to let a little (or a LOT) of rain dampen their moods, and set the tone for one of the best weekends of the year.  Read the rest of this entry »

 By:  Mary Jo Almeida-Shore  

Best Bar- South Beach- The Broken Shaker 

The Broken Shaker, the casual yet stylish bar at the quaint Freehand Hotel, is a bohemian speakeasy with a refined cocktail program at an accessible price point.  It’s one of the quaintest, liveliest bars this side of Paris, which serves up the most delicious drinks, made from the freshest and most authentic ingredients you’ll find anywhere with such attention to detail that even the ice is precisely cut to match each cocktail.  Oh, and the best part? Each drink and the delicious light bites won’t empty your wallet.  Read the rest of this entry »

By Mary Jo Almeida-Shore 

Downtown Miami Security Building Launch 

Two fabulous events took over the historic Downtown Security Building, drawing more than 400 lovers of art and fashion on Thursday, June 27.  The Miami-based KIWI Arts Group inaugurated its new Project Space, expanding from Wynwood with this second location, opening with the public premiere of William John Kennedy: The Warhol Museum Edition portfolio.  The collection of five photographs reveal a young Warhol on the cusp of fame and was created to raise funds for The Andy Warhol Museum. Eric Shiner, the museum’s director, states, “With this rare body of work, Kennedy has given us some of the most joyous and insightful images of Andy Warhol ever created.”  Serving as a looking glass into pop culture, both past and present, the event also launched Perrier’s limited edition Warhol bottles, presented with the support of Herradura and Chambord vodka.   Read the rest of this entry »

Reuters

By:  Mary Jo Almeida-Shore 

When our beloved Miami Heat won the NBA Championship, for the SECOND time, (by the skin of their teeth after a grueling game 6) Miami as a whole shared a cathartic joy- as we are all once again, on some level, champions. Nowhere was this more evident than at Story nightclub, just a few hours before dawn, on Friday morning, at various nightclubs throughout the weekend and on the streets during the championship parade and at the American Airlines Arena (AAA) during the championship celebration on Monday. 

“We are the Champions” blared through the speakers at Story nightclub (the sister club to LIV, where the champs celebrated last year) at around 3 a.m. on Friday morning, as the Miami HEAT players, once again World Champions, fresh from winning one of the most exciting games in NBA history, entered the massive nightclub through the secret back entrance for their official victory party, to the ecstatic chants of thrilled fans, who shouted, “Let’s go Heat!”    Read the rest of this entry »

By:  Mary Jo Almeida-Shore

One of the best parts about staying in town for the summer, as the social season slows down, is that we get to experience what it’s like to vacation in paradise, without leaving home.  Just last week we got the chance to “stay-cation” at the Sense Beach House which felt like our very own beach house.  Possibly Miami Beach’s closest interpretation of a “bed and breakfast,” this 18- room luxury boutique hotel offers a casually sophisticated atmosphere, just steps from the ocean, and a personalized guest experience that feels more like a private Hamptons retreat than a hotel on Ocean Drive. Furnished exactly in the manner in which we would decorate our own beach house- in shades of blue and white with natural sea glass and bleached wood, the boutique hotel utilizes natural light to create a casual, beach chic ambiance while still offering the most up-to-date, modern amenities. Read the rest of this entry »