Last night in Miami Beach Ocean Drive magazine and Ricky Martin, the glossies October issue cover star and multi award-winning actor, singer, activist and Puerto Rico native was joined by partners INFINITI and W South Beach to celebrate the new issue as well as raise crucial funds for hurricane victims in Puerto Rico.  Recognized as one of the most beloved performers and humanitarians, Ricky was joined by his fiancé Jwan Yosef, the magazine’s Editor-in-Chief, Jared Shapiro and Publisher, Courtland Lantaff along with VIPs and leading tastemakers including the Mayor of Miami Beach Philip Levine and more than 200 philanthropists and tastemakers in giving back to the victims in Puerto Rico of Hurricane Maria and Hurricane Irma. The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story star opened up to Ocean Drive in a candid interview inside the October issue about what fatherhood means to him, returning to Miami to play such an important role in the life and death of Gianni Versace and the inspiration behind creating the Ricky Martin Foundation.  Funds raised at the invitation-only event were collected through the Ricky Martin Foundation. In addition to INFINITI and W South Beach several Miami-based businesses supported the event through the donation of silent auction packages including hotel stays, luxury items and epicurean dinners. Guests enjoyed the sounds of DJ Rascal, DJ Iron Lyon and DJ Liveitup while sampling savory hors d’oeuvres and specialty cocktails by 1888 Rum.

by: Mary Jo Almeida-Shore

Seeing the Light:  Bianca the Delano

On Thursday night, the highly anticipated Italian restaurant, Bianca opened at the Delano Hotel to the delight of over a thousand guests who made their way across the eternal lobby into the restaurant and braved the limestone along the pool for the indoor/outdoor celebration.

While celebrities and VIPs dined inside the restaurant and on the terrace, partygoers enjoyed bites, libations and musical performances by Chris Botti and Little Louie Vega, (strange bedfellows indeed) out by the pool.  Vega’s dance tunes were abruptly halted by Botti’s intoxicating trumpet, which was accompanied by a gorgeous violinist who played in the pool, yes, IN the pool.  The music was captivating, especially when Botti played the theme from Cinema Paradiso, one of our favorite movies of all time.  The performance brought on a melancholy mood which was quickly interrupted by the site of a group of drunken models traipsing through the pool- there are just certain elements of this iconic hotel that will never change.  After which, Little Louie Vega took over again and was joined by Michelle Rodriguez for his second live set. Read the rest of this entry »