High Society the magazine was born, co-founder Leighton Davis says, out of a need to find a way to step up promotion for their various high-profile, all-inclusive party events.

Davis, Jody Myrie and Garth Walker have since set out to make the publication more than just promotional material, as evidenced by the fourth edition, which is out this week. It is a lifestyle magazine and in that respect ranks as one of Jamaica's finest.

As Davis says, "We wanted a platform to be able to reach out and educate people about our brand (High Society), to let them know it's not just a party, it's a lifestyle."

When quizzed about what sort of lifestyle he meant, Davis said, "The best of everything that life has to offer. this doesn't mean that any particular person is excluded - the fact that everybody in life always aspires to the best.
"It showcases upcoming artistes, young entrepreneurs, there is an automobile section."

The quarterly mag includes several regular columns or sections. Among them, The Last Word, Social Butterfly, Campus Life, Partying NYC Style and Truly Yurz by Kim Stiff, of RE-TV's Kim's World.

High Society features articles about some of Jamaica 's entertainment stars - those who have arrived and are currently shining, and those just over the horizon. The young entrepreneurs Davis mentioned have included or will include Delano Forbes of Phase III and Duane Lue-Fung of Copier Concepts.

To date, Davis says, the magazine has gone over well with the reading public and appropriate demographic, with 23-year-old Samantha Bowen saying that, "It's enticing, it tells you about the parties and about the people you see all the time but don't really know that much about. I like it."

Kesi Gardner of Sprawl Tees says, "In comparison to the other Jamaican entertainment magazines out there, it is more culturally based and marketed towards the 18 to 24-year-olds, who love to party, but I think there could be more attention to making it a more relevant experience, including more information, as to the hot spots to go to, where to shop for the latest gear and possibly what makes Kingston unique in its party experience."

Of course, he acknowledges, there are challenges and one of the biggest is distribution. Faced with prohibitive distributor margins, the company took the decision, as of the last issue to offer the magazine free islandwide. It can be found in areas of popular high traffic pharmacies, barber shops, beauty salons, DVD rental stores, clothing and accessories stores, as well as at events, says Davis.

Regarding its future, Davis says, "I want the magazine to grow in terms of content and quality and as something that embodies entertainment in the island for years to come."

Trousers in Denim

Cream of the 'Crop'

Cheeky's World