Jones magazine, the lifestyle publication aimed at African American women, launched its “Meet Me in Miami” event series on October 21 at the Hilton Bentley Hotel. The three-day event for women interested in fashion, beauty, and giving back to their community consisted of several activities, including spa retreats, skin-care clinics, yoga classes, empowerment workshops, runway shows, and special in-store promotions aimed at boosting sales during Miami Fashion Fest. Through destination management company Minority Travel Group, a combination of 80 locals and visitors booked their choice of full weekend packages, individual day passes, or single event tickets.
The weekend served as a coming-out party for Jones, which, according to publisher and entertainment attorney L. Londell McMillan, aims to “compete with Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar, and be better than Elle.” The magazine started off as a regional publication in Houston in 2005 and went national in April.
“One of the things we’ve been talking about as a brand is how to give an excursion-type experience to our consumers, and with Fashion Fest happening in Miami, it was the perfect opportunity for people from the fashion, beauty, and wellness arena to come together in a fun kind of way,” said Michelle Jones, South Florida representative for the magazine’s parent company, the NorthStar Group, and the event’s main planner.
In addition to obtaining sponsorships $3,500 to $10,000 from luxury brands such as Nicole Miller, Saks Fifth Avenue, and the Hilton Bentley, Jones had help from several Miami-based charities that pitched in to run operations on the ground.
“We really wanted to touch on the whole woman and this idea that beauty is not only on the outside, it’s also in the inside,” said Jones. “That’s why we had a big philanthropic push and every activity had this give-back component.” During the nighttime “Beauty of Philanthropy” event held at the Hilton Bentley on October 22, for instance, the magazine honored Byron Lars, who has dressed first lady Michelle Obama, and asked him to style girls from HANDY, an organization assisting foster children in the Broward County area. In total, Jones estimated the philanthropic push raised about $40,000, which will go toward the different charities involved.
Despite the positive feedback Jones said she received, it wasn’t a perfect weekend. One challenge, she said, resulted from cramming too many activities into short blocks of time, causing the overall itinerary to run behind schedule. “Next year we definitely need to allow the women more time to shop,” said Jones. She also stated that next year, the magazine will need more than the 90 days of planning time allotted this time around. “We really needed more time to promote it and market it the way it needed to be promoted and marketed.”
The weekend came to a close with a block party in Miami’s design district on October 24. The day kicked off with a “Bon Voyage” brunch at Italian eatery Mai Tardi and culminated with a local designer competition judged by McMillan, Jones editor in chief Tracey Ferguson, and Lars, among others. The winner, Suzette A. Kelly of Sarahi Fashion House, will be featured in an upcoming Jones magazine spread. In between the two events, guests visited nearby boutiques.
