Wed | Apr 8, 2026

Ja-Mecca!

Creative powerhouse Mecca James-Williams celebrates birthday in JA style

Published:Friday | September 10, 2021 | 12:08 AMDebra Edwards/Assistant Online and Lifestyle Editor
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‘Jamaica makes me feel alive. There is a spirit of Jamaica that really feeds the soul and replenishes your spirit,’ says creative Mecca James-Williams, who was on island to celebrate her 28th birthday at Geejam Hotel in Portland.
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‘Jamaica makes me feel alive. There is a spirit of Jamaica that really feeds the soul and replenishes your spirit,’ says creative Mecca James-Williams, who was on island to celebrate her 28th birthday at Geejam Hotel in Portland.
A gorgeous arrangement of fruit and flowers curated by Doctor Bird Services for #MJW28.
Contributed
A gorgeous arrangement of fruit and flowers curated by Doctor Bird Services for #MJW28.
Mecca James-Williams having fun in the sun with a bright and bold pool party look for #MJW28.
Contributed
Mecca James-Williams having fun in the sun with a bright and bold pool party look for #MJW28.
The birthday girl Mecca James-Williams donning her silk dress collaboration with SVNR that’s dipped in green, yellow and black dyes as an ode to Jamaica.
Contributed
The birthday girl Mecca James-Williams donning her silk dress collaboration with SVNR that’s dipped in green, yellow and black dyes as an ode to Jamaica.
Left: Stylist and editor, Mecca James-Williams, sitting pretty in her sarong, a collaboration done with sustainable brand SVNR.
Contributed
Left: Stylist and editor, Mecca James-Williams, sitting pretty in her sarong, a collaboration done with sustainable brand SVNR.
Below: James-Williams and friends created a moment on the stairs at Trident Castle in Portland, rocking the creative’s sarongs, a collaboration with SVNR.
Contributed
Below: James-Williams and friends created a moment on the stairs at Trident Castle in Portland, rocking the creative’s sarongs, a collaboration with SVNR.
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Black girl opulence was at a fever pitch in Portland last weekend as New York-based creative dynamo Mecca James-Williams celebrated her birthday dubbed #MJW28 at Geejam Hotel.

“Jamaica makes me feel alive. There is a spirit of Jamaica that really feeds the soul and replenishes your spirit,” says James-Williams, the popular stylist and editor who took her first trip to Jamaica five years ago and fell for “the sereneness of the beaches, rivers, and greenery that are one of a kind”.

Of her first time to Jamaica, James-Williams recalls, “I stayed at an Airbnb in Negril called Somewhere West. I travelled with two of my closest friends, and it was the perfect quaint stay. We had dinner at Murphy’s in Negril our first night, back when it was a small restaurant. My first trip really set the tone for how I travel to Jamaica, taking in the local community and having a different experience outside of staying at resorts.”

James-Williams and her crew of more than 20 girlfriends in a partnership with Geejam and Doctor Bird Services enjoyed a curated bespoke experience that included jaw-dropping photo shoots, dance-offs, beach parties, a bonfire and epicurean feasts that were fit for queens in Portland.

As an ode to the island, James-Williams simultaneously revealed a special collaboration with sustainable brand SVNR of beautiful silk scarves, sarongs and dresses dipped in green, yellow and black, with part proceeds going to the Free Winnifred Beach Benevolent Society.

Travelling to Jamaica several times a year, she calls our land of wood and water her “favourite place”, and while she finds it difficult to pick her favourite Jamaican grub, she says, “I am obsessed with red pea soup with dumplings and pumpkin, and love a classic escovitch fish with callaloo and festival.”

Enamoured by the peace and tranquillity that being in Jamaica brings, she adds, “Jamaica is also a challenge, it makes you question how you move and show up in the world, and helps me find myself more holistically connected to earth and culture.”

debra.edwards@gleanerjm.com