A year to remember - Studio 38 anniversary celebrations in full swing

Last night, Studio 38, the restaurant and entertainment venue on Trafalgar Road, continued to celebrate its first anniversary.

last Friday night was the first instalment in a series of events that serve to pay homage to the landmark.

An enthusiastic house at the Pulse headquarters honoured the occasion with a fashion show featuring Pulse models, a performance from dancehall forerunner Pinchers, and selections from Megajams 98 DJ Squeeze.

Kingsley Cooper, head of Pulse and a member of the quartet which runs the independent Studio 38, told The Gleaner that a different programme of activities will take place every Friday night until the 7th of January, 2011.

Fashion Fix was the name of that first event, kicking off the celebration with a showcase of local designs from the likes of 'Shades' by Kerry Kay's, Mutamba, and swimwear from Mushroom.

The festivities began early with drink specials, as Kingston's business crowd wound down for the day and slowly disrobed a week's worth of pressure, crowding around the bar in anticipation.

As the night carried on, a younger crowd began to trail in, taking seats around a central stage, set up for both dancing and the expected fashion event. When the crowd just began to bubble over into the standing areas, the lights came on and DJ Christuff of Renaissance Disco started to warm the crowd with tracks for both the youngsters and the more aged musical ears.

'Shades' by Kerry Kay's was the first collection shown and featured Pulse models Latoya Craig, Hanna Lettman, Fallon Harris and Racquel Smith, to name a few.

The crowd cheered to the girls' playful sashay across the platform in Kay's collection of cocktail minidresses.

The second collection came from Mutamba who showed an earthy side with the models parading the catwalk in flowy dresses barefoot, while the third and final collection showed the girls in bikinis by Mushroom - much to the satisfaction of the gentlemen patrons.

As the lights dimmed, the drinks continued to pour and more cars began to pack the parking lot as DJ Christuff wound down his set and the celebration continued with sets from Pinchers and DJ Squeeze.

Studio 38 has largely catered to a mature audience but has recently started to appeal to a younger crowd by hosting the cast and crew of A Better Mus' Come, various fashion shows and the inclusion of an assortment of younger selectors such as DJ Christuff in their line-up.

Over the year, the venue has had momentous moments, bringing performances from the great Freddie McGregor, the iconic Beres Hammond and the late Cool Ruler, Gregory Isaacs to patrons and it appears the Studio 38 creators have no intention of letting up any time soon. If anything, they're pushing onwards.