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1675-2 Delano THE MIAMI HERALD Copyright (c) 1995, The Miami Herald DATE: Friday, July 7, 1995 EDITION: FINAL SECTION: ARTS PAGE: 20G LENGTH: 114 lines ILLUSTRATION: photo: Julie Cypher with Chris Blaackwell and Melissa Elheridge (a) ,Paulina Rubio and Ricardo Bofill, Cachao and Olga Guillot, Gloria and Emilio Estefan, Patricia Escoto and Raul and Mily De Molina, Liana and Ray Rodriguez and Maritere Vilar and Luis Zaldivar, Anthony Haas and Andy and Debbie Hirschl (all-n) , Suzanne Bartsch and David Barton, George Morrone and Kathryn Parrish, Paolo Domeneghetti and Robin Haas, Christina Juarez and Steven Miller and Merle Ginsberg and Montgomery Frazier and Emo Pandelli, Les Garland and Chris Blackwell (all - n) SOURCE/CREDIT LINE: TARA SOLOMON Special To The Herald MEMO: SOUTH BEACH It's been an especially social week, what with the Delano opening, New York friends visiting, Fourth of July parties and some festive, unrelated soirees in the middle of it all. This always happens to us, just when we're getting ready to settle down with a good book. Guess Forever Barbie will have to wait. If last Friday was any indication, by now half of South Beach has probably checked out Ian Schrager's pristine Delano hotel, an uberhip resort for the Nineties that totally lives up to the hype it's received. We went on opening night (Friday) , as did so many local notables. It was a mixed, upscale crowd -- everyone from Beach professionals such as real estate maven Jeri Jenkins and the handsome Hirschls, (Dr. ) Andy and Debbie, to the ever amusing club brigade. Every coiffed head in the Delano's Blue Door restaurant discreetly swiveled when Tony Major and his Pimp and Prostitute gang strutted down the center of the white-on-white restaurant, a la Mod Squad. Tony, who hosts the Saturday P & P one-nighter at the Cameo, was wearing his trademark '70s blaxploitation gear and Jiffy Pop-shaped Afro, a very hip look for summer. Everyone oohed and aahed over designer Philippe Starck's Alice in Wonderland creations, which included a silver leaf patio table (with candlebra) set in the middle of the swimming pool and a comically overscaled lobby chair that could easily accommodate the entire Partridge Family. We chose to overlook Philippe's snide Miami remarks, if only because of the splendor of the magical pool, patio and bungalow area, which is rather Great Gatsby, if from a modernist perspective. Our maternal side fretted the fate of the crisp white cotton linens and glistening dark wood furniture, which were artistically situated in full proximity of the elements, some on grassy grounds, others on private cabana porches. Divine landscaping -- symmetrical rows of heavenward palms and terra cotta pots of gardenia bushes bearing blooms as large as cabbage roses -- led the way to the beachfront showpiece, the long rectangular pool whose water brims all the way to the top, perpetually threatening to cascade over. Absolutely gorg. Lots of New Yorkers -- many of whom travel in the fast track -- flew in for Independence Day weekend and its various soirees, such as Africa Fete, a yearly nationwide celebration of African music and culture, presented by the Rhythm Foundation. There was a great turnout, despite a rainstorm earlier that day. We milled around the shopping stalls, ate a spicy shrimp kebab and listened to Ferri Kuti and the Positive Force before returning to Les Garland and Chris Blackwell's rooftop party at the Box, which had the best vantage point and guest list. Global party diva and new mom Suzanne Bartsch -- so now in a red lace bustier, separate corset and Kenny Scharf-painted recycled jeans -- looked better than ever, accompanied by her beefcakey husband David Barton, whose David Barton Gym at the Delano will open early September. It'd been ages since we'd seen sweet Montgomery Frazier, style editor for Project X magazine, which is a must-read for pop culturists. Montgomery's working on a pilot for a new entertainment show, which we hope will be more stimulating than Sophia Coppola's esoteric, sleep-inducing High Octane show on Comedy Central in which Sophia, filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola's twentysomething daughter, drives around Los Angeles in a convertible with a girlfriend, trying to act unaffected while discussing the merits of Citizen Kane. From the Box party we all moved over to the tiki-themed roof of the Marlin and had rum punch and shrimp cocktail while waiting for Melissa Etheridge, who was expected after her show at the Arena. After exhausting the topics of ab routines, Chanel nail products and humidity prevention via turbans with chic Merle Ginsberg, entertainment editor of W, we departed for Club Pillow. Melissa finally got there at 1:30 a.m., accompanied by lover Julie Cypher, a rock video producer. Perhaps the hottest party of the week -- and we mean this literally -- was Crescent Moon's outdoor shindig for Albita at the grandiose home of Pedro Garcia in the Tahiti Beach section of CocoPlum, where Cher is allegedly building a new home. The occasion was the announcement of Albita's debut album, No Se Parece a Nada. There were lots of heavyweights from the Latin community, including Univision prez Ray Rodriguez with wife Leana, legendary bandleader Cachao, famed songstress Olga Guillot, Mexican pop singer Paulina Rubio with new steady Ricardo Bofill (the soon-to-be former husband of Chabelli, Julio Iglesias' daughter) and, of course, Gloria and Emilio Estefan. New on the Beach drag dinner scene: Lucky Cheng's of New York and New Orleans has recently opened on Ocean Drive in the former Paranoia space (1412 Ocean Dr. ) , featuring Asian-American drag waitresses and a Monday night drag show with Marvella, Madame Woo, Bridget Buttercup, Taffy Lynn and New York girls including Mister Sister, Emerald, Catrina and Codie (remember her from MTV's Liquid Television?) Try to snag an invite for the July 12 opening. Straight boy alert: Society Hill billiards has moved to 627 Washington, whose former lives include AA and Lucy's. More party stuff next week. Luv. cutlines MARC SEROTA / For The Herald Serota credit AT AFRICA FETE: Julie Cypher, Chris Blackwell and Melissa Etheridge at the Box. TARA SOLOMON / For The Herald TARA SOLOMON / For The Herald IN WONDERLAND: Jeri Jenkins in Alice in Wonderland creation at the Delano.