The famed Jimmy’z, in Monaco, is of the world’s most glamorous clubs. (Photo by: Harrison Shiels)
Have you wondered what’s on the other side of the red, velvet rope of exclusive nightclubs in glamorous destinations of intrigue such as Ibiza, Monaco, Saint Tropez and the Hamptons? Beauty, of course, but also brains gave Ashely Mears in inside look at the posh party scene. She shares her peeks behind the curtains in her book Very Important People…Status and Beauty in the Global Party Circuit.
“I am a sociologist by training but that credential is not what got me into the clubs. I used to work as a fashion model and now, in my early 30’s, I am thin enough and tall enough to, when the lights are low, to make the cut,” Mears revealed to me. “Fashion models connote a high status so party organizers want model types to be in their clubs. There are two things the club world revolves around: money and beauty”
Mears spent 18 months infiltrating the “models and bottles” scene where she said she saw a man in a Miami club spend $200,000 in two hours during the Ultra Music Festival. “It’s all a big show. Expensive bottles of champagne are brought out with fireworks so everyone can see who is spending what, Mears revealed. “At one point a bottle of Cristal champagne came my way that costs $1,700. That’s one month of my rent in Boston!”
But all that glitters is not gold. Her book shines a spotlight on the showbiz element of the industry.
“If you didn’t know how this world works and you went into a famous club like Jimmy’z in Monaco or someplace in St. Barth’s you might think you wandered into a spot that just happens to be filled with the world’s most beautiful women and they all showed up it’s the place to be. That is not necessarily so. There is a lot of elaborate work by promoters that goes into recruiting the girls.”
The models are paid or provided free drinks and the opportunity to party with rich men on mega yachts and at birthday bashes.
“The beauty of the girls can make or break a club and dictate how much money people are willing to spend in the club. The promoter’s reputations are built on it.”
Ready to bounce in for some bottle service? Mears reveals your next surprise.
“You essentially rent a table for the night. There is a minimum price and depending on what your company looks like You might be expected to pay more or less…from $500 to $5,000. If you’re a group of men who are not that good looking or well connected the club will charge you a lot more than someone with a group of good-looking women because the club recognizes their value.”
Mears can get you into P. Diddy’s pool party in the pages of her book.
Contact Michael Patrick Shiels at MShiels@aol.com His radio program is heard weekdays at in Lansing on WJIM am 1240 from 9-noon or at MiBigShow.com
