A JAMAICAN FIRST

First, puckishly billing itself "the only magazine in Jamaica," is a small-format glossy that has won a hefty cult following among the funkier echelons of the international jet set. Founded last year by 35-year-old photographer and editor Peter Dean Rickards and his business partners, First set out to give Jamaicans a uniquely authentic portrayal of their own culture. Although the magazine, which is sold only in Kingston, wasn't designed for tourists, it is informally distributed globally by vacationers returning to chillier climates. "Predictably, the tourists seem to love it," says Rickards. With its unlikely juxtaposition of ghetto reportage, shamelessly glam fashion shoots, and whimsical photo-essays, First is an inspired oddity that flouts conventional magazine wisdom while keeping production values high. "For some reason people don't seem to think it could have been made in Jamaica—Jamaicans included," Rickards reports. "I suppose it doesn't look Third World enough." Although Rickards is wary of cultural imperialism, his prickly attitude does not appear to be hindering his professional progress: next year Macmillan will publish his first book of photographs, tentatively titled The Afflicted Yard: Photographs of Jamaica That White People Didn't Take.—STEVEN DALY

STEVEN DALY