08 AUG-SEP10
BEIRUT’S THE BOMB FALL FASHION FUNK TV CELEBS SPILL ALL ISTANBUL IN A DAZE BURN MAN BURN CROATIAN RAVES VIRTUALLY FAMOUS
YOU DON’T EXIST UNTIL THEY TALK ABOUT YOU
You can call all you want, but tonight I won’t be answering my phone. Even if you text me, SMS me, message me, e-mail me – nothing will me get me off the dance floor. Tonight I’m clubbing, I’m barhopping, I’m pulling an all-nighter at the beach with my peeps, and you’re the last thing on my mind. Going out on the yacht tomorrow to drink red mojitos under the hot Beirut sun? Check. Downloading Lady Gaga’s revving new tune using my iPad? Check. Hitting the Beirut Souks and taking advantage of the 50% discounts at my favorite boutiques? Check. Hopping from one open-air club to the next (first White, then SkyBar, then BO18) and heading home in a drunken haze at 4am? Check. Living every day and night as if they were my last. And doing it all over again tomorrow. Gossip
DIRECTORY PUBLISHER Tony Salamé Group TSG SAL / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Marwan Naaman / CREATIVE DIRECTOR Malak Beydoun ART DIRECTOR Laurent El Khoury / ASSOCIATE EDITOR Natasha Tohme / ASSISTANT EDITOR Tala Habbal / EDITOR-AT-LARGE Serena Makofsky WRITERS Ziad Gedeon, Ruby Gotham, Ilze Hugo, Maya Khourchid, Bourree Lam, Anna Leach, Veronique Loger Sophie Marzano, Sydney Reade, Shirine Saad, Salma Salloum, Ann Valente, Kristin Julie Viola PHOTOS Elie Bekhazi, Corbis/Grapheast, Enzo, Raya Farhat, Getty/Gallo Images, Joanne Issa, Tarek Moukaddem, Christina Rahme Georges Sokhn, Andrea Spotorno, Bachar Srour, Tanya Traboulsi IN-HOUSE STYLIST Mouna Harati / STYLISTS Christina Casini, Hala Moawad, Sivine Samadi / ILLUSTRATOR Hady al Charif / GRAPHIC DESIGN INTERN Simon Douaire PRODUCTION Fadi Maalouf, Maria Maalouf / RESPONSIBLE DIRECTOR George Chahine / PRINTING GOSSIP ONLINE issuu.com/gossip.beirut
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citizens
The camera can’t seem to get enough of Kristen Bell. Not only has the pint-sized blonde bombshell starred in films like Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Couples Retreat and When In Rome, but she has also become a fixture on the small screen, thanks to her roles in Veronica Mars, Heroes and Gossip Girl. In spite of her rapidly blossoming career, this actress is decidedly down to earth. We caught up with Bell to talk about her upcoming project Burlesque, her beauty secrets and one of her most memorable scenes. 1. What do you consider to be your big break? I think I’ve had a lot of little fractures more than one big break. It makes for a better Hollywood story to think that someone had just one big break – or was discovered at the airport, or on a park bench or at the grocery store, but the truth is that actors or artists have probably been busting their butt for years coming up in popularity before mass audiences ever recognized them. I feel like a huge break of mine took me out of college to do my first Broadway show in 2001 [The Adventures of Tom Sawyer]. Then, when I moved to LA, another break was playing Veronica Mars in 2004. Then another was playing Sarah Marshall in 2006. I have been super lucky to have been given great opportunities, but have still always had to work hard, too. I think that has made me feel balanced and not allowed my ego to get in the way.
HOLLYWOOD’S GOLDEN GIRL Kristen Bell stars with Cher in Burlesque 2. As the voice of the anonymous narrator on Gossip Girl, do you know anything about her identity? Not much. Everything lives in and comes out of (our creator) Josh Schwartz’s brain. But whatever I have been told, I have to keep secret, of course! 3. What was it like filming the scene in Forgetting Sarah Marshall in which Jason Segel is naked? Terribly awkward – for both of us! Jason started the day off super nervous, and everyone was sympathetic – until we remembered that he wrote the scene for himself! 4. How was it working alongside Cher and Christina Aguilera for Burlesque? I was intimidated to not only meet but share the screen with two such major icons. But they are both so downto-earth and really wanted to make the movie the best it could be – we had such a great (and grueling) time working together. The dancing was hard and the hours were long, but both women are such forces of nature that I felt so lucky to stand next to them every day. 5. Do you get recognized often? Not all that much. I find more people just staring and trying to place me than actually recognizing me,
which I prefer. I think it would be a lot of pressure to walk out of your house and have everyone know who you are and watch your every move. 6. What are your beauty secrets? I have very sensitive skin, so there aren’t many secrets to have. I use a very mild cleanser and moisturizer, and I’m addicted to the Clarisonic brush: it exfoliates without damaging my skin. And I always wear sunscreen, no matter what! 7. When you’re not acting, what do you do for fun? I love hiking, picnicking in the park, biking and basically anything outdoors. LA is so beautiful in the summer, and there are so many wonderful hiking trails. My girlfriends and I will hike together and use the hour of workout time to catch-up with each other. I also love to cook, so having dinner parties at my place is my favorite thing to do. I get such joy out of trying new recipes and feeding my friends!
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Text Kristin Julie Viola
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music
YOU’VE GOT ONE NIGHT ONLY
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One Night Only’s George Craig has modeled for Burberry
On May 27, five tall, very thin men walk into Beirut’s rooftop bar, White. They look young, in their late teens perhaps, with wild hair and ‘70s-inspired look: velvet blazers, skinny pants, military-style vests. They are the musicians of British band One Night Only, and they’re in Beirut for, well, one night only, to perform their latest tunes at the Burberry boutique’s opening party. While guests sip champagne and nibble on bouchées, the band plays the songs from their new self-titled album, which was scheduled to come out in August. Romantic pop punk, their music is the kind that makes women want to fall in love. Not too hard with these heartthrobs, who have already seduced Burberry designer Christopher Bailey. The
lead guitarist and singer, George Craig, has modeled for the brand; he’s the dark, fragile face of the Beat perfume ad campaign. “Burberry makes clothes for rock stars,” said Craig, “and they bring music and fashion together, and that’s an amazing thing.” One Night Only was born in the small British town of North Yorkshire, not a typical rock ‘n’ roll kind of place. But in 2007 their song “You and Me” broke into the British Top 40, and the musicians, then all of 17, started touring. Their influences range from ‘60s rock, especially David Bowie, to post-punk. For their latest album, they created upbeat singles inspired by retro power-pop. But what really sets them apart is their sartorial elegance. “We tried to find a distinct look for the band,” said Craig, “and we’ve taken inspiration from the Rolling Stones. And Burberry dresses us.” Craig, now a star in his own right, is rumored to be dating Emma Watson, who is featured in the band’s “Say You Don’t Want It” clip.
But while Craig navigates music and fame gracefully, his bandmates seem to need a little more rough fun. “No one these days acts like the Rolling Stones,” they joked. “There are cameras everywhere, and all the windows at hotels are locked so you can’t throw TVs out of them. There’s no rock ‘n’ roll behavior anymore. But we’re gonna try to maintain the rock ‘n’ roll spirit.”
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Text Shirine Saad Photos Burberry
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what to do
ROCK THE BOAT If you can’t stand the heat, get out on the water!
Pilot the boat yourself if you’re up to the task
As the true heat of summer takes hold, there is no better place to be in Lebanon than out on the water. Sure, you can always enjoy the view from the beach – ice cream-licked sunsets and sun-kissed rippling waves – but why not venture out a little? There is a range of options, from official to informal. Gather up to 15 friends for six hours of cruising, fishing, sunbathing and beach-hopping, with fully equipped skileb.com boats – sound systems and solarium on board. Boats leave daily at 10am
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from Dbayeh Marina, north of the capital, or from Beirut’s Riviera and Mövenpick hotels. If you want to squeeze in a few more people or are in the mood for a nighttime trip, there’s the Dbayeh Fishing Club (www.dbayefishingclub.com). Choose from a range of boats, the largest of which holds up to 20 people. You can dawdle on the water and stop for lunch and sightseeing at various points along the coast. Pilot the boat yourself if you’re up to the task or opt for a trained skipper. There’s also a Boats Party group on Facebook with a
forum for members to discuss cruising options. The organizers recently expanded their own boat rental service that operates out of Dbayeh Marina, and their vessels can accommodate between 10 and 70 people. “You can rent a boat, spend a day on the sea, and you can go to all the resorts for free,” says organizer Hekmat Ounaisy. If you’re looking for something more flexible or budget oriented, it’s probably best just to ask around – this is Lebanon so everyone wants to help, right? Noha el Khatib and some friends wanted to rent a boat last summer, and she called a few places but couldn’t find
quite what she was looking for. “One of the boating guys gave me a number of a captain friend of his, who isn’t part of the business, but does these trips for fun on his own,” she says The group spent a gorgeous afternoon cruising, diving, swimming, dancing and chatting, El Khatib says. “I would honestly say the least pleasant [part] was coming back to land.”
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Text Sophie Marzano Illustration Hady al Charif
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citizens
YOUNG AND FIERCE
Karen Zaatari’s designs cater to the desires of Beirut women
“It might sound typical, but when I was young I used to always think about fashion and clothes, and it became a passion,” Karen Zaatari says, explaining her lifelong obsession with clothes and accessories. The 24-year-old’s first attempt at design was the dress she wore to her high school prom at ACS in Beirut. “It was a Black muslin gown, very feminine but simple,” she recalls with a smile. “Not a bad first attempt.” Yet, in spite of her love of fashion, Zaatari decided to pursue an undergraduate degree in marketing
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at the Lebanese American University (LAU). “I chose business since, in my opinion, it is the basis of all fields,” Zaatari says, “and marketing more specifically relates to fashion.” In addition to her studies at LAU, Zaatari developed her fashion skills by taking design classes at the Russian Cultural Center in Beirut and later private lessons in fashion design.
on Abdel Wahab el Inglizi in Ashrafieh, in December 2007, when she was only 22. The boutique was originally intended to house her women’s fashion line exclusively, but amendments to this plan were necessary, because the 90 or so pieces she had created for her debut line sold out almost immediately. “It was supposed to be just for my line, but I sold everything in two weeks,” says Zaatari.
After a brief stint in the corporate world, Zaatari decided to plunge head first into fashion and opened La K Design
To bolster her dwindling stock, she began to offer a mix of local and international brands for women. La K Design now houses several local designers, including Aden, Cilas and Rasma as well as various foreign brands.
Now, only two years after the boutique opened, La K Design has become an enterprise that is not only personally rewarding, but also financially sustainable. In addition, Zaatari has expanded beyond Lebanon’s borders: she now sells her designs at the multi-brand Dubai store Tiger Lilly and even in far-flung Angola.
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Text Maya Khourchid Photos Joanne Issa
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what to do
24 HOURS IN ISTANBUL Turkish delight? Indeed! The city that straddles two continents is a wicked mix of old glory and the vibrant new. Istanbul is where young hip Turks do it up by the beautiful Bosphorus, where Euro-beats meet Asian pop, and where the party bells follow the call to prayer. But don’t get stuck in the Istanbul traffic; we’ll make sure you land in all the right places.
8:30am: Big breakfast
2:30pm: A walk downtown
Midnight: Dance party Asmalimescit
Oh it’s worth waking up for. If you think brunch is awesome then the Turks will show you up – their traditional breakfast has a delicious Mediterranean edge. Dip the fresh bread into homemade cheeses, butter, preserves, honey paired with olives, tomatoes, egg, cucumbers. Take the breakfast with the strong tea that will give you the caffeine kick, coffee is for later. Kale Café is a local’s favorite with stunning views of the Bosphorus – the perfect way to start your morning. Kale Café, 16 Yahya Kemal Cad., Sariyer, T 90.212.265.0097.
Lunch at 360 lands you in the heart of downtown: Istiklal caddesi. Walk down this bustling street filled with cafés, shops and nightclubs that light up the alleys after the sun sets. Cinemas are dotted along the street with international selections handy such as German, Russian or Kurdish independent films. You are on the European side of Istanbul, so Top Shop and H&Ms as well as Turkish indie labels are on hand, but serious fashion-philes should head west to the Nisantasi neighborhood, where serious retail therapy can be had at Prada, Hermès and Cartier.
Now it’s actually time to party. Get your dancing shoes and hot outfit on and get to Asmalimescit in a cab. It’s where neon lights are a call to party and the music’s pumping all night long – but it’s not your average top 40 hits: the best DJs mix it up with an Eastern touch. Start at the local hottie Lokal, a minimalist space with kaleidoscope interiors and some truly special toilets that unite hipsters and clubbers. Then head to Groove, the two-level joint where the checker floors give way to pretty young things to dance the night away.
10am: Arty time
5pm: Take a bath
2am: Meat on a stick
Take a cab along the water and pass the Dolmabahçe Palace to arrive at the Istanbul Modern. Like London’s Tate, the Istanbul Modern is a converted dock warehouse turned art space. Only four years old, this young museum has already become a rising star, showcasing Turkey’s hottest contemporary art talents. The photography works are particularly strong. Meclis-i Mebusan Cad., Liman Isletmeleri, 4 Sahasi Antrepo, Karaköy, W www.istanbulmodern.org
It’s spa and sightseeing all in one – a wash in one of the historic Turkish baths is the way to wind down and refresh yourself for the long night ahead. The Cemberlitas Hamami was built in 1584 but it’s still going strong. Strip down and get into the big beautiful marble interior to wash and relax on the heated marble platform that will relax your muscles. Tourists usually feel obligated to bear it all – but you have nothing to prove. 8 Vezirhan Cad., Mollafenari, Eminönü, W www.cemberlitashamami.com.tr
What tastes awesome when you’ve been dancing your socks off? Pizza? Burgers? Well you’re in Istanbul so it’s the perfect time to try some of the awesome street food. Take your pick from meat on a stick – the famous Turkish kebob or try lahmacun, a Turkish pizza with meat sauce and lemon juice. If you’re feeling adventurous there’s also a sloppy joe burger that’s a taste of meat heaven.
1pm: Lunch at Istanbul 360
7:30pm: X marks the spot
Rooftop bistros are where it’s at to soak up the sun, and 360 has long been an institution of cool with sleek architectural furniture, hot DJs, and an evening show where trapeze girls do their thing up ahead while you dine. Atop a classic Art Deco apartment building, jet setters and trendy urbanites gather at 360 for good music, cocktails and, of course, the delicious fusion food. With awards up the wazoo and a fascination with pornstars, manifested through a signature cocktail and a row of flashing LED lights that reads “hot pornstars,” it’s certainly a hot place to be. 163 Istiklal Cad., 8 Misir Apt. Kat, Beyoglu, W 360istanbul.com
Like any self-respecting city, Istanbul has a new “it“ place for every season. This time around, it’s the revived old glamour of the Deniz Palas in the up-andcoming neighborhood Sishane. Reopened with neon chandeliers after a multimillion dollar restoration, it’s become a hub where cultural feigns and beautiful people meet for drinks and dinner. The top floor restaurant is appropriately called X, since it’s definitely rocking the X factor right now, serving up modern Turkish cuisine. 5 Sadi Konuralp Cad., Denzi Palas, Sishane. 10pm: Drinks in public
We wouldn’t be much of a travel guide if we said hey, buy a beer and sit on the street. But in some sense, restobar Public’s attitude is just that. The hotspot prides itself on attracting a diverse clientele, from socialites to wide-eyed bohemians, expats, actors, and media folks. It’s egalitarian partying, because when it comes to having a good time, Istanbulites would rather know what you’re drinking than what you do. The ground floor dissolves into a dance floor before midnight, with special guest DJs such as Stephane Pompougnac of Paris’ Hotel Costes label and other international biggies when they pass through town. 84 Mesrutiyet Cad., Sishane, T 90.212.251.5131.
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2:30am: Tequila shot stand
Okay, so you’re that friend who wants to close down the clubs. Fine. But first get some air after your meal and fire up for the task ahead. Tequila stands can be found in the nooks of the streets in Asmalimescit. They’re fast and functional at a couple lira a shot. Take a couple and rock on bro, dance until the clubs close down at around 4am. 9am: Coffee at Kahve Dünyasi
End your 24 hours of Istanbul glory with some Turkish coffee. If you’re feeling ambitious, hop on a ferry and set foot on Asia before leaving town. Kahve Dünyasi (Coffee World) is the domestic answer to the ubiquitous Starbucks and Gloria Jeans. Not only does it have equally good coffee, it has patio seating with hot waiters (we think they make an effort) and homemade chocolate. That’s right - when you get your coffee, it’s served to you by someone hot and you get a chocolate spoon. How’s that for service? W www.kahvedunyasi.com
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Text Bourree Lam Photos Elie Bekhazi
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citizens
BLOOD BROTHER Ian Somerhalder is no stranger to the underworld. The actor played a doomed character on Lost, returning from the dead for the final season, and now he stars as blood-sucking villain Damon Salvatore on the CW’s Vampire Diaries. Gossip chatted with the Louisianaborn star about everything from his fave vampire flick to what it was like leaving Lost. 1. Your upbringing couldn’t be further from Hollywood. What sparked your interest in acting? There wasn’t one particular moment or event in my life. I always wanted to for as long as I can remember. I was in theater when I was very young. I didn’t get to watch much TV growing up, but I always loved watching
lot of vampire lore over there. My mom was a huge Anne Rice fan, and I used to always want to be the vampire Lestat. My favorite movie is Shadow of the Vampire. Vampires are usually romanticized, but this movie has another element to it that you don’t get elsewhere. Willem Dafoe really gives the role a lot of depth. The film depicts the feeling of being a social outcast and physical abomination. It’s morbid, but I find beauty in it. 4. Are you a fan of the Twilight series? I’ve actually never seen any of the movies. 5. What’s it like playing the bad boy? It’s a blast. I don’t think Damon is necessarily evil. When
7. Any crazy fan stories? Our fans are awesome. We did Hot Topic tours at Hot Topic stores across the country, where we would sign autographs and have Q&A sessions. There would be about 4,000 screaming fans. It was such a cool experience to see that level of support and depth and energy. It’s so flattering. It’s amazing to see how much a 13-year-old girl can love a show. It makes us all want to do a better job. 8. You were the first actor to be cast as one of the survivors on Lost. How did you manage to snag the role so quickly? I was the first one to be cast and the first one to die!
Ian Somerhalder stars as a villain in the Vampire Diaries Westerns with my dad and reading Louis L’Amour books. I was just always there, believe it or not. 2. When you first heard about Vampire Diaries, did you expect it to become the success that it is today? I knew it had a running start due to the fact that the vampire thing is huge nowadays. It had all the makings. 3. Did you study up on vampires to prepare for the role? I’ve actually always been interested in vampires. I grew up right across the lake from New Orleans. There’s a
you peel the layers, he’s like an onion. He wants his girl and his brother back, and he’ll do whatever he can to get them back. He has ill intentions, but for righteous reasons. He uses humor as medicine for his pain, which may sound weird but it’s pretty cool. 6. Do you and your cast members ever hang out together off-set? Oh yeah. Nina [Dobrev], Paul [Wesley] and I are together all the time. We are always traveling on the weekends together. We spend nearly every moment together.
When they cast me, they must have been crazy enough to think they found their guy. It really all depends on the timing of it. 9. You have modeled for brands such as Guess?, Versace, Gucci, Calvin Klein, Dolce & Gabbana and more. Which do you prefer more – modeling or acting? Acting, absolutely. Modeling and acting are two different animals – they are like apples and oranges.
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Text Kristin Julie Viola
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style
FIT FOR A STYLE QUEEN Nora Habbal, 19, and Dana Mortada, 21, have ordered the same frappe and sit sipping it on their way to the beach. Friends since they were kids, there are very few things these girls don’t do together. It makes sense then that last summer, bored out of their minds during the break from their psychology degree at the American University of Beirut (AUB), the budding fashionistas began Royal Threads, a now thriving fashion label. Recognized for the tulle bows that decorate its T-shirts, dresses and shoes, the brand has turned into a trendy must-have in any fun-loving wardrobe. Thanks to its creators, who attended a fashion-design course at Esmod (together!) to help them in their new venture, Royal Threads is becoming a celebrated name on university campuses. Their own individual sense of style is hardly similar. “I’m funky; she’s more classic and feminine,” says Habbal. “Yes,” says Mortada with a laugh. “She’s more
Royal Threads is a celebrated name on university campuses
extreme, while I stay on the safer side.” What meets in between is a range that is as colorful as it is versatile. “Cute with dramatic and flashy elements” is how they describe their label. Holding up a luminous yellow top sporting a bright pink bow, they suggest pairing it with a stylish pair of shorts for clubbing or a pair of denims for a trip to the beach. Their shoes offer the same put-me-on-now sensation: patent leather purple ballerinas with a skull and gun decorating each foot, or wedges with silver bows held together with antique buttons. Color is the big draw card. There’s no black and white in this multicolored range. “Even our winter collection is colorful,” says Mortada. “We’re showing people that they don’t have to turn to browns and grays.” Inspired mostly by excursions to fabric stores, the best friends find themselves doodling design ideas during psych classes, something that they’re jokingly considering turning into a study of the psychology of art. For now, though, they’re toying with the idea of designing blazers for young men, making Royal Threads fit for both queen…and king.
[
Text Veronique Loger
]
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style
WILLING TO BE...SOPHIE Photographed here in the streets of Paris, Sophie Willing was born and raised in Byron Bay, Australia. The rising model is dating Jethro Cave, also a model and the son of ‘80s rock star Nick Cave.
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Photos Andrea Spotorno Styling Christina Casini Hair Alessandro Rebecchi Makeup Fumihiro Ban Location Paris
]
This page: Acne jeans, Diesel jacket and Kiliwatch hat Opposite page: Acne dress and MM6 Maison Martin Margiela boots
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This page: MM6 Maison Martin Margiela jacket, Acne skirt, Isabel Marant T-shirt, MM6 Maison Martin Margiela boots, MM6 Maison Martin Margiela black necklace, vintage silver necklace and Marc by Marc Jacobs bag Opposite page: Diesel shorts, Acne T-shirt, MM6 Maison Martin Margiela belt, Acne boots and Philips headphones
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This page: Diesel shorts, Acne T-shirt, MM6 Maison Martin Margiela belt and Philips headphones Opposite page: Levi’s jacket, Armani Jeans pants, Kiliwatch belt and Kiliwatch boots
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This page: See by Chloe dress, Wolford tights, Acne shoes and model’s own New York Yankees hat Opposite page: MM6 Maison Martin Margiela jacket, Acne skirt, Isabel Marant T-shirt, MM6 Maison Martin Margiela boots and vintage ring
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This page: Levi’s shirt, MM6 Maison Martin Margiela jeans, MM6 Maison Martin Margiela belt, Marc by Marc Jacobs scarf, Kiliwatch hat and Kiliwatch boots Opposite page: Acne dress and MM6 Maison Martin Margiela boots
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This page: Acne jeans, Diesel jacket, Kiliwatch top and Kiliwatch hat Opposite page: Virginie Castaway bodysuit, Manoush leggings and Acne shoes
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style
Text Sydney Reade Photos DKNY, Jay Godfrey, Gryphon, Siwy, Soobaya, What Goes Around Comes Around
]
www.aeronauticamilitare-collezioneprivata.it
style
SUMMER LOVING [
Photos Bachar Srour Styling Sivine Samadi Hair Didi for Ă? Day Spa Makeup Ralph Lteif Location Atlas Beach, Jiyeh
]
Get these looks – and a whole lot more! – at Aïzone.
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style
GREASED LIGHTNIN’ Good girl Sandy Olsson (Olivia Newton-John) and bad boy Danny Zuko (John Travolta) captured the imagination of millions in Grease, the most successful movie musical of all time. Here’s how to look the stylish part. [ Photos Christina Rahme Styling Hala Moawad ]
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Look at me, I’m Sandra Dee, lousy with virginity, won’t go to bed ‘till I’m legally wed, I can’t I’m Sandra Dee! 1. Manoush dress, LL1,230,000 2. Curlers 3. Marc by Marc Jacobs top, LL382,000 4. Alice + Olivia jumpsuit, LL745,000 5. Linda Farrow sunglasses, LL525,000 6. Prada phone cover, LL265,000 7. Prada top, LL765,000 8. D&G scarf, LL341,000 9. Juicy Couture key chain, LL100,000 10. Marc by Marc Jacobs dress, LL1,260,000 11. Prada bag, LL2,295,000 12. Eve & Yves camisole 13. miu miu wallet, LL1,215,000 14. Eve & Yves shorts 15. D&G ballerinas, LL780,000
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Tell her about it, stud! 1. Dsquared T-shirt, LL349,000 2. Gucci shoes, LL894,000 3. Smet jacket, LL1,080,000 4. Comb 5. Tumi wallet, LL167,000 6. Hair gel 7. Dsquared shirt, LL810,000 8. Emporio Armani sunglasses, LL375,000 9. Zippo lighter 10. Frankie Morello belt, LL295,000 11. Vintage scarf 12. Marc by Marc Jacobs jacket, LL870,000 13. Prada key chain, LL565,000 14. D&G necklace, LL280,000 15. 7 For All Mankind jeans, LL580,000. Available at Aïzone.
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style
FASHION DETENTION [
Photos Bachar Srour Styling Hala Moawad Makeup Christian Abou Haidar Location Beirut
]
Wayne pants, LL59,000; Isabel Marant sweater, LL402,000; Gucci shoes, LL1,053,000; and miu miu bag, LL841,000
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Isabel Marant shorts, LL470,000; DKNY sweater, LL400,000; Gucci shoes, LL1,053,000; and vintage blazer
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Citizens of Humanity shorts, LL349,000; Marc by Marc Jacobs top, LL538,000; YSL shoes, LL4,838,000; miu miu bag, LL841,000; and Design-Naturell eyeglasses from The Counter, LL1,485,000
Diesel shorts, LL225,000; DKNY sweater, LL400,000; Gucci shoes, LL1,053,000; and Vulgary sunglasses from The Counter, LL695,000
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Twin-Set cardigan, LL530,000; Virginie Castaway shorts, LL256,000; Elizabeth and James top, LL318,000; Gucci shoes, LL1,053,000; and Y “Eyes” necklace, LL818,000
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Marc by Marc Jacobs shirt, LL485,000; Marc by Marc Jacobs dress, LL810,000; and Gucci shoes, LL1,053,000. Available at A誰zone.
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style
TRAVEL PICKS: ALL THINGS FOR A WILD, GLAMOROUS VACATION
KNUCKLE UP
Last season it was all about the statement necklace but knuckle rings have taken over as the accessory du jour for jewelry lovers. Knuckle rings by CC Skye and Delfina Delettrez are particularly funky.
COLOR ME SHOES
GO IN GUCCI
Sneaker fans will revel in The Sneaker Coloring Book, a new, very grown up coloring book by Daniel Jarosch and Henrick Klingel. The slim volume features popular sneaker designs from as far back as 1916 and allows readers (and would-be artists) to color-customize each model to their own liking.
No vacation would be complete without the perfect travel bag. This leather Gucci tote is the perfect carryall for all travel essentials – and a few non-essentials as well.
WE LOVE BOOZA
Forget the trendy new ice cream parlors and head to Hanna in Ashrafieh, where the cranky, aging owner serves all-natural Lebanese ice cream in a variety of flavors, including chocolate, ashta, rose, apricot, almond and much more.
BLAST FROM THE ‘80S
The colorful top-siders by Sperry combine an easy, casual vibe with a strong dose of sex appeal. The shoes are ideal for a day spent sailing the Caribbean waters or for stylish, everyday wear.
SULTRY PERFUME
Floral and fruity, Burberry Summer is a fragrance that works best on hot days and steamy nights.
SO MANY HATS
Fedoras are so last summer. Brightly colored visors are the must-have oldie but goodie accessory this season.
WHERE DO YOU GO?
The dazzling Luxe City Guides may be small, but they pack a great punch. Trendy destinations covered include Rome, Miami, Sydney, New York, Bali, Barcelona and many other global hotspots.
HAIR FOR ALL SEASONS BEAUTIFUL BLUE I SEE YOU
No wonder Sarah Jessica Parker is always wearing Mykita shades. With tons of configuration options, these light-as-air, awesomely cool specs are perfect travel accessories: you’ll look your fabulous best whether strolling the streets of Rome or lounging under the hot Miami Beach sun.
Designed by Parisian artist Xavier Veilhan, the one-of-a-kind Blue Boat was auctioned off in Monte Carlo for upward of $200,000.
WATCH OUT
L’Oréal’s fantastic Solaire Sublime hair-care range includes a shampoo, after-sun balm and conditioning spray, all designed to protect your mane from the sun’s rays.
In celebration of their 10th anniversary, Atmos and G Shock have teamed up to create the cool, color popping G Shock Atmos watch. The wild colors will make sure you stand out from the crowds, even in a darkly lit nightspot.
MAKE WAY FOR MYBAR APPS TO THE RESCUE
Stay in the know and connected while trekking the globe with these cool travel applications accessible from your mobile: Postman allows you to create postcards on your iPhone, W www.postmanapp.com; MOG lets you listen to thousands of songs on your mobile, W www. mog.com; and Trip It is the best way to organize your travel itinerary, W www.tripit.com
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MOJITO TURNS RED
Whether you’re partying it up on the beaches of Ibiza or enjoying a laidback weekend in Faraya, a red berry mojito is the one and only drink to order: it’s fashion in a tall glass!
Mybar, the bar concept that gave everyone a chance to partake in the action, has finally opened in Minet el Hosn. Investors and visiting expats can now enjoy a drink and reap the rewards.
citizens
KELL OF A TIME What do you do with a person who makes a habit of asking, “Let’s see, how many people have I offended this morning?” Give her a reality show. Fashion publicist guru Kelly Cutrone has catapulted into the public consciousness – thanks to her bullying of the blondes on The Hills and The City – and has done so without cleavage, stilettos or surgery. Attitude delivers more punch than the vacuous good looks of many celebrities-of-the-minute. And Cutrone’s got attitude for days.
advice with some surprisingly uplifting moments. It can be hard to reconcile the woman who asks, “We need more tough chicks, right?” with the woman who writes, “Celebrate the magic inside yourself.” On his talk show, the ubiquitous Ryan Seacrest pointed out, “There have been comparisons to Devil Wears Prada.” Cutrone has no problem with that. “People do not like powerful women.” Another Cutrone rule is that employees must wear black. She follows this
If you have to cry, go outside It was a rocky road to stardom, with the requisite drug habit and California-fueled spiritual awakening. Cutrone made her way to New York and opened People’s Revolution, the public relations firm made famous for representing several major designers – and producing their New York Fashion Week runway shows – as well as for being the subject of the Bravo reality show Kell on Earth. The Cutrone universe comes with a few rules. The foremost rule inspired the title of Cutrone’s book: If You Have to Cry Go Outside: And Other Things Your Mother Never Told You, which she describes as “a call to arms” for women and gay men. The book combines no-nonsense
dictum, typically working in an oversized black shirt and shapeless pants. For her Bluefly vlog, Cutrone dismisses everything from the boyfriend jeans (“Who wants to look like a fat rapper?”) to the simple headband (“Whitney on The Hills, Lauren on The Hills....it’s time to look in the mirror and check yourself and say, ‘Oh my god, what was I thinking?’”). She closes with the caveat, “Being out of style is in style, so everything I say is pretty much canceled.” Yet it’s company assistant Andrew who comes up with the most persuasive advice: “Pharmaceuticals definitely help at People’s Revolution.”
[
Text Serena Makofsky
]
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citizens
I THINK I’M TURNING JAPANESE!
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Creativity isn’t stagnant. Artists evolve, their style changes over time and they are not afraid to experiment. So you can’t really question Japanese artist Hiroki Tsukuda, whose style seems to change with the blink of an eye. In 2007, he presented two completely different solo exhibitions: “Visionary Sensibility” at Tokyo’s Nanzuka Underground featured futuristic masks, while “Doctrine,” at the Diesel Denim Gallery (also in Tokyo), presented colorful graphic collages. Both conjure up images of Star Wars and other sci-fi movies. This past April, Tsukuda confounded (and wowed) the critics with his latest endeavor, a series of 100 one-ofa-kind collaged figure toys, for an exhibit called “4010 Night Time,” which was held at Tokyo’s artsy concept store CULTuART by Beams. Made by disassembling toy figures and mixing the parts when reassembling them, the artist created new offbeat characters that challenge the imagination. “I try to develop my work constantly, so viewers can enjoy the differences in my works,” says Tsukuda, who is currently working on large-scale wall drawings that are architectural in spirit and limited to a black-andwhite palette. “I found I could show my creation even without colors. I remove more and more unnecessary elements, and my works becomes simpler and simpler.” Using shades and geometric patterns, he creates futuristic landscapes that could be the setting of a science fiction movie.
Action figures, colorful graphics, black-and-white drawings, the one constant has been the imaginary world of the future. “The bottom line is, my heart is still like that of a small boy who is taken with science fiction,” says Tsukuda, whose edgy illustrations got the attention of fashion chain H&M, who commissioned him to put his space-age graphics on T-shirts for their fashionable Divided label. Through fashion, Tsukuda’s work got great exposure, so he’s now collaborating with a new designer T-shirt service that’s available only online, at teeparty.jp. “I hope more young people will be interested in art through such projects,” says Tsukuda, who believes that Japan’s contemporary art scene is still budding, and for this reason young artists are more willing to be experimental. “Japan’s art scene in the future will be stimulating.” We think it already is.
Hiroki Tsukuda’s heart is still like that of a small boy [
Text Salma Salloum Photos Nanzuka Underground
]
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movies
STRAIGHT OUT OF LEBANON Ten years ago, when director Nadim Tabet and three fellow movie-industry people were looking for a platform for their short films, they found themselves with very few options, i.e. none! With their movie-magic minds, they set about planning the first Lebanese Film Festival. “Shway shway it’s gotten bigger and bigger,” says Tabet of the film festival that’s celebrating its ninth anniversary this August (they pushed the pause button during the 2006 war). “We created this event for Lebanese filmmakers to show their short films and documentaries because these kind of things don’t go onto DVD or to cinemas, so it’s difficult to see Lebanese movies outside of such a festival,” Tabet explains.
See a Lebanon beyond the conflict zone
This year, One Hundred Faces for a Single Day, the 1969 film by Christian Ghazi, one of the first alternative flicks produced in the Middle East, will have film buffs queuing for theater seats. Also on the show real is Patric Chiha’s Domaine starring Béatrice Dalle.
“Lebanon will never have an industry producing 50 feature films a year,” says Tabet, “but we have grown to have five feature-length films in this year’s festival compared to the one we had in 2001. Plus, the new generation of filmmakers all seem to be working on one currently, so we’ll be seeing these in two to three years’ time.” Butter up the popcorn, there’s a lot to look forward to.
Last year’s introduction of alternative music video clips continues, alongside a film by Cannes Film Festival winner, Iranian filmmaker Bahman Ghobadi called No One Knows About Persian Cats, a film about the underground music scene in Iran.
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Tabet sees the Lebanese Film Festival as a way to show a Lebanon beyond the conflict zone. “Lebanese people are looking for images of themselves that are far from what’s in the media, and this is a great opportunity for that.” For a festival that’s been built by sticking to the dream of only featuring films by Lebanese cinematographers or those of Lebanese origin, as well as foreign directors presenting Lebanese subjects, it’s an impressive accomplishment to have received 150 submissions for last year’s festival, allowing the organizers to be spoilt for choice when selecting the top 30 to 40. These included short films, documentaries, animation, experimental, video clips, viral videos and feature-length films.
The Lebanese Film Festival runs from August 19-23 at Cinéma Metropolis (Empire Sofil), in Ashrafieh, Beirut.
[
Text Veronique Loger
]
movies
OF LIFE , LOVE AND MIDDLE SCHOOL MOVIES TO WATCH
HAPPYTHANKYOUMOREPLEASE
Who knew Josh Radnor (How I Met Your Mother) could write and direct an awardwinning (Sundance 2010), NYC-based romantic comedy? You will, once you see this sweet movie with Radnor himself as the somewhat frazzled but good-hearted Sam, an aspiring novelist. He and his 20-something BFFs (Malin Akerman, Kate Mara) experience the typical generational woes: finding love and satisfying work – and truly growing up. Smart one-liners and a melodramatic plot device or two don’t detract from the authentic feel of this charmer.
MAO’S LAST DANCER
FLIPPED
SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD
THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU
Actor Chi Cao jetés off the screen as Li Cunxin, the real-life Chinese ballet dancer on whose life the film is based. Its tagline “Before you can fly, you have to be free” captures the essence of the story where a talented boy is plucked from a poor village and whisked to Beijing to be groomed as a top ballet dancer. Ultimately, Li becomes a principal dancer at the Houston Ballet.
Based on the popular book, Flipped, directed by Rob Reiner, is a boy-meetsgirl dramedy. Bryce (Callan McAuliffe) and Juli (Madeline Carroll) take turns loving and hating each other. The neighbors first met in second grade when Juli fell hard and Bryce didn’t. Everything changes when they hit their tweens. Watching these well-developed characters and their relationship journey is fun, funny and insightful.
The always-adorable Michael Cera stars as Scott Pilgrim, a superhero (of sorts). When the rock-bander falls for megacutie, geek-chic, rollerblading Ramona Flowers, it’s not as simple as asking her out. He has to take on her seven evil exes before the two can ride off into the sunset. And before they kill him!
Matt Damon plays a politician and Emily Blunt is the ballet dancer he falls for in this romantic thriller. Fate also plays a key role in this keep-you-on-your-toes flick. The mysterious “Adjustment Bureau” is dead set on keeping the two lovers apart for shady reasons. Is it possible to give fate the finger and still get the girl? We’re not tellin’.
NEW ON DVD
AUGUST 3
AUGUST 3
AUGUST 17
AUGUST 24
SEPTEMBER 14
SEPTEMBER 14
DIARY OF A WIMPY KID
AFTER.LIFE
CITY OF YOUR FINAL
LOST: THE SIXTH AND
MY SON, MY SON, WHAT
GLEE: THE COMPLETE FIRST
Middle school is no day at the
Were not really dead until buried
DESTINATION
FINAL SEASON
HAVE YE DONE?
SEASON
beach as Zachary Gordon knows
six feet under. That’s the conceit of
Sometimes revisiting the past brings
The beloved series ends as it began:
An actor brings a Greek tragedy
Get your show tunes on with the
all too well.
this cool thriller.
the future into focus.
with many twists and turns.
into his reality.
infectious teens at McKinley High.
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music
BRING ON THE BEASTIE
The Cool Kids have a totally different way of reporting life
The story goes that The Cool Kids found each other on MySpace. It’s the short version of the longer version that involves a mutual friend, some e-mails and some other details, but anyway, they met online, which officially makes them a musical outfit of the 21st century. But anyone who knows The Cool Kids knows they are all about throwing back. They like to call themselves “the new black version of the Beastie Boys,” a layered statement that forces us back to not only three dope white dudes from Brooklyn fighting for their right to party, but also to a very specific space in musical time. The “Golden Age” of hip hop, it’s been called – the late ‘80s. There are two Cool Kids: Antoine “Mikey Rocks” Reed and Evan “Chuck Inglish” Ingersoll, and they are both from Chicago. Mikey Rocks heard a beat of Chuck
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Inglish’s on the Internet a few years ago, he wanted to buy it, they collaborated instead, and now they have their own label and people love them. They wear gold chains and Flava Flav clocks, and they are becoming totally famous. Their names get thrown around next to names like Nike, LeBron James, Lil Wayne, M.I.A., Ludacris, Rolling Stone and MTV. They are beloved – so state about a million Facebook pages and blogs packed with drunken pool party photos. While both performers state that more “serious” matters may be in the works, original songs, such as “Delivery Man,” found on their EP The Bake Sale, rap about the every day – not the everyday gunshot violence of urban streets, but the pizza guy on the block. They are equally real, these two takes on urban storytelling, but are different poetries – a totally different way of reporting life. The Cool Kids’ reporting isn’t about dying, killing, sex and retribution. It also isn’t about looking back to the ‘80s as it existed personally for them – they are 19 and 24 – but it’s picking out the wit and novelty, finding the profound and the clever in the mundane. This they share with the Beastie Boys, and this makes for a good comparison.
Purchase the Beastie Boys’ License to Ill and you’ll hear about parents, thieving one-night stands, “girls” and also a lot of specific info about how dope they are and how much better their job is than yours. Then download just about any Cool Kids song, and you’re going to hear about basement houseparties, riding bikes, grocery shopping and how much better their job is than yours. The Cool Kids are not the Beastie Boys. They have something all their own, which is why they are splashed all over right now, but they do deliver something we’ve been missing since then. It’s not tame pop like Will Smith – it’s not music your mother will think is cute, but it is intelligent, sarcastic, and the beats are deliberate and on. The Cool Kids are currently working on a debut album slated for a 2010 release called When Fish Ride Bicycles. Bring it.
[
Text Ann Valente
]
music
PLUG ‘EM IN: PARTY BEATS ALBUM PREVIEWS
KLAXONS SURFING THE VOID
From the driving guitars of “Flashover” to the galloping drums of “Echoes,” the Klaxons’ new release has a heavier goth sound than the band’s debut album. Credit producer Ross Robinson, who has worked with The Cure, for Surfing the Void’s more psychedelic rather than pop riffs. The lyrics are a throwback to the group’s roots, however, with Jamie Reynolds’ ethereal vocals touching upon the cosmos, time, space travel and celestial catastrophes. Expect the Klaxons’ sound to evolve in the near future, as the band just recruited Anthony Rossomando, onetime guitarist of Dirty Pretty Things, to join them. PLAYLIST LILLY WOOD & THE PRICK INVINCIBLE FRIENDS
Magical folk rock reigns on the debut recording of this French duo. Nili Hadida and Benjamin Cotto met in a bar in Paris in 2006 where they discovered a shared love for Elvis, Johnny Cash, Depeche Mode, Joy Division, Justin Timberlake and Rihanna, whom they reference in their music as much as possible “without having too many people hate us,” says Hadida.
CRYSTAL FIGHTERS IN THE SUMMER
Early July saw the release of Crystal Fighters’ third single, “In the Summer.” Like previous releases, the song has Basque folk music at its core, but the dissonant, layered introduction and pulsing emotronic stylization update it. The eerie melody, paired with dance beats, samples everything from ghetto house to punk. Crystal Fighters plan to release their first album, Star of Love, this fall.
KOUDLAM GOODBYE
The enigmatic Koudlam, born on the Ivory Coast, hit the Paris club circuit in 2006. The artist has built a dedicated following, with Goodbye continuing his exploration of electronic ephemera, warped recordings, percussion, psychedelia, symphonies and post-punk music. A recent rooftop concert at Miami’s Art Basel show generated buzz for the release, which the artist insists is about love.
THE LOVE LANGUAGE LIBRARIES
Singer-songwriter Stu McLamb, front man for the North Carolina lo-fi rock outfit The Love Language, pulled himself together after years of reckless living and incarceration. He describes this new album as “Motown on steroids.” McLamb wrote, recorded and produced Libraries in 45 days, and the result is ebullient indie beach party pop delivered through a Phil Spector-style wall of sound.
YEASAYER ODD BLOOD
Yeasayer burst onto the scene at the 2007 SXSW festival, releasing their debut album the same year. The band’s sophomore effort, Odd Blood, has the same weirdo pop and sonic explorations, described by the band as “Middle Eastern-psych-snap-gospel.” The single “Ambling Alp” (which has two remixes) stands out for its loopy rhythm and bursts of reggae and funk.
Mike Ayvazian creates playlists based on anything that inspires him. He’s also an actor and can usually be found on stage when he’s not busy mixing tunes. 1. “Window Seat” by Erykah Badu 2. “In My Bed (CJ mix)” by Amy Winehouse 3. “Turn Da Lights Off (Remix)” by Tweet 4. “Poetic Justice” by Jasmine Solano 5. “Legend Of A Cowgirl” by Imani Coppola 6. “Why Don’t you Love Me” by Beyoncé 7. “Ain’t Got No/I Got Life (Groovefinder Remix)” by Nina Simone 8. “A Little Less Conversation (JLX Radio Edit Remix)” by Elvis Presley 9. “Clap Your Hands (Prince Vince Remix)” by Sia 10.“Find The Fire” by Parallels 11. “Alive” by Goldfrapp 12. “All The Lovers” by Kylie Minogue 13. “With Every Heartbeat” by The Rest 14. “Crazy In Love” by The Magic Numbers 15. “Steady As She Goes” by Corinne Bailey Rae
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movies
JOYOUS
Hipster icons, from OBEY poster artist Shepard Fairey to Fugazi front man Ian MacKaye, discuss the beauty of working outside mainstream commercial culture. Andy Jenkins, an artist working with the company Girl Skateboards, sums it up: “A lot of people that are creative don’t fit in with societal norms.” The collective opinion in the videos is that skateboard culture and doing graffiti are panaceas, with testimonies such as “it’s like punk rock” and “you create your own little world.” However, the interviewees don’t shy away from the challenges of their chosen paths. Ben Woodward opines, “Skateboarding is the art of falling down.” Graffiti artist Amaze, who hides in sewers and creeps through people’s bedrooms as they sleep in pursuit of the perfect graffiti spot, adds, “It’s only fun when you’re doing it under the radar.”
There is a world where the comic nerds reign supreme, brick walls are a painter’s canvas and the beards are shaggy. It’s the American subculture, populated with the kids who skipped school to go to the skate park and scribbled band logos on their notebooks. In 2007, director and artist Aaron Rose captured the skate and street art zeitgeist by interviewing and filming painters, filmmakers, skaters, graffiti artists and other visionaries for his film Beautiful Losers. After the film was released, he found he had enough reels of unused footage to fuel another project. He used the footage to assemble the web video series D.I.Y. America, which debuted last year.
D.I.Y. America sparked controversy when bloggers discovered that advertising firm WKE Entertainment paid production costs, but Rose’s footage preexisted corporate sponsorship. Ultimately, the experience of seeing one beautiful loser after another reinterpret the world creates a joyous anarchy, captured by street artist Swoon who opines, “I just really loved the idea of making things that happened and then were gone.” She appliques paper portraits to public walls, sharing, “I just want to make portraits of people that can create small moments of human connection and pause within the larger landscape.” D.I.Y. America demonstrates that the larger landscape has room for a brilliant divergence of creative visions.
Skateboarding is the art of falling down
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ANARCHY
[ Text Serena Makofsky ]
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movies
DOCUDRAMA What can a work-in-progress documentary say about alternative music in the Middle East? Prague-based director Farid Eslam’s Yallah Underground is now little more than a Facebook fan page, a provocative threeminute trailer and 40 hours of unedited footage of Beirut bands like Scrambled Eggs, the New Government, Fareeq al Atrash and Lumi. Initial funding allowed Eslam’s team to shoot in and around Beirut in September 2009, and in Cairo and Amman this past spring. At the same time, the project has turned into a veritable ultrasound of the still-embryonic Lebanese indie music scene. This socalled “underground” has been alternately stymied by regional conflicts and inertia in popular tastes, and stimulated by the fierce need of its most loyal practitioners to express themselves. The title, Eslam acknowledges, strikes a chord with some and a nerve with others. “There are people who don’t want to be part of this sort of generalization,” he says.
BEIRUT “We’re not underground,” says Charbel Haber of Scrambled Eggs. “I wish we were, but we got so much music coverage in the last few years, for the wrong and the right reasons. We get media coverage because Israel’s bombed the South, and we’re making music at the same time.” To others, it’s a natural and inevitable catchphrase for bands that are as distinct from one another as from mainstream, commercial music. “Underground means just not being afraid of doing things differently,” says Mayaline Hage of Lumi. “Any person who wants to find out what’s happening in the subcultures here will google ‘underground,’” says musician and producer Zeid Hamdan, who has been collaborating with Eslam on the documentary since its genesis. Underground then becomes at once a description of a subculture and a platform for promotion (as in www. lebaneseunderground.com, which organizer Hamdan describes as the “Lebanese MySpace”) that struggles to become viable while maintaining its authenticity.
Yallah Underground is still a Facebook fan page
Eslam produced the trailer with Western television officials and commissioning editors in mind, he says, “which is probably why it looks more political than the film will be.” There’s an inherent challenge in making a film that aims to overthrow stereotypes without creating new ones. “We’re always in a constant struggle to kill the cliché,” Hamdan says. “We benefit a lot from the fear and the misunderstanding, because it attracts a lot of publicity, but a documentary that shows so much variety in the Arab region, it can only create links.” Which is sort of the whole point.
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Text Sophie Marzano Photos Tanya Traboulsi
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wireless
TECHBYTES SHAKEN NOT STIRRED
FILM SPIN
POCKET TV
LISTEN, LOOK AND THINK
This is the real thing, James Bond’s 1964 Aston Martin DB5, featuring a bulletproof shield, revolving number plates, removable roof and machine guns! Everything can be controlled from the armrest in the DB5, so you can start shooting your own version of Goldfinger any time.
Remember those pull-string toys from your childhood? The Spinner 360° is a grown-up version. You pull the cord while holding it in the other hand, and it goes around 360 degrees to catch the most amazing scenery. PS: it’s a traditional film cam, not a digital one.
“Please fold your TV, and put it in your pocket now,” says the professor to his student. Well, maybe not yet, but it could happen with Sony’s OLED display, a TV screen that’s just 0.3 millimeters thick. This small screen is thinner and lighter than anything out there.
Had enough of the little ear-plug headphones that keep falling out of your ears? It’s time for the real deal, with a vintage spin. The V-Moda Crossfade LP headphones feature a solid steel frame and 50-millimeter, Dual-Diaphragm highdef drivers as well as a flexible headband.
PUMA PONG
STOWAWAY BIKE
FAST CAR
IPAD ME IN STYLE
So design-led yet so simply ingenious, the Puma Chalk ping-pong table – designed by Aruliden – lets you write down the score on the chalkboard-cum-table or draw graffiti if you like. The steel chainlink net and stowaway compartments bring a sporty look to your home.
The Strida 5.0 SX bike has revolutionized bike design, with its triangular lightweight aluminum, comfy horizontal mounted bars and foldable frame that can be stored in a closet. The greasy gears and chains are minimized for a cleaner ride.
The Lamborghini Murcielago LP6704 is the finest one yet, more powerful, faster and 100 kilos lighter than its predecessor. The transparent bonnet reveals the brutal 12-cylinder engine with redeveloped aerodynamics that take you to 670 hp in no time.
The iPad case from Gucci dresses up your pad in black rubberized leather and neoprene, or in a beige/ebony combo. A cool strap closure limits pressure on the touch screen and keeps it clean with a suede finish.
CAR IN A BOAT
CUTS LIKE A KNIFE
MINI CAM
MUSIC ON THE GO
Imagine your boat arriving to the marina, then it opens up and your sports car comes out. The Strand Craft 122 is the 38-meter super yacht with a high-tech, Art Deco interior, an 880 hp twin turbo engine – and a garage!
Never hunt or dive without the Wasp knife. The high-tech wizardry behind it injects a cold ball of compressed gas to paralyze land and sea predators with a single stab, by freezing their organs and keeping you safe.
Meet Alpa 12 TC, the smallest and lightest 6x9 roll-film camera aimed at professional photographers. Also a digital cam, with more than 60 megapixels, the Alpa 12 TC takes extreme 23-millimeter, wide-angle shots and works with all Alpa accessories.
It looks Japanese, it sounds Japanese, but the Mugo MP3 Player stands for Music on the Go. This is a funky-looking MP3 player with a built-in USB stick for easy transfer. Check out the many colors and limited editions available.
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nightlife
PARTY DESTINATION: ZADAR, CROATIA
When Ibiza became overrun with lager louts and braying mobs of 18-year-olds on their virginity tours, Europe’s party people needed to find another sun-drenched destination to blow off steam in the summer. In stepped Zadar on the Adriatic coast of Croatia, with its Mediterranean climate and crystal blue waters. Since 2006, a purpose built festival site in the small fishing village of Petrcane near Zadar has attracted those in the know. The small pine-tree-covered peninsula comes complete with an outdoor dance floor and a beachside bar. When the sun goes down, the party continues at Barberella’s, an authentic ‘70s disco. Boat parties add another sprinkling of magic: there’s something intensely heavenly about dancing in the sun with 200 other revelers as your boat glides through the turquoise sea.
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Suncé Beats
Electric Elephant
Suncé Beats is new to Petrcane this year, but the people behind it have over 30 years of experience in dance festivals. They are the United Kingdom’s Southport Weekender, who literally have experience transforming small seaside towns into heated rave destinations. The line-up has a decidedly international flavor with Italian DJs Souldynamic, Slovenian DJs Dekky and Magic Jay, German DJ collective Jazzanova and Croatia’s own Eddy Meets Yannah. Former member of Soul II Soul Jazzie B is also DJing. August 3-15, Petrcane, W www. southportweekender.co.uk/suncebeat
Sunshine and disco music go together effortlessly, and this combination makes Electric Elephant a supremely loved festival. It debuted in 2008, created by Manchester Electric Chair DJ crew, who spent 1995 to 2008 playing underground at the Music Box in the physical and emotional heart of the city. They are joined by legendary London DJ Lowlife, and this year the modest live band stage will feature appropriately electrifying live act Fuck Buttons. DJs include legend Andrew Weatherall as well as residents The Unabombers and Prosumer from Berlin’s famous Panorama Bar. August 27-29, Petrcane, W www.electricelephant.co.uk
HONORABLE MENTIONS Sea Organ
If you need a moment away from the party, and even if you don’t, a visit to the Sea Organ in Zadar will soothe your soul. Thirty-five pipes on the seafront emit noise, music even, like whale songs as the waves bob and the tide goes in and out. The architect who created it, Nikola Bašic, has now added “Salute to the Sun,” a large mirror-like disc on the seafront to reflect Zadar’s famous sunsets, reportedly described by Alfred Hitchcock as the finest in the world. Obala kralja Petra Krešimira IV, Zadar. The Garden Bar
The Garden Bar, founded by a couple of ex-members of ‘80s reggae band UB40, is the seed from which all festivals in Petrcane grew. It is relaxed, comfortable and great for cocktails, sun bathing and holiday grooves. Bedemi zadarskih pobuna bb, T 36.47.39, W www.thegardenzadar The Arsenal
Outlook Festival
Stop Making Sense
Up the coast in Pula on the Istrian peninsula, this dubstep festival will bring thousands to Punto Christo, an 18th-century fort. Outlook started in Petrcane in 2008 and has taken one tradition on from there – the euphoric boat parties. This year’s lineup includes some of the top acts of dubstep, reggae and dancehall, including Nero, Joker, Plastician, Zinc, Roots Manuva Live, Skream, Loefah & Coki, Kenny Ken and many more. September 2-5, Fort Punto Christo, Pula, W www.outlookfestival.com
New for 2010, Stop Making Sense transports most of the bars and clubs of east London to Croatia, and throws in some global DJ names as the cherry on the cake. Detroit techno legends Juan Atkins and Carl Craig headline along with Motor City’s newest star Kyle Hall. The recently sadly departed Optimo club in Glasgow is resurrected in a sun-filled paradise. Make sure you bring plenty of spare clothes because Saturday night sees London’s trendy Swap-a-rama take over Barberella’s, “the most fun you can have with other people’s clothes on.” September 3-5, Petrcane, W www.sms-2010.com
If you’d like to learn more about the history of Zadar, but still want to be able to drink delicious Croatian beer or piva at the same time, the Arsenal’s the place for you. The cavernous building was once an 18th-century store for weapons, but is now home to exhibitions offering a glimpse into Zadar’s 3,000year history. 1 Trg tri bunara, T 25.38.20, W www.arsenalzadar.com
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Text Anna Leach
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wireless
GOING VIRAL So you wanna be an Internet superstar? Take inspiration from the guys and girl behind these viral memes.
Lamebook
www.lamebook.com
Have you ever had an update popping up on your Facebook newsfeed that made you ponder the stupidity of the human race – convinced that humans might not be that far removed from apes after all? Sure you have. Lamebook is there for you to “vent about it,” says site co-founder Jonathan Standefer, “or just to realize that you’re not alone. And hopefully have a good laugh or two while you’re at it.” The site is car crash entertainment (you know you should look away but you just can’t) for the virtual generation, and it’s proving so popular that
founders Standefer (27) and Matthew Genitempo (26) have since quit their day jobs as graphic designers, to work on the cringe-a-minute haven of ultimate lameness full time. “The idea was born from a few beers and a little bit of frustration,” tells Standefer. “While hanging out one night, back in 2008, joking about all the dumb content on their Facebook feeds, they decided to catalogue it, “just for fun.” These days the site receives thousands of submissions a day and the pair recently scored a book deal with San Francisco-based publisher, Chronicle Books. Watch out for Lamebook, the book version, hitting shelves next year.
Where the Hell is…Matt?
www.wherethehellismatt.com
OK, so this one’s been around a while, but 32-year-old former game designer Matt Harding’s viral videos are still so popular that when you Google “Matt” his site pops up first. In case you’ve missed the craze: Matt is an ordinary guy from Connecticut who shot to fame after making a video in which he danced (badly) in front of famous sites across the world. The meme spread like wildfire, and nowadays Matt can afford to work on the site full time, traveling the globe while doing so. He’s danced his signature jig in all sorts of weird and wonderful places, from Myanmar to Botswana – even getting taken away by the police once for dancing in front of the Parthenon in Greece. “They found it disrespectful,” he says. While he used to go it alone, nowadays he eschews solo numbers and gets locals to shake it with him. So where the hell is Matt these days? Pretty close by, actually. He danced his way to Beirut last July to the delight of his Lebanese Internet posse.
Sleeptalkingman
www.sleeptalkingman.blogspot.com
“I’m better than Superman. He’s just a cunt in underpants.” These and other profane gems make up mild-mannered Brit, Adam Lennard’s nocturnal ramblings. Lennard’s wife, Karen SlavickLennard, found her new husband’s midnight mumbling so hilarious that she started a blog documenting them. Since then her hobby has turned into a sensation. “For the first three or four weeks after the blog went viral, our lives were insane,” says Slavick-Lennard. “It truly became a full-time job, on top of our other full-time jobs!” Apart from all the interviews they were doing, they were also answering every single e-mail: “Life got pretty chaotic,” she says. “We
were even ordering Domino’s Pizza for the first time in our lives.” Slavick-Lennard insists that when awake, her husband’s a docile, mildmannered guy, and his midnight persona is nothing like his daytime self. His insults also haven’t affected their marriage: “We share immense delight in Adam’s sleep-talking. I’ve never been bothered by anything Adam has said, even though so much of it is made up of horrible insults!” The couple get hundreds of e-mails of sleep-talking stories from readers. “We love reading them,” says Slavick-Lennard, “and of course, it’s nice validation for Adam that he is not alone.”
[ Text Ilze Hugo ]
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green
ECOBUZZ
1. A feather in your eco cap Not long ago, only the old-fashioned wore hats. But European youth has rediscovered the art of hat-wearing, embracing among others the Rehacer Paper Hat made The West has become king of eco-friendly products, of natural straw. The beige version will keep your head from hats and other fashion items to cars and iPod unbelievably cool thanks to the breathable straw, while docks. But the East also has green products of its own, the black version is ideal for breezy evenings. The hat many of which have been around for centuries, like and its multicolored feather add spunk to your regular natural soap from the Lebanese city of Tripoli and jeans and basic tee outfit. organic olive oil from Lebanon’s oil-producing northern regions. 2. Phoenician olive oil Meaning olive oil in Phoenician, Zejd is the brand of organic olive oil produce by Youssef Fares in the North Lebanon village of Baino. Fares is continuing a family 2. tradition of olive oil that’s 200 years old, with each generation improving on the production in one way or another. This evolution has now reached its zenith with organic production. The Middle East may be famous for its black gold, but Lebanon has its olive oil. 3. Burn that log In a nod to the TV sets of the ‘60s and ‘70s, wood is making its way back to electronics. Straight Line Designs of Vancouver have released an iPod dock made out of a wooden log, complete with speakers on the side, as well as dug-out holes for LED lights. Featuring a flat bottom, the iLog is made from Alder wood, which has been used in the past to make 3. electric guitars. It’s also not mass produced, so you’ll have to special-order one from the company.
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4. Porsche electric Unveiled recently at the Geneva 2010 car show, the Porsche 918 Spyder Hybrid Electric Plug-In prototype is a stylish hybrid electric car. The 3.4-liter V-8 car can demonstrate 495 hp, with 215 hp more coming from three electric motors onboard. It will average 78 mpg (miles per gallon) when driven gently. The vehicle itself is gorgeous, and there’s so much interest in it that Porsche is bound to produce it in the near future.
5. Lebanon’s eco sponges The Lebanese Ministry of Environment seems to be going in the right direction by promoting environmentally conscious businesses. It recently participated in the opening ceremony of an eco-friendly sponge factory that won’t harm the ecosystem or the ozone layer. The sponge factory lies in the Bekaa village of Sultan Yacoub al Tahta, contributing to the sustainability of the area. 4.
6. Soaps of Tripoli Imagine bathing in the scent of jasmine or gardenia, massaging yourself with a coconut soap bar or taking a lavender shower. These are just some of the ingredients going into the aromatherapy soaps of Tripoli’s Khan al Saboun. The history and techniques of Khan al Saboun go back hundreds of years, and the soaps are still being made by hand, like they were centuries ago. The city of Tripoli itself has been known since antiquity for its aromatic and therapeutic soaps, all made with natural ingredients. 5.
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what to do
LIGHT THE DESERT FIRE There are no real rules governing Burning Man; participants are free to do as they wish As any “burner” will tell you, there is no comprehensive way to talk about Burning Man without going. There, on “the playa,” in the middle of a scorching desert, is an experience that participants swear will transform, renew, enlighten. What is it? Burning Man is a festival that aims to liberate its participants from the constraints of conservative society. The namesake event is the burning of a giant man made of wood. Festival participants travel around from camp to camp, giving and receiving goods, experiences, art and services. There are no real rules governing the event; participants are free to do as they wish as long as they are not endangering themselves or others. Give me the basics Burning Man takes place annually during the week preceding Labor Day (which is the first Monday in September) in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert. Black Rock is an uninhabited expanse of land “not intended for humans.” More than 48,000 humans attend the event, all of whom are charged with the responsibility of their own transportation, accommodation, entertainment
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and survival for the duration of the festival. Revelers bring everything they need to survive, and must either consume it or take it with them when they leave. Less than one month after the event, the desert returns to its pristine state; no trace of the “city” remains. Tickets are sold for $210-$300. There are 10 basic principles of the festival, among them Radical Inclusion (absolutely everyone is accepted and respected), Radical Self Reliance (participants “rely on personal resources”), Radical Self Expression, Gifting and Decommodification (no “commercial sponsorships, transactions or advertising”). Make your own art The desert expanse is a Dalí-like canvas for the festival’s amazing display of art. Giant structures and artworks of literally every type imaginable are brought, assembled, deconstructed, re-imagined and reassembled over the course of the week. Art can be found in the costumes of the participants, in the “gifts” found throughout the playa, rolling around as “art cars,” in “theme camps,” at random and sprawled out in surreal enormity. The art of the event is one of its most significant achievements. Each year the festival has an art theme, which can serve to guide artwork design and/or “theme camps”
created by participants, and can also serve as a focus for discussion and contemplation. This year’s theme is “Metropolis: The Life of Cities.” Did you say theme camp? Theme Camps are tented areas created by participants. Each theme camp has a guiding theme, while also providing some sort of service, food and/or experience for passersby. Examples of theme camps in years past: A Xanadu-inspired roller rink with skates for participants to get their roller disco grooves on, an actual re-creation of Mad Max’s Thunderdome, a giant, cavernous vagina navigated through to a dance floor and a “Human Car Wash,” in which participants line up naked to be systematically scrubbed down (there are no showers provided on the playa). Literally anything goes. This year, Burning Man runs from August 30-September 6. W www.burningman.com
[ Text Ann Valente Photos Scott London ]
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BIG IN BEIRUT
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Photos Tarek Moukaddem
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what to do
DATEBOOK AUGUST 6
AUGUST 6-8
AUGUST 6-8
AUGUST 7
OPEN AIR PARTY BATROUN, LEBANON
INTERNATIONAL BEER FESTIVAL BERLIN
LOLLAPALOOZA GRANT PARK, CHICAGO
SASHA AND JAMES ZABIELA DOWNTOWN BEIRUT
The climax of the Batroun Festival brings the area’s hippest clubs outdoors to the main street for a massive party.
The world’s longest beer festival features over 2,000 beers from around the world, plus live music and entertainment.
The lineup at this year’s Lolla weekend includes Lady Gaga, Soundgarden, Grizzly Bear and several DJs.
Two of the hottest names in electronic music join forces for a mind-blowing open-air concert organized by Mix FM.
AUGUST 7
AUGUST 13-20
AUGUST 19-23
AUGUST 21
HARD SUMMER LA STATE HISTORIC PARK
AFTER DARK FILM FESTIVAL TORONTO
LEBANESE FILM FESTIVAL CINÉMA METROPOLIS, BEIRUT
GOVERNOR GENERAL RUGGED BATROUN, LEBANON
Soulwax, Crystal Castles and Major Lazer are some of the cool acts performing at this year’s music festival.
Enjoy new horror, sci-fi, action and cult movies from around the world at this thrilling film festival.
Films made by Lebanese or about Lebanon are on view at this dynamic festival, now in its ninth edition.
Governor General Rugged and Alice Harper perform their mix of dancehall, reggae and hip hop at White Beach.
AUGUST 29-30
SEPTEMBER 1-11
SEPTEMBER 4-5
SEPTEMBER 4-6
NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL WEST LONDON
INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL VENICE, ITALY
ELECTRIC ZOO 2010 RANDALL’S ISLAND PARK, NY
BUMBERSHOOT 2010 SEATTLE
London’s largest street festival is a spectacle of colorful Caribbean costumes, music and revelry.
Writer/director Quentin Tarantino chairs the international jury at the world’s oldest film festival.
Chemical Brothers and Armin van Buuren headline the pumping, open-air electronic music festival.
Rapper Drake and Mary J. Blige are two of the top acts performing at the largest music and aarts festival in North America.
SEPTEMBER 9-19
SEPTEMBER 15-23
SEPTEMBER 18
SEPTEMBER 25
INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL TORONTO
AYAM BEIRUT AL CINEMA’IYA CINÉMA METROPOLIS, BEIRUT
MARTEN HORGER/SMASH HIFI SPORTING CLUB, BEIRUT
NOCTURNAL FESTIVAL SAN BERNARDINO, CALIFORNIA
More than 300 films from over 60 countries will be screened at the leading film festival.
Enjoy the latest and most important Arab features, documentaries and shorts at this major film festival.
Musical sensation Marten Horger and Leeroy Thornhill join forces to create Smash HiFi, a new electro/tech project.
The massive music festival brings the biggest names in electronic music to San Bernardino, east of Los Angeles.
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