Gossip17 by Aishti

Feb-Mar 2012

No. 17

new york: youth and the city HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR DENIM BEIRUT DESIGNERS SHOW OFF THEIR SPRING WHITE NIGHTS IN ST. PETERSBURG WHY WE LOVE HOLLYWOOD AND THE MOVIES

You don’t exist until they tAlk About you

Directory

No. 17 Feb-Mar 2012 Publisher

Tony Salamé Group TSG SAL Editor-In-Chief

Marwan Naaman

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Malak Beydoun

Art Director

Laurent El Khoury junior Editor

Tala Habbal

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

With winter firmly here and now, it’s time to showcase all the cold-weather items you’ve got hanging in your closet. Coats, fur, scarves, gloves: put yourself on display at the trendy bars and restaurants of Gemmayze, Hamra, Mar Mikhael and Downtown Beirut. What’s the occasion? Well there’s Valentine’s Day (go out and go all the way), Mardi Gras and every snowy weekend spent in Faqra, Faraya and the Cedars. That’s enough reason to party, party and party some more. Dance until you die and never look back.

Natasha Dirany, Lucy Gillespie EDITOR AT LARGE

Serena Makofsky

ASSISTANT EDITOR

Gaelle Dalati

IN-HOUSE STYLIST

Mouna Harati

junior art director

Mélanie Dagher

WRITERS Grace Banks, Ziad Gedeon Ruby Gotham, Ellen Hardy Emma Hashimoto, AG Joy Michelle Merheb, Sydney Reade Shirine Saad, Kristin Julie Viola PHOTOGRAPHERS The Cobrasnake, Raya Farhat Alexei Hay, Nini Mason Poole, Bachar Srour CONTRIBUTING STYLISTS Sebastien Cambos, Jennifer Eymère PRODUCTION Fadi Maalouf, Anne-Marie Tabet ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT Melhem Moussallem, Pamela el Kahi RESPONSIBLE DIRECTOR George Chahine PRINTING Dots Where to find us facebook.com/GossipTheMagazine scandalmongering.blogspot.com scandalmongering.tumblr.com issuu.com/gossip.beirut twitter.com/gossipdigital 140 El Moutrane St., Fourth Floor Downtown Beirut, Lebanon T 961.1.991.111, ext. 333 or 233 E gossip@gossip-beirut.com

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Gossip No. 17

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Blast | News

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Annabelle Wallis | Citizens

Royal Annabelle Text Kristin Julie Viola

Take a bow. Annabelle Wallis is set to become a Hollywood princess Annabelle Wallis is perfectly poised to be Hollywood’s next “it” girl. Best known for her role on The Tudors, the British ingénue also stars in the breakout TV series Pan Am and Madonna’s movie W.E. The actress also has a host of upcoming films under her belt, including the buzzed-about Snow White and the Huntsman starring Kristen Stewart and Charlize Theron. Gossip chatted with Wallis about working alongside Jonathan Rhys Meyers, starring on Pan Am and her international circle of friends.

1 What was it like being a part of The Tudors? It was a show that was part of a sort of revolutionary time in TV. It was made like a movie, the overall quality was so incredible. On that set it became clear that when you work in the company of greats, you want to work even harder to stay in their company. It was so widely watched and loved by people. I was lucky to be part of it. Gossip No. 17

. What was it like working with Jonathan Rhys Mey-

ers on The Tudors? Johnny is one of the most charismatic and charming people I’ve met. He has a talent so infectious it hits you the moment you walk in the room. For me, he was so inspiring. His energy really helps. He is so giving as an actor. He was a great pleasure to work with.

. What made you want to join the cast of Pan Am?

Bridget, my character. I have never yet loved a character so. Her mystery, her intelligence. She is complicated yet likeable. She is a modern, strong woman, and in the ‘60s it was women like that who paved the way to the freedom and equality we have now.

4 Did you expect Pan Am to become such a hit? I knew when I read the first script that it was something special. But of course there are many

factors in the creation of a show that can make it better or hinder it after its embryonic state. We have been so fortunate that it attracted the most wonderful group of actors, writers, producers, etc. Everyone involved loved it so much from the start. I feel like that shows. I hope the public stays affectionate toward it! But you never know at the beginning if it will be well-received; we were lucky!

5 What do you like to do for fun? Right now I am in Scotland, about to climb a mountain with a group of friends, all musicians and actors. I fear we may not reach our goal [laughs]. My fun is catching up with friends. I went to an international school with 42 nationalities in my year, so most of my free time is spent chasing friends and loved ones around the globe to catch up. I grew up in Portugal, so when I can, I go and relax out there with family!

Style | Not Just a Label

Oh so label conscious Text Lucy Gillespie

Discover some of the world’s edgiest designers in a single snap Suffocated by high street copycats, many fashionistas are parched for the true taste of individuality that comes from access to the secret niches of cutting-edge couture. This is where Stefan Siegal comes in. The entrepreneur focuses on innovative emerging designers starving for exposure. “Young fashion designers were paying high fees for platforms like MySpace, which catered to a different creative industry. A digital space where emerging fashion designers could showcase and promote their latest collections did not exist.” Siegal and his tech-savvy brother quickly set up Not Just a Label (NJAL) in 2008, and the fashion scene has never been the same since. In providing the double-whammy of exposure to an ever-expanding number of designers, plus an online shop that showcases the most elite pieces,

NJAL serve both their emerging designers and their devoted fans. Surfers are easily lured by the “Designer Collage,” a feature that gives random order to the designer database. Tabs such as “Most Viewed” and the “Editors’ Corner” nudge viewers toward especially unique and exciting collections, and couture pieces can be negotiated directly with the designer through the RFQ (Request For Quote) feature. Siegal is particularly proud of NJAL’s ready-to-wear selection: “Our shop curators set a high standard for fashion, so our customers have high expectations. They return to NJAL because they know we will have the most forward-thinking designers, one-off pieces and truly original and avant-garde designs.” In three years, NJAL has grown to include over 7,500 designers in 93 countries. The site has

enjoyed over 4 million hits, and an estimated $50 million in sales, both through the site and direct quotes from designers. This year, based on the success of their Graduate Directory, and joined by Wallpaper* magazine, NJAL heralded the 2011 Top Fashion Graduates, and has already boosted the careers of newcomers Mary Kantrantzou, Damir Doma, Peter Jenson and Rad Hourani. Constantly scouting for new fashion talent to propel, Siegal was particularly impressed by the Beirut scene: “We were given an amazing insight into the local creative scene, and it was fascinating to see the energy in the city. To me it seemed like Lebanese designers are used to struggle, to standing up and fighting for their innovations, and I think this is ultimately what makes them so special.” Check out www.notjustalabel.com Feb-Mar 2012

Mira Hayek | Citizens

Graffiti fashion Text Natasha Dirany Photos Nini

Mira Hayek turns to Brazilian graffiti art for style inspiration What do you get if you cross a cheerleader with a space cadet? Forget dodgy fantasies reserved for the darkest corners of the Internet, and instead meet “A Namorada” the retro-futuristic debut collection by 28-year-old Lebanese fashion designer Mira Hayek. Portuguese for “The Girlfriend,” the collection was inspired by Brazilian graffiti artists Os Gêmeos (“The Twins”). In love with the clashing prints and colorful tracksuits worn by Os Gêmeos’ most famous character, Hayek asked herself, what would his girlfriend wear? So she designed her a wardrobe.

kind. I do variations in size, fabric and color. So the customer can come, look at the fabric chart and design her own basically,” Hayek explains, pointing to her bright color palette, based on a neutral gray and a very Simpsons yellow. A Namorada is currently available at the Starch Boutique in Beirut’s Saifi Village, where Hayek is part of the Starch Foundation’s annual design program for young Lebanese talent. “It’s the best experience ever! You feel like you’re still in university. It’s a very nice group. I love how we’re all completely different.”

“There are 14 pieces, and they’re all one-of-a-

A professional graphic designer, Hayek switched

Gossip No. 17

to fashion via Master’s degrees at Istituto Marangoni and Istituto Europeo di Design in Milan, and internships at Elie Saab and Erdem. The love for graphics is blatant in every line, cut and color of her pieces. Puffball skirts, trapeze tops and ‘60sesque tunnel dresses have cartoonish proportions that are both sporty and fashion-forward. If The Jetsons needed a uniform for the 2012 Olympics, this would be it, throwing in a pair of statement sneakers. “It’s for young women who like to try something different, who love to go out and who love fashion, but aren’t afraid to be themselves,” Hayek says. “I hope women are going to want to enter my world!”

Citizens | Bachar Srour

Fresh talent Text AG Joy

Young fashion photographer Bachar Srour is fast moving ahead of his fellow creatives To view Bachar Srour’s photographs is to instantly appreciate a talent that belies not just his young age, but also the (so far) short span of his photography career. The personal shots he takes seem to tell a tale: we feel like we’re invading private spaces and thoughts. Even the models in Srour’s fashion photographs (for A magazine and Gossip, among others) appear to speak to us, beyond the designer clothing and accessories they are tasked with promoting. So, it comes as a surprise to learn that photography was not the path this young photographer – he is 27 – had initially chosen. There was no burning obsession that led Srour to click away wherever and when-

ever possible. Before enrolling in the Plastic Arts program at the Lebanese University, his passion was for painting. As part of the program, and in addition to painting, he took classes in sculpting, ceramics, painting restoration, and one course in photography.

From the second year in the program, he began taking photographs professionally. Srour taught himself the technicalities, such as lighting, shutter speed and composition, but the creativity, the “eye” for translating his subjects into art, came naturally.

“When I got to university, I realized that there were many painters more talented than me,” he says. “After one course in photography, I knew this is what I wanted to do.” Srour was first attracted to vintage photos that had been photoshopped and had a hint of superficiality. Eventually, though, he began to appreciate the untouched, the “real.”

Looking ahead, Srour would like to compile a series of photos for an exhibit and/or a book. “I take so many photos that I really like, but after a while, I find something wrong with them,” he says. “So, I need to build a solid portfolio of photographs that stand the test of time.” Check out Bachar Srour’s work at www.bacharsrour.com Feb-Mar 2012

Bachar Srour | Citizens

Gossip No. 17

Music | Hanni el Khatib

Punk skater Text Serena Makofsky

Post-post-punk, doo-wop, surf guitar, grunge: mix it up with Hanni el Khatib Knife fights and train wrecks. Hanni el Khatib cites these as primary influences on his music. It seems improbable when you hear the chilled out post-post-punk music that mixes it up with doo-wop, surf guitar and grunge. Khatib appears to like surprises. The San Francisco skate punk was born to parents who emigrated from Palestine and the Philippines. He remains loyal to a hard rock upbringing, recommending that we would solve the world’s problems if we spent our mornings listening to Black Sabbath. In 2010, Khatib hooked up with Stones Throw to release two singles. The bluesy, garage sound garnered a following that snowballed after he released the album Will the Guns Come Out. Gossip caught up with Khatib on a break between international tour dates.

1 How’s the tour going? Tour was great! I’ve got stories for days now. Traveling and playing shows is always exciting for me. I love to do it.

2 What’s the story behind your new video for “Come Alive?” The directors, Simon Cahn and Ricky Saiz, approached me with this idea of a child grim reaper that goes around raising hell and killing people. Sounded perfect to me. They wanted it to have a tongue and cheek vibe. We didn’t want the video to take itself too seriously, that’s why it’s sort of playful.

. What are your favorite San Francisco haunts?

Yeah...I grew up in SF and recently relocated to LA. But when I’m back in the bay you can always find me at Specs Bar for a drink and Mario’s Bohemian Cigar Store Café for the best meatball sandwich ever.

4 Are you a big fan of pickle juice? Huge fan of anything pickled. Some people think it’s gross, I like it. So when you combine that with a shot of whisky, it can’t be beat.

5 What music are you listening to these days? I’m always listening to the same constant rotation of soul and garage, but lately I’ve been going through a major Cramps moment.

. Do you make time to skate?

I try when I can, but it’s becoming a bit challenging to find enough time. I can’t wait for our next US tour, because that is when the board gets thrown in the back of the van, and we can skate during breaks and pit stops. Follow Hanni el Khatib on Twitter at twitter.com/#!/ hannielkhatib Feb-Mar 2012

Theresa Himmer | Citizens

Pop goes the city! Text Serena Makofsky

One artist is pouring loads of color on an urban landscape You’re strolling down a back alley in urban Reykjavik, concrete to the left of you and barbed wire to the right. You look up and, above the windows behind bars, spilling between the graffiti, is a waterfall. Not the watery kind, but the postmodern kind, constructed of thousands of sequins in blue, silver and black. The effect is like a cell-phone photo gone awry, a pixelated cascade, each sequin reflecting shifting light and shadows. This is the world of Danish artist Theresa Himmer, where art becomes architecture and forgotten corners transform into focal points. The artist constructed “Waterfall” by lightly pinning reflective platelets to plastic and plywood. This method allows the breeze to ripple through the fabric, producing the effect of undulating water. Another piece in Himmer’s The Mountain Series is titled “Volcano.” It consists of gold and pinkish sequins spilling over the corner of an otherwise Gossip No. 17

drab building. The eruption of color is particularly dramatic against Reykjavik’s dark winter sky. The artist confesses a love for urban spaces, adding that exploring them, scratching their surfaces, reveals the stories of their buildings. She also considers her glittering murals a social critique of the Icelandic government’s “branding” of natural wonders. According to Himmer: “Iceland packages its natural environment to tourists as a site for experience, to the aluminum industry as a source for cheap energy, while simultaneously using it to brand the country as a forerunner of sustainability and ecological responsibility.” Himmer is not content with sticking to the art form that has gained her international notoriety. Her recent work has ventured beyond sequins, including a site-specific video installation at the SVA Visual Arts Gallery in New York. The untitled piece has projected glass doors that artificially extend the gallery space. Beyond the

doors, viewers see images of people walking and interacting in their daily rhythms. The installation thematically connects with the artist’s current project of building a sound installation for New York’s Art in General gallery space, which will explore the “relationship between a real space and its constructed mirror image. But whereas the video investigation was mute, this installation will be based solely on sound, and confined to the concentrated space of a functioning elevator.” Currently based in Brooklyn while part of the Whitney Museum of American Art’s independent study program, Himmer travels the world to do site-specific work. She is currently at work on a piece commissioned by the Public Art Program in Perm, Russia. Her project will be part of the local government’s mission to re-imagine the city as a center of art and culture. With Himmer involved, there are sure to be surprises at every corner.

Karim Safieddine | Citizens

Click Cinemoz Text Natasha Dirany Photos Nini

Karim Safieddine’s new website gives you access to the best of Arab cinema It takes a lot to turn an idea for a website into a multimillion dollar enterprise – just ask the sleepless in Silicon Valley. You need a catchy idea, some start-up capital, a great team and big balls. And, in the case of Cinemoz, plenty of Red Bull and shawarma. “When you’re working with developers, and they’re coding, they’re basically Neo from The Matrix. They speak a certain kind of language that you can only speak at 4am,” says Karim Safieddine, whose team pulled more than a few Red Bull-fuelled all-nighters to launch Cinemoz in December 2011, the Arab world’s first premium Video on Demand website. Now Arabic movies, documentaries, short films and TV series Gossip No. 17

are available online, anytime and entirely for free. It’s a slick site. Stream a kitsch Egyptian rom-com or the latest from the festival circuit in a stylish, never-seen-before quality. “It’s about injecting a big dose of coolness into the Arab world,” says Safieddine, who has seen “the good, the bad and the ugly” sides of Arabic cinema since he had the idea for Cinemoz while working for Miramax in New York two years ago. Arab cinema has a shoddy (and unfortunate!) reputation, and with more than 24,000 Arabic films out there, being a curator at Cinemoz sometimes has its downside. “I have a special folder on my laptop, it’s actually named ‘shit,’” says Safied-

dine with a laugh. “If we want to be a premium service, we have to pick the good stuff.” Lebanon’s notoriously slow Internet connection can feel like a turtle swimming through peanut butter. But Cinemoz is leading a new wave of local startups crashing through that glass ceiling. According to Safieddine, 40 million people in the Arab world have direct broadband access and are eager for an alternative to pirated DVDs. “We’ve all been there, but if you give people the option of a beautiful experience online for free, you cut out the hassle. It’s one click away.” Visit cinemoz.com

What do to | New York

New York on a budget Text Michelle Merheb Illustration eboy

It’s the most exciting city in America, but it’s also the most expensive, and spending a few days in New York can take its toll on the old wallet, especially when you’re a student or a fresh grad. Yet, every traveler, every adventurer and, well, everyone in the world really, has to make at least one pilgrimage to New York, the city that proverbially never sleeps and the place that gave birth to all our notions of style and modernity. Here’s Gossip’s guide to NYC: we’ve included all the fun but skimped on the expenses! Where to stay First of all, you’ve got to choose a place to stay. We suggest the new Yotel, with its stylish vibe and average room prices that hover around $300 per night, including all taxes and fees (see following page for more details about Yotel). How to get around Taxis are plentiful on virtually every Manhattan street, but taking cabs is costly, so use public transportation instead. Be sure to fly into Newark Airport (as opposed to JFK), and take the Air Train and then New Jersey Transit (NJT) to reach New York: the NJT train drops you off at Penn Station, smack in the middle of Manhattan. Once there, buy the one-week Metro pass for $29. This pass allows unlimited use of all of New York’s trains and buses for an entire week, so you won’t have to spend extra money on cabs.

Main sights The Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, Times Square, Rockefeller Center, Wall Street, the Flatiron Building, Central Park: New York is full of mythic sights that have long inhabited the imagination of would-be visitors to the city. Thankfully, most of these attractions are free. All you have to do is get yourself there (via an easy subway ride) and sight around at your own pace. The only two exceptions are the Statue of Liberty (entrance is free but you must purchase a ferry ticket for $13 to get there) and the Empire State Building (access to the 86th floor observatory runs just under $25, while access to both the 86th and 102nd floors is about $40). Museums and art galleries New York is America’s cultural mecca, with tons of museums and art galleries in virtually every one of

its neighborhoods. First off, you have to visit the iconic Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), which is free every Friday between 4pm and 8pm. The terrific Diego Rivera exhibit is on until May 14, while the interesting (but disturbing) Sanja Ivekovic show “Sweet Violence” is on until March 26. You can also check out the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), which is always free, and where exhibits focus on the glamorous world of fashion. The current show (on from February 10 to April 17 and titled “Impact: 50 Years of the CFDA”) is an ode to the designs of the CFDA’s many members. If you’re feeling adventurous, head Uptown to the Studio Museum of Harlem, where admission is free on Sunday. There are various exhibits scheduled for February and March, and the most interesting ones include “Harlem Postcards,” which chronicles Harlem’s present history, and “Collected. Ritual,” which examines age-old myths. Both exhibits run until March 11. Feb-Mar 2012

New York | What to do

Modern art buffs have to hit Chelsea, especially the area west of the High Line, between 19th and 27th streets, and 10th and 11th avenues. Dozens of art galleries, including David Zwirner, Elizabeth Harris, Gagosian, Agora, Morgan Lehman, Pace, Paul Kasmin, David Nolan and more, are concentrated in this space, and entrance to all of them is free. The Chelsea Art Museum is also here, at 556 West 22nd Street, and access to their bijou space costs a mere $8 ($4 if you’re a student). Where to eat The most important question may very well be: “Where can you eat?” In New York, virtually any choice is a good choice, but there are some places that offer excellent food at affordable prices. If you’re in the mood for Mexican food, head to Rosa Mexicano. This classic eatery, with branches at Union Square, Sutton Place and Lincoln Center, serves a mean, spicy guacamole that’s prepared right at your table. Wash it all down with the frozen pomegranate margarita. For Asian cuisine, choose the very glamorous Tao, where Britney Spears, Jay-Z and Beyoncé are regularly spotted. This ultra-happening spot Gossip No. 17

on 58th Street, off Fifth Avenue, has a prix-fixe lunch menu for $26.50 that includes a choice of starter, main course and dessert. Be sure to have the banana pudding for dessert: it’s sweet, tangy, creamy and the best thing you’ll probably have in your life. There are tons of other restaurants in Manhattan where you can eat exquisite dishes for a reasonable sum, including Wild Ginger (Thai, on East 51st Street), Red Rooster Harlem (New American cuisine as re-invented by celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson, on Lenox Avenue) and Buvette (on Bleecker Street, where chef Jody Williams serves French-inspired small plates). Where to party When you’re done with all the rest, you need to find out why New York is “the city that never sleeps,” so put on your dancing shoes (or your stylish sky-high stilettos), and take the F train to the Lower East Side. There are many nightlife haunts in Manhattan, including the fabulous Meatpacking District and the gritty East Village, but set your sights solely on the Lower East Side: the relatively small size of the neighborhood and the sheer density of bars in that space are condu-

cive to a lively scene from the early evening well into the early morning hours. First off, hit one of the wine bars for a couple of glasses of red vino accompanied by olives, cheese and charcuterie: you can’t party on an empty stomach, but you don’t want to pig out before a night of revelry either! The fashionable wine bars here include Jadis, Peri, Roots & Vines and the very trendy ‘inoteca. After the red stuff, go for the hard stuff. First, make your way to Gallery Bar, an art gallery by day and pulsating lounge by night. Have a couple of Zitos (ginger vodka, fresh ginger, lime juice and white cranberry), take in the paintings adorning the walls and then go to the Hotel on Rivington, where the ground-floor Co-op restaurant has one of the hippest bars in Manhattan. Here, in what looks like a ‘70s ballroom, get dizzy on creative concoctions like Spiced Cane and Lingonberry Cider. Stumble outside and carefully cross Rivington Street to reach Fat Baby, a multilevel bar and lounge that rocks till dawn. When you’ve had enough, crawl back to Yotel as yet another Manhattan night crawls into morning.

What to do | Yotel

Yotel ‘em all about it Text Tala Habbal

It’s edgy, it’s trendy, it’s fun: next time you’re in New York, Yotel is where you have to stay New York is a city constantly brewing with new concepts in retail, dining and fashion. In this city that never sleeps the next big thing is always around the corner. During my most recent trip to the Big Apple, I landed on the corner of 10th Avenue and West 42nd Street, the address of one of the city’s newest and edgiest concept hotels, Yotel. Launched in London in 2007, Yotel opened its first two hotels at Heathrow and Gatwick airports, followed by the opening of Yotel in Amsterdam Airport in 2008. These hotels aim to help weary travelers rest by offering rooms for as little as four hours, for anyone needing a place to relax. In June 2011, the radical hotel concept made its way stateside to New York for its first city center property, offering stylish rooms at affordable prices. “People walk in here all the time asking if it’s the Apple

store,” the bellboy tells me as he helps me navigate through the hotel. One look at the property, and it’s easy to see why. The Silver LEED status flagship property designed by the famed Rockwell Group resembles anything but a run-of-the-mill hotel chain. Walking into the shiny white building, I was hesitant as to how much I would enjoy staying somewhere so futuristic looking. For me, a hotel should be cozy, warm and traditional. However, all my hesitation evaporated during my stay. Convenience is at the heart of this concept. No fuss, no muss. There is a fully automated self check-in service featuring Yobot, a cool robotic drop off machine that loads and stores guests’ belongings. Very Jetsons, very cool. The fourth floor is the center of all the action. The large space is home to “Mission Control,” Yotel’s clever version of a concierge desk serving as a one-

stop shop service for all hotel guests. This floor also boasts a massive outdoor terrace (the largest outside terrace space at any New York hotel) with stunning city views, a lounge and bar, a restaurant and a gym. The hotel is really a mini city, and the 669 cabins are the perfect retreat. The cabins all feature floor-to-ceiling windows and range from the basic Premium with queen beds that convert to couches at the touch of a button, to the Premium Corner cabins that offer private outdoor terraces complete with hot tubs. All rooms have free WiFi. Complimentary drinks and water are available on the Galley, conveniently located on each floor. Yotel, in all its futuristic glory, is the perfect place to breathe, relax and reboot. For reservations, T 1.646.449.7700, W www.yotel.com Feb-Mar 2012

Jeans | Style

Denim genie Text Grace Banks

International denim authority Donna Ida shares her style secrets Tired of having to trawl the stores for her perfect pair of jeans, Sydney native Donna Ida had a mission – to create a sanctuary for women where they could get great advice on denim and shop the hottest trends. In 2006 Ida opened her first denim boutique, and now has four stores and an online denim clinic – donnaida.com – offering women around the globe expert advice and a place to buy the coolest jeans in the world. Gossip caught up with Ida to give you the low-down on the key denim trends of the season. Top of the crops “The new jean shape for spring is undoubtedly the crop, as seen on the catwalks of Sportmax and Paul Smith. This season has seen a mid-rise version of this style become trendy. If you’re tall and slim, pair this style with ballet flats and sandals. If you’re petite, add heels to lengthen your legs.”

Gossip No. 17

“MiH Jeans Paris has some great cropped denim, its Newhill & Paris Baez styles are really chic. Just add a crisp shirt for a clean, modern feel.”

this look into your wardrobe by pairing rain forestinspired jeans with a simple jersey vest. Curvy girls should stick to darker denim with a smaller print.”

Acid pastels “As seen on the catwalks of Mulberry and Maarten Van der Horst, pastels are so fresh for spring. Everything from acid colors of sharp lemon, to pretty mint shades and soft candy tones.”

“Elizabeth and James, Goldsign Regal and Mother in Paradise stock some amazing printed styles. Versace, Dolce & Gabbana and Current/Elliott have some lovely colorful prints this season too.”

“Lots of denim brands have the pastel trend covered. J Brand, Siwy and Paige Premium Denim have great styles that can easily be dressed up with a tailored blazer, or down with slouchy knitwear.” Prints charming “Prints are the key to the season, from animal, to tropical and floral – the Dolce & Gabbana and Versace catwalks were awash with printed denim. Work

To dye for “To me, tie dye is all about a relaxed, fun, hippy vibe – perfect for spring! This season’s key colors are so vibrant, as we saw on the catwalks of Charlotte Ronson and Etro, that a cool beach look is really easy to achieve.” “There’s so much great tie dye denim around this season. Siwy’s jeans in ‘Tropical Ice’ and ‘Mixed Signals’ are bang on trend.”

bad girl cara Styling Jennifer EymĂŠre Photos Alexei Hay

This leggy 19-year-old Brit may be a newcomer to the modeling scene, but with a campaign for Burberry already under her belt, Cara Delevigne is heating up runways and magazines with her innate and edgy sense of style

Burberry skirt, Free People top

Feb-Mar 2012

Burberry top, Topshop underwear

Gossip No. 17

Burberry jacket, skirt and shoes, Falke socks

Feb-Mar 2012

Gossip No. 17

Burberry top, hat and shoes, Falke socks

Feb-Mar 2012

Gossip No. 17

This page: Burberry Prorsum dress and shoes, Falke socks Opposite page: Burberry trench, skirt and belt, Pablo by GĂŠrard Darel shirt

Feb-Mar 2012

Gossip No. 17

runaway style Styling Sebastien cambos Photos Mason Poole

Moonspoon Saloon jacket, Denim & Supply Ralph Lauren vest, Vince sweatshirt, Patrizia Pepe leggings, Mellow Yellow shoes, Kenzo sunglasses

Feb-Mar 2012

Sportmax jacket, Benetton sweatshirt, Moonspoon Saloon leggings, Chanel bag, Carven backpack, Acne hat, Alexandre Herchcovitch sunglasses

Fendi coat, American Vintage sweatshirt, Sandro pants, Vivienne Westood dress and shoes, Bernhard Willhelm hat

Gossip No. 17

Hilfiger collection jacket, American Vintage sweatshirt, Acne tank top, Guess jeans, Acne hat

Vince sweatshirt, Giorgio Armani shirt, Leviâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s T-shirt, Prada, Thomas Sabo and Revantic bracelets

Feb-Mar 2012

Topshop cardigan, The Kooples T-shirt, Zadig & Voltaire dress

Gossip No. 17

Iro jacket, Vince sweatshirt, Volcom T-shirt, Dries Van Noten bra, Sessun pants, Red Label Vivienne Westwood leggings, Underground shoes, Bernhard Willhelm hat, Lotho sunglasses

Feb-Mar 2012

Sportmax jacket, Benetton sweatshirt, Moonspoon Saloon leggings, Mellow Yellow shoes, Chanel bag

Burberry blouse, Vince sweatshirt, Acne tank top, Hugo Boss pants, Kenzo cap, Thomas Sabo, Prada and Revantic bracelets

Gossip No. 17

incredibly beirut Styling Mouna Harati Photos Bachar Srour

Beirut is definitively the Middle East’s fashion capital, with a slew of young, up-and-coming designers now selling their clothes and accessories both here and abroad. For this new fashion shoot, Gossip has selected clothes and accessories by some of the city’s edgiest fashion creators and mixed them up with the latest apparel by established international labels. Take a look, and dream up your own style

Sandra Mansour dress, LL1,875,000; McQ by Alexander McQueen jacket, LL2,783,000; Equipment shirt, LL615,000; Prada clutch, LL1,778,000, stylist’s own shoes

Feb-Mar 2012

Armani Jeans shirt, LL293,000; Dina JSR skirt, LL6,704,000; Dsquared T-shirt, LL293,000; Burberry bag, LL1,868,000; YSL sunglasses, LL540,000

Gossip No. 17

Karoline Lang pants, LL1,200,000; Azzi & Osta top, LL210,000; J LYNCH belt, LL825,000; Mira Hayek necklace, LL225,000; Jil Sander clutch, LL1,275,000

Feb-Mar 2012

McQ by Alexander McQueen jacket, LL2,783,000; Dina Khalife scarf, LL278,000; Maison Martin Margiela top, LL705,000; Azzi & Osta skirt, LL750,000; Michael Kors clutch, LL773,000; stylistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own shoes

Gossip No. 17

Casting F jacket, LL728,000; Lara Khoury pants, LL1,125,000; Velvet T-shirt, LL128,000; Dannijo bracelet, LL1,343,000; Dannijo earrings, LL630,000; miu miu bag, LL1,778,000; stylistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own shoes

Feb-Mar 2012

Prada T-shirt, LL420,000; Ronald pants, LL960,000; Dsquared jacket, LL3,953,000; Céline clutch, LL1,448,000; Dannijo necklace, LL810,000; stylist’s own shoes

Gossip No. 17

Style | Love bites

Starstruck Everything we love about movies and the glamorous world of Hollywood

Teen hunk

Even though he’s only 19, Ezra Miller shimmers with star power in We Need to Talk About Kevin. Now he’s one stud we’re happy to dream about.

At the Chateau Date with Oscar

You may not be able to walk down the red carpet, but you can still get in on the action. Dress up in your finest duds, pop some champagne and have your friends over to watch the Oscars on February 26.

LA’s Chateau Marmont hotel is a favorite hideaway for Hollywood celebs. The founder of Columbia Pictures said it best: “If you’re going to get in trouble, do it at the Chateau Marmont.”

Everlasting Emma

Thanks to her standout performances in Crazy, Stupid, Love and The Help, Emma Stone underwent a dramatic transformation last year, from girl next door to sizzling style star.

Beautifully Blanca

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’ Lisa Vanderpump owns Villa Blanca, Beverly Hills’ fabulous restaurant. You’re almost always likely to run into a celebrity here.

Dragon lady

Rooney Mara is on her way to superstardom thanks to her turn in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. She’s one 26-yearold babe to watch.

Love a player

You sexy thing

No movie captures the over-the-top decadence and irresistible appeal of Hollywood quite like Robert Altman’s satirical 1992 flick The Player. Tim Robbins never looked so hot!

No, his abs are not photoshopped! Ryan Gosling has come a long way since his scrawny days on the Disney Channel and is this year’s hottest male fashion icon.

Fashion flick

The deliciously entertaining movie The Devil Wears Prada reveals the high stakes of the world of fashion. And it stars gorgeous fashion icon Anne Hathaway.

Poison ivy

Theater of the stars

Robertson Boulevard’s famed Ivy restaurant is the place to see and be seen. Attempt to secure an impossible-to-reserve table outside where swarms of paparazzi camp out for a glimpse of stars like Jennifer Lopez, Beyoncé and more.

Grauman’s Chinese Theater is a Hollywood landmark. The place is best known for the hand and footprints of iconic celebrities who have made their mark there.

Jeweler to the stars Total trivia

You call yourself a movie buff? Gather some friends and test your movie skills with Assouline’s Movie Game Book.

Every Hollywood Goddess worth her weight in gold steps onto the red carpet fully decked out in blinding jewels and baubles by legendary jeweler to the stars Harry Winston.

No she didn’t!

After the awards comes the Fashion Police. Legendary comedian and fashion sheriff Joan Rivers keeps celebrities trembling in their stilettos as they wait for her fashion verdicts.

Red carpet

One of the main reasons to watch the Academy Awards is to check out what each star is wearing. Some of the most glamorous? Olivia Wilde, Heidi Klum, Mila Kunis (pictured here) and Eva Longoria.

Crunch, crunch

The whole movie experience wouldn’t be the same without popcorn. At home, you can use your very own novelty machine to pop that corn.

Feb-Mar 2012

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Style | Margherita

Mix me a Margherita Text Ellen Hardy

Ghita Abi-Hanna lets herself go

For a girl who likes leather, and twisting and pleating and riveting it with metal bolts, Margherita (Ghita) Abi-Hanna finds it quite an effort to break out of her self-imposed grids. ‘‘I don’t know if it’s got to do with my graphic design background or with my personal background, but I don’t know how to design fluid things,” she says. The designs for her label Margherita are “always geometrical, always squared, always based on a pattern.” Looking at her biography, you might not believe her professions of rigidity. She broke away from her graphic design career almost on impulse, taking up a Master’s in accessory design at Domus Academy in Milan, then striking out on her own as an independent designer upon her return to Beirut. She was snatched up almost immediately by Starch for their 2010-11 season. Her collections to date – the leather bags with bold wooden clasps and those bold pleats inspired by the front of little girls’ smocks, the steel rings crowned with more frills of leather, the limited edition notebooks and iPad cases – all result from profound personal exploration. “Who are you but a culmination of everything that has influenced you and that you’ve seen throughout your life?” she asks. “Especially when it comes to jewelry. Although clothes are the closest thing that you wear to your body, accessories and jewelry are the things that you cherish most.” This year brings a new collection of bags and an expanded range of jewelry, launched along with a new office and studio space in Hamra. Beyond her habitual, structural commitment to concept and research, her first post-Starch collection also sees Abi-Hanna learning to let things flow. “I’ve been trying not to reveal much, but let’s just say, sometimes things transform during production and mistakes happen that turn into pleasant surprises. Bit by bit I’m learning to let go, a little bit.”

Feb-Mar 2012

Juuri | Citizens

Tokyo romance Text Shirine Saad

Japanese-American artist Juuri paints cartoonish women in their most delicate state “I like to explore the juxtaposition of realism and non-objectivity, elegance and tumult, tradition and modernism, innocence and mortality,” says Juuri, who is 27 and lives in Norman, Oklahoma. “Fashion, film, music videos and literature all provide me with inspiration for my surreal-looking subjects.” Juuri was born in Tokyo and moved to Oklahoma with her family when she was six years old. As a child, she often drew and illustrated her own stories. She took art lessons at 13 and sold her first painting of an Arctic wolf for $300 a year later. After working for several years as a graphic and video designer in a production studio, she decided to dedicate herself fully to her art. Gossip No. 17

From Japanese music videos to Klimt, Caravaggio, fashion photography and Japanese art, Juuri is constantly seeking inspiration for her paintings of delicate women. Their faces are drawn with great precision and a cartoonish naiveté; they are surrounded by kanzashi (traditional hair ornaments), such as flowers and feathers, and moody skies. Their kimonos are painstakingly drawn, with realistic patterns. Paint drips give the works an ethereal, unfinished look. The roughness of the background contrasts with the polished style of the portraits, suggesting eeriness or a looming threat. “I love to paint female beauty,” says the artist. “Usually, when we see something beautifully in-

nocent, we do not want to consider its mortality, or the fact that it will eventually fade away. I like to think about those interesting opposites.” Juuri’s latest exhibits have included “Mirage – Maboroshi” in Oklahoma City, “Get the Lead Out III” in San Francisco and a group show at the Elliott Fouts Gallery in Sacramento. She also has an online, ongoing show, “Skeleton Key.” A solo show with Oklahoma City’s DNA Galleries is scheduled for 2012. Juuri’s dream is to live in LA for a few years then move back to Tokyo. “I love Tokyo because it feels like home to me,” she says.

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Winter Ave Zoli | Citizens

A tale of Winter Text Kristin Julie Viola

She’s graced the cover of Playboy and plays a porn star on Sons of Anarchy: actress Winter Ave Zoli was born to titillate the masses She may be best known for playing a porn star on the hit show Sons of Anarchy, but actress Winter Ave Zoli claims her bad-girl image is all an act. Of course, it doesn’t help her case that she recently graced the cover of Playboy and has appeared on the big and small screen in a handful of other risqué roles. We chatted with the actress about the research she did for her Sons of Anarchy role, her family’s reaction to her edgier gigs and her off-camera interests.

1 You originally started out as a guest star on Sons of Anarchy. How did this turn into a recurring role? Yes, I was told it was supposed to be a one- to two-day guest role. After I shot the second day, Kurt Sutter called me in for a meeting and told me that he had this great idea to develop a relationship between Lyla and Opie. He told me the storyline would probably arc for another five episodes. Obviously, it went a little longer! I’m grateful for that every day. Gossip No. 17

2 What’s it like playing the bad girl? I have to say, I love it. It’s so much fun to play a character that has all these layers and depth. There is so much to work with in terms of Lyla. Obviously, I don’t think every person is just one type. Lyla is this bad-ass porn star, but unless you bring the human, relatable, soft side to her, she’s just flat and stereotypical.

3 How did you research Lyla’s profession? I wanted to understand where Lyla was coming from and what the mindset of a young woman in her situation would be. I read some books on the porn industry, watched some episodes of The Bunny Ranch on HBO and Cathouse. I watched a documentary on Jenna Jamison. I just wanted to observe these women and try to understand them from a neutral, non-judgmental level. It’s not that I would ever judge these women for what they do, but there are certain perceptions that are ingrained in us when we think of certain professions or types of people. I

think of Lyla as a girl whose past somewhat pushed her in this direction, but it was a choice. She definitely chose to be a porn star out of a desire to do it.

4 How does your family react to some of the more risqué roles you’ve played? My family has never had an issue with the roles I’ve played. Although, it’s definitely been a running joke. Every time I call to tell them I’m playing another stripper, another Russian call girl, whatever, we always burst out laughing. My parents think it’s hilarious that these are the kinds of roles I attract, because I’m so quiet and reserved in real life.

. What’s one thing about you that fans would be

surprised to know? I think people would be surprised to know how quiet of a life I lead. I love to stay at home and hang out, cook, read, watch good shows. I’m not into club hopping. I think growing up with parents who owned a nightclub got that out of my system.

Nightlife | St. Petersburg

Party destination: St. Petersburg

Text Shirine Saad Photos THE cobrasnake

St. Petersburg is a dream destination. The literary and artistic heritage. The grand Soviet subway stations. The winding canals, pastel façades and golden onion domes. The baroque blue hues of cathedrals. The luxuriant furs on Nevsky Prospekt. The infinite rooms filled with masterpieces at the Hermitage. The warm and fragrant borscht and rich salmon blinis. But first, you need a serious vodka. Here’s where you can get one – and get loaded! The Idiot Named after Dostoyevsky’s famous novel, this spot looks like a lit student’s rambling apartment from the Soviet era. There are loaded bookshelves, artworks and long rooms decorated with old wooden furniture. And there is real Russian food: blinis filled with cream and smoked salmon, light borsht with lots of dill and more. We love the honey pepper vodka, which you can also order as a single shot. Many locals love the place, as do visiting Americans and Canadians. 82 Nab. Reky Moiky, T 7.812.315.1675.

MiXup Terrace The new W Hotel’s rooftop bar is where the party’s at right now. Wear your chicest furs and stilettos and head to the MiXup Terrace for a drink and a stunning view of the city’s neoclassical wonders. Don’t worry about the cold: there are heaters and blankets everywhere in Russia. The old façade is grand, with marble and limestone, but the interior is strikingly modern. Try to book one of the two cabanas on the rooftop, and if you’re hungry, take the elevator down to MiX, Alain Ducasse’s haute eatery. 6 Voznesensky Pr., T 7.812.610.6155, W www.starwoodhotels.com

Propaganda Yes, the Russians seem nostalgic for the Soviet days. And this bar, with its geometric décor inspired by constructivist propaganda posters, its electric chairs and Lenin statues, and the waiters’ soviet Boy Scout uniforms, is channeling this longing. There’s not much else that’s Russian about the food (the menu features American and British pub fare) or drinks (Guinness, champagne by the glass), although we did spot caviar and crepes with smoked trout. Kitsch is in! 40 Fontanka, T 7.812.275.3558. Feb-Mar 2012

St. Petersburg | Nightlife

Honorable Mentions

Drago For true mixology – with or without vodka – Drago is the place to be. Order the Beautiful Helen, a mix of vodka, vermouth and cointreau, and then sit back and check out the posh crowd, dressed to the nines. There’s live music, Yugoslav food and even a gushing fountain. 15 Primorsky Pr., T 7.812.430.8823. Zoccolo For the city’s best live music, make your way to Zoccolo. Reggae, rock, indie and punk bands – they all head to this orange and green laid-back spot to stage their shows. Expect to see lots of students and enjoy studentfriendly prices. Zoccolo is also a great place to dance. 3-ya Sovetskaya Ul. 2/3, T 7.812.274.9467, W www.zoccolo.ru

Jesus Club This is the place to hit when it’s time to dance. At the Jesus Club, techno luminaries from labels like Ninja Tune work the crowd into a hypnotic trance. There is minimalist techno, dubstep, pshytrance, drum and bass – and tall, handsome, impossibly sexy men with chiseled cheekbones. And statuesque, seductive blonde models. And lots and lots of vodka. And everyone is young and seems so happy. What else could you possibly want? 50/13 Ligovskiy Pr., W www.cometojes.us Gossip No. 17

The Astoria Hotel The Astoria Hotel is one of the city’s mythical palaces, with its historical façade and grand lobby. Celebrity guests at St. Petersburg’s most famous hotel have included Madonna, Jean Paul Gaultier and many more. The poet Essenine committed suicide right in this building. But we like it for rather more festive purposes: a champagne flute and olives before and after dinner, or even late night tea served, of course, in cobalt and gold St. Petersburg porcelain. 39 Bolshaya Morskaya Ul., W www. roccofortehotels.com

Citizens | Age 27

legends at 27 Text emma hashimoto

Amy Winehouse and Mark Zuckerberg have more in common than you think An untamable songstress gone tragically supernova. A tween tech mastermind turned Silicon Valley mogul. What did Amy Winehouse and Mark Zuckerberg have in common? They were both born in 1983. The “27 club” has been around since the ‘30s, when the death of blues musician Robert Johnson lead conspiracy theorists to unearth the disturbing coincidence of the many brilliant musicians who remain forever suspended at that accursed age. Since then, club membership grew to include the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain, Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin and now Winehouse, the club’s first Millennial. The loss of Winehouse, self-destructive darling of a self-destructive generation, is a particular blow to the remaining 27-year-olds who subscribed to her stubborn brand of glory.

Millennials have, it seems, been doomed from day one. Blamed for everything from the current global economic crisis to the downgrading of Pluto to meteor-status, the general description of those born between 1975 and 1990 reads like a veritable laundry list of adjectives to avoid when creating your OK Cupid profile: nerdy, needy, egotistical, uncompromising and wishy-washy. It’s no wonder, then, that there’s romance in Winehouse as an anti-hero. For example, where would her music be if it wasn’t for her obsessive, willful recklessness? Her defiance and stubborn, self-assured naivete? Would we still love her as much if she had, in fact, gone to rehab? While death by artistic integrity may be an ideal for some 20-something drifters, searching endlessly and paylessly for the perfect job, there is

yet another route to success within the millennial mold: entrepreneurship. Like Winehouse, Zuckerberg did not come out of nowhere. Much is made of the fact that he did not graduate from college – less so that Harvard was only one option, another being a job at Microsoft out of high school. The invention of Facebook served two purposes; one was to prioritize communication, openness and complete transparency, making the world just as big as a genuine interaction between two strangers. The other was to make Zuckerberg very rich (although he has since donated a chunk of change to public schools). So take heart, 27-year-olds! Riches, integrity and glory may all be yours. Feb-Mar 2012

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Citizens | Joseph Eid

A lyrical life Text Shirine Saad

Born to Lebanese parents, Joseph Eid draws on his universal background for his music and film performances Joseph Eid’s father moved to Liberia at 17 to work at an electrical store; soon, in typical Lebanese fashion, he launched a successful business with his brother. Eid grew up in the African country until he was nine, moving within large international and Lebanese communities. But when tribal wars shook the country, the family moved to Beirut, where, in the ‘80s, civil war was also raging. This life of crises took the Eid family to Wetchester County, New York, where a young Eid found it hard to adapt. “I didn’t feel like a foreigner in Africa, but I did in America,” says Eid, who, unlike other kids who played soccer, always had a taste for poetry, theater and music. “It was a little difficult when we first moved to New York,” he says. “Most people didn’t know where Lebanon was or they had heard really

negative stories about Beirut. They didn’t know how gorgeous it was. But toward the end of high school I started feeling more American than Lebanese.” At that point he was getting involved in plays and musicals. A few years later, after giving up on psychology and pre-med, Eid was cast on the TV show Law and Order and joined a boys’ band. Music influences ranged from Elton John to Madonna, and later when he discovered folk music it became his main passion.

write three songs, most of which revolve around feelings of romance and grief.

Eid, who is “in his 30s” but has the angelic face and voice of a 20-year-old, lives in Los Angeles. He’s appeared in TV series, short and feature films and is pursuing a singing and songwriting career, playing at several LA bars. His first album, Cardiac Output, an original blend of folk, rock and soul, was embraced by the critics. Now Cleopatra Records, an indie company, has just signed him to

These melodies are a channel for Eid’s emotions. “My goal is to write cathartic songs,” he says. “I always felt that because of my experience I have a very unique point of view, a message of unity and the universal experience. My dream is to be able to have a large influence on how people see my part of the world and see that we are all the same.”

“I see your light going down / And baby you know that I wish I could save you / But do you want to be free?” sings Eid’s hushed voice in the award-nominated “Save You.” In “Pseudo Love,” he sings about the despair of failed love. “He must have cried a thousand tears / I know ‘cause I saw them fall.”

Feb-Mar 2012

Fleming | Music

Doctors without borders Text Shirine Saad

Two surgeons and a hipster drummer team up to create sensual, poetic, cerebral rock “You had me floored / At the foot of the code / So slip into something more comfortable / You point your nose at the marginal.” The song “Slip” starts quietly, a whisper and an electric guitar. Suddenly it explodes into loud noisy punky rock, with a sweet pop rhythm and evocative lyrics that may very well have been written in a lab by a doctor/ music nerd in a suit and tie. “Music keeps us sane,” say Erich Anderer and Guillemo Lomas, who met as students at Columbia University’s famously merciless medical school and started playing tunes to recover from their 140-hour residence weeks. “We started playing in talent shows to blow off some steam,” remembers Anderer. “We played the guitar and a tiny toy drumset.” Then, when they met drummer Andrew Fleming, a University of Pennsylvania grad who worked at Keith McNally’s restaurant group, which includes Balthazar and Café Cluny, they started Gossip No. 17

practicing more seriously in the med school dorms’ music club. Soon the band Fleming was born, with influences as diverse as Weezer, Pixies and Nirvana. Lomas writes most of the lyrics, then refines them with Anderer, whose father is a Japanese literature and film professor at Columbia and whose mother is an opera singer. “Every Sunday after breakfast,” says Anderer, whose German father speaks Japanese more fluently than his Japanese mother, “my father would read the paper and put on something from his vinyl collection, so I grew up with a mishmash of classic rock, blues, proto-punk and classical music.” Now the band plays regular shows in New York. Their first EP, Play for Manuel, comes out in February. “It was a play on words,” says Lomas, a pale guy from Toronto dressed in a gray suit, as we sip beers and Bloody Marys at Williamsburg’s

boho Café Colette. Lomas went to Yale and loves a good joke. “It started as ‘Manual for Foreplay’ and then we tweaked it and made it more subtle. It’s all kind of postmodern. There’s a suggestive theme underlying all our songs, but it’s not overly explicit. It’s civilized sensuality.” The album is filled with the musicians’ rich historical knowledge, as well as their camaraderie and playful humor. Lomas likes to call their style “historical punk.” Anderer, whose silky jet hair gives him the air of a poet, is more sentimental. “The music is an amalgam of our different styles,” he says, “with Guillemo tending toward punk with a slight pop edge and me tending toward brooding indie/alt stuff.” If there was such a thing as Ivy League punk, this is probably what it would sound like. We can’t wait to hear what’s next.

Music | Diplo

Global rhythm Text Shirine Saad

Young Beirut revels to the musical beats of DJ Diplo Thomas Wesley Pentz, aka Diplo, born in Tupelo, Mississippi, is sitting in the lobby of Beirut’s Hotel Albergo. He’s just tasted roasted birds for the first time at Abdel Wahab restaurant, and he’s about to have a power nap before his DJ set at Art Lounge, a show organized by Yousef Harati and Olivier Gasnier Duparc of Behind the Green Door. The day before he was in Abu Dhabi, where, he says, his night was cooler than he had expected, with beer, a pool party and girls. Earlier during the same month (January) he mixed on a cruise liner with Skrillex, Tommy Lee and Korn. In Beirut, he’s enjoying the local girls. “I had a Lebanese girlfriend once. It was alright.” On the following day, he’ll be flying to Turkey, then Athens, Barcelona, Texas. He’s just launched an EP, Express Yourself, and is publishing his first book, 128 Beats Per Minute: Diplo’ Visual Guide to Music, Culture and Everything in Between, in March.

Wes, as his manager and tour photographer call him, is tall and blond, with the boyish charms and assurance of a frat athlete. Right now he’s worn out, but fame, as they say, comes at a price. His collaborations with M.I.A, Santigold, La Roux and even Beyoncé, and projects with his record company Mad Decent, have helped establish him as one of the most influential DJs and producers of the last decade. His signature style, which freely mixes contrasted genres, with an emphasis on deep, hip-shaking beats, has been celebrated in the music press. When he’s not DJing, Diplo travels to places like Brazil, Jamaica, Trinidad, Cuba and Australia, where he recently played with young rappers. His book, photographed by Shane McCauley, Annie Liebovitz’s former assistant, documents his journeys across continents and realities. “We’re kinda profil-

ing what’s happening, the globalization of music,” he says. “We write about music and the places we go to. I like to document things.” There are images of stylish people, landscapes, photos of the audiences and musicians. There’s also a foreword by designer Alexander Wang, who, says Diplo, is his soulmate in the world of fashion because he’s “an outsider and starts trends.” At the midnight hour, at Beirut’s Art Lounge, Diplo puts on his headphones. It’s exhilarating. His fans dance frantically, suspended on large speakers. By 1am, pretty much everyone is jumping up and down, a heteroclite group of Lebanese, gay and straight, young and not so young, hip and less hip, some wearing designer fur and others in baggy jeans. It all magically comes together, just like the layers of melodies clashing rhythmically. Feb-Mar 2012

Albums | Music

Sound reloaded Text serena makofsky

Lana Del Rey Born To Die Self-dubbed sadcore singer Lana Del Rey already killed the rumor that she was a one-hit wonder when she followed “Video Games” with the single and video for “Born to Die,” and her new album (with the same name) has her out to prove her range. Witness the jazzy, scatting that approaches rapping on “Off to the Races,” a surprising segment of an album the artist describes as “a dark love story seen through hopeful eyes.” Detractors say Del Rey’s ironic Hollywood glam is too calculated and packaged, but her voice, hypnotic and addictive, challenges these assumptions. PLAYLIST Leonard Cohen Old Ideas For his first studio album in eight years, singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen takes on the big questions of life, transcendence, love, sexuality, loss and death. “Going Home” is a fitting opener, with the singer gently mocking himself and his life. Cohen’s distinctive baritone, set against synth strings and backing vocals, rises and recedes, creating a near-Gospel sound.

Nicki Minaj Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded There’s a lot riding on Nicki Minaj’s sophomore release. The MC who brought enough swagger to go platinum with her debut goes to zany extremes. “Stupid Hoe,” which has critics speculating the rapper is taking down Lil’ Kim, comes off like an obscene jump rope rhyme, and there’s humor in lines like “I’m Angelina, you Jennifer.”

DJ Dz plays a mix up of deep house and uplifting house music at 360 in Dubai

every Thursday night. This is his playlist for Gossip.

“Why Does the Wind”

Imperial Teen Feel the Sound Faith No More’s Roddy Bottum may front indie pop band Imperial Teen, but it’s clearly a collaborative effort, with the singers harmonizing like the best of the girl groups and reportedly trading instruments during live shows. “Runaway” stands out for its driving rhythm and “Out From the Inside” is pure yearning wrapped in dance beats.

(Andy Lodemann Remix) by Tracey Thorn “Brooklyn” by The Timewriter “Paradise” (Paul Daley Vocal Mix) by Stereo MCs “Natural High” (François Dubois Remix) by Steve Ferrand “Cool Summer” by Stefano Noferini “This Feeling” (Steve Bug Remix) by Ribn

The Fray Scars & Stories Under the helm of producer Brendan O’Brien, The Fray’s third release goes heavy on guitar, evidenced in the single “Heartbeat,” a song about keeping your heart open when you’re surrounded by pain. Frontman Isaac Slade says, “The melody is beautiful, some of the best lyrics I think we’ve ever written.” This could be the year The Fray finally wins a Grammy.

“Cheek on Cheek” (Chris Lattner Remix) by Micha Kleng “After Love” by Guy Gerber and Shlomi Aber “Freemind” (Dexter Remix) by 5 Years Get Physical “Prix Choc” by Etienne de Crécy “Days Like These” by Downtown Party Network

Lacuna Coil Dark Adrenaline It’s time to sink or swim for Italian Goth metal rockers Lacuna Coil. This time around, the band’s lead single, “Trip the Darkness,” jabs at the jugular. Singer Cristina Scabbia describes the difference in sound as “heavier and more obscure,” which sums up songs that veer toward speed metal and owe more than a little to Metallica.

Gossip No. 17

“Seven Moods” by Carlo Lio “Magic Love” (Ashlee Beedle’s Black Magic Mix) by Bent “Contemplation” by Josh One “Keep the Fire Burning” by Gwen McCrae “Don’t You Want” (Tiga Remix) by Zdar

Citizens | Shane West

Ways of the West Text Kristin Julie Viola

The Hollywood hunk steams up the small screen on Nikita The stars are certainly aligned for Shane West. The actor has had the good fortune to star in three hit TV shows – Once and Again, ER and now Nikita. Plus, of course, there was his heartthrob turn alongside Mandy Moore in A Walk to Remember. He also has a new flick in the works, Red Sky, alongside Cam Gigandet. Gossip caught up with West to learn about his workout regimen, his favorite all-time role and a little-known fact about him.

1 What made you want to join the cast of Nikita? I had been doing a bunch of independent films for a while after ER. I didn’t know if I wanted to do TV again, but Nikita was sent my way. When I found out that they were considering me to play the role of Michael and that Maggie Q was going to play my love interest, I wanted to give it a try. It felt like a good decision to make, and so far I’ve been very proud of it.

. How do you stay in shape for the role?

There are plenty of days we don’t need to go

to the gym – the show lends itself to staying in shape. Maggie tried to get me into yoga last year, but that didn’t completely work. I have practiced some basic poses that are still difficult for me. Now, though, I’m going to hire a trainer and try to put on a lot more weight. It won’t be evident until season three. It’s something I want to do not just for the show but for my own career.

. Were you a fan of the original film?

I’m a fan of Luc Besson in general. I love our rendition, especially the character of Roan, who plays the cleaner on the show. We really enjoy our take on it; it’s not a remake, it’s a re-imagining five years into the future. We get a lot leeway to do our stories.

. What role are you most proud of to date?

That’s a no-brainer. It was playing Darby Crash in a biopic called What We Do is Secret. He was the frontman of an LA seminal punk rock band called the Germs.

. What shows do you like to watch?

I do love television, but I’m always behind. I usually wait for the season to come out on DVD so I can watch it all at once. I love Dexter and I enjoy The Office still.

. Are you working on any other projects?

We shoot 10 months out of the year, like a classic old-school TV show. We shoot in Toronto, so we are pretty distant. We get two-and-a-half months of a hiatus, but you have to be fortunate and lucky because you have such a small amount of time to do it. This year, I’m going to try and do something.

. What’s one thing about you that fans would be

surprised to learn? I’m a Gemini – I’m very outgoing and very shy at the same time, if that makes any sense. As much as I like to go out and have fun and go to concerts and ball games, I’m much more at home when I’m at home. Feb-Mar 2012

Pulse | Movie

Rescues and reinvention Text RUBY GOTHAM

on the big screen

Mirror Mirror With a wink-wink and an infectious exuberance, this take on the Brothers’ Grimm Snow White is 100 percent fun. Lily Collins is she with the raven hair and skin as white as snow. Her nemesis? Julia Roberts having an obvious blast playing against type as the over-the-top, aging evil queen. Her mission remains true to the classic fairy tale – to maintain control of the kingdom she stole from the beautiful princess and, of course, bag the handsome prince (Armie Hammer). The banished Snow is having none of it. Along with her seven diminutive friends and protectors, the strong-willed heroine sets out to get her birthright back – and create her own happy ending, thank you very much.

The Woman in Black

The Bully Project

This Is Not a Film

Jiro Dreams of Sushi

Daniel Radcliffe may have waved goodbye to Harry Potter, but he’s compelled to solve a mystery of another sort playing Arthur Kipps in this gothic thriller. As a young lawyer, Kipps’ business takes him to a remote English village, where it quickly becomes apparent that the townspeople are trying to keep him from uncovering a horrific secret. But a vengeful ghost can’t help but spill the beans.

This American documentary sets out to show that bullying doesn’t end at the schoolyard, but affects both the bullied and the bullies long into adulthood. And with the domination of social media and cellphones in the hands of younger and younger kids, the age-old epidemic seems to be getting worse. There is some hope though, as evidenced by the stories of the courageous kids showcased here.

A flip title belies the seriousness of this documentary that focuses on a day in the life of Jafar Panahi, an Iranian filmmaker awaiting the results of his appeal for a sentence of six years in prison and a 20-year ban on making movies. His crime? Speaking out about the sham election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The powerful film was smuggled out of Iran in a birthday cake.

You don’t have to be a lover of raw fish to gobble up this documentary about one of the most respected sushi chefs on the planet – octogenarian Jiro Ono – and his teensy (10-seater) Tokyo restaurant Sukiyabashi Jiro. While it has a glossy look and, yes, mouth-watering shots of nigiri, sashimi and rolls of all sorts, at its core, this is a story about one dedicated man and his relationship with the sons who work with him.

flicks to download

Anonymous

Project Nim

Fireflies in the Garden

A literary-cum-political thriller set in Elizabethan England that supposes the centuries-old rumor is true: Mr. Shakespeare did not pen all those brilliant plays.

What happens when an adorable baby chimp is raised like one of the (human) family? This doc follows the ‘70s journey of said chimp (Nim).

A family tragedy kicks things off, and the dysfunctional dynamics of the Taylor clan unfold with the help of flashbacks in this moving drama.

Gossip No. 17

The Myth of the American Sleepover Winner of the 2011 best ensemble cast at SXSW, this film focuses on four Detroit teenagers on the last night of summer.

J. Edgar

Like Crazy

The talented Leonardo DiCaprio takes on the namesake role in this drama that examines the private life of the onetime almighty FBI Director.

A transatlantic romance between an American (Anton Yelchin) and a fetching Brit (Felicity Jones) is simultaneously dreamy and realistic.

Music | Heather Christian and the Arbornauts

Howl like the wind Text emma hashimoto

Heather Christian’s voice is a mesmerizing siren’s chant Gravity, it seems, is the driving force behind the emerging blues-folk-noise rock circus that is Heather Christian and the Arbornauts. An actress and performer, Christian amassed an album’s worth of original songs while working on a play for one of New York’s hip experimental theaters. The five “virtuosic boy prodigies” that now form her band of Arbornauts happened to be in the audience. From there, everything just sort of fell together. Daughter of a blues musician and a go-go dancer, Christian was raised in Louisiana, sauced by the sounds of the Old South. Since age 11, she’s slumbered to scenes of a recurring dream; she is a pilot navigating the treetops (hence the “Arbornauts”). Dreams are at the heart of her

music. “I had a falling out with autobiographical songwriting,” she says. “I’m not so myopic as to think that my life is that interesting to anyone else, but I’ve always had a very rich dream life.” Once she has clarified the chords and settled into a structure, lyrics are pillaged from a decade’s worth of dream journals. “[Often] I won’t figure out what the hell it means until I’ve performed it 100 or 200 times! There’s a gravity to dreams. They come out for a reason.”

Machine gun bullet shrieks dissolve impossibly into sugar-and-smoke lullabies. The bouncy bridge of “Mama Said” is a runway for the strutting Christian, who bird-calls and battle-cries down with flouncing ease. The tender “Tiller Run” has all the easy-listening prowess of an indie-romance theme song. “Hambone,” a vengeful beast of a track, is propelled by the crackling wattage of distorted radio vocals, pulsing tambourine and potent scat.

Just as a good novel yanks you into its pages, Heather Christian and the Arbornaut’s junkyard, gold mine of noise pulls you close and wraps you tight. Christian’s voice is a thing to be wondered at, as pristine as a beautifully calibrated weapon.

Following a successful solo tour of Europe, Heather Christian and the Arbornauts are planning another Europe tour for late 2012. In the meantime, watch out for Cabinet, their soon-to-bereleased debut album. Feb-Mar 2012

Bullets | Green

ECOBUZZ Text ziad gedeon

Green solutions are flooding the market, with plenty of gizmos purported to save the planet lining supermarket shelves and arriving in every type of store. Now you can get around in a greener fashion, use eco-friendly kitchenware and furniture and even beautify your ‘hood using recycled material 1. Powering the Mac

Apple has filed a patent for a hydrogen fuel cell system to power its MacBooks. This makes the laptops run on renewable energy, becoming much greener and cleaner. The cell is supposed to last for days or weeks. 2. Seoul of a city Bland commercial buildings had blighted the skyline of Seoul, South Korea for years, until Korean artist Choi Jeong-Hwa took 1,000 recycled doors and created a Mondrian-like façade to upgrade one such building into a veritable work of art. 3. Peel away Tired of plastic and melamine plates that will litter our landfills for centuries? Try serving your friends coffee and cake with these funky kitchenware items, made from orange peels that are dried and molded by hand. They’re sealed with nontoxic shellac yet still have a citrus-like touch and smell about them.

4. Monitor magic The cutting-edge NEC MultiSync computer monitors work on energyefficient LED technology, and they also tell you how much electricity they spend. These eco-friendly, 24-inch beauties are heading your way from Japan soon. 5. Time to skate Keep your car in the garage and get the spnKix motorized skates. Strap their remote control on your hand and let these skates drive you wherever you want. Naturally, the remote device controls both feet simultaneously! 6. Mies chair You’ll recognize this Mies Van der Rohe classic anywhere, but the new eco-friendly version, called the Butaca chair, was handcrafted in Guatemala from natural ingredients by design company Melange. The company produces all its stuff under Fair Trade guidelines.

Gossip No. 17

7. Keep it plugged

Brackerton has come up with an eco-charger that automatically shuts off when a device is fully charged or unplugged. This saves electricity, increases battery life and doesn’t make you feel guilty for keeping it plugged in! 8. London on a bus The red London double-decker bus was always an efficient mode of transport, packing two busses in one, and the upcoming model is as energy friendly as ever. Its hybrid engine produces half the emissions and carries 87 passengers. Best of all, the back door is operational once again, letting you hop off anytime during traffic. 9. Tree of life The floating Sea Tree was designed to give animals a break from city life. Its underwater section attracts sea life and coral formation, the top part is for the birds and the dark inner “core” is designed for use by bats. Design company Waterstudio.NL plans to launch the first tower in 2014.

Wireless | Apple

Mac attack Text Lucy Gillespie

Who’ll take over the reins at Apple? Present at the birth of the Apple 1 in 1976, Steve Jobs was one of the modern world’s great visionaries. His death marked the end of an era, as his legacy of elegant iDevices thrust personal computing light years beyond laptops. In his absence, who among the Silicon Valley set is best equipped to “Think Different”? Combining innovative abilities with utopian values, these six entrepreneurs are poised to carry the torch.

now is the promotion of anti-violence, freedom, and practical science and technology through Breakout Labs, a foundation that funds the groundbreaking startups of under-20s to the tune of $100,000, with one catch: you have to drop out of college to get it!

Sergey Brin of Google The Leonardo DaVinci of tech, Google co-founder (and master of Google Plus) Sergey Brin has fingers in such diverse pies as sourcing alternative energy, inventing self-driven cars and curing Parkinson’s disease.

Adam D’Angelo and Charlie Cheever of Quora These super smart, boy-band-dreamy Facebookalums made waves with Quora, a Q&A forum for the hopelessly inquisitive. By opening the trading floor to highly analytical answers from experts on questions about anything under the sun, Quora is the closest it gets to bringing substance to social networking.

Peter Theil of PayPal Co-founder of PayPal, Peter Theil was an early angel to Facebook, yet is since disillusioned by social networking for its own sake. His mission

Caterina Fake of Flickr and Hunch As known for the expansive wisdom of her blog caterina.net as she is for her accessible community-building, intuitive tools, Fake lends

appealing humanism to the apersonal algorithms that disturbingly dominate the web. Salman Khan of Khan Academy From doodling diagrams to help his cousin with math homework, to filming full-scale tutorials to serve 2 million viewers on YouTube, Salman Khan has built a mission of free, online world-class education to “empower an unlimited amount of people for all time.” Khan Academy supporters include Google and Microsoft, who’ve provided grants to allow Khan’s tutorials to be used in Asia and Africa. Sean Parker of Napster, etc. Arrested at age 16 for hacking a Fortune 500 company, Sean Parker was founding startups and earning five-figure salaries in high school. From dreaming up Napster, to developing Facebook, to now backing Spotify and developing Airtime, a live-video version of Chatroulette, this trendsetter has proven his value to the tech world. Feb-Mar 2012

Bulletin | Wireless

techbytes Text Sydney reade

Drink and talk Made of protective polycarbonate, the Opena iPhone 4 case integrates a slide-out, stainless steel bottle opener, so you can pop open your favorite drink wherever you may be. W www.openacase.com

Mount me on a wall The Bracketron iRoom iDock is the world’s first powered, motorized in-wall iPad mounting device. The product seamlessly and stylishly integrates your iPad into any room. W www.bracketron.com

Instant filmmaking The new HD Sport Mount from Optrix transforms the iPhone into an HD action sports camera. This nifty device enables easy shooting, editing and uploading of videos from iPhone 4, 4S and iPod Touch. W www.optrixhd.com

DJ got us falling in love Both novices and professionals will fall for Numark’s iDJ Live. This universal controller transforms iOS devices into a portable, harnessing the power of your iDevice for DJ parties, events and clubs. W www.numark.com

The pianist Have you ever dreamed of learning to play the piano? Well now you can, with the ION Audio Piano Apprentice, a keyboard console and app that teaches iPad, iPod and iPhone users how to play the piano. W www. ionaudio.com

Stylish sound Stylishly designed and available in shades of gray, black, beige, red and green, the Libratone Live is a wireless sound system with hi-fi quality. Fill every corner of your home with cutting-edge sound! W www. libratone.com Cushi cover Now you can wrap your iPad in fashion, with id America’s Cushi for iPad 2, an embossed soft foam pad adhesive with 3D-like graphics. The Cushi is made with elevated EVA foam, which absorbs shock. W www. idamericany.com

Tick tock on the clock Wake up to beauty with the Edifier Tick Tock alarm clock, a retrostyled speaker system that features a large, bright, round LCD display that shows the time and date, along with alarm input selection. W www. Edifier.US.com

BLOGS

www.fashionamie.blogspot.com Lebanese blogger Jessica Chami is 15, and she blogs about the topic she’s most passionate about: fashion. On FashionAmie, she posts herself and others dressed in trendy outfits. Gossip No. 17

parisvsnyc.blogspot.com This blog pits the City of Light against the Big Apple (Paris versus New York). Vahram Muratyan is a Parisian art director wandering the streets of New York and blogging about his impressions.

www.anouskaproettabrandon.com Irish model Anouska Proetta Brandon posts photos of her ultra-trendy (and stunningly beautiful) self on her blog. She tells you where she got her clothing items and accessories.

Nightlife | Snapshots

big in beirut Photos raya farhat

Feb-Mar 2012

Event mania | What to do

datebook Through February 25 Beirut Souks

Through March 11 Multiple Locations

February 15-25 Vancouver, British Columbia

February 21-26 San Francisco, California

Beirut on Ice

Drake World Tour

ComedyFest

Noise Pop

Beirut on Ice has brought ice skating to Downtown for the first time ever. The experience features a mobile ice-skating rink for people of all ages.

After his hit “Take Care,” featuring Rihanna, Drake is touring the United States and Europe to promote his album of the same name.

This comedy festival hosts some of the globe’s funniest talent. This year, Betty White, Carol Burnett and Margaret Cho are headlining the show.

This cool festival celebrates independent music, film and art and features over 150 alternative bands from across the United States.

February 21-March 25 Beit Mery, Lebanon

February 25-March 5 Australia

March 3 San Bernardino, California

March 8-11 Olympia, London

Al Bustan Festival

Soundwave

Cypress Hill Smokeout

Move It Party

The theme for this year’s festival is “Music from Latin America,” with special performances by acts from Cuba, Brazil, Argentina and Ecuador.

This music festival, held in cities across Australia, features international and Australian acts like A Day to Remember and Cobra Starship.

In addition to performances by Cypress Hill and Korn, this festival is also a medical marijuana expo with Zen and Munchie gardens.

This dance event, the largest in the United Kingdom, includes dance competitions and fashion shows for industry professionals and newbies.

March 13-18 Austin, Texas

March 14-16 Amsterdam

March 18 London

March 23-25 Miami, Florida

South by Southwest

Jam in the Dam

Vintage Fashion Fair

Ultra Music Festival

This nighttime music festival showcases talent from across the globe. Acts from over 50 countries perform on 90 different stages.

The festival is back for its seventh edition. The Melkweg venue has two huge rooms where festival-goers can enjoy tunes by Moe, DSO and Lotus.

This vintage fashion fair at Primrose Hill attracts thousands of vintageobsessed visitors. Dealers offer vintage accessories, clothing and jewelry.

This massive festival is by far one of the world’s biggest and features performances by the likes of Tiesto, David Guetta and Armin van Buuren.

March 23-29 Kapaonik, Serbia

March 23-April 1 Atlanta, Georgia

March 29 New York

March 31-April 1 Santiago, Chile

The Big Snow Festival

Atlanta Film Festival

St. Patrick’s Day Parade

Lollapalooza

Launched in 2010, this massive party features Basement Jaxxx, DJ Fresh and Freestylers among 100 other performers.

This prime film festival showcases over 150 new independent, international, animated, documentary and short films.

One of New York City’s greatest traditions, the St. Patrick’s Day parade hosts over 250,000 marchers and bands for 2 million spectators.

Foo Fighters, Björk, MGMT and Arctic Monkeys are a few of the huge performers headlining this famed alternative music festival.

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