11 FEB-MAR11
EASY SPRING FASHION SCALING BEIRUT’S ROOFTOPS TV STYLE TRENDS SNACK TIME IN HAMRA PARIS’ HOTTEST CLUBS
YOU DON’T EXIST UNTIL THEY TALK ABOUT YOU
Can you hear them? They’re talking about you, about what you did last night, about what you were wearing and who you took home after that hot party in Mar Mikhael. Well let them chatter away: you know that you love the attention. And then again, what do you care if a totally plastic-surgerized bubblehead hates your outfit, or if some pumped up, streroid-loving jock thinks you’re a tease? Play, party and pop the whole world in the glamorous performance that is your life. See you in spring! 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 / Junior art director Khalil Halwani writers Motez Bishara, Gretel Blackwood, Ziad Gedeon, Ruby Gotham, Jana Jammal, Veronique Loger Sassafras Loy, Sydney Reade, Shirine Saad, Salma Salloum, Kristin Julie Viola PhotograPhers Tony Allieh, Line Amatoury, Pascale Beroujon, Mark Downey, Raya Farhat, George Haddad, Med Tarek Moukaddem, Nini, Ilaria Orsini, Christina Rahmé, Romina Shama, Bachar Srour, Tania Traboulsi in-house stylist Mouna Harati / stylists Racil Chalhoub, Amelianna Loiacono, Sevine Samadi Production Fadi Maalouf, Anne-Marie Tabet / resPonsible director George Chahine / Printing
The art of printing
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citizens
Omar Metwally has a coveted new role in Breaking Dawn You may not have heard of Omar Metwally, but odds are you’ve seen his work. The actor started out on the stage, before making his way to the big screen with Munich and Rendition, as well as the small screen with the likes of Grey’s Anatomy and Fringe. This year, he’s getting even more time in the spotlight, thanks to his coveted new role in Breaking Dawn (parts one and two) of the Twilight saga. We caught up with the 35-year-old star to get the scoop on his first big break, his experience with Steven Spielberg and his upcoming new gig. 1. You studied history at UC Berkeley. What made you want to change paths and give acting a try? Actually, studying history was a detour from the path of acting that I had already been on. I had acted a lot in school growing up, but when I got to Berkeley I thought I needed to pursue a course of studies that would land me a “real job.” At that time I didn’t consider being a professional actor as a possibility for me. Although I liked history, I eventually got depressed without acting in my life and finally took a class. That led me to study acting more seriously at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, and then I was more or less committed from that point on. 2. What do you consider to be your first big break? It’s hard to say. Progress for me has come incrementally. Going to Broadway with the play Sixteen Wounded
was definitely a huge opportunity for me. That led to my getting cast in Munich, which, of course, was another substantial break, as it marked the start of my working in film. 3. You have performed in numerous plays, TV shows and films. Which do you like the most? I like working both on stage and on camera. It’s all acting. At the moment I’m maybe a little more interested in film because I’ve spent less time working in that medium than I have on stage, and there’s still a lot for me to learn and discover. But developing a character over weeks and weeks in a rehearsal process with a director, the way actors do in the theater, is a unique and very rewarding process. 4. What was it like working with Steven Spielberg on Munich? It was very exciting for me as I grew up watching his movies. ET and Raiders of the Lost Ark were probably two of my favorite films as a kid. I remember running around the house at eight years old saying, “I want to be a movie director!” And it was him I had in mind. On top of that, I was able to work with him on a film like Munich, in which he was so deeply and personally invested. 5. Do you ever worry about getting typecast? I don’t need to worry about it because it’s already happened. That’s not entirely a bad thing though. The
important thing for me is never to play a stereotype. As long as I avoid that I don’t think too much about it. But I am always looking for opportunities to break out of boxes and keep expanding people’s perceptions of what I can do. 6. You will be starring in the upcoming Twilight sequels. Can you tell us about your character? I wouldn’t say that I’ll be “starring” in them by any means, but I do have a role to play. His name is Amun, the head of an Egyptian coven of vampires. I think that’s about all I’m allowed to say about it. 7. Have you read all of the Twilight books? So far just Breaking Dawn. 8. What do you like to do for fun? Music is a big hobby of mine, both listening at home or in the car, and I also love going to see live music.
[ Text Kristin Julie Viola ]
citizens
If you only watch gymnastics every four years, you’re missing out. There are plenty of back-flips, handsprings and somersaults to be seen on the hit ABC Family drama Make It or Break It. The series follows four teenage Olympic hopefuls as they deal with the demands of competitive gymnastics and cope with everyday issues. We chatted with three of the cast members – Ayla Kell, Chelsea Hobbs and Josie Loren, respectively – to get the scoop on the show’s famous guest stars, their intensive training and those awe-inspiring stunts.
1. Do any of you have a background in gymnastics or dance? Ayla Kell (AK): I did ballet for 15 years at a very high level. So while I didn’t do gymnastics, I can do all my own dance stuff. I’m very proud to say that my big dance routine in the last 2010 episode was really me! Chelsea Hobbs (CH): I’d actually never done any gymnastics before, but I danced ballet, jazz, hip hop, lyrical and modern from when I was three to 17 years old. Josie Loren (JL): I was a gymnast when I was younger, but I was only good at the floor. Unfortunately, there are three other apparatuses that you have to compete in, so I became a competitive cheerleader for Top Gun AllStars and was used as one of their main floor tumblers. 2. What type of training did you have to undergo so that you could pass as actual gymnasts on the show? JL: We were given a personal trainer that really put us through the ringer. We had two-hour workouts three to four times a week, and we would alternate workouts among a gymnastics gym, a dance studio and the beach. Gymnasts are extremely muscular, so a lot of our training had to do with gaining muscle and toning our bodies. We also used this time to get comfortable on the apparatuses – although I continue to wobble on the beam! 3. Do you ever feel self-conscious wearing leotards all day? AK: Of course. It’s never pleasant to be in spandex at 5:30am. No one likes that. Especially since I’m not stick thin, I have to say. CH: It’s extremely difficult because we are actors, not Olympians! The best thing we try to remember is to eat well and exercise when we can find the time. We try not to get too crazy over it. JL: There are days where I just don’t feel comfortable in my leotard. It’s difficult because not only is it so revealing, but there are also at least 100 people watching and judging me at any given time. When I walk into my trailer and see normal clothes hanging in my closet, I get so excited! The simple joys!
We aren’t just fighting over the same boy; we’re all fighting against each other 4. The show has had renowned gymnasts guest star on the show, such as Nastia Lukin and Béla Károlyi. What was it like working with them? AK: They were awesome. I’m obsessed with the Olympics, so I was totally star-struck the first time I met Nastia. And Béla is such a big teddy bear. Even just having him cheer you on while you’re pretending to do gymnastics is a dream come true. JL: I can’t even begin to describe what it was like working with Nastia and Béla. They are legends. In my episode with Béla, Kaylie [her character] runs and jumps into his arms after her floor routine, and I couldn’t help but think about the endless times I saw star gymnasts do exactly this same thing. It was incredibly surreal! Meeting Nastia was just as amazing. Her work ethic and humility are such an inspiration to me. I’m lucky enough to be able to call her a friend.
Olympians doubling us every day to keep it up to par. JL: I really think the writers have done an excellent job researching the lives of gymnasts and implementing those qualities into our scripts.
5. Do you think the show accurately portrays the competitive nature of gymnastics? CH: I do. I think it’s certainly a drama, and I’m not sure all of this happens in one gym! But the reason it works is because we play teenagers. This is what they go through, and if you throw a competitive, life-absorbing sport into it, you get drama. The gymnastics are very accurate, though; we have
7. What are your favorite TV shows? AK: I’m obsessed with Mad Men, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, 30 Rock and Burn Notice. CH: Right now, they are Boardwalk Empire, Parenthood and The Big C. JL: Modern Family, 30 Rock and Glee.
6. What sets this show apart from all of the other teen dramas on TV right now? AK: Other teen dramas don’t have the added stakes of such an athletically demanding dream constantly working toward one goal. We aren’t just all fighting over the same boy (though that does happen); we’re all fighting against each other for an Olympic medal. CH: What I loved right away was that we weren’t doing copious amounts of drugs; our drug is gymnastics. It’s nice that our girls are driven and focused, and I think it’s so different because of that. It’s refreshing and a great thing for teens to look up to.
[ Text Kristin Julie Viola ]
citizens
Who, or what, is ora-ïto? A person or a label? A furniture designer or a marketing impresario? A jewelry-maker or a kitchen designer? The answer is: all of the above. Ora-ïto, also known as Ito Morabito (his real name) is a man of surprises. To start, he is not, as his name implies, Japanese. He’s French. And although he was born into European design royalty (his father, Pascal Morabito, is the well-known designer of luxury goods, and his uncle was the architect Yves Bayard, whose work included Nice’s Musée d’Art Moderne et d’Art Contemporain), the 33-year-old began his career by quitting design school at the age of 20 and changing his name.
He then did something even more daring – to kick off his career, he created a fictional publicity campaign for nonexistent products for real megabrands such as Apple, Swatch and Louis Vuitton. This got him the attention that he wanted, and made him an instant international design star. Instead of suing him, some of those same luxury brands asked to hire him. In a flash, he was designing for Adidas, Heineken and Toyota. Since, he has created products, jewelry, furniture, interiors and even an album cover (the futuristic cover for French duo AIR’s third album, 10000 Hz Legend).
Ora-ïto , also known as Ito Morabito, was born into design He has said that he wants to “make design democratic,” to bring it down to supermarket level. And he has, for Heineken and OGO Oxygenwater, giving both companies a needed boost in product sales, thanks to his cutting-edge bottle designs. He has also more than dabbled in the luxury world, creating the teardropshaped flacon for Guerlain’s perfume, Idylle; a line of modern-classic jewelry and flatware for Christofle; lighting for Artemide; kitchen appliances for Gorenje; and the interiors for the hotel “O” in Paris. People have called the ora-ïto aesthetic “Japanese,” “minimalist,” “classic” and “futuristic” and, again, all of these descriptions ring true. A piece of furniture
designed by ora-ïto is functional and classic in the sense that you have seen the work before, in the designs of Le Corbusier and Ray and Charles Eames, for example, but this time it is slightly different, more futuristic and, yes, a bit Japanese. Ora-ïto himself calls his work “simplexité” – the art of rendering simplicity to complicated functions. For the designer, it is “functionality that guides the form.” His latest project is an all-black collection of cobranded creations, unveiled last April at design week 2010 in Milan, which he co-created with a host of luxury furniture, cosmetic and kitchen design brands.
There is also a lot of buzz around his moveable Futuristik Kitchen for Gorenje, a very Sci-Fi-looking room (think A Clockwork Orange) made of a single composite material. The kitchen can be moved indoors or out according to the owner’s whims and is fully equipped with an oven, refrigerator, extractor hood, ceramic hobs, a microwave and a dishwasher. A perfect example of simplexity.
[ Text Sassafras Loy ]
what to do
24 HOURS IN AMSTERDAM Like the diamonds that are famously polished there, Amsterdam has many facets. From reflections of the Netherlands’ rich colonial past, through the rich medieval heart of an affluent northern European city, to the trail through sin city, a day out in Amsterdam is a kaleidoscope of experiences. Let us show you the way.
8:30am Ontbijt (breakfast)
2:30pm Park life
Breakfast is served at Café de Jaren, one of the largest and most unusual cafés in Amsterdam. The doublestory interior gives it a relaxed attitude, the perfect place to while away an hour browsing the multitude of papers and magazines available. Café de Jaren, 20 Nieuwe Doelenstraat, W www.cafedejaren.nl
Go Dutch by renting a bike and partake in Holland’s favorite mode of transport with a ride through Amsterdam’s finest open space. The Vondelpark was designed to mirror English parks, with winding paths, ponds and lakes that create an illusion of space in the inner city. This mission is accomplished in the 44 hectares of grass, trees and pastures that are home to ducks, squirrels, cows, llamas and a flock of parakeets.
10am Snapshot
Focus on the day ahead with a trip to two of the city’s photography galleries, separated by a charming stroll along the famous Keizersgracht (King’s Canal). Huis Marseille is a photography foundation exhibiting Dutch and foreign work. Foam, whose name is an amalgamation of the words Fotografiemuseum and Amsterdam, allows you to experience the power of photography from fashion to documentary to historical. Huis Marseille, 401 Keizersgracht, W www.huismarseille. nl, and Foam, 609 Keizersgracht, W www.foam.nl
3:30pm Museumplein (Museum Square)
Holland’s artistic history is grouped together in the Museumplein, located at the corner of the Vondelpark. The complex houses the world-famous Rijksmuseum, home to many familiar faces of the Dutch masters, the Stedelijke Museum, which has become the city’s pioneer of modern art, the Van Gogh Museum and the unrivalled acoustics of the Concertgebouw. Museumplein, W tentoonstellingmuseumplein.nl
Noon Shop
6pm Turn on the red light
From the Raadhuisstraat, the cross streets that intersect the canals down to the Leidsegracht are known as the negen straatjes (nine little streets – the letters “je” on the end of any Dutch noun denote “little”). Voted one of the most attractive shopping areas in Holland in a recent poll, the neighborhood is rich in café and boutique culture, with some of the most unique shops in Amsterdam.
Any curious visitor must make time to visit the city’s underbelly, where legalized prostitution and dopeselling coffee shops abound. Amsterdam’s red-light district represents the liberalism for which the city is so admired, and a cavalier attitude prevails from all but ogling tourists toward the windows where women boldly flaunt their wares.
1:30pm Light lunch
7:30pm Eet smakelijk (Enjoy your meal)
The classic geometry of steel lines set out at 90-degree angles and dividing panels of glass create the unmistakable façade of the Gerrit Rietveld-designed Walem, Amsterdam’s first designer bar. While enjoying a dish from the international menu, keep an eye out for local celebrities; Walem remains a playground for Dutch opera stars and the local glitterati. Walem, 449 Keizersgracht, T 31.20.625.3544.
Entrance to the world’s first concept club via an imposing wooden door and a marble staircase leads to a three-story-high white room whose walls are flanked by white lounge beds. Lie back and be served five courses while lounging on cushions. After dinner, move to the red disco downstairs, whose interior features a white curtained lounge bar. 21 Jonge Roelensteeg, T 31.20.344.6400, W www.supperclub.com
9pm Smoke house
No smoking jacket necessary to take advantage of the famously tolerant Dutch attitude toward stimulants at one of the city’s many coffee shops. Midnight Guest list only
The area around the Leidseplein provides tons of places to party! Kick off in the Melkweg, where pop and rock concerts are held alongside dance, theater and cinematic performances. Carry on at the Paradiso, a former church and one of Holland’s most popular live rock venues. Then live it up into the early hours in the exclusive Jimmy Woo, the hangout of an eccentric mix of local hipsters and sophisticrats. Melkweg, 234 Lijnbaansgracht, W www.melkweg.nl, Paradiso, 6 Weteringschans, W www. paradiso.nl and Jimmy Woo, 18 Korte Leidsedwarsstraat, W www.jimmywoo.com 3am Hole in the wall
It’s snack time as you get a bad case of the munchies. Go Dutch: eat from a hole in the wall. FEBO is ubiquitous in every Dutch city, where krokets (deep fried meat ragout), burgers and patat met (fries with oodles of delicious mayo) can be extracted from wall slots by inserting coins and flipping open the cover, canteen style. While during the daylight hours the spectacle may seem bizarre, after a night on the tiles you’ll be tucking in with the rest of the revelers. W www.febodelekkerste.nl
[ Text and photos Motez Bishara ]
what to do
Lapiztola’s political art evokes the noise of protests and riots Oaxaca, Mexico is the land beyond Google. To get insider information, be it about a new restaurant opening or a celebration in the town center, you have to take your questions to the people on the street. Art forges a similar path, transcending galleries and boutiques and landing smack on the side of a wall, the perfect entertainment and informant for those walking and searching.
In the pseudo-documentary Exit Through the Gift Shop, the film’s narrator insists that, in the past decade, “street art was poised to become the biggest counter-cultural movement since punk.” Artists use stickers, stencils, wheat-pasted posters, tags, murals and sculpture “to make their mark by any means necessary.” In 2006, Lapiztola felt a similar level of urgency. Artists Rosario, Roberto and Yankel needed to show support for people clamoring to be heard by Oaxaca’s oppressive and unresponsive government. The artists dedicated themselves to depicting people caught in the struggle for freedom. In one piece, a youth rips away at a wall to reveal birds in flight, soaring upward.
This is the world of Lapiztola, a trio of artists who paint politics and the people on Oaxaca’s corrugated metal garage doors and wide white stucco walls. A sharp wit comes through even in its name, a play on the word lapiz, or pencil, as well as pistola, or gun. An image of a child begging while a tourist snaps a photograph has a gunshot’s power of surprise, while political art damning corrupt The images are striking for their content, but government evokes the noise of protests and riots. also for their immediate readability. Lapiztola has a message to convey, and the artists use their
background in graphic arts and screen-printing to make iconic images. The process begins with sketching inspiring street scenes and people to arrive at an appropriate theme. Then the fun begins. Unlike other street artists, Lapiztola does not use found art or media images. Instead, one person in the trio dons a costume. The artists may also add props to stage a full-scale scene, and then take photographs. They transfer the images to digital files so they can manipulate them before settling on a final composition. A woman dreaming. Revolutionaries rocking ghetto blasters. A female farmer defending her corn crop. These are Lapiztola’s muses, celebrating a world beyond urban anonymity and corruption, reminding us of what it is to be human.
[ Text Serena Makofsky
Photos Nina Pozzi ]
citizens
FASHION IS THE TREE OF LIFE Karine Tawil moved to Beirut to launch her own label
There is something dreamy, theatrical and at the same time rough around the edges about Karine Tawil’s first collection. The up-and-coming Lebanese designer, who’s worked with various internationally renowned fashion houses before venturing out on her own, has already created a sort of signature look for her clothes, one that combines disparate influences yet results in an utterly cohesive final result. “The overall balance is the thread that links everything together,” she says. When Tawil launched her label in October 2010, she went against convention by naming it after someone else – her great grandmother Karoline Lang. “It’s a tribute to the women of my family, which is my greatest source of inspiration,” says Tawil, who called her first collection Branche de Vie, or Branches of Life. “The branch is my brand’s logo, because I am a branch of Karoline Lang’s family tree.” After graduating from two prestigious fashion institutes – Istituto Europeo di Design and L’Institut Français de la Mode – Tawil worked in Milan, Paris and New York before
returning to Beirut in 2009. By this time she was ready to launch her own label. “I needed to express myself,” says the 28-year-old designer. Her first collection, for spring/ summer 2011, features pieces that are as dramatic as works of art. Every outfit features a design element that is imaginative and at the same time striking – think dramatic spiral hoop skirts and leather bustier dresses. For Tawil, every design represents a harmonious mix of extreme elements. Masculine and feminine forms blend effortlessly in a peach-colored outfit comprised of a girly feathered skirt, together with a tailored top, while the combination of soft and hard elements is evident in the label’s trademark colors: red and skin tone. “I’m always trying to find equilibrium in my designs, so if a piece is too romantic I try to make it a bit more edgy. For example, I’ll combine lace – which is soft and romantic – with leather that is more rock ‘n’ roll. It makes sense to me, because using lace only would be a bit poor.” Listening to Tawil explain her designs, it becomes apparent that life inspired the label’s overall concept (“There is equilibrium in nature, and I always try to reproduce that”), while theater is the inspiration behind the designer’s flair for the dramatic. “I always need to be taken away to another world. It’s a lot of fun to dress up. It’s part of the pleasures of life. I’m also inspired by dancers and movement in general. Movement is life.” A case of art imitating life?
[ Text Salma Salloum
Photos Nini ]
style
Tory Burch’s lifestyle inspires her collections On a recent windy fall morning, an army of amazons stood on a podium inside the Lincoln center Fashion Week tent, clad in brightly colored tunics and lowwaisted, flared pants. Their silky hair was either let loose or tucked in elegant ponytails. Golden complexions and whippet-thin silhouettes evoked preppy globetrotters from the ‘70s. Anyone walking into the room by accident would have recognized Tory Burch’s signature all-American touch, one that unites both mothers and daughters in its style. The now iconic inverted – and much copied – T logo, the effortless glam reminiscent of Jackie O, the bright tones, the cult Reva ballerinas: in only a few years, Burch has established herself as one of the most successful American designers and is now expanding her empire internationally, with the opening of boutiques in Tokyo, Seoul, Rome and London.
Burch’s socialite lifestyle inspires her collections, which have become especially popular with young women – hence the appearance of many of her clothes on the hit TV series Gossip Girl. Born in Pennsylvania and raised in a 250-year-old farmhouse to an investor father and actress mother, Burch moved to New York at a young age to work in fashion and launched her label from her Upper East Side apartment in 2004. When Burch opened her Nolita flagship store that same year, the collection was an immediate success, selling out virtually overnight. Many awards and recognitions later, Burch combines multiple roles – business mogul, mother of two and philanthropist. She runs between her Flatiron district office, her home and the airport, leading a life that in many ways reflects the ethos of the brand: dynamic, glamorous and laid-back. “I started thinking about my own company in 2001,” explains Burch, a bubbly, petite woman with a luminous strawberry blonde mane. “At the time, prices in the industry were getting higher and higher, and I felt there
was something missing in the market and in my own closet – a designer aesthetic at a more accessible price.” Of course, there are challenges to being a multitasking businesswoman. “The hardest part of my job is being a working mother,” explains Burch, who keeps pictures of her children in her purse when she travels, and takes them along on horseback riding, climbing and biking holidays whenever she can. When they’re not traveling, Burch plays tennis with her sons, orders dinner in and watches movies with them. “When we started the company it was an adjustment, but I’ve learned how to make it work.”
[ Text Shirine Saad
Photos Tory Burch ]
style
WANDERING STAR
Dalila Barkache is inspired by her trips around the world Wavy thick curls covering khol-rimmed eyes, perfectly traced lips, brightly colored outfits, Dalila Barkache is one of the most stylish girls in Beirut. She throws the wildest parties and DJs at Behind the Green Door. Many shopped religiously at the Comme des Garçons guerilla store she managed for a year. So it didn’t come as a surprise when the Moroccanborn stylist set out to design her own jewelry line after studies at the École de la Rue du Louvre in Paris. Having worked for years with jeweler Selim Mouzannar in Beirut, she was inspired to create jewels that mirrored her own conceptual and playful style. Barkache uses precious materials: a tourmaline found in Bangkok, rough Tahitian pearls, blackened gold and black diamonds. But the jewels are far from ostentatious. A gold ring is plated with diamonds on the inside, as if to secretly adorn the wearer’s finger with preciousness. The necklaces are devoid of a clasp. A thread-thin bracelet holds rose-cut crystals. Black gold chunks are cut to look like stones. “I don’t follow
trends,” says the designer. “I get inspired by my daily life, by art, by music. I don’t like the symbols associated with precious gems or diamonds, and I try not to pay attention to these things.” Her collection is sold at Dover Street Market in London, a temple of hipness. Inspired by music (Franz Liszt), cinema (John Cassavettes, Omar Suleyman), and her trips around the world and to flea markets (Beirut’s Souk el Ahad is a favorite), Barkache showcases a vision of fashion that is both poetic and whimsical. She prefers avant-garde brands: Comme des Garçons, Maison Martin Margiela and Azzedine Alaïa. Growing up in the suburbs of Paris, she fell in love with art and fashion early on. “When I was young, I didn’t particularly care about jewels,” says the designer. “I just always loved beautiful things.” When she discovered Beirut’s chaotic poetry at 22, she settled there and has been jetting between her two homes since. Now we’re waiting to hear what’s next – and we know it’ll be really cool.
[ Text Shirine Saad
Photos Dalila Barkache ]
style
MIU MIU
PAUL & JOE
DSQUARED
RAG & BONE
MOSCHINO
BURBERRY
D&G
MARC BY MARC
[ Photos Ilaria Orsini
Styling Amelianna Loiacono Hair Sebastien Quinet Makeup Eny Whitehead Location Paris ]
She’s in a top and shorts, both by Dolce & Gabbana
She’s in a Dior dress, Dior belt and Fendi shoes
She’s in a Diane Von Furstenberg top, Michael Kors skirt, vintage jacket and vintage sunglasses
She’s in a Paul & Joe dress
She’s in a blouse and skirt, both by Paul & Joe, and vintage earrings
She’s in a top and skirt, both by Giambattista Valli, a Stella McCartney necklace and Borsalino hat
She’s in a DSquared dress and Borsalino hat.
She’s in a Michael Kors dress and vintage sunglasses. Available at Aïshti stores.
She’s in a Carven dress and vintage earrings
Top left and bottom right: She’s in a Stella McCartney dress, Giambattista Valli belt and YSL shoes. Her bag is by YSL Top right and bottom left: She’s in a blouse, pants and belt, all by Chloé. Her bag is by Chloé and her ring is by Maison Martin Margiela
She’s in a Prada top, Parosh hair clip and vintage sunglasses
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style
Photos B-Low the Belt, Camper, Catherine Malandrino, Napapijri, NewbarK, Schott ]
Photo by Sebastian Copeland
Shop napapijri.com
Milly cardigan, Pierre Hardy shoes, Giorgio Armani glasses, H&M socks
Haute Hippie top, Giorgio Armani glasses
[ Photos Bachar Srour
Styling Sevine Samadi Makeup Ralph Lteif Location Faraya ]
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Raquel Allegra top, Donna Karan sweater, Giorgio Armani glasses
Dries Van Noten pants, Giorgio Armani glasses
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Lulu Skirt, Balenciaga shoes, Giorgio Armani glasses, Balenciaga leg warmers
Bird by Juicy Couture jacket, Gucci glasses, Wolford tights
Lulu Skirt, Balenciaga shoes, Giorgio Armani glasses, Balenciaga leg warmers
Giorgio
Raquel Allegra top, Donna Karan sweater, Giorgio Armani glasses
Lulu Skirt, Balenciaga shoes, Giorgio Armani glasses
American Apparel top, Gianvito Rossi boots, Giorgio Armani glasses
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Giambattista Valli top, Giorgio Armani glasses, Prada bag
Michael Kors jacket, American Apparel bodysuit
Giorgio Armani glasses
Raquel Allegra top, Giorgio Armani glasses
style
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[ Styling Racil Chalhoub
Photos Christina Rahmé ]
1. miu miu top, LL1,325,000 2. Marc by Marc Jacobs sunglasses, LL288,000 3. Tissues from SuperCaliFragilisticExpialiDocious 4. miu miu bag, LL3,322,000 5. Delfina Delettrez ring, LL1,585,000 6. miu miu earrings, LL345,000 7. Underwear from Kitsch, LL45,000 8. miu miu skirt, LL1,121,000 9. Fou d’Absinthe perfume by L’Artisan Parfumeur, LL227,000 10. Bobbi Brown makeup products 11. Celine ballerinas, LL901,000 12. Sleep mask from Kitsch, LL47,000 13. Choux à la Creme notepad from Papercup, LL18,000 14. JKC wallet from Kitsch, LL291,000 15. Celine bag, LL1,462,000. Available at Aïzone stores unless otherwise indicated.
style Rock & Republic
LA’s trendy denim brand may have always been a harbinger of casual flair, but spring/summer 2011 takes Rock & Republic’s natural ease even further, offering a collection for men that hearkens back to R&R’s sunny Southern California roots. The new jeans on offer are loose and comfortable, with a slightly washed-out look, particularly in the knee area. Light and dark blues take center stage, with a smattering of khaki denim thrown in for good measure. The slightly oversized tees, hooded tops and cardigans come in basic colors – mostly whites, grays and blues.
The ‘70s and ‘80s may have roared back onto men’s fashion runways, but a number of brands are espousing a definitely more casual, more understated flair. This spring, expect a back to basics approach from some of the top American and English labels.
Marc by Marc Jacobs
Over the span of his prolific career, Marc Jacobs has successfully skirted the line between simple, casual looks and overthe-top, outrageous fashion. For his diffusion line Marc by Marc Jacobs, the designer gives us more of the same, albeit with a seductively retro edge. Rumpled suits, skinny belts and oversized coats recall a bygone New York when French New Wave movies reigned supreme and the kids on the street emulated JeanPaul Belmondo’s anti-hero in Breathless.
Burberry Brit
Burberry’s younger, edgier line Burberry Brit has taken on a decidedly casual, simple, yet utterly seductive flair for spring/summer 2011. Pants come in basic colors like beige, khaki, light gray and navy, with straight, slim cuts that naturally follow the contours of the body. Tops exude the same appealing effortlessness and include white, brown and blue T-shirts, tank tops and sweaters. Burberry’s famous check makes occasional appearances in the lining, on the collar or on a jacket’s inside pockets, serving to enhance the simplicity of the line.
[ Text Sydney Reade
Photos Burberry, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Rock & Republic ]
style
WeSC is the bridge between streetwear and fashion “We thought something was missing on the market, a more developed take on clothing for people like us, which was why we founded WeSC as a brand making excellent streetfashion,” says WeSC CEO Gregor Hagelin. WeSC, which stands for We Are The Superlative Conspiracy, is the Swedish brand that Hagelin formed with four friends in 1999. When WeSC began, the term “streetfashion” didn’t really exist in the branding vocabulary, explains Hagelin: “This term had never been used, but we were the first ones and it worked out really well. It’s the bridge between streetwear and fashion.” Today the WeSC brand is an international success story. More and more of its distinctive white, minimalist stores are established in neighborhoods like New York’s Tribeca and London’s Carnaby Street. WeSC is famous for wellcrafted sweaters and hooded tops, and increasingly for accessories like headphones and footwear, but it also offers more feminine womenswear collections, including garments such as slinky jersey dresses. “WeSC is not streetwear, it’s streetfashion,” continues Hagelin. “That’s essential in distinguishing us from other brands
out there. Our styles and collections include feminine dresses for women, tailored shirts and suits for men, exclusive collaborations with brands such as CASIO and SUPER and a whole lot more than sweatshirts,” he says. “It’s life after skate, not the opposite.” WeSC headphones are a success story in their own right: the expansive range of chunky-yet-elegant cans, in a varied palette from muted pastels to loud primary colors, were something of a surprise hit. WeSC devoted only a small PR budget to marketing their launch in 2009, and the brand met with initial resistance from some fashion stores who didn’t want to carry an electronic item. “When we introduced the headphones, there was a shock on the market. How can a clothing brand offer electronic products?” says Hagelin. “But we maintained our standpoint that it’s not only an electronic thing [to care about the headphones you use], but a fashion accessory. And people loved it.” Like Acne, Cheap Monday and Nudie, WeSC has become one of Sweden’s best-known urban fashion houses. “WeSC is an international brand with a Swedish heritage, which we’re very proud of,” says Hagelin.
[ Text Gretel Blackwood
Photos WeSC ]
style
The fashion choices on TV shows are exceedingly ground-breaking and influential
It all started back in the late ‘90s, when the now iconic stars of Sex and the City introduced sky-high Manolos, Dolce & Gabbana strappy sandals, Hermès’ Birkin bag and other hot, hot, hot trends and accessories to small screen audiences. Overnight, women of all ages and around the world started copying the styles of Carrie, Samantha and Charlotte (Miranda was never as stylish), while at the same time scouring chic shops and boutiques to get that exact same Roberto Cavalli top that Carrie wore when she was dating Aidan. Fast-forward a decade or so, and a new generation of fashion icons is gracing our plasma screens. You have Upper East Siders Serena Van der Woodsen and Blair Waldorf (Blake Lively and Leighton Meester respectively) strutting in their Roger Vivier pumps down Madison and Park on Gossip Girl, and enticing even pre-teen girls to make a grab for those stylish heels. Reality shows (particularly The City and Keeping Up with the Kardashians) have also upped the fashion ante, functioning as real-life catalogues for the likes of Diane Von Furstenberg, Alice + Olivia and Hervé Leger. You might argue that fashion inspiration from TV shows is nothing new. This, of course, is true: we have Dynasty and Dallas to thank for the ‘80s’ over-the-top shoulderpad trend, while teen shows from the ‘90s, such as Beverly Hills 90210, Party of Five and Saved by the Bell, heralded a new era of fringe haircuts, Doc Martens, bleached jeans and crop tees that were oh-so-cool until they weren’t.
But when it comes to the TV shows of today, the fashion choices are exceedingly ground-breaking and influential, not only on the youth culture but on the retail world as well. Their on- and off-screen closets overflow with lust-worthy pieces, so it’s no wonder that this new generation of young TV stars is behind some of today’s biggest fashion inspirations. The perfectly polished Gossip Girl crew has turned high school into a daily catwalk of mixed designer vintage and couture and a place where the label on your bag grants you unlimited access to the elite snob squad. Audiences can’t seem to get enough of Serena’s hippie-chic style, Blair’s sexy take on headbands and feminine silhouettes, and Chuck Bass’ polished yet flamboyant colorful suit combos. Die-hard fans can even shop the Gossip Girl site and purchase the exact looks seen on the CW show. But when it comes to strutting around New York in a more accessible, down-to-earth style, no one does it better than Hills alum and City star Whitney Port. Whether working overtime at Diane Von Furstenberg, producing mega fashion shows at People’s Revolution or designing her own, hip Whitney Eve line, Port has the audience drooling with envy and tuning in to see where her love of fashion will take her next. Co-star Olivia Palermo has become something of a fashion icon in her own right. And who could forget the voluptuous Kardashian sisters on Keeping Up with the Kardashians? Although Kim, Kourtney and Khloe’s constant drama is enough to keep audiences tuned in, these bubbly brunettes’ eclectic and pricey sense of style makes the show even more of a guilty pleasure. The famous and much photographed sisters have got the gigantic sunglasses, huge designer purse and killer heels style down to a science. Add a touch of mystic tan, killer wavy dark locks and bootyliciousness, and you’ve got yourself a recipe for “real” California style.
[ Text Tala Habbal ]
style
NAUGHTY PICKS:
ALL THINGS TO KEEP YOU
WARM AND TITILLATED ON COOL WINTER NIGHTS
MISCHIEVOUS FLEA LIGHT MY FIRE
Ignite your loved one’s deepest desires with the erotic Karma candles, featuring men and women doing the nasty.
The Autobiography of a Flea is the most famous Victorian erotic novel ever written. First published in 1887, the tale is told by a flea who attaches herself to a promiscuous young woman and then observes the nymphet’s sexual escapades.
PIN UP THE YEAR
The Pirelli calendar showcases 12 months of nude or near nude high-art photography. For the 2011 edition, stars like Julianne Moore are shot by style icon Karl Lagerfeld in a mythologyinspired shoot.
CONDOM ART
SLAVE TO LOVE
HAND IN YOUR POCKET
TIME TO PLAY
In honor of World Aids Day, the Keith Haring Foundation debuted a line of printed condoms designed by the late ‘80s pop artist and AIDS activist Keith Haring.
SEX ON DISPLAY
Lady Gaga’s delectable, controversial “Alejandro” is 2010’s sexiest music video. We get hot and bothered every time we watch it.
SKATER ART
I ADORE
The Museum of Sex in New York shines the spotlight on sex with explicit photographs, exhibits and products.
Kim Basinger became the world’s hottest sex symbol when 9½ Weeks was released back in 1986. The movie – with its classic soundtrack – is just as haunting today as it was 25 years ago.
Turn sex into a wild game with Assouline’s Sex Game Book. The volume is filled with sex trivia and puzzles.
WHAT’S IN YOUR BOX? If you’re looking to spice things up in the bedroom, pick up the black box from Saifi Village’s novelty shop SuperCaliFragilisticExpialiDocious. What’s in the box? We’ll leave that for you to discover.
Marc Jacobs teamed up with photographer Juergen Teller to produce four unique skate decks featuring photos from Marc Jacobs’ ad archives.
DIGITALLY DIRTY
Thanks to Playboy’s new digital archive, you can finally clean out all your back issues of Playboy. The portable hard drive holds every issue from 1953-2010.
The sexy Miss Dior Chérie fragrance ad campaign, shot by renowned photographer Camilla Akrans, goes where every hot-blooded male wishes he could venture.
CAUGHT ON TAPE
These days, every female celebrity worth her weight in Manolos has a homemade sex tape heating up the Web. Kim K, Paris Hilton and even Pam Anderson have all titillated thousands with their sexual antics.
LOVE SONG
The tune “Je T’Aime, Moi Non Plus,” by Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg, is an ode to pleasure.
GOOD TO EAT SENSUALLY SCENTED
Victoria’s Secret’s Sexy Little Things Noir perfume is seductive and playful, with notes of amber, orchid and nectarine.
The penis-shaped croissants at Paris’ La Boulangerie Française are guaranteed to perk up your morning.
music
What is the art of DJing? From scratching to mixing different genres and making the crowd dance incessantly, DJ Karve, the winner of the first Red Bull international championship held last December, deeply masters this craft. At the Elysée Montmartre, Karve, 25, played a 15-minute set that was groovy and wildly scratched. When he won, he was carried from the stage by ecstatic dancers. “I didn’t expect to win,” says the DJ from Paris, where he lives. “I thought the music might have been a bit edgy for the crowd. But they were really into it.” Karve, whose real name is Alex Talneau, and who won the French DMC DJ Championship in 2005 before joining French hip hop band Saïan Supa Crew as their official DJ, honed his talent for rocking the dance floor with dirty house, b-more (accelerated hip-hop), UK funky and dirty south beats in sets around the world.
Karve grew up in the suburbs of Paris listening to rap and hip-hop and skateboarding and scratching and mixing. “For a timid guy like me, it was a way to get over my shyness,” he says, admitting that even with success, women didn’t necessarily come to him after shifts. “It’s especially amusing to play bad boy stuff for a skinny white guy. The atmosphere we’re creating is kind of like a strip club in Atlanta.” Karve has also begun working as a producer with the urban pop band Leeroy+4 and DJ Kazey, who makes UK funky, i.e. house with accelerated African rhythms. But in the end, says Karve, he is a musician just like a guitarist or pianist. “As a DJ I cannot just play music. I change structures, I modify rhythms. You need to have a musician’s ear for it to sound real.”
It’s especially amusing to play bad boy stuff [ Text Shirine Saad
Photos DJ Karve ]
nightlife
PARTY DESTINATION:
Heading to Paris for work or fun? Check out these new hotspots where you’ll find everything from über-sexy models to artsy hipsters, aristocratic potential husbands, delicious food and great music. Adventurous types will love the up-and-coming East of Paris, with its artist squats and charming brasseries. As for the glam squad, they will be able to see and be seen in some of the most exclusive bars in the world – and even sample some haute experimental cocktails.
Le Pompon
Le Social Club
La Machine du Moulin Rouge
This former synagogue is now a temple of all things exclusive and cool, a bar/nightclub that some are already calling the “Baron of the East” due to its location in the 10th arrondissement. All of Paris’ hipsters seem to hang out here, some artfully disheveled, some dressed to the nines and obviously looking for hookups. Downstairs, at the nightclub, DJs Oko and Mr. Ashpool rule, along with lots of live bands. There’s rock music, pop music, disco. There’s also a smoking room for those who believe that the smoking ban meant the death of partying. In this warm, boho atmosphere, dancing madly is not an option. 39 Rue des Petites Ecuries, 10th arrondissement, T 33.6.45.75.57.97.
For the electro-loving, jet-setting tribe, Le Social club is the new refuge – with parties every night of the week, especially during fashion week. Designed by architecture collective EXYZT, this retro-futuristic space is all black with neon tube lights and a white grid on the walls. Live electro acts include Justice, Tiga, Gomma, Simian Mobile Disco and Steve Aoki. The Fluokids are regulars, as are the under-30 set. There are more intimate evenings during the week at the “petit” Social Club, so get ready for some snuggling. During bigger nights, just strip off your clothes: the temperature at the 500-capacity locale rises to tropical levels. Don’t forget to buy your ticket online, or you’ll humiliate yourself waiting in line with the masses. 142 Rue Montmartre, second arrondissement, T 33.1.40.28.05.55 W www.parissocialclub.com
In this space, formerly called La Loco, the Kinks and the Beatles played unforgettable gigs. But in 2009 the owners of the adjacent Moulin Rouge bought the space, and it’s now known as La Machine, the best place for rock concerts in Paris. Chromeo, Smog, the Black Lips and other famous and obscure acts perform in the three-story, 2,500-square-meter space. The place is divided into four rooms: Le Bar à Bulles for early cocktails, Le Central for concerts, La Terrasse to smoke cigarettes with strangers and La Chaufferie to dance the night away. Need we say more? 90 Boulevard de Clichy, 18th arrondissement, T 33.1.53.41.88.89, W lamachinedumoulinrouge.com
HONORABLE MENTIONS Rosa Bonheur
This is the perfect spot to start the night, with a majestic view of the Paris sunset. A quartier général for artists and hipsters in the up-and-coming neighborhood of East Paris, Rosa Bonheur (inside the Parc des Buttes-Chaumont) offers sangría, charcuterie, cheese and other delicacies at friendly prices. Sometimes a jolly fanfare livens the atmosphere – and even if it’s not a club, no one will stop you from getting up and breaking into a few dance moves. Avenue de la Cascade, 19th arrondissement, T 33.1.42.00.00.45, W www.rosabonheur.fr Madam
If you’re seeking something exclusive and posh, head to Madam, where the leather banquettes double as dance floors after a couple of drinks. The owners, who launched the super popular Dentelle de Luxe party at Man Ray before opening their own club, drew on images of ‘20s Paris – sensual, romantic, luxe – to create the loungy decor. There are live performances and DJs, baroque chandeliers and loads of Louboutinheeled singles. 128 Rue La Boétie, eighth arrondissement, T 33.1.53.76.03.15. Les Souffleurs
La Fidélité
Everyone knows that André Saraiva, graffiti artist cum-nightlife entrepreneur, is the king of the Paris nightlife. His Baron, Montana, Régine, Moune and Hôtel Amour are where the most beautiful, rich and talented (and hangers-on of course) collide. Now La Fidélité, a lovely brasserie in the up-and-coming 10th arrondissement, is where Paris’ boho set goes to see and be seen. With its 1900-style high ceilings, moldings and columns, the all-white space is quaint yet spacious. You can book a booth for your date or for power gossip sessions, or head to the fumoir to hang out with some VIS (Very Important Sexy) people. For late-night munchies, the pain perdu is to die for. 12 Rue de la Fidélité, 10th arrondissement, T 33.1.47.70.19.34, W www.lafidelite.com
Need a new hangout in the Marais? Les Souffleurs, a tony bar with deep leather seats, martinis and vintage rums, is the place to go. By day, the place is quiet and private, perfect for an after-shopping pause or a romantic date. At night, there are concerts, DJs and beautiful people. 7 Rue de la Verrerie, fourth arrondissement, T 33.1.44.78.04.92. Prescription Cocktail Club
Anyone who’s been to Paris knows that the cocktail choice is somehow limited. But at this new high-end mixology spot on the Left Bank, sophisticated concoctions take center stage. Order the Experience #1, a mix of basil, elderflower, lemongrass, vodka and lemon. 23 Rue Mazarine, sixth arrondissement, T 33.1.45.08.88.09, W www. prescriptioncocktailclub.com
[ Text Shirine Saad
Photos Med ]
what to do
Lebanese photographer George Haddad has honed his long passion for photography into a successful career, focusing on people, architecture and anything that inspires him. His most recent work is a compilation of photos depicting various Beirut rooftops, a project that took him five months to complete and uses a special technique developed by Haddad to give the photos a cool 3D effect. Haddad was inspired by his own Ashrafieh rooftop pad, which is one of the various pictures, as well as the many rooftops of his friends, also located in Ashrafieh. “I have a lot of young artist friends who have different rooftops, and I thought it would be interesting to photograph them,� he says.
[ Text Tala Habbal
Photos George Haddad ]
what to do
After attending a play at one of Hamra’s theaters, while hitting the main street for a bit of retail therapy, or before dashing to a lecture at one of the universities, you’ll want to grab a quick bite to eat, right? Thankfully you’re in the right area. Hamra’s sidewalks are littered with tempting fast-food eateries that are a cut above the traditional fast-food heap.
Hamra’s sidewalks are littered with tempting fast-food eateries
It’s difficult to pass by Bliss Street’s Zaatar w Zeit without being drawn in by the smell of manakeesh. Choose a table upstairs with a view over the American University of Beirut (AUB), and watch passing students, professors and tourists while biting into a traditional Lebanese zaatar mankoushe and ordering (and reordering) the free refill ice tea. Dough can be ordered thin, multicereal or with sundried tomatoes. For something a little further away from home, Hamra’s latest dining hotspot, Taco Loco (under Bank Audi on Bliss Street), offers Mexico’s finest fare. Hard- or softshell tacos are filled with beef, chicken or vegetables, while quesadillas, nachos and fajitas offer additional exotic options. The range of breakfast burritos will have you starting off your day like Speedy Gonzalez. If you prefer to have total control of what goes into your fast meal, skip along to Coppa di Pasta. Literally translating to “cup of pasta,” that’s exactly what’s on offer in this trendy little eatery, complete with large red counter stools and funky iron bicycle formations on the walls. Choose your pasta type, then your homemade sauce, and add a chicken, salmon, meat or cheese topping. If you want to be as fast as your food, grab an espresso from the super-stylish Barista machine.
Fancy this three-step idea, but have a preference for Asian over Italian? Then Wok It (on Bliss Street) is your quick-fix winner. Its fun menu is displayed outside the tiny façade, luring you in to taste what’s advertised as “healthy, fast, tasty” food. All the fresh ingredients (no tinned foods) are wok-fried in sesame oil in front of you, so you can immediately smell when the curry-coconut or teriyaki sauce sizzles on the wok over your choice of noodle, rice or vegetable base. If big leisurely spaces are more your thing, you won’t go wrong with Café Hamra on the main street. Although more in line with traditional restaurants, this spot deserves a mention for its über-swift (and extremely friendly) service. You won’t even have time to finish your game of flipper (on the flipper machine recovered from Hamra’s now disappeared Wimpy) before the restaurant specialty lands on your table: croque Hamra – homemade country bread topped with béchamel sauce and filled with smoked turkey and Emmental. Don’t get too comfortable on the cushy couches if you still intend to hit the shops though! Then there’s Bibo’s (on Bliss Street and Hamra’s main street): the store may be miniscule size, but it caters for a major greasy hunger. Fried mozzarella sticks or fries are the perfect accompaniment to a Bibo’s chicken supreme burger or saucy hot dog. The breakfast sandwiches are easy to eat on the way to a lecture, but the chocolate-covered crepes and brownies may leave traces of evidence! The Hamra eateries to watch out for next? Burger Nation and Lord of the Wings!
[ Text Veronique Loger
Photos Tony Allieh ]
citizens
Actor Karim Saleh dreams of romantic, rebellious film roles Actor Karim Saleh was born in Lyon in 1978 and grew up in West Beirut during the war; he studied drama in London but was expelled right before graduation. He now lives between Los Angeles and Paris.
L’Aube du Monde (2008)
Every Day is a Holiday (2010)
These complex life experiences have fed Saleh’s work, allowing him to play subtle characters with psychological power. He started acting and dancing as a child, when his father constantly played movies, especially when the war was at its highest point. By age five, Saleh had his favorites: Bugsy Malone and New York, New York. As a teenager he thought he wanted to be a writer then, unsatisfied with his work, he decided to attend acting school. But London was tough, and the school too rigid for Saleh, who dreamt of romantic, rebellious film roles, “between Arizona Dream and Rebel Without a Cause,” says the dark, curly-maned actor, who is currently in Paris, where he has just finished shooting a new film. But for Saleh acting “was never an instant success story.” Thanks to Egyptian filmmaker Yossri Nasrallah, a friend of his father’s, Saleh got his first important role as a murderer in Andrew Litvack’s comedy Merci Docteur Rey (2004). That same year, Saleh played Al Qaeda terrorist Ziad Jarrah in The Hamburg Cell, a well-conceived TV series that dealt with terrorism. Then came a role as a
Saracen messenger in Kingdom of Heaven (2005), the epic film about the Crusades. He played Issa, the leader of the terrorist attack in Steven Spielberg’s Munich (2005) and was the lead character in Abbas Fadel’s L’Aube du Monde (2008), a film for which he received the Best Actor award at the Arab Film Festival in Rotterdam. In 2010, he was cast as one of the prisoners in Dima el Horr’s poetic Every Day is a Holiday. Saleh is comfortable in LA and often jets to Paris and Beirut, but ultimately he is interested in the Middle Eastern cinema scene. His favorite local directors are Danielle Arbid, Ziad Doueiri and Ghassan Salhab. “In Beirut the interactions are quasi-telepathic,” he says.
[ Text Shirine Saad
Photos Romina Shama ]
movies
FAB FRIENDS AND STAR-CROSSED LOVERS MOVIES TO WATCH
Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke sinks her teeth into a romantic fantasy thriller of another sort with this flick, loosely based on the fairy tale. Rather than vampire fangs, Amanda Seyfried’s Red (a.k.a. Valerie) needs to beware of the werewolf that inhabits the forest near her medieval village. When a longstanding truce with the beast is broken and Valerie’s sister is killed, the townspeople call for revenge. The arrival of a mysterious werewolf hunter (Gary Oldman) and Val’s own complicated love life all conspire to put many other lives at risk – including hers.
RED RIDING HOOD
THE ROOMMATE
SUCKER PUNCH
GNOMEO AND JULIET
TAKE ME HOME TONIGHT
In Gen Y’s answer to Single White Female, Leighton Meester plays Rebecca, the unstable college roommate to Minka Kelly’s good girl Sara, with the perfect boyfriend (Cam Gigandet), lots of friends and the ideal life. It’s everything deranged Rebecca covets. Unfortunately for Sara, her mentally unhinged roommate is also an expert manipulator, allowing her to burrow into every cranny of Sara’s life.
The only way for a young girl (Baby Doll) to deal with her grim reality – being placed in a mental asylum by her evil stepfather with a scheduled lobotomy looming – is to retreat into her vivid imagination. Never giving up hope, Baby Doll rallies a quartet of other girls in the asylum to try and escape their creepy cadre of captors. Much of this action fantasy takes place in the alternate universe of Baby Doll’s mind.
This remake of the most famous tale of star-crossed lovers is like no other. First off, the young lovers are animated. Second, they’re garden gnomes. Gnomeo (voiced by James McAvoy) and Juliet (voiced by Emily Blunt) have their respective warring Montague and Capulet families to contend with, as well as a myriad of other obstacles that Mr. Shakespeare could never have imagined, like plastic pink flamingos.
A killer ‘80s soundtrack accompanies the raunch and romance in this coming-ofage comedy. It’s 1988 and Matt (Topher Grace), a brilliant college grad, passes on a yuppie job to work part time at a video store. Matt’s perspective changes when his gorgeous teenage crush re-enters his world. With his twin sister (Anna Faris) and best bud in tow, everything comes to a head on one life-changing night.
NEW ON DVD
FEBRUARY 1
FEBRUARY 1
FEBRUARY 15
FEBRUARY 22
MARCH 8
MARCH 29
CHAIN LETTER
WELCOME TO THE RILEYS
GLORIOUS 39
KINGS OF PASTRY
AROUND A SMALL
WASTE LAND
A group of friends needs to figure
By helping a young prostitute
Dark secrets turn the once-idyllic
This doc focuses on pastry chef
MOUNTAIN
Brooklyn artist Vik Muniz travels
out the secret behind a sinister
(Kristen Stewart), James Gandolfini
life of an aspiring actress into a
competitors vying for recognition
This French film centers on an
to Brazil to visit the world’s
chain letter before someone dies.
heals his relationship with his
nightmare. Set in England at the
as Meilleur Ouvrier de France, the
Italian man who becomes smitten
largest garbage dump, where he
Starring Nikki Reed.
estranged wife.
start of World War II.
Oscar of the dessert world.
with a French woman (Jane Birkin).
bonds with a group of scavengers.
music
Zeid Hamdan has mixed electronic music and Arabic lyrics with Soap Kills, sung about Lebanon’s chaotic reality in English in the New Government and launched dozens of rap, rock and electronic artists through his Lebanese Underground umbrella. Now he’s launched his most personal project to date. Zeid and the Wings, his new band, plays a mix of Middle Eastern sounds, reggae, rock and electro, blended with Hamdan’s signature playfulness, where his own soft voice is accompanied by a female chorus (Yasmeen Ayyashi, Sarah Barrage and Gihan el Hage, or “The Wings”). The project started in early 2010, after a few friends encouraged Hamdan to start a new project where he could write and sing his own songs. The producer and musician had been pushing emerging artists for years, playing with other bands and bringing people together. The New Government, his music project with two French musicians, had come to an end; it was now time for him to focus on his own work. After posting an ad on Facebook looking for female singers, Hamdan chose Ayyashi, Barrage and El Hage. Musicians Marc Codsi of Lumi and American bass player Miles Jay also joined. When the song “General Suleiman” came out, an Italian filmmaker fell in love with the tune and traveled to Beirut to film a clip. The song, which deplores political corruption and calls for pacifism and friendship, has a warm reggae beat; with its diverse cast of people of all ages dressed colorfully and sunny setting, the clip conveys joyful optimism. After American and British media covered “General Suleiman,” Zeid and the Wings became famous. This year, there are concerts planned across Europe, and a new album is slated to drop in spring.
Zeid and the Wings have concerts planned across Europe, and a new album is slated to drop in spring But Hamdan doesn’t want his band to be known only for “General Suleiman.” “We have a very wide repertoire,” he says, including influences from African music, punk rock, reggae and drum and bass as well as inspired lyrics. “Hkini,” a song about heartbreak and separation, reveals a typical Lebanese reality: a couple is falling apart, the distance is unbearable. In “Sah el Nom,” a young woman takes a lover and then has to go back to her family home. “This is my most personal project to date,” says Hamdan. “I want to talk about the reality of living in Lebanon, about the need for escape, about broken dreams.”
[ Text Shirine Saad Photos Tania Traboulsi ]
music
ALBUM PREVIEWS
PEDALS RIVAL SCHOOLS
After a nine-year hiatus during which members pursued solo projects, New York’s seminal hardcore supergroup got back together, first to tour Europe and the United States, and then to hit the recording studio. The first single “Shot After Shot” has the group’s trademark guitar crunch that owes a debt to grunge, while hammering beats create a driving groove. Other notable cuts include the nearly power pop “69 Guns” (mixed by Beastie Boy Adam “Ad-Rock” Horowitz) and “Eyes Wide Open.” Frontman Walter Schreifels credits Syd Barrett, Bob Dylan and Ian MacKaye with influencing the band’s scruffy yet catchy sound. PLAYLIST CAKE SHOWROOM OF COMPASSION
“Every camera, every phone, all the music that you own, won’t change the fact you’re all alone.” These pointed lines, from the Cali band’s alterna-radio single “Sick of You” may have been running through your head since Cake’s appearance on Conan. Recorded at the band’s solar-powered studios in California, the new album has the classic Cake chant-like vocals and trumpets you’ve come to love. Lebanese DJ Caline Chidiac was an optometrist for seven years before she took on a second life as a
CAGE THE ELEPHANT THANK YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY
DJ. She is now one of Beirut’s most popular DJs,
In 2008, a mostly unknown band released its self-titled album to massive response. To record its sophomore release, the group locked itself into a Kentucky cabin to wrestle with some demons, listen to the Butthole Surfers and the Pixies, and to distill 80 potential songs into 13 cuts, resulting in an aural tour through raw jams, shrieks, surprising harmonies and the occasional solo on toy drums.
1. “Baby I’m Yours” by Breakbot
performing at pubs, clubs and parties. 2. “11th Dimension” by Julian Casablanca 3. “The Sound Of Silence” by Mr. Lobster 4. “Modern Love” by Pizza! 5. “Gottingen” by Barbara 6. “Ouverture Eclaires” by Charlotte Gainsbourg
LAUREN PRITCHARD WASTED IN JACKSON
7. “I Want You” by Automatiq
Life’s strange twists and turns underscore this soulful pop singer/songwriter’s work, and she knows of what she sings. The Tennessee girl set off for LA at 16, where she sang for a reggae band. When the project crashed and burned, she landed at Lisa-Marie Presley’s digs before heading to Broadway to star in Spring Awakening. Her debut recording recalls Aretha Franklin and Carole King.
9. “Over & Over again” by Clap Your Hands
8. “Tower Of Song” by Marianne Faithful Say Yeah 10. “Just A Boy” by Angus and Julia Stone 11. “Hong Kong Gardens” by Siouxsie and the Banshees 12. “Tous les Garçons et les Filles” by
BRITISH SEA POWER VALHALLA DANCEHALL
Eurythmics
“It’s a mythical place, really, Valhalla Dancehall,” claim the members of British Sea Power, “where you’d imagine Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry and Thor having a great time together.” Brighton’s indie rockers have generated a series of epic tracks referencing Kraftwerk, Joy Division and The Cure. The song “Living Is So Easy,” is electronica with a dark edge.
14. “A Thing Called Love” by Pulp
13. “Woman” by John Lennon 15. “Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others” by The Smiths 16. “In Spirit Golden” by I Blame Coco 17. “Hallelujah” by Jeff Buckley 18. “Private Dancer” by Tina Turner
CLOUD NOTHINGS CLOUD NOTHINGS
19. “Pass This On” by The Knife
This Cleveland power pop outfit’s release has the ethereal quality of a nebula. It’s not just the fluff of songs like “Hey Cool Kid,” it’s also the fuzzy production values that give this release a retro lo-fi sound in the mood of the Beach Boys. The preponderance of “woo woos” and synthesizers could make the music seem too sweet, but then the band tosses in some edgy guitar hooks to add some bite.
Strips
20. “Girls And Boys In Love” by The Rumble
style
N IS FOR NUMBER ONE
New Balance calls out to those who live on the edge That ubiquitous “N” spotted on running shoes may in reality stand for New Balance, but it could just as easily stand for Number one. Forget the image of old that sat well with those looking for a bit of equilibrium, peace of mind and an escape from competition. Yeah right. That single letter now calls out to those wanting to live on the edge, willing to work through the pain and wanting the win. Over the past couple of decades, New Balance has worked hard to become one of the “it” brands in sports shoes, so it must know a little something about drive and edginess.
New Balance has managed to get where it is today by going about it a little differently than others. First is fit. As someone with what might be termed flipper feet, due to their extraordinary width, I can appreciate a company that doesn’t discriminate against certain feet shapes/sizes. The Boston-based sports shoe manufacturer offers a greater range of sizes and widths than what is generally offered by the competition. The idea is quite simply that if the shoe fits, it’s easier to perform. Think New Balance is just about running shoes? Think again. They have sports shoes for running, training,
basketball, tennis as well as cleats for field sports. There’s a growing apparel section for men, women and children. And it has also branched out into new arenas recently, like Warrior lacrosse and hockey equipment. The company’s ads are pretty cool and edgy too. Some of the more recent ones feature top trail and mountain runners, ultra marathoner Anton Krupicka and lacrosse player Chazz Woodson, people who are excelling at physically demanding sports that are just a few degrees outside the mainstream.
[ Text Jana Jammal
Photos New Balance ]
wireless
PRETTY PEBBLE
COLOR DUO
BIKE DE LUXE
CASIO COOL
Shiny rhinestone-like formations adorn the back of the hip and trendy pebble case for iPod touch 4G. This slim case makes an instant personality statement with its gloss and bold color. Available in red, blue, purple, pink and black.
A fashion-forward and functional iPod touch case, the Duo offers a removable clip and two layers of protection: a reinforced hard plastic face shield and premium silicone wrap. Duo is available in four colors: black, red, pink and blue.
The Audi RB-1200 S luxury bike certainly isn’t your food delivery motorbike. British designer Gavin Harvey dreamed up the bike by using Audi’s R8 lights, twin exhaust under the seat, leather and carbon fiber finish and, of course, Audi’s latest technology.
Casio teamed up with Japanese design firm A Bathing Ape to create a slim ‘n’ trim G-shock watch. It still has the classic ‘80s tech look, but with A Bathing Ape backlit screen and redblue buttons to dazzle.
ROBO ELEPHANT
MARSHALL’S ORDERS
SONY IN BLU
SECRET MOVIEGOER
Scientists have tried fruitlessly to design the ultimate robotic arm, but they should have thought of a robotic elephant. Conceived with the animal’s trunk in mind, the Festo bionic handling assistant “arm” offers great precision without the clumsiness of human limbs.
These are the workhorse of headphones, like they used to make ‘em way back when, but with enough pure power and retro design to render them a popular hit. The Marshall Major headphones are compatible with any music player and boast a collapsible frame.
It’s here, the Blu-ray player that also works with Google’s Internet TV. Connect your iPod to it, pop in a hi-def video or search and play your favorite clip off the net (if you’re lucky to get a decent high-speed Internet connection).
Pretend you’re taking a nap but watch a blockbuster instead, thanks to the funky Vuzix Wrap 920 Video Eyewear. These “glasses” offer widescreen viewing performance that can dish out your favorite 2D and 3D movies.
RUN WITH THE BULL
IPROTECTION
FLORAL SOUND
FRIENDLY MOUSE
BullGuard Internet Security 10 is a comprehensive Internet system that protects from online threats like identity theft, credit card fraud, hackers, spam, viruses and spyware. It’s better than having a guard dog!
The new iMain Go X is a speaker system and protective case for your iPhone, iPod touch or MP3. The device comes with its own custom travel bag, wrist strip and adjustable carry strap.
Do you wish music could transport you to a lush, floral paradise? Well, now it can, thanks to the Speakal iPom appleshaped subwoofer with removable flower speakers. The pretty tech tool is set to give your music colorful fun.
The Smartfish ErgoMotion Mouse rethinks the traditional mouse design to promote a healthier computing experience. This ergonomic computer tool uses advanced computer peripheral technology specifically designed to prevent repetitive stress injuries.
green
RECYCLED BEAMS OF LIGHT “The paper guy” is how Heath Nash used to be known around Cape Town – for his inventive invitations, fliers, paper sculptures, 3D greeting cards, pop-ups and paper toys. This inclination to push the limits of a simple material later saw him gravitate toward plastic, and he’s now South Africa’s “plastic-milkbottle-lampshade guy.” It was a chance meeting with a wire artist that changed Nash’s career path from experimenting with glueless envelopes to exhibiting lampshades at Scandinavian design fairs. A fine arts university graduate who majored in sculpture, he was intrigued by the artistry of flowers made from wire and plastic bottles, and added his own structural and sculptural expertise to the design. A range of repurposed plastic waste products called “Other People’s Rubbish” was born in the form of quirky light fittings.
Heath Nash recycles bottles, destined for the rubbish dump, into sophisticated design
His initial Leafball and Flowerball designs became so popular that Nash took to collecting plastic milk bottles full time. These would be cut up and formed into handcreased leaves and flowers attached to each other with wire and built into different forms with cable ties. The result: a ball of light, varying in brightness depending on the thickness of the plastic, the layers of overlapping leaves and flowers, the embossing of the brand’s logo and the thickness of the expiry-date stamp. The multicolored Bottleformball was next, employing different, more irregular parts of colorful plastic bottles – shampoo, fabric softener, body lotion etc. – and attaching them into a non-perfect form for a light with an unexpected spunk. The Milkhandleformball is Nash’s latest offering. More symmetrical, the design employs only the handles of white milk bottles, resulting in various rays of light escaping from the oddly shaped tunnels.
“Unfortunately, industry built on wasteful products can’t stop existing. That’s why designers are there to force people to change their perspective,” says Nash of the possibilities that can be afforded waste products such as the ones he’s reusing. He insists that he’s no “tree-hugger” – he’s just someone who’s found a way to recycle bottles, destined for the rubbish dump, into sophisticated design – but appreciates that his designs have made people rethink their recycling habits. Nash is participating in a residency in Finland in 2011, where he plans to take advantage of the predominant darkness during the country’s long winter months and work around creating light within Finland’s natural elements – combining ice, color and illumination. Six years since formally beginning his business, Nash now outsources the wire work to local crafters, and plastic is bought through a recycling company he subsequently formed, which collects, washes, cuts and creases all the plastic he requires – which is a lot, if one considers that 240 leaves or flowers are needed for the simplest light. Incorporating the structure, forms, colors, geometry and translucency he finds in the outdoors into his indoor-use light fittings, Nash is able to bring the “effect of the sun through the leaves” into the heart of the home.
[ Text Veronique Loger
Photos Pascale Beroujon, Heath Nash ]
green
If we try hard enough, there are a million and one ways that our lifestyle could become more environmentally friendly and sustainable. From making a quick buck by selling frozen water to recycling granny’s bra, here are a bunch of ideas that people have come up with to help save the planet.
1. Green bauble The energy bracelet by Fujitsu harnesses heat (such as body heat) and light (even the indoor kind) to create an economical hybrid device that can power a number of little gadgets. Imagine a watch that needs no battery or a medical sensor that monitors blood pressure, temperature or heartbeats. The idea can even be used for environmental sensing in remote areas, say for detecting forest fires. Fujitsu aims to perfect the technology and market it by 2015.
1.
2. Ice, ice baby A Dutch company called MyPolarIce is selling real pieces of ice from the North Pole. The idea is that the ice will raise awareness about the melting of the Arctic and the dangers of global warming. The packaging ensures that you have three hours to get to a freezer before it starts melting. There’s only a limited edition of 1,000 pieces being sold at around 25 euros, which should make the company a quick 25,000 euros while simultaneously spreading the green word.
2.
3. Save the tree How can we control illegal logging in huge, far-off forests such as the Amazon? A Brazilian company called Green Action is embedding microchips in trees to manage tree felling. The chip can hold info like the tree’s size, who cut it and where it came from. This discourages illegal woodcutters and allows industry to obtain wood only from green resources with the proper certification. While this is so far a small project, it has a lot of potential and is already being replicated in Bolivia and Nigeria. Next stop, Mount Lebanon?.
3.
4.
Sail away The hybrid boat, which has been around for a few years, was designed to operate on a combo of wind, solar and diesel power. Now, the Hornblower Hybrid Boat, a common sight in the San Francisco Bay, is adding hydrogen fuel cells to the list, reinforcing the 600-seater with lighter, eco-friendly materials and more energy-efficient technology, such as LED video screens and lighting. The new model will be launched by April 2011 and could change the face of transportation forever.
5. Organic style Organic fashion is slowly making its way to Lebanon. Sevine Samadi and Rowan Gabrielle have launched Organic Leather, a company that sells bracelets, pendants, bags, earrings and other stuff made of, well, organic leather and/or other eco-friendly materials. Watch out for the flagship product, the Union Bangle, in a funky store near you. The leather is organically or ecologically tanned using plant-based dyes and is mostly harvested in the United Kingdom from organically raised animals.
6. Eco-friendly home This prize-winning Plus Energy House, developed by Berlin design company ILEK, generates enough power to supply the house itself plus the electric cars parked up front. Walls and façades are designed for minimal energy loss and maximum natural light, as well as optimal solar gain. The house integrates solar and thermal systems to produce a surplus of energy, which could be fed into the public grid, while contributing to the concept of renewable energy
5. 6.
7. Boobage goes green Don’t toss that old bra out just yet. Instead, take it to Italian lingerie manufacturer Intimissimi for recycling. The company recently launched a pilot project to recycle all the old material in bras, transforming them into building insulation. Intimissimi is even extending a $4 credit for each return toward purchasing a new bra from the company, creating a win-win situation for manufacturer and consumer
7.
4.
nightlife
BIG IN BEIRUT
[ Photos Line Amatoury, Tarek Moukaddem ]
what to do
FEBRUARY 10-20
FEBRUARY 11-20
FEBRUARY 12-13, 19-20
FEBRUARY 13 OR 20
INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL BERLIN, GERMANY
BEER WEEK SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA
GOOD VIBRATIONS AUSTRALIA
VIKING RUN STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN
The Coen brothers’ True Grit will open the 61st edition of this leading film festival, featuring movies from around the globe.
This 10-day festival of the city’s craft beer and brewing encompasses over 150 events, including beer dinners and music.
Get back to basics in natural amphitheaters at this music festival that starts in Sydney and moves on to other Australian cities.
The exciting 80km race stretches from Uppsala to Stockholm. The exact date is confirmed two weeks beforehand.
FEBRUARY 18-25
FEBRUARY 18-27
FEBRUARY 22-MARCH 6
FEBRUARY 26-27
LOVE FILM FESTIVAL MONS, BELGIUM
SHOWZAM BLACKPOOL, ENGLAND
WORLD SKI CHAMPIONSHIPS OSLO, NORWAY
ROUTE D’OR GRASSE, FRANCE
This event takes place around Valentine’s Day every year and features premieres of international releases.
The 10-day festival brings amazing circus and magic tricks to the streets of Blackpool.
Over 650 athletes and 300,000 spectators converge on Holmenkollen for exciting ski competitions.
Owners of France’s vintage Citroën 2CV get together once a year to drive through the Grasse countryside in Provence.
FEBRUARY 27
MARCH 5-8
MARCH 9
MARCH 9-13
I’LL BE YOUR MIRROR STUDIO COAST, TOKYO, JAPAN
CARNIVAL RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL
VANDALISM LIVE MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA
CANADIAN MUSIC FEST TORONTO, CANADA
Concert promoters ATP team up with Creativeman for their first Japanese event, starring Envy and Fuck Buttons.
One of the greatest shows on earth, this four-day carnival parade features sexy Brazilian women in colorful costumes.
Vandalism put their spin on electro house rampage alongside residents Ron Luna and DJ Konflikt at Mansion Nightclub.
This festival is huge with over 700 upand-coming and established bands performing live at over 45 venues.
MARCH 17-20
MARCH 18-19
MARCH 24-27
MARCH 25-27
ELECTRIC BEACH CANCUN, MEXICO
HARD NYC NEW YORK
UNISPORTS FESTIVAL BEIRUT, LEBANON
ULTRA MUSIC FESTIVAL MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA
The inaugural event of this outdoor music festival features performances by Pretty Lights, Wiz Khalifa and more.
The lineup for this year’s event is still to be announced, but it’s guaranteed to feature the best new artists in electronic music.
Watch Lebanese universities battle it out on the field at the second edition of this sporting event.
Bicentennial Park is the venue for this three-day outdoor electronic music event featuring over 200 artists.
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