A Magazine, Issue 92 by Aïshti

People/Style/Culture/Art

PARTY Juergen Teller X Lara Stone Beirut Nightlife. Art from Marwan Rechmaoui. DJ Beats by Nicolas Matar, Tala and Jade. New Party Cities

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92 No.

December/January 2017 / 2018

Inside

The Party Issue

FRONT / 54 Who’s Who / 56 Editor’s Letter The inspiration behind this issue / 58

Contributors A brief selection / 64 Into the Trick Brain Check out Aïshti Foundation’s

third exhibit / 80 In Focus What’s on for the holidays / 106 Objects of Desire Winter

essentials / 116 Out of North Africa Marrakech’s fabulous new Yves Saint Laurent

museum /124 In the Studio with Tala and Jade /130 Founded Forever Is the star

designer a thing of the past? / 134 Midnight Dust Where to party in Beirut / 140 Orient

Excess Accessories with a Far Eastern touch / 154 Best Parties Ever A closer look at the history of dance and revelry / 156 Feast of the Century Fashion inspiration from the

past / FASHION / 164 Sensual Soirée Shot by Samantha Casolari, styled by Amelianna

Loiacono / 188 The Fitting Room Steffi shot by Alice Rosati and styled by Théophile

Hermand / FEATURES / 204 Style Sanctuaries Firmdale’s two New York lodgings / 208

Beirut by the Artist Marwan Rechmaoui and urban evolution / 212 Light of the Party Nulty lands in Beirut / 214 Bejeweled Celebration Holiday gems / 224 Subject In

Conversation with Marwan Hamza / 226 The Battle of the Fashion All-Stars France

December/January 2017 / 2018

and Italy play to win / 234 Blow Out by the Sea Meet Urban Retreat’s two master

hairstylists / 236 New Look, New Attitude Tabbah’s new jewelry collection / 238 Hey

Mr. DJ A look at Nicolas Matar’s musical influence / 240 Street Food: The Beirut Way

Jimmy Dabbagh’s after-party expedition / 250 A Very Techy Christmas Tech treasures at Aïshti Home Solutions / PLAYGROUND / 262 Where We’re Eating / 266 On Food Matto at Aïshti by the Sea / 268 On Happiness Give up control to lose weight / 270

Where We’re Detoxing / 274 On Drink Yoga and a cold beer / 276 Where We’re

Drinking / 280 The New Nightlife The next generation of party cities / 284 Where We’re Staying / THE END / 296 Creatures of the Night A late one on the streets of

Beirut / 310 The Last Page A Mag turns 15 52

On the Cover You can’t have Christmas without a party. It’s time to let your hair down and don your feathers, maybe even slip into a Santa Claus outfit. Our cover girl is the mesmerizing and ever-seductive supermodel Lara Stone. Shot in London by Juergen Teller / Styling by Poppy Kain

People/Style/Culture/Art Publisher Tony Salamé Group TSG SAL

Editor-in-chief Marwan Naaman

Creative director Mélanie Dagher

Senior art and production director Maria Maalouf Associate editor Rayane Abou Jaoude Coordinating editor Sophie Nahas Junior digital editor Nour Saliba

In-house fashion photographer Raya Farhat 54

Senior photo editor Fadi Maalouf Contributing writers

Feature photographers

Salma Abdelnour

Mo Abdouni

Grace Banks

Tracy Lynn Chemaly

Stephanie d’Arc Taylor Tala Habbal

Karim Hussain Valerie Jones

Michelle Merheb Shirine Saad

Ramsay Short

Warren Singh-Bartlett Folio artist

Jimmy Dabbagh

Fashion photographers Samantha Casolari Alice Rosati

Myriam Boulos Tony Elieh Carl Halal Stylists

Charlie Haddad

Théophile Hermand

Amelianna Loiacono Illustrator

Maria Khairallah Intern

Clara Melki

Advertising director Melhem Moussallem Advertising manager Stephanie Missirian

Chief marketing director Karine Abou Arraj Printing Dots: The Art of Printing

Responsible director Nasser Bitar

140 El Moutrane St., Fourth Floor, Downtown Beirut, Lebanon tel. 961.1.974.444, a@aishti.com, aishtiblog.com

Rock the Night It’s always the right time to party. Especially in Lebanon. And the Lebanese certainly know how to have a good time. They’ve transformed their capital city and its surrounding region into the nightlife hub of the Middle East, with innumerable bars and clubs stretching from Hamra all the way north to Batroun and up the mountains to the far reaches of Faraya. The party in Beirut begins before sunset, with cocktails at one of Mar Mikhael’s edgy pubs, followed by dinner and more drinks at a restaurant that becomes a club at the stroke of midnight. Then you have the all-night parties at various spots across the city and the after-hour destinations that rock until the early daylight hours. This winter issue of A Mag celebrates Christmas, Lebanon and what the country does best: dance, dream and dazzle. Marwan Naaman @marwannaaman

Contributors

Théophile Hermand Théophile Hermand is a fashion stylist and creative consultant born and raised in Paris. He learned the essentials of fashion from renowned fashion designer and member of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture Adeline André. He also worked with Maria Okawa as part of fashion coordinator and artistic director Gilles Rosier’s team. Hermand has contributed to numerous publications, including Vogue China, Vanity Fair, VMan and Twin Magazine. He’s also worked with major brands like Dior and Kenzo. He currently splits his time between Paris and London. See his work for A Mag on page 188.

Samantha Casolari Samantha Casolari is an Italian director and photographer based in New York. Her work covers a broad range of subjects from fashion, lifestyle and portraits to reportage. She has worked for many different commercial and editorial clients in both video and stills format, including Prada, Blumarine, Nike, Nowness, Love magazine, The Fader, AnOther Magazine, New Yorker, Elle, GQ, Apple, Buccellati, Warby Parker, Teen Vogue, Sony, Opening Ceremony, Purple and many others. Her personal work mostly focuses on dance as well as social justice issues, which are two of her main interests. She photographed A Mag’s editorial shoot on location in Beirut (see page 164).

Stephanie d’Arc Taylor Stephanie d’Arc Taylor is a journalist and social entrepreneur. She quit her PhD in New York to move to Lebanon five years ago, and since then she’s worked as an English teacher, bartender, journalist, editor, researcher and amateur chef. She is co-founder and COO of the social impact startup Jaleesa. When she’s not tinkering in the kitchen or hosting too many people for dinner, she enjoys reading memoirs, swimming in the sea and rosé on the balcony. Check out her survey of Beirut nightlife on page 134.

Nour Saliba Nour Saliba is the Junior Digital Editor at Aïshti. She studied multimedia and fashion business at the Lebanese Academy of Fine Arts (ALBA) and Istituto Europeo di Design in Florence and has previously interned with Elle Arabia and Fashion Channel Milano. Saliba repurposes A Mag’s content and publishes it on the blog as well as on Aïshti’s social media channels – she’s also the one to come up with fresh new content for all of our online environment.

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INTO THE TRICK BRAIN

How do various artists experience life in the digital age? This is the question that curator Massimiliano Gioni raises with “The Trick Brain,” the third exhibit at the Aïshti Foundation, Lebanon’s premier center for contemporary art. The more than 240 pieces on display, by 60 different artists, are drawn exclusively from Tony and Elham Salamé’s private collection, and they include works by such artists as John Armleder, Isa Genzken, Maria Lassnig, Matt Mullican, Cindy Sherman, Wolfgang Tillmans, Adrián Villar Rojas, Danh Vo, Haegue Yang, Trisha Baga and Anicka Yi, among others. The sprawling exhibit, which covers four floors of the foundation, opened on October 22 with a star-studded event featuring local and international celebrities, as well as the global press. The initial inauguration, hosted by the Salamés in the presence of Gioni, was preceded by an open-air cocktail reception at B by Elefteriades, on Aïshti by the Sea’s rooftop, and followed by a traditional Lebanese dinner on the waterfront terrace, complete with edgy, upbeat Middle Eastern music. It was the party of the year, and a celebration for the ages. “The Trick Brain” is on view at the Aïshti Foundation until October 2018.

Photography Carl Halal and Guillaume Ziccarelli

Above: “Earth Potential (Vulture Alpha Helix)” by Katja Novitskova Below: “The Clearing (Pastels and Red and Purple)” by Nathalie Djurberg and Hans Berg

This page: “Can Cosies Pyramid” by Haegue Yang (front) and “Freischwimmer 220” by Wolfgang Tillmans Opposite page: “Giant Triple Mushroom 7” by Carsten Höller, with works by Helen Marten (left) and Oscar Murillo (right)

Taking its title from a video installation by Ed Atkins featured in the exhibition, “The Trick Brain” proceeds by establishing unexpected connections between works informed by a neo-surrealist sensibility. Together, the works on display project an over-excited sensibility, which combines hyperawareness and paranoia, continuous distraction and heightened attention – a collective “trick brain.”

ALEX DA CORTE’S “ACT 2, SCENE 2 (TABLE)” COMMUNICATES A DIFFERENT KIND OF ARTISTIC LANGUAGE

Left to right: “Votive: Partridge” by Aleksandra Domanovíc, “Contamination” by Sanya Kantarovsky, “Sunshine” by Ajay Kurian, “Act 2, Scene 2 (Table)” by Alex Da Corte and “The Clearing (Winner)” by Nathalie Djurberg and Hans Berg

Artworks on display feature bodies transformed into grotesque configurations and exquisite corpses. The cursive paintings of Calvin Marcus, Bjarne Melgaard and Torey Thornton find inspiration in minor, marginalized histories that mix vernacular culture and outsider art, while representations of gender and sexuality are addressed in works by Anne Collier, Henrik Olesen and Andra Ursuta, who imagine fantastical anatomies of desire.

Above: “Untitled” by David Noonan

Above: “Medium Green, Woodland Scenics, Realistic Trees (FS)” by John Armleder (left) and “Untitled” by Ida Ekblad (right) Below: “Untitled, Mona Lisa (Tossed Salad)” by Gelitin

LEBANESE DESIGNER RANA SALAM CREATED A GIANT INSTALLATION INSPIRED BY ARAB POP ART FOR THE AÏSHTI FOUNDATION’S WINDOWS AND ENTRANCE

Opening night cocktails at B by Elefteriades, on Aïshti by the Sea’s rooftop

Above: Artist, writer, curator, art dealer and advisor Jeffrey Deitch

Above: Industrialist and art and furniture collector Dakis Joannou with Tony SalamĂŠ, owner and CEO of AĂŻshti

In Focus 80

Alexander McQueen

Magic McQueen_____ Alexander McQueen’s fall/winter 2017-18 collection sees creative director Sarah Burton take her team to the United Kingdom’s Cornwall, looking for stone circles and medieval churches for inspiration. The result is a magical collection filled with embroideries of fauna and flora and a particularly beautiful black ensemble stitched with linear, silvery dots reminiscent of a night sky brimming with stars. Large, golden cuffs and earrings decorated with black stones give the entire look a witchy effect, an ode perhaps to British paganism and female energy. Available at Aïshti by the Sea and Aïshti Downtown

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NadaGJewelry

Beirut Souks ABC Dbayeh - ABC Achrafieh - ABC Verdun

Go Big or Go Home_____ What makes Glenn Martens’ work with Y/Project so desirable is his bringing together of volume and lavishness with comfort and wearability, mixing classic styles with a 1990s vibe. Take the white, draped dress (with a side slit for added sexiness), minimalist but paired with voluminous pearl earrings, a green T-shirt and nude strappy sandals to dress it up. We’re definitely wearing white after Labor Day. Available at Aïshti Downtown

All Lit Up_____ It’s the coolest alternative museum in Warsaw, hosting some 150 vintage neon signs made between the 1950s and ‘70s, housed in a complex of once abandoned warehouses that now comprise studios, galleries and this incredible place. The Neon Muzeum, on the outskirts of the Polish capital, is so Instagramable you’ll be dazzling your followers with selfies in front of the signs, some sleazy, some surreal, some simply bright and beautiful. They’ll think you’ve been transported into a scene from Blade Runner 2049. The museum was created to house what are effectively the remnants of “neonization” – a grand plan put in place by the Communist leaders of the past to illuminate the whole former Eastern Bloc with shimmering neon light – and all the signs have been collected from throughout the region. Walking among them is at once a nostalgic and futuristic fever dream. neonmuzeum.org

Diamonds in the Sky_____ Leave it to Buccellati to do the unpredictable. For the jewelry house’s most recent collection, Andrea and Lucrezia Buccellati conceived five objets d’art inspired by the works of some of the greatest Impressionist and Post-Impressionist painters. Enter the Redon, a spectacular ring whose design is inspired by Odilon Redon’s “The Fall of Phaëton.” The painting tells the story of Phaëton’s journey on the sun chariot, the unexpected flight of the horses and their push to get higher. The ring’s wings symbolize that flight, with the entire piece handcrafted with the tulle technique and the yellow gold surface covered with feather-like elements set with diamonds. Feminine, elegant, and poetic all at once. Available at Aïshti Downtown and Aïshti by the Sea

Buccellati, Neon Muzeum, Y/Project Carol Summers (2016-1925), Kill for Peace, 1967, from ARTISTS AND WRITERS PROTEST AGAINST THE WAR IN VIET NAM, 1967. Screenprint and photo-screenprint with punctures on board, 8/3 23 x 4/1 19 in. (59.4 x 48.9 cm). Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; purchase, with funds from the Print Committee 2006.50.14 © Alexander Ethan Summers

Talkin’ ‘Bout a Revolution_____ In an age of global upheaval, the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York is taking a look at how artists have confronted the political and social issues of their day, from the 1940s to the present. Whether making art as a form of activism, criticism, instruction or inspiration, the artists on show perceive their work as essential to challenging established thought and creating a more equitable culture. Some have sought immediate change – ending the war in Vietnam, combating the AIDS crisis – while others have engaged with protest more indirectly, with the long term in mind, hoping to create new ways of imagining society and citizenship. Titled “An Incomplete History of Protest,” the exhibit highlights works by the likes of Donald Moffett, Keith Haring, Carol Summers and Gordon Parks. Ongoing, whitney.org

In Focus

Night at the Museum_____ It used to be just for kids, but these days adults are getting in on the action. The latest London craze for grown-ups is museum sleepovers. From the Science Museum to the Natural History Museum, the British Museum to London Zoo, these super-fun events get booked out fast so jump in early. What’s on the menu? The Science Museum’s Astronights (£180) are brilliant – after-hours access to the exhibitions, hands-on workshops and gallery explorations via torchlight alongside live music, film screenings and talks as well as drinks and street food dinners and breakfast in the morning. Staying over at London Zoo’s Gir Lion

Lodges is amazing – they are like luxury jungle huts in the middle of the capital at the zoo’s Regent’s Park location. You get a two-course dinner, full English breakfast in the morning and, in terms of activities, exclusive night tours of the various animal enclosures (£219). Fun times. sciencemuseum.org.uk/astronights and zsl. org/gir-lion-lodge

Natural History Museum, Pipilotti Rist/Lisa Rastl

Art by the Ocean_____ It’s summertime in Sydney, and besides the beach, sun and clear skies, another reason to visit is the Museum of Contemporary Art’s aptly titled “Pipilotti Rist: Sip my Ocean” exhibition, exclusive to the Australian city. The exhibit features Rist’s kaleidoscopic work, from her early days of single-channel videos to her audio-visual installations and immersive environments, as they explore the relationship between nature, the body and technology. Says MCA senior curator Natasha Bullock of Rist: “Her imaginary worlds carve a unique vision, with all the attendant depth and weight of painting… Rist, however paints with lights cameras and keyboards.” Until February 18, 2018, mca.com.au

In Focus

What Else is New?_____ The title of the Off White fall/winter 2017-18 collection is “Nothing New.” Why? Because what is new is rarely really new, according to designer Virgil Abloh. It’s difficult to argue with his point, but he himself seems to have ventured away from his streetwear staple and delved into something completely novel. Most striking about his collection are the tailored houndstooth suits paired with a range of material, including fur, sneakers, heels, denim and draped nude dresses. Available at Aïshti by the Sea and Aïshti Downtown

Renaissance Treasures_____ New York-based jeweler David Yurman looked to the ancient Greeks, Scythians, Celts and Renaissance Italians to create his now classic Cable bracelet. He had long been fascinated by the antique torques on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan, and in 1983 he transformed his passion into bejeweled art when he launched the Renaissance collection, comprised of various models of the Cable bracelet. Standout Cable bracelets this season come in yellow or pink gold and are adorned with brilliant diamonds. Available at Aïshti Downtown and Aïshti by the Sea

Anouk Kruithof, Off White, David Yurman

Visualizing Climate Change_____ If you’re looking for a head-scratcher, visit Anouk Kruithof’s “¡Aguas!” exhibit at FOAM in Amsterdam. As part of the exhibition series “Next Level,” Kruithof’s work, which has been focusing on her investigation into the online representation of urgent societal themes, questions the aesthetic way the causes and consequences of climate change are depicted online. Kruithof’s work includes photo collages, video animations, installations, sculptures, publications, performances and public interventions. Our personal favorite? “Folly,” LED sneakers and all. It’s her first major solo exhibition, so watch that space. Until January 28, 2018, foam.org

Carl Halal

In Focus 88

When Fur Is a Fable_____ Some of the most beautiful furs in the world were on view at Aïshti by the Sea last November. The exclusive pieces, by luxury brand Yves Salomon, were displayed with sparkling Tabbah jewels and styled with bespoke Aïshti outfits from the current fall/winter 2017-18 collection. Shiny dresses and minimal all-black looks, as well as outfits with bold prints and colors, were paired with lavish Salomon pieces, as young and local talents provided funky beats for the one-time event. Salomon furs feature shearling, leather and cashmere in light grey, white rose, classic marine and camel, warmed up with green, red and rust colors. The furs are transfigured with texture, geometric or printed effects, making each piece unique, versatile and easy to wear. Yves Salomon fur is available at all Aïshti stores

In Focus On the Steps of Montmartre_____ Paris is shining the spotlight on one of its most distinctive neighborhoods through a series of exceptional films. The “Montmartre, Décor de Cinema” exhibit, on view at the Musée de Montmartre, highlights film extracts, film sets, original posters, preparatory drawings, models and costumes, all from movies filmed in Montmartre. Take a closer look at sites like the Sacré-Coeur with Vincente Minnelli’s An American in Paris (1951), and enjoy colorful glimpses of Montmartre through Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s Le Fabuleux Destin d’Amélie Poulain (2001), among others. A great reason to spend Christmas in Paris. Until January 14, 2018, museedemontmartre.fr

Alte Münze Berlin, Dior, DR, Taschen

Art Comes Alive_____ Sixteen short films projected on seven-meter screens play on 63-minute loops. Edvard Munch’s “The Scream,” Gustav Klimt’s “The Kiss,” Vincent Van Gogh’s “The Starry Night,” they all come to life and move to the rhythm of beautiful music as the projections change from one to the other. “From Monet to Kandinsky. Visions Alive” is running at Alte Münze Berlin, and it’s worth all the hype. The entirely immersive exhibit also features the works of Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, Paul Gauguin, Henri Rousseau, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Paul Signac, Piet Mondrian, Amedeo Modigliani, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Juan Gris, Paul Klee, Wassily Kandinsky and Kazimir Malevich. Not to be missed. Until January 28, 2018, visions-alive.com/en

Colors of Brazil___ Taschen has released a luxurious new book dedicated to the works of Brazilian artist Beatriz Milhazes. Titled Tropical Abstraction, the thick volume chronicles over 280 of her artworks, which have been described as abstract compositions drenched with the colors and light of Milhazes’ native Brazil. The featured paintings depict abstracted forms of Brazil’s everyday life: carnival, folk art and motifs from baroque to pop, all choreographed into an exuberant visual rhythm. The images are complemented by a conversation with editor Hans Werner Holzwarth, in which Milhazes discusses the cultural background behind her work. “The compositions I create lead you to places in history, music you have listened to, memories from your own experiences in life,” she says. Available at Aïshti Downtown and Aïshti by the Sea

Hard Candy_____ Dior Homme holds the secret to growing younger. This season and in keeping with the French brand’s minimalist ethos, black remains foremost, for jackets, pants, sweaters and shoes, infusing a youthful New Wave spirit into the fall/winter 2017-18 collection. Flashes of color brighten the mood, referencing rave parties and teenage candy boys. Must-grab pieces include a black turtleneck with the picture of Christian Dior himself and the slogan “They should just let us rave,” and a sleeveless black hoodie with the word “HarDior” emblazoned on the front. A great way to celebrate Kris Van Assche’s 10-year anniversary at the helm of the label. Available at the Dior boutique in Downtown Beirut and Aïshti by the Sea

In Focus On the Edge_____ Hit the ski slopes in Z Zegna this winter. In a funky throwback to its 1970s skiwear range, the Italian menswear label has introduced the Icon Warmer Ski Suit, in waterproof and breathable Techmerino wool. The suit features integrated heating technology and looks great when worn with one of Zegna’s colorful and super lightweight sneakers. Technological underpinnings and fashion flair for the modern adventurer: the 21st-century lifestyle in a nutshell. Available at the Ermenegildo Zegna boutique in Downtown Beirut and at Aïshti by the Sea

Aïshti x Lebelik_____ Of the many things Lebanon has to offer, edgy designers is a pretty important one, which is why Aïshti is working with online store Lebelik to open a collaborative pop-up in support of local talent. Set at Aïshti by the Sea at the entrance of the Aïshti Foundation, the pop-up opens on December 10 (when all collections are 15% off) and runs until December 31, showcasing Lebanese-designed products with a Middle Eastern twist – think abayas, bracelets, brooches, necklaces, bags and homeware, among others – selected by Lebelik. The products will also be available for purchase online, with the website running until January 10. Just in time for Christmas! At Aïshti by the Sea and lebelikxaishti.com

Lebelik, Pollock Krasner Foundation/Artists Rights Society/Paul Kasmin Gallery, Zegna

Raw and Refined_____ The late abstract expressionist painter Lee Krasner takes center stage at Paul Kasmin in New York. This season, the gallery showcases Krasner’s iconic Umber Paintings, a series of 24 paintings created between 1959 and 1962, following the sudden death of her husband, legendary artist Jackson Pollock. Working at night as a result of insomnia and under artificial light, Krasner composed abstract forms featuring explosive brushwork and a nuanced palette of umber, cream and white. The psychologically evocative works convey a distinctive rawness and intensity that was unprecedented in Krasner’s paintings. In her own words: “My painting is so biographical, if anyone can take the trouble to read it.” Until January 13, 2018, paulkasmingallery.com

In Focus Gold Fuse_____ Lebanese jeweler Nada G launched a new collection of earrings in time for the holiday season. Named “Fuse” and designed to perfectly fit the contour of the ear, delicately wrapping the earlobe with 18-karat gold, the jewelry pieces shimmer with white, grey or champagne diamonds. “When I decided to design this collection, I wanted the pieces to wear the ear, not the other way around, and to become indistinguishable from it, giving it a sense of drama and pizazz,” says Nada Ghazal, founder and creative director of Nada G. Available at the Nada G boutique in the Beirut Souks, ABC Ashrafieh, ABC Dbayeh and ABC Verdun

Dialogue Through the Ages_____ Drawn from the Pérez Art Museum Miami’s permanent collection, the exhibit “Within Genres” examines five types of artistic expression – Still Life, Landscape, Scenes of Everyday Life, Portraiture and History Painting – in a variety of media, with the aim to celebrate contemporary vibrancy and historical continuity. Highlights include Cuban artist Tomás Esson’s epic, brilliantly colorful “Oráculo,” French artist Yto Barrada’s festive “Palm Sign” and “See Through,” a retro-flavored piece from Nigerian-born artist Njideka Akunyili Crosby. Until August 19, 2018, pamm.org

Center for Creative Photography, Nada G., Home Sweet Home, Pérez Art Museum Miami

Honey, I’m Home_____ Have you been to Home Sweet Home yet? The restaurant and café that just opened in Beirut’s Mar Mikhael neighborhood is the capital city’s hottest destination for breakfast and brunch. Designed by Maggy Monsef, who astutely mixed simple dining tables with brilliantly colored seats and couches (in yellow, bright green and multicolored swirls), plus outrageous throw pillows adorned with images of Frida Kahlo and the Virgin Mary, the place looks like it came straight out of New York’s Soho. Breakfast (which is served all day) includes labneh, halloumi and halaweh b’moz. There are also various salads and sharing plates that are ideal for lunch, and delicious dinner options such as drunken cheeks cooked in beer and red wine, and kassbah chicken with Moroccan spices and couscous. It’s truly your home away from home. hshcafe.com

Early Fashion Pics_____ Louise Dahl-Wolfe was one of the most important women photographers of the 20th century, and she’s now being honored with her first-ever retrospective, “A Style of Her Own,” in the United Kingdom. The Fashion and Textile Museum in London is presenting more than 100 of Dahl-Wolfe’s works, focusing on how she defined the image of the modern, independent woman across three decades, from 1931 to 1959,

and her approach to fashion that had tremendous influence on photographers to come. The exhibit is also highlighting her work with Harper’s Bazaar, which spanned 22 years and included 86 covers for the magazine. Until January 21, 2018, ftmlondon.org

In Focus Fabled Frost_____ When it opened in May 2017, the Frost Science Museum set a new standard for establishments showcasing scientific and technological wonders. Set in Downtown Miami’s Museum Park and designed by London-based Grimshaw Architects, the facility houses a planetarium, an aquarium and a science museum, as it dramatically floats atop the waters of Biscayne Bay. Exciting offerings include the “Rivers of Grass” exhibit, which takes a look at the Florida Everglades’ delicate ecosystem, and “Feathers to the Stars,” an in-depth exploration of the history of flight. But the most spectacular attractions here – in addition to the sweeping views of Miami and its Atlantic waters from the rooftop terraces – are the aquarium and the planetarium. The three-level aquarium starts off on the open-air Vista level, where guests can actually pet the resident stingrays, and then stretches over two additional floors (the Dive level and the Deep level), complete with underwater views of live ocean creatures. The aquarium ends with a stunning, massive oculus lens, offering a viewing portal into the Gulf Stream aquarium habitat. The planetarium – one of the most technologically refined in the world – takes visitors on an immersive, ultra-real experience, allowing them to feel as if they’re hurtling through space or weaving through a coral reef or DNA strand. The planetarium’s dome is tilted forward at 23.5 degrees, as imagery comes from above, below and the peripheral edges to create a nearly 360-degree view of whichever world is being experienced at the time. A once-in-a-lifetime journey, the Frost Science Museum is designed to appeal to people of all ages, from the precocious three-year-old and their 30-something parent, to older adults and even retired folk. It’s amazingly universal. frostscience.org

Frost Science Museum

what floor?

In Focus

Find Your Footing_____ It’s the era of the chunky sneaker, and it doesn’t look like it’s going anywhere anytime soon. Stella McCartney has now hopped onto the trend train, and we’re glad she has, releasing the Eclypse sneaker in alter calf and stone and rock texture soles. The cruelty-free house has also given the sneaker added height for comfort and a rich monotone color range for edginess, and the rubber itself is made from renewable resources. The bulkier the better – with an environmentally friendly approach, of course. Available at the Stella McCartney boutique in the Beirut Souks and Aïshti by the Sea

Traveling Story_____ Gabriel & Guillaume are back. This time around, their pop-up gallery focuses on the 20th century, highlighting mid-century modern pieces, plus some commissioned contemporary items. Set inside Herzog & de Meuron’s Beirut Terraces in Downtown Beirut, this year’s show features items from over 50 designers, including rare Brazilian pieces. There are also a number of collaborations with the likes of Dutch designers Os & Oos, French designer Pierre Bonnefille and Italian architect Mauro Mori. Iwan Maktabi designed a unique rug with Colombian textile specialist Jorge Lizarazo. The entire space is enhanced with selected artworks, ensuring an immersive sensory experience in which guests can relish Gabriel & Guillaume’s design ethos. Until December 23, gabrieletguillaume.com

Gabriel & Guillaume, George Hakim, Stella McCartney

Tangled Up in Blue_____ Gone are the days of the simple stud. Earrings are the accessories of the moment, and the louder the better, beginning with George Hakim’s diamondand sapphire-encrusted earrings from the Les Traditionnelles collection. The jewelry house has also just taken part in the Hong Kong Jewelry and Gem Fair, a sourcing platform for the global jewelry trade, where it showcased its recent collections. Exciting times. Available at the George Hakim boutique in Downtown Beirut

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In Focus

Winter and the Brits_____ What’s the Burberry spirit this winter? The British label is celebrating the beauty of opposites, with a clash of textures, colors and silhouettes. Some of the hottest items from the current collection include a giant reversible tote in tartan, riveted clog boots with contrast laces, oversized crystal-chandelier earrings and a coveted baseball cap in vintage check and tartan. Makes you want to sport a Burberry total look, doesn’t it? Available at the Burberry boutique in the Beirut Souks and Aïshti by the Sea

Songs from the Rooftop_____ B by Elefteriades is just as happening in winter. When it opened over the summer on Aïshti by the Sea’s rooftop in Antelias, B immediately became the hottest open-air nightspot north of Beirut. With its inventive menu courtesy of Catalan chef Jacob Vila, tasty cocktails, live music and international DJs, Michel Elefteriades’ latest venture offered something never-before-seen to Lebanon’s sophisticated night crowd. For the cooler months, Elefteriades transformed the place into a glassed-in venue. You can still enjoy the food, the music, the seaview and the captivating spirit – without having to worry about wind or rain. It’s the best of all possible worlds. facebook.com/bbyelefteriades

Burberry, Carl Halal

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MOSCHINO.COM

OBJECTS OF DESIRE Photography Tony Elieh

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Bag Proenza Schouler __________ Don’t be fooled by its name. The Proenza Schouler Small Lunch Bag is certainly not for carrying food. With a small-sized metallic flap and a mix of smooth and textured leather, it’s already a cult accessory

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BAG GUCCI __________ WE BELIEVE YOU, GUCCI. THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT, ESPECIALLY WITH THIS LINEA SHOULDER BAG FEATURING ROSE GOLD CRYSTAL STUDS AND A PUSH-BUTTON CLOSURE WITH A TIGERâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S HEAD

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Sunglasses Gucci _______ If you want to get yourself a nice pair of shades, might as well go all out. Behold Gucciâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Square Swarovski sunglasses featuring crystal and pin stud detail and an interlocking G logo at the temples. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re smitten

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Bag Valentino __________ Yes to accessorizing! Thanks to a ring clasp, the Valentino Garavani Vanity Bag Charm perfectly attaches itself to a go-to bag for extra space. It also features a foldover top decorated with the Popflower motif and a hinge-lock closure. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll take two, please

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Bag Gucci ________ There’s no better way to make a bold statement than with Gucci’s leather purse, with a cascade of multicolored suede fringe. The frame closure features the house’s feline head motif

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Words Grace Banks

OUT OF NORTH AFRICA A new museum explores how Yves Saint Laurent drew his greatest inspiration from Marrakech

In the fall of 1966, French fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent was wandering through the souks of Marrakech, Morocco. He’d arrived five days earlier with his partner Pierre Bergé, but a spell of rain had kept them cooped up in the legendary La Mamounia Hotel on Avenue Bab Jdid. Now, for the first time, Saint Laurent was finally able to explore the city that had fascinated him since childhood, discovering what Bergé called “that famous Marrakech light.”

This page: Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé Opposite page: Views of the permanent exhibit at the Yves Saint Laurent Marrakech Museum

Christophe Martin Architectes, DR

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“The curves of the building reflect Yves Saint Laurent’s love of the fabric he would see in the markets... We designed it like a sculpture, a game of volume and heights”

Guy Marineau, Nicolas Mathéus

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This page: Yves Saint Laurent in Marrakech Opposite page: Musée Berbère at Jardin Majorelle

“Marrakech taught me color,” the designer said of the city. In 1967, Saint Laurent and Bergé bought their own riad in Dar el Hanch, in the Medina of Marrakech. A quick Google image search will find black and white photos of Saint Laurent reclining in the house’s garden, surrounded by terracotta pots bursting with succulents, and tellingly wearing clothes that did away with the tight and fussy silhouettes of Paris, in favor of a tunic style outfit more in sync with what Saint Laurent was seeing in the souks. The impact of Marrakech was undeniably strong on the then 31-year-old. Now, nearly 10 years after his death, the Yves Saint Laurent Marrakech Museum is opening in tribute to Saint Laurent’s passion for the city, on the same road that was named after him and where his second home, the Jardins de Majorelle, stands. The museum launches alongside the Musée Yves Saint Laurent in Paris, housed in the brand’s former 5 Avenue Marceau Paris headquarters. Director of the museum Björn Dahlström makes the case for Marrakech being the

“MARRAKECH TAUGHT ME COLOR” city that made Saint Laurent. “It was without a doubt the city responsible for his turn in style direction. He said it himself, when he came in 1966, he had a real crush on the city. Before Marrakech his designs were pretty black, and Marrakech helped him introduce color, the Rive Gauche collection was completely inspired by what he was seeing people wear in Marrakech.” From his first walk around the busy Jemaa el Fnaa square in the center of Marrakech, Saint Laurent was

Pierre Bergé, Reginald Gray, Nicolas Mathéus

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At the peak of his success, having founded his eponymous label Yves Saint Laurent from Paris in 1961, Saint Laurent was blown away by the contrast in energy that the souks offered. Where Paris served up swinging 1960s micro-silhouettes and a monochrome color palette, Marrakech was awash with intense pigmented colors and prints many people in Europe had never seen before, centuries-old methods of dying fabric and an energy that captivated Saint Laurent.

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The barrel cellars at Canadian winery Mission Hill, located in British Columbia

transformed by the city. “It really was his second home,” Dahlström says. He spent summers there regularly, entertaining his friends, like the models of the moment Loulou de La Falaise and Betty Catroux, as well as Andy Warhol. Bergé sat on the board of the museum prior to his death in September, and aware of Saint Laurent’s respect for Moroccan architecture he insisted that Studio KO, who managed the creation of the Paris and Marrakech museums, should enlist young Moroccan makers to design and create the museum’s building. Using locally sourced materials like red brick latticing, terrazzo tiles and hammered concrete, the $17 million, 4,000-square-meter building, is a testament to the designer’s love of Moroccan fabric. “The curves of the building reflect Saint Laurent’s love of the fabric he would see in the markets,” says Dahlström. “We designed it like a sculpture, a game of volumes and heights,” says Olivier Marty, co-founder of Studio KO.

But Saint Laurent was no cultural appropriator. Born in Oran, Algeria, but raised in France, he always felt the creative part of himself was left in North Africa and had a genuine interest for the cultural history of the city of Marrakech. The Library room on the second floor of

the museum displays over 6,000 of Saint Laurent’s exhaustive book collection dedicated to the art, fashion, botany, architecture and traditional crafts and arts of Morocco, with some books dating back to the 17th century. After a recent acquisition of important collected works of the Berber people, the library will also function for academic purposes for other cultural institutions in Morocco. Bergé wanted the museum to frame Marrakech as crucial to Saint Laurent’s most enduring design traits: androgyny, imaginary voyages, gardens, black, color, Africa and Morocco. The museum’s entry hall focuses on designs by Saint Laurent created in Marrakech. “The museum will have a 5,000-strong collection of couture. But on show in the museum’s exhibition space will be around 50 of his designs inspired by the city, like the African Collection and other pieces for which he used the burnous and djellaba – traditional types of clothing to the area of the time – as inspiration.” All the sketches for Saint Laurent’s designs from 1966 onward were made and created in Marrakech. “The clothes were then tailored in Paris,” says Dahlström. For both Bergé and Dahlström, the museum makes it clear: Marrakech inspired some of the most iconic fashion designs of the 20th century.

Pierre Bergé

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Words Rayane Abou Jaoude Photography Tony Elieh

IN THE STUDIO WITH JADE AND TALA

A Mag hangs out with two of Beirutâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hottest DJs to talk clubs, parties and musical inspiration

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There are parties you don’t want to miss. Sometimes it’s because the space is so inviting, other times it’s the crowd. More often than not, it’s the music.

Enter DJs Tala and Jade, an exuberant duo who have focused on taking Lebanon’s vibrant club scene a step further. If you haven’t yet partied at The Grand Factory (one of their many projects), and experienced that transient sense of elation and freedom, you’re seriously missing out. “I think the best part about playing a set is the inspiring feeling it gives you to curate a beautiful experience for people around you, whether online or at the club,” Tala says. “I think it all boils down to getting a chance to inspire people with what inspires you.”

Tala studied graphic design, and began juggling jobs in animation, freelance work, DJ gigs and an audiovisual project with Jade before their collaboration really took flight. She was heavily influenced by her father’s disco and soul music as a child, and turned to hip-hop as a teenager, then moving to indie, rock, progressive and minimal house, thanks to her sister who would bring home compilations from The Basement – the underground Beirut club that Jade had founded and that closed in 2011. “Electronic music fascinated me and inspired me a lot,” she adds. “I knew I wanted to merge that fascination with my work as a visual artist, and I’m so happy that this is what I mainly do now.”

Jade’s passion for music also began in his youth, when he started collecting records at 15 and was a self-described “rocker.” He studied engineering, playing at a few bars with his band and as a DJ on the side before leaving for Montreal. While there, he became exposed to the rave scene, and it didn’t take long for him to move back to Beirut when his band BLEND scored a record deal with major label EMI – the first in the region to do so. His DJing career also picked up, and he started throwing parties, first opening The Basement, then C U NXT SAT, The Grand Factory, Reunion and now AHM. He too has been influenced by a wide range of music genres. “If you go through my record collection, you will find everything, from hip-hop to metal, then dark wave and grunge, to trip-hop and electronica and dance music,” he says. “But I grew up in the 1990s to the sound of MTV, and back then it was all about Radiohead, Tool, Pearl Jam, Nine Inch Nails. The Beavis and Butt-Head era.”

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TALA’S DESK SPACE

We started working on revamping Action Zone, an arcade in Abu Dhabi, and we love making edible colorful neon stuff for them

My childhood bestie got me these colorful earphones from India, they’ve grown to become the office whore

Our CUNXTSAT brass keychain was a limited edition offered to us by our favorite supplier

My Calvin and Hobbes collection book. Calvin’s character speaks miles to me. I love witty characters. They remind me of Jade

I got this mask from Malaysia in 2010 when my class went to the Kuala Lumpur Design Week, one of the most inspiring trips

This is a Buena Vista Social Club pamphlet. I watch their documentary on repeat everytime I feel melancholic

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We made this DBC Rock N’ Roll Pizza for a bowling center in Dubai that we’re rebranding

YAMU is a Japanese gaminginspired new fast food joint in Dubai and Abu Dhabi that we fully branded and designed. This is one of the menus

From The Grand Factory onward, everything we do has an organic touch. I’m a sucker for everything green

This is a Jimmy Corrigan booklet and book by Chris Ware. The humor and tiny illustrations are everything Every year Jade releases a Poolness CD, and every year we get to do pretty album artworks for it

These are Polaroids from Love Night, our favorite night at AHM

Before starting Clap Clap Studios, TM was my freelancer brand, and this stamp is my business card

Can’t live without Pantone books. They are also the office whore

My best friend got me the sacred heart and cross from Mexico. I’m in love with the illustrated embossed details The surreal art direction in Tim Walker’s photos is a huge inspiration to me when I’m designing spaces

JADE’S DESK SPACE Since the Roland TR-8 came out, I use it as a source for most of my beat samples

I’m hooked on Matcha tea, it helps me focus and it has amazing health benefits The Big Lebowski, the movie I’ve seen the most in my life

I’m fascinated by the world of branding and marketing and I always refer to this book, Human Kind, as inspiration

I am a ginger addict, I have it daily

The avocado is a big part of my diet No, this isn’t about dumb parties, 24 Hour Party People is an inspiring movie about Tony Wilson and his great vision and big influence in music

I actually can’t tell if these headphones are Tala’s or mine My recorder is always in my gig bag. I try to record my sets whenever I’m DJing and different samples as well

My USB bag. Ten years ago, I could have never imagined that I could fit all my records in my pocket

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Delay is an essential effect in my music and this MF-104M Analog Delay is definitely the pedal I use the most

I chose these records specifically as each represents a different side of me and my music influences All my favorite bass lines in electronic music have been made with the Roland TB-303 Most of my favorite musicians and singers are in This Mortal Coil Box Set. It’s probably the music I have consumed the most in my teenage years

My Adidas NMD, my favorites when I play

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“The fact that I’m able to make a living from my passion... I’m forever grateful to that”

Both DJs have found success abroad, especially in Berlin, where, Tala says, partying is a way of life that’s existed for a very long time, and different from Beirut in that it is teeming with musicians. It’s also where Jade co-founded projects like creative hub Riverside Studios and Haus of Berlin. Though he does play abroad, his focus is not so much on the party scene but on community management. “I would love to create these projects in my country, but unfortunately we have zero support here,” he says. But that hasn’t stopped either of them from introducing a more musically varied and somewhat alternative party scene to Beirut. “People here go out to let go, and there’s homogeneity, something that you don’t find in clubs abroad,” Jade says. “In general, our clubs are better-equipped, with sound, ventilation, cleanliness, quality of service, which is quite impressive on the global scale.” They also design the spaces themselves, and are currently in the process of revamping The Grand Factory. The club, established in 2014, has a unique setup, located in one of Karantina’s industrial neighborhoods and taking up space within an old, derelict factory, freight elevator and all.

“When we discovered the space we were mesmerized, the view to the port and the mountains stole our hearts, and very slowly we were adding the different organic elements that make The Grand Factory what it is today,” Tala explains.

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Besides their office and design studio in Badaro, the DJs also spend a significant amount of time in Jade’s music studio in Mar Mikhael. It’s a sight for sore eyes in the loud and crowded neighborhood, a cozy space with hardwood floors and brick walls, vinyl upon vinyl, guitars, amplifiers, and a recording room with a conveniently placed brown leather couch that calls out to you. Their home on the 12th floor consists of wide spaces rife with plants, more vinyl collections, DVDs and books. There’s inspiration everywhere. They work hard, party hard and enjoy every minute of it. “The fact that I’m able to make a living from my passion,” Jade says, “I’m forever grateful to that.”

Words Tracy Lynn Chemaly

FOUNDED FOREVER

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With shakeups happening in creative direction, fashion houses find their foundation is their greatest ally

Shutterstock

Christopher Bailey will relinquish his chief designer position at Burberry in March, and he will exit the company for good by the end of 2018

A STRONG TEAM TRANSCENDS THE ONE-MAN-SHOW IDEA OF A DESIGNER

When Burberry announced in October that chief creative officer Christopher Bailey would be leaving by the end of 2018, after 17 years with the brand, followers of the British label were caught off guard. What would become of their beloved distinctive check? And how would the company continue to break new ground as it had under his direction? It was Bailey, after all, who ensured Burberry was the first luxury fashion brand to embrace Snapchat and one of the first to action live-streaming shows, welcoming a new generation of consumers and transporting Britain’s biggest fashion brand into a modern millennium. His See Now, Buy Now ranges, allowing customers to immediately purchase runway collections, were another bold pioneering move. Under Bailey’s stewardship, an almost sleepy heritage rainwear brand bounced elegantly into the luxury category with new colors, materials and upscale ranges.

If history is to be of consolation, Burberry fans need not worry. When Tom Ford’s 14-year relationship with Gucci came to an end in 2004, his fans mourned too. He’d brought sexy back, after all. Marc Jacobs’ departure in 2013 from Louis Vuitton marked the end of a prolific 16-year journey. Who else would produce such groundbreaking shows – from white carousels fronted by Kate Moss, to a train station, hotel lobby and escalator runway? Alber Elbaz’s departure from Lanvin in 2015 was equally disconcerting. What would happen to the feminine glitz and glam he’d established during his 14 years at the creative helm? But onward these brands moved.

Perhaps the answer to how fashion houses survive past their creative curators lies in John Galliano’s infamous dismissal from Dior in 2011, after his racist public slurs, and the subsequent announcement made by the French fashion label: “We unequivocally condemn the statements made by John Galliano, which are in total contradiction to the long-standing core values of Christian Dior,” said Sidney Toledano, chairman and chief executive officer of Christian Dior Couture at the time.

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Pierpaolo Piccioli, creative director of Valentino, with Maria Grazia Chiuri, who was his creative partner at the label until she left in 2016 to become artistic director of Dior

Galliano had been with the company for a fruitful 15 years. But Dior had been around for many more, having been founded in 1946 by Christian Dior, who revolutionized women’s dress. Its core values, steeped in history, narrative and customer fulfillment, were not to be overshadowed by a contemporary designer’s faux pas. In the same way, as business decisions drive new creative appointments, luxury labels remain committed to their brand philosophy. Ultimately, it’s the house that maintains the foundations as human shuffles happen within.

Since the commencement of these big-name movements in the fashion industry, the tenure for creative directors has drifted toward a condensed average of three years, and, more recently, stalwart designers are not necessarily being replaced by highprofile superstars. It turns out the house can hold its own when backed by a strong team that transcends the one-man-show idea of a designer. When Raf Simons, Galliano’s replacement at Dior, left

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in 2015, the company took its time in finding a new recruit, empowering its in-house team to design two collections before announcing Maria Grazia Chiuri as the new creative director in 2016. Another lesserknown name currently leading creative is Olivier Lapidus. The e-couture specialist now directing Lanvin’s collections is taking France’s oldest surviving fashion house into a tech-driven world, where its e-commerce website now drives sales, a move already followed by Balenciaga, whose website plays on the brand’s understated statement.

Historically, it’s been all about the designer, seen to be the one transforming runways, red carpets and well-todo wardrobes. The man on the street could link Bailey to Burberry, Lagerfeld to Chanel and Fendi, and know that Dolce & Gabbana and Stella McCartney are in the hands of their namesakes. But ask who’s designing for Chloé, Valentino, Saint Laurent, Givenchy and Kenzo, and the answers aren’t as apparent. Although all run by top-echelon designers, it’s become clear that the house’s name, irrespective of its designer, is the biggest brand custodian to date.

Karl Lagerfeld (above) is head creative director of Chanel and Fendi. John Galliano (pictured below with Kate Moss) was named creative director of Maison Margiela in 2014, three years after he was dismissed from Dior

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Words Stephanie dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Arc Taylor Photography Tony Elieh and Carl Halal

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MIDNIGHT DUST

Where to drink, dance and dazzle in Beirut after dark

This page: A bustling night in Mar Mikhael Opposite page: AHM (top) and Grand Factory (bottom), two hot clubs

The cliché is that Beirutis party even when the bombs are falling. It’s a tired generalization, but all clichés have some basis in fact. It’s certainly true that Beirutis love to party, and in recent years the scene has become more diverse than ever before. Whether you fancy a cozy digestivo after a nice dinner, or want to dance covered in glitter in an abandoned warehouse outside of town until the sun rises, Beirut’s nightlife scene has got you covered.

HOTTEST HOODS Hamra is Beirut’s original going out neighborhood. The district has been the beating heart of the social scene since the 1960s, when Beirut first became a playground for the wealthy and curious from Hollywood, Europe and the Gulf. Back then, students and intellectuals would camp out at Wimpy and the Horseshoe; these days Mezyan is the epicenter of the scene. Other hotspots include Ferdinand and delightfully dive-y Rabbit Hole on Makdissi Street. Five minutes toward downtown, Bardo is a tucked-away gay-friendly gem.

East of the city center is Mar Mikhael, a neighborhood pulsing with heavy beats and youthful energy (read: raging hormones). The hipsters crept east to Mar Mikhael from Gemmayze (where Torino Express kicked off the area’s cocktail scene nearly a decade ago); now

bars like Internazionale and Vyvyan’s overflow onto the sidewalk every night with chain-smoking PYTs. A few steps away, Anise and L’Osteria attract an ever so slightly more mature crowd.

Oh-so-over nights out in Mar Mikhael? Badaro, Beirut’s most recently developed nightlife neighborhood, might offer an attractive change of pace. Badaro’s leafy main drag takes all kinds: students flock to Bodo and Orient Express, Troika attracts people with tattoos and interesting haircuts, Kissproof is where the ladies who lunch take their mojitos, and the lawn chairs at Roy’s are a great place from which to watch them all go by.

CLUBBING Those who really want to let their hair down will be well served by Beirut’s super clubs. Karantina, the warehouse district between Mar Mikhael and Burj Hammoud, was home until recently to the hottest new clubs (the cavernous Grand Factory still steams on weekends). This year, though, Beirut’s reclaimed waterfront district is emerging as Beirut’s newest clubland (Discotek recently decamped there from its original Karantina warehouse).

AHM is the latest dance temple to open its doors on the waterfront, in July 2017. The club’s decor is

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totally customizable to reflect creative collabs with fashion designers and sexythemed nights (a Halloween haremthemed party was hyped as a journey to the Kingdom of Libidostan). Dance temples come and go, but for nightlife enthusiasts, the name Beirut is synonymous with one club in particular: BO18. The Bernard Khoury-designed underground bunker with the retractable roof has been Beirut’s go-to seedy afterparty destination for decades. As befits a club that really gets going at 2am and continues well past sunrise, things can get messy (don’t expect to leave without having at least one drink spilled on you). WHERE’S THE PARTY? Freelance DJ and party promoter collectives organize pop up parties at varying intervals of regularity. There are the more established parties (überhaus hosts nights at The Gärten, a club on Beirut’s waterfront), and C U NXT SAT and Decks on the Beach hold regular parties at The Sporting Club, overlooking Pigeon Rocks in Raouche, on Friday and Saturday nights all summer.

AR_KA, like Sporting, is a venue that changes dramatically from day to night. During the day the renovated house in Mar Mikhael lures freelancers with bottomless coffee and fast Wi-Fi; on weekends AR_ KA is home to the exclusive Not Another House Party nights. Your invite arrives via Facebook if you’re on the list. Otherwise, you’ll have to pass by AR_KA during the day to try and catch the organizers in a generous mood. Cotton Candy is a more elusive collective, attracting an art and fashion set for whom Sporting parties are too predictable (or they’re worried about being recognized). Cotton Candy has been hosting parties for several years now, but the nights only come around seasonally at best. They are famously bacchanalian, attracting a devilmay-care crowd who definitely don’t have to get up for work the next day. Locations change depending on where the cops are least likely to show up on any given night – get the latest via Facebook. GO UNDERGROUND The idea of an underground scene is itself

a bit anachronistic. An underground music or party scene is not mainstream, per se, and the nights aren’t advertised on mass media, but on social media or flyers around town. But a party is a party: do they want people to come, or not?

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The Beirut Groove Collective, if it can still be described as underground, certainly does want to see you at its night, Saturdays at Mar Mikhael’s The Back Door. The BGC is a group of DJs who have developed a following by playing deep cuts from their crate digging travels in the Middle East and Africa. It’s a cool scene in a convenient venue, with interesting music you won’t hear in a warehouse club.

Follow the Rino hosts irregular pop-up nights at secret locations (most recently the location was, rather predictably, a warehouse in Karantina). It’s a fun-loving, more mainstream crowd – think lots of cleavage and T-shirts with big logos – dancing with red Solo cups and green lasers. No one here is too cool to smile for a photo.

IN THE HOUSE The latest trend in Beirut nightlife, the house party, might actually be a throwback. After all, surely the first parties were held in people’s houses? Anyway, the word is now officially out in Beirut that, to quote one trend piece, at house parties “you can get drunk for really freaking cheap, and they are a great place to meet people in varying degrees of intoxication.” What else do you want from a night out?

You can dance covered in glitter in an abandoned warehouse outside of town until the sun rises

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PHOTOGRAPHY MO ABDOUNI STYLING CHARLIE HADDAD SHOT ON LOCATION IN BEIRUT

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She's in an Alessandra Rich dress

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This page: Dolce & Gabbana shoes Opposite: She wears a Dolce & Gabbana dress and necklace

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This page: She wears a dress by Attico and earrings by Oscar de la Renta Opposite: Alexander McQueen shoes and Dolce & Gabbana bag

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She's in an Alessandra Rich dress

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She wears an Alessandra Rich dress and CĂŠline earring

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Shoes by Attico

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This page: She's in an Alessandra Rich dress and Dolce & Gabbana necklace. She carries a Prada bag Opposite: She wears a Gucci suit, Etro earrings, Balenciaga pins and Attico bracelet

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She wears a Dolce & Gabbana jacket, Gucci blouse and Oscar de la Renta earrings

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Shoes by Gucci Model Irina Roshik at Velvet Management

BEST PARTIES EVER

When nighttime revelry turned into the very stuff of legends

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Words Salma Abdelnour Illustration Maria Khairallah

One night in November 1966, Truman Capote threw what he called a “little masked ball” for a friend. It was a nice get-together, and everyone danced for a while then went home. Scratch that: the little party that Capote hosted a half-century ago is now considered one of the most spectacular parties of all time. None of this is meant to intimidate anyone planning to throw a slightly less ambitious bash this holiday season. Still, a little inspiration never hurts. What follows is a shortlist of extraordinary, generation-defining ragers that deserve their place in history. The world could use another great party right about now. Maybe yours will be the one? Truman Capote’s Black and White Ball The ironically simple chicken-and-spaghetti menu at Capote’s 1966 ball was the only modest thing about that party. The author’s celebrity-packed guest list for his Black and White Ball included Andy Warhol, Frank Sinatra, Harry Belafonte, Tallulah Bankhead and a slew of Kennedys and European aristocrats, and the guest of honor was newspaper heiress Katharine Graham. Capote, no stranger to grand gestures, required his guests to adhere to a dress code of masks and black-and-white outfits, and insisted that every woman carry a fan. More than 500 masked A-listers crowded into the Grand Ballroom of New York City’s Plaza Hotel to eat and dance all night. The Rothschilds’ Surrealist Ball On December 12, 1972, Baroness Marie-Hélène and Guy de Rothschild threw the now-legendary Surrealist Ball at

their home in France, the Château de Ferrières. Among the guests were Salvador Dalí, Audrey Hepburn and supermodel Marisa Berenson, and everyone feasted on the likes of goat cheese roasted “in post-coital sadness.” Naked mannequins acted as table centerpieces, and dead fish replaced forks. The costumes? As surreally grand as one might expect. The Baroness herself wore a deer head dripping in diamonds, and Hepburn arrived with her head inside a birdcage. Dalí served up the best surrealist twist of all: he showed up as himself. Paradise Garage Closing Party One of the most influential New York City nightclubs of the 1970s and ‘80s, the Paradise Garage was an electrifying, diverse, LGBT-friendly hangout in a former Soho garage. DJ Larry Levan presided over all-night Saturday Mass parties, spinning disco, funk, R&B and house. When the club closed in September 1987, it symbolized the sad end of an era in the city’s nightlife, and the farewell party was fittingly epic. The event lasted five days, and attracted celebrities from Madonna to Diana Ross. Since the club had always been an alcohol-and-food-free zone, the farewell party didn’t officially serve either – but guests had no trouble consuming whatever substance they needed to get through the five-day bacchanalia.

The House of Romanov’s Costume Ball Things did not end well for Czar Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra of Russia. But during their relatively brief, decadent time on earth, they lived it up theatrically, in full view of Russia’s starving masses. There’s no more vivid example of their pre-revolutionary gusto than the opulent Costume Ball at their Winter Palace in St. Petersburg in 1903. The party spanned three days of dinner-dances and concerts, culminating in a masked ball; guests wore 17th-century costumes trimmed in precious jewels and topped with elaborate headdresses. The Empress did deign to make a gesture aimed at the less fortunate: she hired photographers to document the party and sell photos for charity.

Le Bal des Petits Lits Blanc Beirut’s reputation as a world-class nightlife city is well-earned, but it’s hard to beat the party scene of the 1950s and ‘60s. The glam soirées of the prewar days took place in gorgeous venues around the country and attracted le tout Liban, along with visiting celebrities and aristocracy. One of Lebanon’s most memorable and expensive events ever, the Petits Lits Blancs charity ball, happened on July 4, 1964. Lebanese debutantes and socialites, including May Arida, members of the Sursock and Eddé families, and hundreds more, joined European aristocrats like Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia and American film royalty like Geraldine Chaplin for a spectacular party at Beiteddine Palace. The bash involved dramatic red-carpet-style arrivals and a lavish feast, and that was just the beginning: The festivities culminated in a breakfast in front of the ancient temples at Baalbeck.

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our forefathers knew how to party. from the lavish costume parties of the early 1900’s to fabulous ‘70s new york, we’re looking back instead of looking forward. doesn’t it sound more fun to party with warhol anyway?

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Aïshti By the Sea Antelias Aïshti Downtown Beirut

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SENSUAL SOIRÉE PHOTOGRAPHY SAMANTHA CASOLARI STYLING AMELIANNA LOIACONO SHOT ON LOCATION AT THE FOUR SEASONS HOTEL IN BEIRUT

Barbara (left) wears a Saint Laurent dress and earrings. Julia (right) wears a Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini top, Saint Laurent skirt and Céline earrings

Julia wears a Maria Lucia Hohan dress, Yves Salomon coat and Cartier necklace. She carries a Saint Laurent bag

Julia (left) wears a Saint Laurent suit, Alexandre Vauthier shoes and CĂŠline earrings. Barbara (right) wears a Saint Laurent suit, Jimmy Choo shoes and Miu Miu earrings

Barbara is in an Yves Salomon coat and Gianvito Rossi shoes

This page and opposite page: Julia wears an Esteban Cortรกzar dress and Miu Miu earrings

Julia (left) wears a Pucci dress and Bulgari necklace. Barbara (right) wears a Saint Laurent dress and Miu Miu earrings

Barbara wears a Marc Jacobs dress, Yves Salomon coat and Cartier earrings

Barbara wears a Dolce & Gabbana coat, Gucci belt and Gianvito Rossi shoes

Julia (left) wears an Yves Salomon coat and Gucci belt. Barbara Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wearing a Dolce & Gabbana dress and sandals (right) wears an Yves Salomon coat. Both arePrada wearing the stylistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own hats

Julia wears a Burberry dress, Dior choker and Bulgari bracelet and ring

This page and opposite page: Julia wears a Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini top, Saint Laurent skirt and Delfina Delettrez ring

Julia (right) wears a Pucci dress, Bulgari necklace and Gianvito Rossi shoes. Barbara (left) wears a Saint Laurent dress, Jimmy Choo shoes and Miu Miu earrings

Dior shoes and a Cartier ring

Julia is in a Balenciaga dress and Saint Laurent brooch

Barbara wears a Stella McCartney dress

This page: Julia wears a Burberry dress, Dior choker, Dsquared2 shoes and Bulgari bracelet and ring Opposite page: Barbara wears a Dolce & Gabbana coat and Gucci belt

Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in pants by Sonia Rykiel

Julia (left) wears an Alexandre Vauthier swimsuit and CĂŠline earrings and carries a Valentino bag. Barbara (right) wears an Alexandre Vauthier swimsuit and Miu Miu earrings and carries an Alexander McQueen bag Models Julia and Barbara at Agents Model Management Hair and makeup Rory Rice

THE FITTING ROOM PHOTOGRAPHY ALICE ROSATI STYLING THEOPHILE HERMAND @ ARTLIST SHOT ON LOCATION IN PARIS

She wears a Marni bra, CĂŠline pants, Falke tights, Vanessa Seward shoes, a Miu Miu necklace and hat, and Pucci bag

She wears a Gucci dress and CĂŠline earrings

Davey wears a Dior Homme coat, and Lisa is in a Sonia Rykiel She wears a Gucci dress, CĂŠline earrings, Falke tights Balenciaga shoes blazer and scarf, andand MSGM pants and heels

Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in a Zimmermann dress, Falke tights, and CĂŠline boots and earrings

Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in a Jacquemus dress, Falke tights, and Vanessa Seward shoes

This page and opposite: She wears a Sacai sweater, Proenza Schouler pants, Marci earrings, Falke tights and Balenciaga shoes

She’s wearing a mini dress with long sleeves and a skirt by Dsquared2. She’s carrying a Videocassette mini bag and a Walkman mini bag, both by Sarah’s Bag Model Adriana at MP Model Management Makeup Katja Wilhelmus at Close Up Milano Hair Andrew Guida at Close Up Milano

Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in a Gucci jumpsuit, a Diane von Furstenberg skirt, Falke tights, Balenciaga shoes and CĂŠline earrings

She’s wearing a mini dress with long sleeves and a skirt by Dsquared2. She’s carrying a Videocassette mini bag and a Walkman mini bag, both by Sarah’s Bag She wears a Gucci jumpsuit, a Céline and earrings, and Model Adriana atjacket MP Model Management Makeup Katja WilhelmusAmbush at Close sunglasses Up Milano Hair Andrew Guida at Close Up Milano

Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in an Alexander McQueen dress and Falke tights

Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in a Pucci dress, Marni shoes and earrings, and a Jacquemus hat

She wears a Miu Miu hat and CĂŠline earrings

She wears a Miu Miu total look and a Balenciaga headpiece and shoes

She wears Davey wears a Balenciaga a Dsquared2 total coat, look Dior Homme turtleneck and Fendi pants

She wears a Proenza Schouler coat, Marni dress, Falke tights and Miu Miu shoes Model Steffi Cook at New York Madels Hair Chiao Chenet at Airport Makeup Min Kin at Airport

Words Marwan Naaman

STYLE SANCTUARIES

Two luxurious New York hotels shimmer with contemporary British glamour

Kit and Tim Kemp have created some of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most deliciously lovely hotels. The husband and wife team started out in their native England, with the Dorset Square Hotel in 1985. Now, over three decades later and under the Firmdale umbrella, the Kemps operate 10 hotels, eight of them in the United Kingdom and two across the pond, in New York.

The London properties include some of the British capitalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most desirable hotels, like the Ham Yard, the Haymarket and the Soho Hotel. Over in New York, The Whitby, which opened in Midtown Manhattan in February 2017, is a brand-new addition to the Firmdale family, while the Crosby Street Hotel has been a Lower Manhattan mainstay for nearly a decade.

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THE WHITBY Its New York location notwithstanding – minutes from iconic city attractions like Central Park, Rockefeller Center, Times Square and the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) – The Whitby exudes a strong British vibe. Kit Kemp has said in previous interviews that her style has evolved over time: “I used to want to create English country houses in the city, but my tastes changed and became more sophisticated. Recently I have created fresh, modern, yet always English environments.”

This interior design ethos is evident at The Whitby. The 86-room hotel is a style sanctuary in the middle of Midtown Manhattan’s busyness, showcasing the design touches that have come to characterize Firmdale hotels: brilliant color schemes, abundant contemporary artworks and richly patterned textiles. “I work with and am inspired by many contemporary artists and designers and like to use a mix of their work in my own interior schemes,” says Kemp. “British artist Hermione Skye O’Hea has made two striking installations of a weaver’s loom, the first of which hangs over the reception at Ham Yard Hotel and the second one now also hangs over the reception desk at The Whitby.” The 16-floor hotel was built from the ground up, and while it certainly looks new, it also feels timeless, as if it’s been a pillar of New York for generations. The groundfloor Whitby Bar, for example, with its striking 30-foot pewter bar and warehouse-style windows, is already a haunt for local businesspeople and celebrities. “It was a pleasure to work with The New Craftsmen in sourcing

the baskets that hang over the Whitby Bar,” says Kemp of the bar’s design. “They sourced 57 baskets by makers from all over Britain. I thought it was so fascinating and clever to take something universal – weaving – and make it contemporary and relevant.” The bar is interconnected to all other rooms on the ground floor, including the art-inflected lobby, the book-lined drawing room and the splendid Orangery, a light- and plant-filled dining area that feels like an indoor garden. “In keeping with the New York theme, at the back of The Whitby, along the wall of the Orangery, we have a series of 40 beautifully crafted illuminated porcelain vessels by Martha Freud. Each pot sits within a niche and is etched with a different landmark New York building or bridge,” says Kemp.

While each of the 86 rooms at the Whitby is unique, the Terrace Suite perhaps best encapsulates the hotel’s sophisticated glamour. Covering over 60 square meters, the one-bedroom abode features a king-size bed, a magnificent white marble bathroom plus a separate powder room, a living area with a sofa bed and, the pièce the resistance, a vast terrace that fronts the entire space, with sweeping city views and on which you can have breakfast, dinner or nighttime cocktails under the starry Manhattan sky. “The Whitby Hotel is a breath of fresh air,” says Kemp. “When you open the doors you should be able to say ‘wow I’ve arrived,’ and ‘it’s something that I’m going to remember,’ and somewhere that you want to return to time and time again.”

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CROSBY STREET HOTEL Few people knew, back in 2009 when it first opened, that the Crosby Street Hotel would come to capture the spirit of a neighborhood and represent its entire way of life. “Crosby Street Hotel is in Downtown Soho, down a cobbled street, which used to be a warehouse district filled with artists,” says Kemp. “They have since moved out, but it is this artistic heritage that inspired Crosby Street Hotel.” Art first greets guests outside the hotel entrance, on the street itself, in the form of a majestic feline. “Our latest pet is Crosby the Cat, an oversized sculpture by Colombian artist Botero that sits outside on the street. He has already become a landmark that belongs to everyone in the area.” The artistic vibe carries into the lobby, where a dazzling, magnificently large Jaume Plensa head sculpture made out of letters stands guard.

The spacious lobby leads to the cozy Drawing Room, a dreamy place to while away the afternoon, boasting a French sandstone fireplace and plush, comfortable sofas. The Drawing Room opens onto a verdant sculpture garden – an ideal place to meet friends or relax in utmost peace. Like The Whitby, the Crosby Street Hotel is home to an iconic bar in which all three daily meals are served – in addition to a very British afternoon tea. The Crosby Bar connects Crosby Street to Lafayette Street, complete with high ceilings, grey oak floors and massive windows that allow abundant sunshine to pour in. The bar’s outdoor seating area, set on Lafayette Street, is a

quiet haven – an idyllic spot to enjoy a cappuccino on warmer New York days.

While all guest rooms are mini design triumphs, the two Crosby Suites belong in a world of their own. “The hotel has two top signature suites, The Crosby Suites,” says Kemp. “They’re spacious spaces, with floor-to-ceiling, warehouse-style windows, letting in plenty of light and with spectacular views over the New York skyline. I have just finished redesigning one of them in beautiful fresh fabrics and colors.” In addition to the king-size bed in each bedroom, the individually designed suites have a large living room with a dining area, and a bathroom in granite and oak with two basins, a deep bathtub and a separate shower.

Reflecting on the Crosby Street Hotel and its enduring appeal, Kemp says that the property has “settled into its space like someone settling into a very comfortable armchair… It’s actually a home, a home away from home.”

THE FIRMDALE FAMILY With 10 hotels in her bijou portfolio, each more seductive than the next, Kemp contends that she has no favorite when it comes to Firmdale properties. “The hotels are like my children! There are elements in each that I love. For example, at Charlotte Street Hotel I love the reference to the Bloomsbury Group. With Covent Garden Hotel, I love the old English theatricality and at Number Sixteen its wonderful garden.” It is, of course, impossible to choose a favorite among 10 such distinctive destinations. Each offers its own brand of magic, and each is indeed a place you want to revisit, time and time again.

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Words Shirine Saad

BEIRUT BY THE ARTIST

Marwan Rechmaouiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lifelong exploration of urban evolution

Kaph Books, Marwan Rechmaoui

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“BEIRUT WAS MADE TO BE DIVERSE AND OPEN”

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In Lebanon there is an impulse to erase the Civil War and its scars, replacing trauma with false promises of redemption. But in the postwar decades, new generations of Lebanese artists have been obsessively documenting, archiving and analyzing the country’s past, uncovering the truths of a society that always seems ready to self-combust. For over 20 years, Lebanese artist Marwan Rechmaoui has been creating monumental traces of Beirut’s corrupt structures – decaying modernist buildings, sectarian flags, colonial stones and a city map that perpetuates inequality and turmoil. In 1994 he cofounded the Ashkal Alwan association to promote public art and research in postwar recovery. Now Beirut-based Kaph Books has published a volume showcasing his work from 1996 to 2016, documenting each major project with an introductory note and preparatory sketches. Titled Metropolis, the book features essays by curator Catherine David, writer Kaelen Wilson-Goldie, sociologist Waddah Charara and interviews by Serpentine director Hans Ulrich Olbrist, providing depth and context to this image-rich chronological survey. The book and its essays reveal Rechmaoui’s obsession with cities, from the early dwellings of the Arabs to Baudelaire’s flâneur and Le Corbusier’s utopia, and metropolises from New York to Istanbul. Cities, for the artist, offer the possibility of freedom and creativity, but also reflect the essential dynamics of power and culture – through architecture, gentrification or infrastructure,

the interaction of public and private spaces, and the promise of free expression.

Beirut in particular has been the subject of Rechmaoui’s art since his early days, when he created semi-abstract paintings where geometric shapes were organized following random calculations – a desperate attempt to order the ambient chaos. His materials were not paint but the cement, tar and rubber of a country in reconstruction. With time, his paintings became threedimensional forms that echoed the icons of the city.

Through painstaking research and scientific observation, Rechmaoui revealed the religious, economic, political and social forces beneath each layer of meaning, offering an alternative reading of the contemporary history of the city. Along with a generation of conceptual artists invested in archiving and investigating the war (including Akram Zaatari, Lamia Joreige, Walid Sadek and Walid Raad), he has led the way in questioning Arab modernities and the

Who better to understand New York and its urban culture, and pay homage to it, than a born-and-bred New Yorker?

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heritage of colonialism, sectarianism and unbridled urban development.

For the work “Blazon,” shown in 2015, Rechmaoui created an installation with 350 flags and 59 metal shields, as a military-style game based on various sectors of the city. He divided 59 neighborhood names into groups based on sectarianism, architecture, genealogy and geography, offering a socio-economic map of a city where surveys and statistics are nonexistent, or flawed. To prepare this piece, he read essential writings on the city, including Samir Kassir’s and Waddah Charara’s, as well as academic writing on the Mamluk era. “When you see the spectrum of monuments and icons around us,” explains Rechmaoui from Paris, where he traveled to attend the Nick Cave concert before meeting his colleagues from the Sfeir-Semler gallery at Frieze in London, “you know how diverse the city is and how rich its history is. You start thinking about it differently. The divisions I highlight reveal that the city is beyond control. Beirut is not very old, just 150- to 200-old, and it wasn’t designed to be what it is today. It was made to be diverse and open. When you have a totalitarian discourse it’s clear that it’s dysfunctional – it’s only the surface. That questions the credibility of political leaders. No one is credible in politics.”

Rechmaoui’s counter-narratives, then, reverse gentrification and political propaganda, memorializing the unspoken and the unspeakable, and warning the world about the lurking danger within urban environments. “People like to forget,” he says. “It’s easier. It’s more comfortable. Nobody wants to remember the war because it’s agony and it’s painful and people don’t want to be miserable. But they might hit the wall again if we don’t clarify things. Now young people in their 20s are ready to start a new civil war – but I’m reminding new generations about the social structures and relationships that are affected by the war. So that they don’t start fighting again.”

Words Warren Singh-Bartlett

LIGHT OF THE PARTY

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Darkness begone. Nulty Lighting has arrived in Beirut

The eggcorn stuck and so afterward, I asked my father why someone would be called “the light” of a party. Of course, he laughed but in my (later) defense, both words seem apposite. A party without life would be dull, but then so would a party without light. So why is it that when it comes to designing the places where we live (or for that matter, eat, dance, drink and shop), the lighting is often so very, very poor?

“It’s easy to overlook the part you can’t really see,” Paul Nulty tells me, as we talk about his decision to open a branch office of his lighting design practice, Nulty Lighting, in Beirut. “Light is an intangible, and it adds to the bottom line, so it can be hard to convince clients to spend money on an additional consultant. But it is vital.”

In other words, no matter how good an interior, if the lighting is wrong, it lets everything down – as anyone who has ever had to eat a meal under fluorescent lamps or been blinded by overhead spots that illuminate the floor but very little else, can attest. Poor lighting makes people look green, food inedible and art lackluster, and there isn’t a monument, home or ancient ruin in the

Nulty Lighting

I remember that the first time I heard someone being referred to as “the life of the party,” I heard “light” in place of “life.” There were children screaming, I wasn’t really paying attention, there was a clown making things out of balloons and I was only six.

This page: Scarpetta restaurant in Canary Wharf, London (below) and Mere restaurant, also in London (bottom) Opposite page: Keflavík International Airport in Iceland

world that doesn’t look better when properly lit. Just ask Joan Collins.

Or Nulty himself. He knows all about light, cameras and action. Head of the eponymous London-based lighting design practice, he began his career as a theater designer. An appreciation for the dramatic, as well as the flattering, infuses the work he and his 36-strong team (35, if you discount Schnorbitz the beagle) do.

The Beirut office is being headed by associate director Hala Nasrallah, an interior architect by training, and is not the company’s first regional outpost. It has had an office in Dubai for the last two years, and while Nulty sees Beirut as a strategic hub, a place from which to better serve the North African markets, as well as one with a rich and sophisticated design culture to explore, it exists because Nasrallah is the right person for the job.

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“Having the right people on the ground is critical and Hala is an exceptional leader,” he continues. “Of course, you can always Skype, but we’re real believers that people like to work with people. There’s still the need to press the flesh.”

Looking through the practice’s many projects – among them The Ned hotel and Scarpetta restaurant in London, Iceland’s Keflavík International Airport and Magrabi Optical in Kuwait – I’m struck by two things; firstly, the range of different projects they take on and secondly, how different they all look from one another, even within the same sector. Quality and cleverness aside, there’s little visually that stands out as a signature style.

When I mention this to Nulty, he’s delighted. “I’m really glad that you said that. We don’t have a house style. We don’t want to, either. No one should walk into a project and say ‘the lighting looks good’ because then I’ve failed, we’ve shouted too loudly. Lighting should work so harmoniously, that you wouldn’t notice that it was there.” Do not be misled by this self-effacing statement. Nulty Lighting may be all about walking softly, but the stick they carry is big. And their interest (dare I say, love?) for lighting verges on the evangelical. These are people with a mission, and the practice regularly shares its expertise with the causal punter through blog posts, workshops and public seminars for if, as Nulty likes to say, borrowing from Shakespeare, “all the world is a stage, perhaps we all need better lighting?”

“LIGHT IS AN INTANGIBLE, BUT IT IS VITAL”

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BEJEWELED CELEBRATION PHOTOGRAPHY TONY ELIEH

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This page: David Yurman knuckle ring and pendant in yellow gold and diamonds from the Starburst collection Opposite: Vintage Sylvie Saliba brooches circa 1900 in gold, diamonds and rubies

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Bulgari Divasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Dream necklace with white gold and diamonds

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Mouawad Imperial pendant with yellow gold and diamonds

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Nada G rings, from left to right: Identity East & West in gold with black diamonds, the Dome in gold with champagne diamonds and Malak in gold; Khaizaran gold cuff

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George Hakim necklace in white and pink gold with diamonds, sapphires, rubies and emeralds

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Buccellati Ramage earrings in white and yellow gold with diamonds

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Ralph Masri earrings in white gold with diamonds (top) and with sapphires (bottom) from the Modernist collection

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Tabbah Lace Dragonfly in white gold and diamonds

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PanthĂ¨re de Cartier bracelet with yellow gold, diamonds, emeralds and onyx

Words Rayane Abou Jaoude Photography Tony Elieh

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IN CONVERSATION WITH MARWAN HAMZA With his stylish floral arrangements, the event planner adds magic to every party

“There are always flowers for those who want to see them,” said French artist Henri Matisse. Marwan Hamza clearly sees flowers everywhere.

In his new atelier in Ashrafieh’s Abdel Wahab neighborhood, a lively space painted in pink and orange hues and adorned with flowers, plants and Randa Ali Ahmad’s art, the event planner and floral concept store owner sketches and doodles as he sits for the interview, mind always at work, a distinct twinkle in his eyes. “Is there anything prettier than flowers?” he asks. “They transform the whole place. A room could become magical with flowers.”

It all began in the Saudi Arabian desert. Hamza had left Lebanon in the 1980s and traveled to Houston and London to study fashion design before settling in the arid Arab nation. A self-described “fashion freak,” Hamza thought studying fashion would be easy. “It turned out that no, it was the complete opposite,” he says. He did end up working in the fashion industry for a while, but never felt good enough – he lacked the skills needed for pattern construction and sewing, and began putting together floral arrangements for his friends’ dinner parties on the side. His arrangements caught people’s attention, and that’s when it all changed. Hamza quit the fashion industry, moved back to London, and began working with florist Kenneth Turner. He

“I’m a happy person, and I love my new atelier, because the first one was in a basement, and we didn’t see the light. Now there’s high ceilings, you see light, you see the people on the street. It’s beautiful,” he says.

He designed the atelier himself, as well as his home in the city and his mountain house in the Shouf town of Abey, home to his wild garden, his primary source of inspiration. He also derives inspiration from paintings, films, books – a vast spectrum of visual stimuli. “I love everything that’s related to art, anything beautiful. It could be a carpet, a car, a watch, a man, a woman, a bottle, a couch – and I love it.”

Over the past few years, Hamza has put together major weddings, themed parties and private events for the likes of Rabih Kayrouz, Caracalla and Ashi Studio. He tries to choose most of his flowers from Lebanon, as he’s keen on supporting Lebanese agriculture, and his creative process is quite meticulous, beginning with him studying the venue to get a feel of the space. He then meets with the client, according to whom he chooses the flowers. “Every flower has a symbol,” he says, “and you have to go with a symbol that matches the [client].” So which flower represents him? “Peonies,” he says. “I love peonies. They’re soft, and I’m a very soft person. Maybe it’s wrong, but my emotions affect my work.”

Difficult to do when you work in the floral and events business. If there’s no passion, can the outcome be as beautiful? “I wear myself out, because I need everything [to be perfect]. Everything needs to be parallel; the tables need to be straight, the chairs, the placemats, the glasses. It’s exhausting. I can’t help myself, it’s beyond me, especially when people trust you fully, when they give you carte blanche. I don’t sleep for days,” he says.

moved to Saudi Arabia, opened his first shop, Skoun, and stayed there for the next 12 years before returning to Lebanon in 2005. “I’m a free person, I like freedom,” he says of his move. “I love to buy my manoushe in the morning, and I live in Ashrafieh, so it’s like a small village, everyone knows one another.”

A year into his stay, he opened his eponymous floral concept store. He was on his own at first, working with only one colleague and driving his van himself, with only a few vases to offer. Over a decade later, Hamza has three warehouses, six employees (which he refers to as his “children”), a full-fledged event planning business and, most importantly, happiness.

Tiring, yes, but the result is worth the sleepless nights. Christmas is a busy season, but he’s been ready since November, giving himself time to rework arrangements until they’re flawless. And while the business has taken off relatively fast, Hamza remains quite humble – and very grateful. “God gave me this skill, and it’s so beautiful. I love it because I share it. I make [clients] happy. And there’s nothing better than happiness.”

“IS THERE ANYTHING PRETTIER THAN FLOWERS? THEY TRANSFORM THE WHOLE PLACE”

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Words Tala Habbal

THE BATTLE OF THE FASHION ALL-STARS Luxury fashion may be a global phenomenon, but France and Italy score the highest points when it comes to high-end fashion status

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Long before the days of the prominence of French fashion, Italian clothing was among the most fashionable in Europe. During the Middle Ages, cities like Rome, Florence, Milan and Venice began to produce jewelry, robes, shoes, textiles and elaborate dresses. Italian fashion peaked during the Renaissance, inspired by the magnificent artworks of Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci. Fast forward to the 20th century, and Italy and France were still Europe’s greatest fashion rivals, with the likes of French couturier Balmain famously snubbing Italian fashion when he said: “Let the American buyers go and play with baby bonnets in Florence. They’ll come to Paris for the real fashion.” The French continue to reaffirm that fashion was born in France, while Italians mock their French fashion counterparts for being more conservative and less daring.

Above: Classic Dior style from 1940 Left: A Dior look from the current fall/winter 2017-18 collection

Dior, Céline

Both France and Italy have a long and deep-rooted fashion history – they’re two of the leading countries in luxurious fashion and design. The French owe their chic style to King Louis XIV, who introduced the textile trade to France, making it the go-to country to find the highest quality materials. In the 19th century, France developed haute couture, and courtier houses began popping up all over the country. At the center of the industry, Paris has long held the title of “global fashion capital,” with the city home to many prominent designers like Céline, Chloé, Dior and Saint Laurent. These brands, among others, helped solidify the reputation of French fashion around the world.

Above: Dior’s fall/winter 2017-18 collection Below: Céline’s fall/winter 2017-18 ad campaign (left) and two runway looks (right)

CÉLINE IS RENOWNED FOR CHIC YET UNDERSTATED LUXURY WOMENSWEAR

It was Christian Dior who helped revive the French fashion industry after World War II: he became an iconic figure in postwar women’s fashion with his “new look,” characterized by a nipped-in waist and mid-calf grazing A-line skirt. Dior pioneered the transformation of the female silhouette. Today, with creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri at the helm (the first woman to ever hold this post), Dior continues to push fashion boundaries and remains one of France’s most iconic luxury labels. During the same era, Frenchwoman Céline Vipiana created one of the first luxury fashion brands. The Céline label is still renowned for chic yet understated

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Alessandro Michele is credited with giving Gucci classics an updated twist In the late 1960s, Yves Saint Laurent helped Paris reclaim its fashion crown and ward off the threat of the Swinging London youth culture. Not only did Saint Laurent introduce men’s jackets or “le smoking” into the female wardrobe, he was the first couturier to pioneer the concept of prêtà-porter, with the 1961 “Rive Gauche” collection. Under the direction of Anthony Vaccarello since April 2016, the fashion house continues to wow consumers with desirable on-trend wearable pieces.

Some of the first Italian fashion houses, like Gucci and Prada, were founded in the

late 19th and early 20th centuries. In the ‘60s it was Gucci’s famous “GG” monogram handbags that drew the attention of stars and celebrities like Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn, solidifying the brand’s reputation as a chic Hollywood label. The Italian brand is enjoying a rebirth thanks to creative director Alessandro Michele, who is credited with reinventing Gucci and giving some of the classics – like the monogram – an updated twist.

Valentino is another iconic Italian fashion house. In the early ‘60s, the brand found its foothold in Florence, the Italian fashion capital at the time. Jackie Kennedy became a devoted client after ordering six couture dresses, which she wore during the year of mourning her husband’s death. She also forged a

Gucci

luxury womenswear and a plethora of beautiful leather handbags, which continue to have a cult following since the launch of the “it” trapeze bag seasons ago.

The many faces of Gucci: Spring/ summer 2016 campaign (left), fall/ winter 2017-18 show finale (above) and two stills from the fall/winter 2017-18 campaign (bottom)

strong friendship with the designer, who later designed the white Valentino gown Kennedy wore at her wedding to Aristotle Onassis. Valentino is still a fashion force to be reckoned with and has continued to find success as one of the most coveted high-end labels in the world. Although luxury fashion house Prada started out as a purveyor of fine leather goods, it almost instantly became a beacon of Italian style when it introduced its women’s ready-to-wear line in 1989. Head designer Miuccia Prada’s looks immediately garnered a loyal following for their clean lines and craftsmanship – two of Prada’s signature features. So how do these fashion rivals stack up to one another? Which country holds the title of fashion capital of the world? It’s clear

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that both France and Italy each have their own claim to fame: the two countries both represent luxury fashion, albeit in very different ways. Sonnet Stanfill, curator of 20th-century and contemporary fashion at London’s V&A museum summed it up best. “Maybe the French were chicer in their Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche, but what the Italians did was to focus the same energy on the style and the material and the quality of the manufacture, even if it was made by a machine.”

This page: Prada spring/summer 2011 (above) and fall/winter 1988-89 (right) Opposite page: Yves Saint Laurent, spring/summer 1992

Prada, Yves Saint Laurent

Today, French style is characterized by an effortless yet chic look. Parisian women are renowned for always looking sophisticated, fashionable and ladylike – think Brigitte Bardot and Audrey Tautou, enticing but not over the top. Italian style is bolder and fiercer with Italian women, from Sophia Loren to Chiara Ferragni,

“YVES SAINT LAURENT WAS THE FIRST COUTURIER TO PIONEER THE CONCEPT OF PRÊT-À-PORTER”

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Jackie Kennedy wore Valentino during the year of mourning her husbandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s death, and she wore Valentino at her wedding to Aristotle Onassis

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oozing sex appeal and taking greater fashion risks. When it comes to fashion, the rivalry is far from over. The French touch and vision, although predictable at times, will continue to go up against Italian craftsmanship and emphasis on materials for as long as luxury designers continue to design. Parisian chic vs. la bella figura!

Valentino

Glimpses of Valentino: Ad from 2000 (top left), fashion editorial from 1990 (above) and two looks from the current fall/winter 2017-18 collection (left)

ETRO.COM

AÏSHTI BY THE SEA, AÏSHTI DOWNTOWN, AÏSHTI VERDUN

Words Marwan Naaman Photography Raya Farhat

BLOW OUT BY THE SEA TWO GREAT REASONS TO VISIT URBAN RETREAT

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Meet Edimar and Konya, Urban Retreat’s two master hairstylists If you haven’t yet visited Urban Retreat at Aïshti by the Sea, it’s high time you did. The two resident hairstylists, Edimar Chawiche (for women) and Konya (for men), both trained under Andrew Barton, the celebrated creative director of Urban Retreat at Harrods in London, so what they can do to your hair is truly – and no pun intended here – a cut above the rest. “We always start with a consultation,” says Chawiche. “We find out what you like and how we can help.” Prior to the actual cut or brushing, Chawiche might suggest a special hair treatment – by Kérastase, Christophe Robin or Philip Kingsley – especially if you have dry or damaged hair. Such a luxurious treatment not only serves to repair stressed locks, it also brightens and enlivens the hair. Then, after carefully studying the nature of your hair and your facial structure, Chawiche will suggest a fashionable hair style that both reflects current trends and fits your particular needs.

For women who always remain on the cusp of now, current winter trends include square and straight cuts, bangs and short hair. Also, the tousled, casual beach look – referred to as beach wave or new wave – is favored by the bling ring. “Key trends come from Andrew Barton,” Chawiche says, “and this year simplicity is in.” For clients who want to add or enhance their color, red (numbers 645 and 745 from L’Oréal) is the hottest, wildest hue. FYI: Chawiche and Konya both trained with Tracey Gallagher, star colorist and artistic

director of Urban Retreat in London.

When it comes to their hair, Lebanese men generally tend to be more conservative than women. “Men are more classical,” says Konya, “but what they want also depends on their age and profession.” For the younger set, Konya can usually suggest something offbeat, like longer, wilder hair, shaved on the sides perhaps. Some older men with greying hair want to cover up their grey, so Konya usually recommends a L’Oréal dye that naturally blends the whitening hair with the darker strands. “It gives a natural effect that reduces the grey,” he says.

Konya also offers various barber services, including shaving and beard trimming. “I work on beards of various lengths,” he says. “What I suggest usually depends on the hair quality, the facial structure and the profession.” Makes sense: a banker would most probably prefer short, neat facial hair, while a musician or DJ may favor a thicker and longer beard.

Now you know: Chawiche and Konya are two great reasons to visit (and revisit) Urban Retreat at Aïshti by the Sea.

Canvas and Calf Leaf Camo Hammock Bag with Marigold and Rose Charms, 2017

loewe.com Aïshti by the Sea, Antelias

Words Michelle Merheb

NEW LOOK, NEW ATTITUDE Lebanese jeweler Tabbah introduces pieces that highlight individual style 236

For the past 155 years, Tabbah has been creating some of the world’s most distinguished jewelry pieces. Over the decades, the Lebanese jeweler’s necklaces, rings, bracelets and earrings have adorned the likes of Princess Charlene of Monaco and innumerable other stars and celebrities. While best-loved for the elaborate and luxurious jewelry that’s become synonymous with the Tabbah name, the Lebanese jeweler recently introduced simpler, more understated pieces, branded “New Looks” and designed to appeal to a more mainstream clientele. “The signature concept of Tabbah’s ‘New Looks’ is the creation of interchangeable pieces that can be mixed and matched through collections, allowing versatility in the individual style,” says owner Nagib Tabbah.

The various collections that come under the “New Looks” heading include “Obsession,” inspired by the very Middle Eastern evil eye. “The concept of the evil eye is widespread in Mediterranean countries,”

This page: The “Absolute Glam” look (above) and a piece from the “Hollywood” collection (below) Opposite page: The “Modernist” look (top), the “Absolute Glam” choker (middle) and the “Hollywood” look (bottom)

says Tabbah. “‘Obsession’ fuses the ease and nomadic style of this symbol with the sophistication of superbly crafted jewelry.”

Another “New Looks” collection, “Modernist,” references the pure and highly aesthetic lines of magnificent manmade structures. “The line is characterized by symmetry, clarity and a sense of sophistication. Its inspiration was driven by architecture,” says Tabbah. The “Absolute Glam” collection takes an entire metropolis as its inspiration. “It’s an alternative look inspired by diverse elements such as people, senses, silhouettes, the play of light, the vibrant city of Beirut and the combination of grace and sensuality that a woman can deliver.” 237

“EACH ITERATION LIVES TO BECOME TOMORROW’S CLASSIC”

While most of the “New Looks” pieces mark a significant departure for Tabbah, some of them provide a playful nod to the jeweler’s most recognizable creations, like the Beret ring, for example, which inspired the new “Beret” collection. “As a true style icon, the Beret adapts to its time, and each iteration lives to become tomorrow’s classic,” says Tabbah. “Layering the Beret with the new Love necklace is very exciting. It appeals to a much wider range of styles, while also giving its fans an alternative look and feel.” A blissful way of looking to the past to invent a beautiful new future.

Words Shirine Saad

HEY MR. DJ

Nicolas Matar created New York’s most influential clubs and DJd the coolest parties in the world Nicolas Matar’s father, who worked in fashion, was a regular at Studio 54, and he amassed a massive disco record collection. He instilled his son with an early love of music. “My father was a music collector from a very young age,” says Matar. “He had a massive collection of disco, funk, soul, jazz and early electro. He set up a mini discotheque in the basement of our house and had a proper sound system set up. He would occasionally organize small gatherings and play music for his friends.” After moving to Washington, DC from Lebanon during Lebanon’s civil war, Matar discovered the booming East Coast dance scene, partied at the legendary gay club Trax and went on to play records himself. 238

Soon Eric Hilton from Thievery Corporation booked him his first gig. The self-taught DJ acquired equipment, studied mixtapes and learned from his older DJ friends, listening to new wave, Italo disco, early acid house and Belgian new beats. At 15 he became a resident DJ at DC’s Fifth Column, one of the first house techno clubs. He traveled to London regularly and started clubbing in Ibiza and Amsterdam. In New York he discovered legendary venues such as Save the Robots, The Shelter, Paradise Garage and The Sound Factory Bar, which he considered the best underground

club in the city. In London he was exposed to the late 1980s acid house movement at the Ministry of Sound; he also danced at the Roxy in Amsterdam and Pacha in Ibiza, then an underground club, where he became a resident DJ for six years. Moving to New York, Matar in 2002 launched Cielo, an intimate Meatpacking District club with a state-ofthe-art Funktion-One sound system and a lineup of top international house DJs. He had never envisioned this path. “At that time you would DJ as a hobby,” says Matar. “No one knew it could be a career. I just loved music, mixing tracks and creating a seamless playlist. Music is the great equalizer – it brings people together from all walks of life.” Resident DJs at Cielo included Louie Vega and Francois K. Matar launched the Berlin-inspired Output club in Brooklyn in 2013, named one of the best clubs in America by Rolling Stone magazine. The club features star and emerging DJs, bands and summer daytime parties on the rooftop overlooking the river and city. “I launched the Output project because I had to open something else,” says Matar. “Williamsburg still has soul. The Output adventure began on the dance floor at Berghain/ Panorama about eight years ago. I was inspired to open a multi-room underground club in the burgeoning area of Williamsburg in Brooklyn. At the time, nothing existed with the exception of illegal warehouse parties.” Matar continues to make DJ appearances himself, carefully selecting gigs at venues he favors and with DJs with whom he connects. His dream performance is at Burning Man. “The ultimate for me thus far have been my performances there over the years. It’s a very unusual environment to be in and not comparable to a city or villa party. You’re high up in elevation in the desert, playing for the sunrise, surrounded by mountains.”

nancygonzalez.com

Aïshti, Downtown Beirut 01.99 11 11

Aïshti by the Sea, Antelias 04. 71 77 16

STREET FOOD: THE BEIRUT WAY PHOTOGRAPHY JIMMY DABBAGH

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Ice cream and pizza: street food bliss

We all agree that Beirut is the culinary capital of the Middle East, with more amazing restaurants than almost any city in the world. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re also the nightlife hub of the region, full of bars, clubs and virtually every kind of night joint imaginable. Combining both facets of our city, photographer Jimmy Dabbagh went on a food-filled expedition, discovering where locals head for bites, snacks and treats after the late-night party

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Above: Mansourâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lebanese sweets Left: Onno Armenian restaurant

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Fruit cocktails, Lebanese sweets, meghli and more

AFTER A HARD NIGHT OF PARTYING, WE ALL NEED A LITTLE PICK-ME-UP

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SHAWARMA, SHISH TAOUK, FALAFEL – NOTHING TASTES BETTER IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS, ESPECIALLY IF YOU’VE BEEN DRINKING AND DANCING ALL NIGHT

BEIRUT SOUKS, SOUK EL TAWILEH T. 01 99 11 11 EXT: 560 AÏSHTI BY THE SEA, ANTELIAS T. 04 71 77 16 EXT. 263 BEIRUT CITY CENTER, HAZMIEH, LEVEL 1 T. 01 287 187 ALSO AVAILABLE AT ALL AÏZONE STORES IN BEIRUT, DUBAI, AMMAN

7FORALLMANKIND.COM

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A VERY TECHY CHRISTMAS PHOTOGRAPHY TONY ELIEH

THERE'S A NEW DESTINATION FOR TECH LOVERS. RIGHT NEXT TO AÏSHTI BY THE SEA IN ANTELIAS, YOU NOW HAVE AÏSHTI HOME SOLUTIONS, LEBANON'S DAZZLING EMPORIUM FOR SMARTPHONES, SPEAKERS, HOMEWARE, HEADPHONES AND VIRTUALLY EVERY TECH TREASURE ON YOUR CHRISTMAS WISH LIST. IT'S THE MOST EXCITING STORE OF ITS KIND IN THE COUNTRY!

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Bang & Olufsen Play A6 Speaker

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Jarre AeroSkull HD Speaker

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Harman Kardon Go + Play Portable Speaker

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Samsung Galaxy Note 8

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Bang & Olufsen Play H9 headphones

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Poet Pandoretta handmade steel speaker with oak base

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Samsung Gear S3 Frontier (left) and iPhone X (right)

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Samsung Gear S3 Frontier

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Bang & Olufsen Play A2 Active Portable Speaker

ENJOY EXCLUSIVE OFFERS ON HAIR, MAKE-UP, NAILS, BODY AND FACIAL TREATMENTS

PLAYGROUND

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Kyu

251 NW 25th Street, kyumiami.com Wynwood is Miami’s hippest neighborhood. This once-derelict area just west of Downtown was jolted back to life when hundreds of street artists descended upon its streets and transformed it into the world’s largest open-air artistic showcase. The neighborhood’s brilliantly colored buildings attracted some of the city’s most avant-garde restaurants, including Kyu. Opened by chef Michael Lewis and general manager Steven Haigh, both Zuma alums, the restaurant offers Asianinspired dishes served family style, for all to share. Specialties include soft shell crab steamed bun, Thai fried rice stone pot with either king crab or pork sausage, pork and shiitake gyoza (dumplings) and duck breast “burnt ends.” KYU is so busy that you’ll have to book a table well in advance. But even if you can’t get a table, be sure to at least visit the bar for a delectable artisan cocktail: the Walk of Shame, with gin, sake, lemongrass, ginger and peach bitters, is our favorite. – Marwan Naaman

NEW YORK

La Pecora Bianca

950 Second Ave., lapecorabianca.com Restaurateur Mark Barak just opened a second outpost of his popular eatery in Midtown Manhattan. As in the original Nomad location, the new La Pecora Bianca offers an Italian menu with a variety of pasta and vegetable dishes, courtesy of chef Cruz Goler, in addition to grab-and-go meals, salads, sandwiches and desserts. Menu highlights include pappardelle with porcini mushrooms and lemon zest, linguini with mussels, rock shrimp and fennel and the signature dish, gramigna with homemade sausage, broccoli rabe and chili flakes. Wine lovers will be happy to know that the entire wine list is Italian, including organic rosé and white wines. La Pecora Bianca gives us yet one more reason to hit Midtown Manhattan. – Michelle Merheb

Kyu, La Pecora Bianca

Where We’re Eating 262

MIAMI

CABIRIA, CHARITY, CHASTITY A FILM BY NATASHA LYONNE

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BEIRUT

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Pasteur Street, Saifi, facebook.com/beroe.beirut Karim Bibi, former executive chef at Meat the Fish, opened Beroe in late 2017 with managing partner Mark Mouracade. The name of the restaurant comes from Greek mythology – Beroe was the daughter of Aphrodite and Adonis, and she was the nymph of Beirut. Bibi says that his cuisine is mainly French, “but we borrow from global flavors.” Specialties – all as divine as the nymph who gave her name to the place – include beef and crispy rice, steamed buns and mushroom pasta made with mushroom stock and goat cheese. “It’s unique food that plays on things I’ve experienced in the past, and that you can’t get anywhere else,” says Bibi. Beroe’s location in Saifi adds to the charm: you feel as if you’re dining in a popular West Village spot or at the latest and hippest Shoreditch restaurant. – Marwan Naaman

Beroe

WE CARRY YOUR TRUST

Fast Building, 344 Pasteur Street, Gemmayze, Lebanon T. +961 1 562 777 F. +961 1 449 000

ITALIANS STILL DO IT BETTER Head to Italian restaurant Matto at Aïshti by the Sea for a new kind of experience

Driving along the Antelias highway, you may have noticed a giant billboard announcing “The Italians Are Coming!” The billboard refers to Matto, an Italian restaurant that just opened at Aïshti by the Sea.

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If you’ve been to Dubai, you may already be familiar with Matto: the restaurant originally landed at The Oberoi hotel in Downtown Dubai in November 2016. The success of the initial venture encouraged Addmind Group (the people who also brought you Iris, White, Madame Bleu and Bar du Port) to launch a second outpost in Lebanon.

mixologist for Addmind Group and the talent behind the delectable concoctions offered at Iris and Bar du Port, among others. “We’re also the first and only outlet in Lebanon to have Italian beer,” says Habbouche, “like Moretti and Peroni. We also have homemade limoncello.”

On warm, sunny days, Matto throws open its engaging seaside terrace, which also seats about 100 guests. “And during dinner, we have an indoor DJ in winter, and one outside in summer,” says Habbouche, adding to the perennially upbeat atmosphere of the place.

One more thing: keep your eyes open for a new Lebanese restaurant, also part of the Addmind Group, scheduled to open at Aïshti by the Sea in the near future. Looks like the Antelias coastline can now lay claim to its very own restaurant row. To book a table at Matto, tel. 71.444.335

In a sprawling indoor space that seats 100 diners, Matto serves purely Italian cuisine, including various pizzas and pastas. Signature dishes range from panzanella (authentic Italian salad) and cotoletta alla Milanese (veal cutlets) to unusual desserts like the Matto Rock, which is essentially a big Ferrero Rocher that comes with a hammer – to be broken down by the guests themselves prior to eating. “It’s an interactive dessert,” says general manager Elie Habbouche.

To ensure that the Italian theme pervades the entire experience, half of the employees (waiters, manager, cooks, kitchen staff) are Italian. Even Habbouche is half Italian, adding to the authentic feel of the place. “The restaurant has a friendly vibe,” he says, explaining that the staff intermingles with customers to make them feel at home. Habbouche also says that Matto offers a “full package” to clients. “We have the ladies who lunch during the week, aperitifs after work and families on the weekends for lunch. It’s something fresh and new for Lebanon.” In terms of drinks, Matto serves a wide range of Italian alcohol and drinks, focusing on aromas and botanicals, with cocktails devised by Mohamad Shaaban, chief

Addmind Group

What We’re Eating

Words Marwan Naaman

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How We’re Detoxing

Words Karim Hussain

GIVE UP AND GET MORE The secret to effective weight loss may involve surrendering control to others

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Through our social media feeds, on visits to supermarket and restaurants, we are constantly bombarded with invitations to indulge in, food, drink and treats. For anyone who can exercise self-control (or just exercise!), this is normal life, but the statistics coming from countries around the world show that a growing number of people are finding it hard to say “no,” even when they’ve had enough. The reality is made stark with the increasing number of people who are obese or suffering from preventable or lifestyle-related illnesses such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and dangerously high levels of cholesterol.

uses multiple techniques simultaneously to ensure lifestyle change. Participants are asked to commit to three actions: “Track,” where they use the OurPath supplied weighing scales and activity tracker to measure progress; “Support,” where a full-time dietician and support group of similar peers is in contact daily through messaging groups; and “Learn,” by reading the educational content that is shared and taking part in digital behavioral therapy.

Chris Edson and Mike Gibbs founded OurPath as a solution to this very issue, but instead of offering the holy grail of weight loss, they spent three years researching how to affect behavioral change. They built a digital program that

The program involves daily weigh-ins, where information is transmitted to your dietician before you converse (digitally) both privately and with the group. You are told what to eat, when and how to exercise for a three-month period, and

And despite there being never-ending noise about the latest fad diet or fitness regime, the weight continues to pile on, and the number of people suffering continues to rise. It’s enough to make you give up. Well, how about that as an idea? Instead of trying to take control of every detail of your life, why not give that control to someone else?

With a launch in 2016, OurPath found that after six months, participants were losing more than double the weight of those using traditional programs. “What’s unique is the combination of practices,” says Edson. “There are countless weightloss and fitness tips and diet recipes available online, but the effectiveness comes through committing to all three elements: daily weigh-ins, taking part in dietician discussions and then applying what you are learning to eating and activity, and repeating this with a group.”

then it’s up to you to continue on your own. The 12-week timespan is an effective period for breaking bad habits and creating new, good ones. The Our Path name is derived from the idea of going on a journey together: you, the dietician and all the other people in your digital group are supporting and encouraging (or even competing against) each other. The success has been recognized in the United Kingdom, with the program being offered to over 1,000 individuals by the National Health Service, who currently spend 10% of their annual budget on preventing/ reducing type 2 diabetes. Visit ourpath.co.uk

The Trick Brain Curated by Massimiliano Gioni

Featured Artists John Armleder Ed Atkins Trisha Baga Kerstin Brätsch Kerstin Brätsch & Adele Röder Sascha Braunig Dora Budor Elaine Cameron-Weir Anne Collier Caleb Considine Abraham Cruzvillegas Alex Da Corte Enrico David Jeremy Deller Nathalie Djurberg & Hans Berg Lucy Dodd Aleksandra Domanović Michaela Eichwald Nicole Eisenman Ida Ekblad Jana Euler Urs Fischer Roland Flexner Gelitin Isa Genzken Mark Grotjahn Yngve Holen Carsten Höller Marguerite Humeau Elliott Hundley Sanya Kantarovsky Ajay Kurian Maria Lassnig Sarah Lucas Goshka Macuga Calvin Marcus Helen Marten Lucy McKenzie Bjarne Melgaard Matthew Monahan Matt Mullican Oscar Murillo David Noonan Katja Novitskova Henrik Olesen Laura Owens Philippe Parreno Paola Pivi Carol Rama Wilhelm Sasnal Cindy Sherman Gabriel Sierra Avery Singer John Stezaker Martine Syms Henry Taylor Torey Thornton Wolfgang Tillmans Andra Ursuţa Adrián Villar Rojas Danh Vo Michael Williams Jonas Wood Haegue Yang Anicka Yi Jakub Julian Ziolkowski

Opening Hours : Wednesday to Saturday | 11:00AM - 7:00PM, Sunday | 12:00PM - 7:00PM Aïshti Foundation, Seaside road, Antelias, T. 04 717 716 ext. 300

Jiva Spa Boat at Taj Lake Palace

The Taj Lake Palace floats in the middle of Lake Pichola, Udaipur. tajhotels.com/tajlakepalace Built in 1746 as a pleasure palace for prince Maharana Jagat Singh II, it has been renovated as a hotel where guests can enhance their “floating” experience with a menu of treatments inspired by ancient wellness traditions and the royal heritage of the palace. The Jiva Spa boat sails gently around the hotel, offering unparalleled views of neighboring City Palace, Aravalli Hills, Machla Magra Hills and Jag Mandir, while skilled therapists offer a variety of two- to four-hour treatments from a carefully curated menu. Programs include the Energizing Spa Escape, which feature the signature Jiva treatment Pehlwan Malish, based on those traditionally enjoyed by Indian wrestlers and using either mustard oil or aromatherapy oil to relax the muscles. – Karim Hussain

KANDY, SRI LANKA

Santani Santani is Sri Lanka’s first destination spa. santani.lk The place offers guests individually tailored Ayurvedic programs as well as various retreats with wellness experts. Daily yoga sessions and personalized meal plans complement the property’s idyllic setting in the heart of Sri Lanka’s Hill Country. The property comprises 18 villas that overlook pristine forests, providing a sense of holistic seclusion and sanctuary. The tri-level spa is tucked into the hillside’s natural contours. One floor is home to the reception and consulting rooms, while another offers a hydrotherapy level with a steam room, open-air thermal salt soak pool and cedar wood sauna, complete with a glass wall overlooking the emerald paddy fields and Knuckles mountain range. The lowest level divides into four treatment rooms (one of which is designed for couples), opening up onto the surrounding paddy fields. – Karim Hussain

Santani, Taj Lake Palace

Where We’re Detoxing 270

UDAIPUR, INDIA

Chalet Merlo chaletmerlo.eu Detoxing sometimes has to be earned to be deserved, and skiing vacations are always a balance of the sport itself versus the après activities. To ensure you always feel your best, think about renting a chalet with spa services included. Directly above the village of Le Miroir, Chalet Merlo is such as destination, offering panoramic vistas of the Tarentaise valley and access to some of the region’s best Alpine skiing. With six ensuite bedrooms, it’s potentially your frosty palace party destination, but it includes a fully equipped gym spread over two floors, a private massage suite, hot tub and sauna facilities. The chalet also comes with a dedicated team consisting of a professional chef, host and a chauffeur to ensure a memorable winter vacation. – Valerie Jones

CHALET MERLO IS YOUR FROSTY PALACE PARTY DESTINATION

Première Neige

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LE MIROIR, FRANCE

Aïshti By the Sea, Antelias T. 04 717 716 ext.288 Aïzone Stores T. 01 99 11 11

What We’re Drinking

Words Tala Habbal

YOGA AND A DRINK Achieve a higher state of spiritual being while sipping an ice cold beer

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Fitness trends are changing faster than you can say Zumba. The days of gym memberships and 12-month contracts have been replaced with unique one-off classes like nightclub-style boxing, trampoline rebounding and upbeat spinning.

Beer yoga is the newest fitness craze to take over the ever-evolving workout world, and yoga and fitness enthusiasts alike can’t seem to get enough. Although enlightenment through yoga under the influence of alcohol might sound strange, founders of Germany’s original BierYoga, Emily and Jhula, insist that the experience is not a joke. “We take the philosophies of yoga and pair them with the pleasure of beerdrinking to reach your highest level of consciousness,” explain the duo, who were inspired to start BierYoga after seeing the concept at the Burning Man festival in Nevada.

The experience is similar to any other yoga class, except the attendees down a bottle or two of beer while attempting tree poses and beer salutations, allowing for even more relaxation than a traditional yoga class. It is touted as blending two centuries-old methods of relaxation, combining the joy of drinking beer and the mindfulness of yoga, albeit in a slightly unorthodox manner. Beer yoga is perfect for yogis who like beer, beer lovers who like yoga and for those who are looking for any excuse to drink alcohol and call it a workout.

This boozy new yoga trend has spread throughout Europe and has found its way to Singapore and Australia, quickly becoming an international craze. London is the latest European city to welcome the trend, with vinyasa beer yoga classes now held at pubs across the city.

The trend has also picked up stateside. Offering beer yoga classes in New York, Beer Fit Club was founded with the aim of making fitness fun and accessible, by incorporating the social past time of drinking beer with fun poses like “Drunken Warrior” and “Earn Your Beer.” Chicago has upped the ante with classes being held at local breweries on the taproom floor, among barrels of local brew. Attendees are encouraged to sip, laugh and enjoy a fun vinyasa flow and post shavasana brew. Skeptics aside, this is definitely one fitness trend that will have even the most exercise-averse ready to say namaste. Whether or not the trend will spill over into wine yoga territory is yet to be seen – but one can only hope!

Where We’re Drinking Open Sunday-Thursday 5pm-2am; Friday 4pm-2am; Saturday 5pm-3am. 326 N. Morgan Street, prairieschoolchicago.com

Mixologist and bartender Jim Meehan was a veritable pioneer when he opened modern speakeasy PDT (Please Don’t Tell) in New York in 2007. Now he’s arrived in Chicago, where he just launched Prairie School, a hip speakeasy in Fulton Market with a décor inspired by architect Frank Lloyd Wright, complete with stained glass, wooden shelves and fieldstone. In addition to offbeat nibbles like fried cheese curds, Prairie School serves tasty artisan cocktails including Eve, made with gin and cider-based eau de vie, and Father-in-Law, a mix of oat whiskey, sherry and cream. Wright was born in 1867, exactly 150 years ago. This stylish new bar is a fitting tribute to his incredible legacy. – Marwan Naaman

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Chicago – Prairie School

Paname Brewing Company

PARIS

Open daily 11am-2am. 41 bis Quai de la Loire, 19th arrondissement, panamebrewingcompany.com This super-trendy watering hole floating atop the Seine on the Quai de la Loire serves locally brewed beers with names inspired by Parisian history, like Baron Rouge, Saison Casque d’Or and Barge du Canal. Weather permitting, you can knock back a cool one on the outdoor terrace, overlooking the water. When it’s cold, the area is glassed-in, so you still get that outdoorsy feel. A variety of bar foods accompany the beer selection, including a mouthwatering charcuterie platter, guacamole, fish ‘n’ chips and pulled pork burger. A must-try for beer lovers. – Marwan Naaman

Now evokes the kind of intimacy felt at an old pub.

Now. Paname Brewing Company

Now

Open daily 5pm-1am. Selim Bustros Street, Ashrafieh, facebook.com/nowbeirut It’s dark and lined with old stone walls, and a jazz band plays on a small stage, lulling the audience into a different era. It’s also especially appealing to gin aficionados, so make sure to ask for the gin with lemongrass (it’s not on the menu), the right mix of tangy and herbal, and it’s not too sour. They also make a mean London Mule (gin, fresh lime, fresh ginger and ginger beer), best paired with Rice Rice Baby, a starter consisting of Arancini balls stuffed with smoked mozzarella cheese and marinara sauce on the side. Sounds good? Tastes good too. Add some Hip Chop (lamb chops with Now’s signature Mediterranean sauce) and you’ve got yourself a great little setup. – Rayane Abou Jaoude

BEIRUT

Where We’re Drinking 278

Parisian craft beers are the specialty at Paname Brewing Company.

DO DENIM DIFFERENT.

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Words Ramsay Short

THE NEW NIGHTLIFE 280

FIVE CITIES ARE WAITING FOR YOU TO PARTY! The best global cities for nightlife you say? London, Berlin, New York, Barcelona, right? Wrong! While these party capitals will always maintain a special place in our hearts here at A Mag, we’ve been traveling the world and speaking to our international friends, and what’s clear is that there’s a whole new raft of cities that are clamoring for our attention. Here are the top five contenders on our New Nightlife list – they’re so good even our beloved Beirut doesn’t get a look in.

Opposite and above: Belgrade

Belgrade The Serbian for “kick back” is opusteno, and Belgrade natives need no excuse. Formerly war-torn, with a culture straddling east and west, the city has more in common with Beirut than possibly any other nightlife mecca. Today everyone wants a part of it, with club promoters like the United Kingdom’s Resident Advisor putting on nights and culture/travel bibles from CN Traveler to Monocle getting in on the action with considerable coverage. Much of the scene goes on in Savamala. The battered concrete shell that is KC Grad is one of the venues where the best electronic parties happen, with the likes of international house-tek stars Damian Lazarus and local Belgrade producer Superpitcher all playing. Mikser, a cultural hub also in Savamala, puts on major 1970s funk nights, which are always packed out. Clubs like Drugstore, housed since 2014 in a one-time abattoir that could have been designed by Oscar Niemeyer, is as intense as it gets, hosting major contemporary techno mash-ups where, as they state on the website: “Logic is forever twisted into a crazy loop of partying.”

Buenos Aires It’s not really fair to say that the Buenos Aires nightlife scene is new – the Argentine capital has been known for its nocturnal activities for decades. But while the city has been passionate about football, tango and cumbia, what is new is an increasing demand for electronic music, hardcore garage and hip new bars. One of the coolest, and a good place to start the night, is Boticario in the Palermo quarter, designed like an old school pharmacy for drinks, with DJs from local record store Exile playing strictly vinyl on weekends. When we say start it’s because clubs don’t really hit their stride until 2am, which is when porteños get dancing. The majority of popular clubs are pricey and dressy – take the other relatively new joint in Palermo, Rosebar for example, and the more well-known Jet Lounge with its disco balls and high-end drinks. But the underground scene is where the exciting stuff is happening, at rough and ready random venues like boxing gym La Cultura del Barrio in Villa Crespo which, come the witching hour, transforms into a hardcore punk and garage venue where the music’s loud and mosh pits dirty.

Bangkok

Bangkok Bangkok has slowly been building a newer, more recognized and increasingly attractive nightlife scene. Underground as such it’s not, but vibrant and hip it certainly is, featuring high-style cocktails as well as down and dirty dives. The former you can find at current in-spaces like Hyde & Seek, a bar and restaurant with live DJ, super-chic beer garden and drinks mixed by a Diageo World Class Mixing Champion. The latter at spots like Studio Lam, a small neighborhood bar featuring obscure records dropped by the resident crate digging DJs. When it comes to clubbing there’s a lot of bad stuff and bad places with throwback door policies and “popular” music, but those in the know still go to Beam, which like some of the best clubs in the world is all raw concrete, darkness and smoke machines.

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St. Petersburg

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St. Petersburg Boasting more bars than Bond can drink vodkamartinis (and a craft brewing scene that’s set to rival Brussels) St. Petersburg has long had a reputation for things getting rowdy after dark. But recent years have seen it become a destination of choice for those in search of something a little more tasteful (and rockoriented) than Moscow’s all-bling scene. Before the party starts, locals like to talk, and they do it at Dead Poets, which offers over 80 whiskies, plentiful vodkas and pretty much anything else – on weekends it’s open 24 hours and hosts random music events. Fish Fabrique and Griboedov are club/concert venues with a laid-back attitude that have deservedly acquired cult status and as such are musts for out-of-towners.

Copenhagen Of all the Nordic capitals, Copenhagen is regularly voted the most livable, and one of the reasons why is its prolific nightlife scene, which – get this – has funding help from the Danish government as a way to promote local culture. There’s an exciting electronic music element from the Meatpacking District to Nørrebro and a hell of a lot of innovative bands crossing genres coming out of the city. Plus, being on the small side for a capital, something about partying in Copenhagen feels incredibly intimate. The best club in town remains the most famous, Culture Box, where native and international DJs drop all manner of electronic beats. You know a spot that has a record store downstairs and recording studios next door is going to be in demand, and the varied DJ line up that takes in everything from disco to tech-house at Sigurdsgade 39 just adds to the attraction. Similar and equally feel-good spots include KB18, a crowded lowceiled techno club, and Panama CPH, a multi-roomed kitsch-cool venue with a music profile so fabulous, it’ll be the first destination on your Danish list. What’s not to love?

Copenhagen

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The Jeremy

LOS ANGELES

Where We’re Staying

The Jeremy is one of the newest hotels to open on West Hollywood’s Sunset Strip.

8490 West Sunset Boulevard, jeremyhotel.com And although there are rumors that it’ll only stay open for about a year, The Jeremy has already altered the LA skyline with its two dramatically visible steel and glass towers. A striking feature: the two towers are linked by a seven-story Dream Catcher installation with LEDs courtesy of lighting designer Walter Barry. The hotel offers 286 rooms and suites, plus West Hollywood restaurant and bar, Etcho lobby café, Joao lobby bar and a particularly appealing outdoor pool deck and lounge with views over the City of Angels. – Michelle Merheb

The Jeremy, Villa Pliniana

Como, serenohotels.com/property/villa-pliniana/ Sitting atop Lake Como, the spectacular Villa Pliniana is set inside a 16th-century Renaissance estate that once housed the likes of Byron and Napoleon. Home to only 17 suites, the sprawling lakefront property was recently renovated by celebrated Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola, who paired terrazzo floors and gold leaf mirrors with contemporary furnishings by the likes of Le Corbusier. Guests who favor complete and utter privacy can reserve the villa, which comes with its own personal chef, concierge, swimming pool and spa. The villa even has its own helipad – if you prefer to reach the property by air rather than by boat ride from Como. – Marwan Naaman

Villa Pliniana

LAKE COMO, ITALY

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LONDON

Nobu Shoreditch

BKERZAY IS LEBANON THE WAY WE ALL DREAM IT COULD BE BKERZAY, LEBANON

Bkerzay Guest Houses

Chouf Mountains, bkerzay.com It’s one of Lebanon’s most appealing hotel developments. Bkerzay Guest Houses, set amid the Chouf Mountains’ abundant greenery, consists of small abodes all designed to look like traditional Lebanese stone houses. Billed as an eco-friendly village, the whole place was built to blend into its mountainous environment – and without uprooting a single tree. Accommodations range from standard rooms and suites to an actual house, the “maisonnette.” Other attractions include an infinity pool, a pottery studio and easy access to the many hiking trails nearby. The restaurant comes courtesy of celebrated local chef Hussein Hadid. Bkerzay is Lebanon the way we all dream it could be. – Marwan Naaman

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10-50 Willow Street, nobuhotelshoreditch.com The hip East London neighborhood of Shoreditch has its fair share of cool places to sleep, from the Ace Hotel to the Hoxton Hotel, but the newest and the trendiest is this stylish new outpost from Japanese chef Nobuyuki Matsuhisa and actor Robert De Niro. The architecture of the new building is as cutting edge as it gets, all striking steel and glass, and it simply screams luxury. As do the rooms. The bathroom sinks are gold – we’re not joking – as are the shower and taps. The beds are huge and forget about bathrobes – at Nobu hotels it’s all about the complimentary kimonos. Best of all this is the Nobu Shoreditch restaurant and bar downstairs, set to become London’s new Chiltern Firehouse when it comes to being the trendiest destination in town, and serving up Nobu’s trademark Japanesefusion dishes. Yellowtail with jalapeño anyone? – Ramsay Short

www.aeronautica.difesa.it www.aeronauticamilitare-collezioneprivata.it AĂŻshti by the Sea, Antelias T. 04 71 77 16 ext. 273 and all AĂŻzone stores T. 01 99 11 11 Produced and distributed by Cristiano di Thiene Spa

THEKOOPLES.COM

A BAG COLLABORATION WITH EMILY RATAJKOWSKI

THE EMILY BY

PA R I S 148 SAAD ZAGHLOUL STREET, DOWNTOWN BEIRUT / AÏSHTI BY THE SEA, ANTELIAS

Camper Beirut souks, Souk El Tawileh Street, Beirut central district • Aïshti by the Sea, B1 Level, Antelias • Beirut City Center, Level 1, Hazmieh

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CREATURES OF THE NIGHT

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“I don’t believe in the Republican party or the Democratic party. I just believe in parties,” proclaims the wild and unrestrained Samantha Jones on Sex and the City. With that incantation in mind, A Mag ventured into the night and onto the street, on the hunt for Beirutis going in and out of parties, capturing the disheveled, the unpredictable, the pensive. What is the best thing about partying in the city? The answers are as diverse as the people themselves

PHOTOGRAPHY MYRIAM BOULOS

KAREN, 25 COMIC ARTIST “TOO COOL TO PARTY” NOUR, 25 ILLUSTRATOR/COMIC ARTIST “WATCHING PEOPLE”

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MAYACHE, 32 ARTIST “BEIRUT PARTYING IS ALWAYS UNPREDICTABLE AND SEXY”

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CARLA, 25 ART DIRECTOR “J’SAIS PAS TROP, J’AIME PAS”

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RAYYAN, 27 COPYWRITER/TRANSLATOR “THE CITY ENVELOPS YOU, AND WITHOUT NOTICING, AN HOUR-LONG OUTING COULD TURN INTO A SIX-HOUR THING” SALLY, 28 HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICER, GENDER AND SEXUALITY “I DON’T LIKE ANYTHING ABOUT PARTYING IN BEIRUT. PEOPLE ARE OUT FOR THE HUNGER AND NOT THE FUN”

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JULIEN, 24 CIVIL ENGINEER, VISUALS AND LIGHTING “FOR ME IT’S THE ENERGY I GET FROM THE CROWD WHILE DOING MY THING AND SEEING THE REACTIONS AND HAPPY FACES. IT’S ADDICTIVE”

GEORGIO, 27 ARTIST “WATCHING STRANGERS”

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RYM, 27 DESIGNER “THE PARTY IS UNDER MY HOUSE”

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NOUR, 26 FILM DIRECTOR “THE POSSIBILITY OF BURSTING INTO DANCE AT ANY POINT”

AÏSHTI Aïshti by the Sea Antelias, Level 3, Tel. 04 717716 ext. 293-294 athome@aishti.com

LIFESTEEL SOFA

CARLA, 25 ILLUSTRATOR “FINDING GOOD MUSIC TO DANCE TO ALL NIGHT. AND BY GOOD MUSIC I MEAN SOMETHING YOU DON’T NECESSARILY NEED DRUGS TO ENJOY”

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TRACY, 25 COMIC BOOK MAKER “IT’S THE SEXUAL ENERGY MAN. YOU DON’T FIND THAT DYNAMIC ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD”

THE LAST PAGE A MAG TURNS 15

Hard to believe that it’s been 15 years since A Mag was first launched. In 2002, Aïshti’s owner and CEO Tony Salamé had a vision to create a publication that would serve as a mirror of the Aïshti universe, while capturing the new century’s luxury lifestyle. I joined A Mag back then, as editor-in-chief, and for the lion’s share of the following years, I had a front row seat to the events that would come to define both Lebanon and A Mag. There were dramatic moments, like the assassination of prime minister Rafic Hariri in 2005 and the glorious Cedar Revolution that ensued, all covered inside the pages of A Mag, as was the Israeli war on Lebanon in 2006, during which we worked while bombs were dropping around us. Unforgettable experiences included the opening of Aïshti Seaside, then many years later Aïshti by the Sea and Aïshti Foundation. We covered themes like art, taste, female power and lust, and we dedicated various magazines to Beirut, Hollywood, Latin America, Scandinavia and various other places across the globe. Raise your glass to 15 years of wonder – the best is yet to come. – Marwan Naaman

Raya Farhat

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The elevator. An urban fact of life, with a touch of suspense.