People/Style/Culture/Art
EXCESS Prodigal Stories from Joe Mourani, Rena Dagher, Maggy Monsef, Ramy Boutros and the Mukhi Sisters Flamboyant Fall Fashion. Beirut's New Landmarks. The Abundant Riches of Italy
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99 No.
August/September/October 2019
Inside
The Excess Issue
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FRONT / 34 Who’s Who / 36 Editor’s Letter The inspiration behind this issue / 38
Contributors A brief selection / 46 Everything and More Lebanese creatives going
over the top / 60 In Focus What’s on this season / 92 Objects of Desire Items to love / 98 Excessively Italian Fashion brands that take you further / 104 In the Studio with the Mukhi Sisters / 110 Art Returns to the Canals The Venice Biennale / FASHION /
120 Winter Peek Trends for the cold-weather season / 124 Room to Groom Stylish
interiors and accessories / 136 Give Me More Fall and winter excess / 158 Delicious
Overabundance Clothes to make you swoon / FEATURES / 178 Freedom Pavilion
Sir David Adjaye at the Venice Biennale / 184 Pushing the Boundaries Three Beirut landmarks / 188 Subject In Conversation with Ramy Boutros / 190 At the Prince’s
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August/September/October 2019
Behest Milan’s luxurious Principe di Savoia / 194 Gender Illusion Men’s fashion with
a feminine twist / 198 The Bling Ring Jewels and more / 210 Three Places, Through a Personal Lens Martin Stöbich’s visual diary / PLAYGROUND / 236 Where We’re Eating / 240 On Food Eating and stressing / 242 Where We’re Detoxing / 244 On Happiness Drag Syndrome / 246 Milan’s Epicenter of Cool Discover the Navigli
neighborhood / 248 Where We’re Staying / 254 Where We’re Drinking / 258 On
Drink Bigger is funner! / 260 The Last Page
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On the Cover This time around, A Mag goes for extravagance. Experience the dazzling beauty of excess with our cover girl Anne J dressed in a Valentino dress. Shot in The Netherlands by Petrovsky & Ramone / Styling by Imruh Asha
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 Copy editor Rayane Abou Jaoude
Coordinating editor Sophie Nahas Senior photo editor Fadi Maalouf
Feature photographers
In-house fashion photographer Raya Farhat
Tony Elieh
Senior graphic designer Anne Marie Tabet
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Art director Maria Khairallah
Michèle Aoun
Contributing writers
Aly Saab
Salma Abdelnour Karim Hussain
Carl Halal Stylists
Niku Kasmai
Imruh Asha
J. Michael Welton
Illustrator
Nan McElroy
Michelle Merheb Folio artist
Martin Stöbich
Fashion photographers Petrovsky & Ramone Simon
Bachar Srour
Amelianna Loiacono Charles Nicola
Marion Garnier
Editorial intern Rhea Saad Advertising director Melhem Moussallem Advertising manager Rawan Mneimne
Senior marketing coordinator Magaly Mosleh Printing Dots: The Art of Printing
Responsible director Nasser Bitar
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Nexo Luce | Italy
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Take Me Higher We always want more. Whether it’s possessions, looks, friends, vacations or anything at all, we strive for abundance, seeking happiness through plenty. This issue of A Mag celebrates our craving for excess, with an exploration of various things unbridled. From fashion that blows the lid off simplicity and architecture that soars ever higher, to magnum-sized drinks and travel tales of profusion, A Mag shows you how excess often results in a most beautiful experience. This is also one of our most Italian issues to date, with a special tribute to lavish Italian labels, cuisine, art and destinations. After all, is there anywhere else in the world that’s as excessively splendid as Italy? Unrestricted and unrestrained: join us for an extravagant journey through an insanely baroque universe. Marwan Naaman @marwannaaman
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Contributors
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Michèle Aoun Michèle Aoun was born and raised in Beirut, where a career in film production and distribution led to her love of acting and photography. Her work includes fashion, architecture and street photography. Obsessed with the endless possibilities of the image, she feels especially passionate about mixing fashion with reality. She believes her work can inspire positivity and relaxed vibes, but also melancholy and irony. Aoun has contributed to Grazia, L’Officiel and Sorbet Magazine. Her portraits are featured on pages 46 and 188.
Martin Stöbich Martin Stöbich lives and works in Austria as a photographer. The winner of numerous international awards, he is the author of self-published books printed in limited editions that encapsulate photographs gathered throughout his frequent journeys around the world. Beirut/Tokyo and One Picture of Mt. Fuji/Happy in the UAE. is his latest work, published by Verlag für Moderne Kunst as a set of three books. It’s a very special, personal collection of photographs taken in Lebanon, Japan and the UAE between the years 2010 and 2017. Check out some of the photos featured in the books on page 210.
Nan McElroy Nan McElroy is a writer and photographer living full time in Venice, Italy since 2004. She’s been a previous contributor to A Mag and has written for Wine & Spirits, Fodor’s and Oryx, among others. She is also the author of the practical, palm-sized Italy: Instructions for Use and the popular Vap Map vaporetto guide. McElroy is an AIS sommelier and a passionate practitioner of the Voga alla Veneta (rowing style of the gondolier), unique to Venice and its lagoon. See her coverage of this year’s Venice Biennale on page 110.
Rhea Saad Rhea Saad is a Beirut-based, vintage-obsessed freelance art director. She was exposed to different experiences related to communication and production in the world of advertising, art and fashion. You can find her constantly exploring antique stores all over the city, or her grandma’s closet, on the hunt for hidden gems. Constantly inspired by art, fashion, design and architecture, her guilty pleasure is to construct the overall visual aspect of an image through sets and clothes. After collaborating with initiatives such as Beirut Art Fair, and through her six-month internship at A Mag, she realized that what inspires her most is to celebrate the talents of the Middle East’s creative artists and designers.
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EVERYTHING AND MORE Photography Michèle Aoun
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Sometimes it pays to take things to the extreme. For the latest opening shoot of the publication, A Mag has tapped seven Lebanese creatives who have excelled in their chosen field by pushing the envelope and going beyond societal norms and limits. Whether it’s food, mountain climbing, nightlife, interior design, dance, choreography or fashion, the seven trendsetters pictured and interviewed in the following pages are transforming Lebanon, driving the country to become a more extravagant but also more dramatically dazzling version of itself.
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RENA DAGHER
FOUNDER OF OH! BAKEHOUSE As the founder of Lebanon’s extraordinary Oh! Bakehouse, Rena Dagher has always been passionate about clean eating and good food. Although she studied international affairs and first worked at UNDP and then as a business reporter, healthy eating was always foremost on her mind. She decided to attend cooking workshops and then started baking cakes with superfoods and creating various healthy desserts for her friends and children. Soon after, she started selling her artisanal goods to cafés, restaurants and friends and acquaintances. Her success encouraged her to launch Oh! Bakehouse, a 21st-century bakery that specializes in pastries, bread, detox juices, smoothies, salads, sandwiches and ice cream, all of which are reminiscent of home-baked goods while remaining free from gluten, dairy, additives, artificial flavorings and refined sugars. Oh! Bakehouse fulfills Dagher’s mother’s wish, who suffered from celiac disease and wanted to share her knowledge of gluten-free baking with the rest of the world. When asked what makes her most proud, Dagher says, “My evolution as a person.” Name one person who has left a lasting impact on your life and explain why. My mom! She was a warrior and my role model for courage, sacrifice, genuine love to others and dedication in the most literal sense.
In your opinion, is excess a good or bad thing? Actually my motto in my personal life and in my work is “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication” (quote by Leonardo da Vinci) and “Less is more.” It is something I abide by with every move I make. Who’s the most outrageous person in the world and why? There’s not one single person. I believe most politicians in most countries are outrageous. What’s your dream travel destination? St. Lucia in the Caribbean. I am currently fascinated by the Caribbean and Latin America. Which is your favorite spot in Lebanon? Probably Naqoura as it is still somehow untouched and virgin. If you could go back in time and change one thing about your life, what would it be? Nothing. I love who I turned out to be and what the years have taught me. What do you love most about your work? That it allows me to do what I love the most! Describe yourself in just one word. Passionate.
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JOE MOURANI
PUB AND RESTAURANT OWNER While he studied civil engineering at McGill University in Montreal, Joe Mourani made his mark on Lebanon as one of the country’s great nightlife pioneers. After stints in the kitchens of various Parisian restaurants, including Lapérouse and La Maison Blanche, he moved to Beirut and opened Gemmayze’s iconic Myu restaurant and bar in 2006, followed by Stereokitchen in 2011. Both establishments recently closed, but Mourani also opened two of Beirut’s hottest destinations in 2018: Café Standard (on Myu’s former digs) and Ballroom Blitz. Next up for Mourani: the launch of Workshop Kitchen + Bar in Los Angeles at the end of 2019. When asked what he loves most about his work, Mourani says, “The sweet feel you get when you please people.” What makes you most proud? My cucumber salad! Name one person who has left a lasting impact on your life and explain why. Chef Franck Petagna. He gave me the passion for cooking. In your opinion, is excess a good or bad thing? Excess is good in the moment and bad after. Who’s the most outrageous person in the world and why? Trump. Quite obvious why. What’s your dream travel destination? It changes every time. For the time being Japan. Which is your favorite spot in Lebanon? Gemmayze! If you could go back in time and change one thing about your life, what would it be? Say no to my first cigarette even though I don’t consider myself a smoker. Describe yourself in just one word. Free.
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MAGGY MONSEF
LIFESTYLE BRAND AND GLOBAL INTERIOR DESIGNER Interior designer Maggy Monsef credits her father, Camille Monsef, for her great love of design. She believes that interior design is all about human behavior and human interaction, and identifies her affinity for art, music and fashion as essential to her ability to style people’s lives. The ability to see what could be, instead of what is, and then bring it to reality, is her forte. In addition to Lebanon’s iconic La Crêperie restaurant in Jounieh, which she designed, she’s had assignments all over the world, including the Middle East and Europe. When asked who the most outrageous person in the world is, Monsef says it’s someone “who doesn’t appreciate diversity in life. It’s that person who limits their vision, therefore causing their mission in life to be limited.”
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What makes you most proud? My kids and my work. Seeing my children grow into successful and confident young adults is the harvest of my motherhood journey. Name one person who has left a lasting impact on your life and explain why. My father. First, he taught me unconditional love, which I have utilized with everything that touches my life. Professionally and being an architect himself, I grew up to develop a passion for design, which became a focal point in my career. In your opinion, is excess a good or bad thing? It depends. There are things that lose their lust and beauty when in excess. On the other hand, there are things that intensify their meaning and purpose. It’s about one’s comfort in presenting their own identity that matters the most. What’s your dream travel destination? Every corner of the world is my dream travel destination. The world is big, and it has so much to offer. My ultimate dream travel destination would be the Moon or Mars, which I am confident we will reach one day. Never stop dreaming. Which is your favorite spot in Lebanon? I like every spot of my country, but a few places stand out, most notably La Crêperie, the restaurant I designed in Jounieh. From the top of the rock, one can see the sea, the mountains and the streets of our beloved Lebanon – a holistic picturesque view. If you could go back in time and change one thing about your life, what would it be? I would never go back in the timeline of my life as I am someone who looks forward to the journey of living. But if I have to give my 13-year-old self advice, I would courageously say, “Everything will happen for a reason. Never ever give up.” What do you love most about your work? I love the process of creation. My eclectic taste brings items and designs from all walks of life to fit in one frame of beauty and fine design. Describe yourself in just one word. Positive.
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CHARLES NICOLA
FASHION DESIGNER AND STYLIST Beirut-based Charles Nicola is currently senior ready-to-wear designer at celebrated Lebanese couture house Elie Saab. Prior to that, he was senior designer at Basil Soda Couture, also in Lebanon, after having earned degrees in fashion design from Monterey Peninsula College in California and the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. The young multitasker is also a visual consultant for Cold Cuts magazine and a freelance stylist at L’Officiel Levant and A Mag. When asked what he would do differently if he could go back in time and change one thing about his life, he says, “I wouldn’t have stopped ballet classes.” What makes you most proud? My work. Name one person who has left a lasting impact on your life and explain why. Basil Soda, because he was the first person to take a chance on me after college and taught me everything I know. In your opinion, is excess a good or bad thing? More is more! Who’s the most outrageous person in the world and why? John Galliano, because… refer to the previous question. What’s your dream travel destination? Tokyo. Which is your favorite spot in Lebanon? Beiteddine. What do you love most about your work? Seeing a garment I made come to life and creating a beautiful image around it. Describe yourself in just one word. Fabulous.
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LAURA AYOUB
HEAD INSTRUCTOR AND FOUNDER OF POLE FIT LEBANON Laura Ayoub is Lebanon’s leading pole-dancing instructor. The 30-year-old first studied and worked in the restaurant industry for 10 years before deciding to pursue her other great passion: to teach pole dancing, which she now does full time. While she says that she is still figuring out her life one day at a time, she also adds that she would never change anything so far. “I believe and always say to those around me that there’s no such thing as regret, only experiences,” says Ayoub. “I am grateful for the life I was given and the one I made. I wouldn’t change the good or the bad of it.” What makes you most proud? I embrace the unknown and follow my guts fearlessly. Name one person who has left a lasting impact on your life and explain why. My mother. She’s taught me all the goodness I know and all the values and principles I have. She is the best support system and example a child can have. She also taught me acceptance, kindness, balance, generosity, independence and forgiveness. She has always pushed me to work on my flaws, but accept myself the way I am. In your opinion, is excess a good or bad thing? Excess is the best thing moderately. Who’s the most outrageous person in the world and why? A person who takes humans, living creatures and cruelty for granted and/or someone who judges situations or things they’ve never experienced or been in. What’s your dream travel destination? Currently Japan, because it’s a country full of contrasts, as crazy as traditional. Which is your favorite spot in Lebanon? A new vegan café called Orenda in Mar Mikhael. Orenda is extremely respectful to all living species, environmentally friendly, has zero discrimination and has tasty food and drinks. Also the dance floor at The Grand Factory! What do you love most about your work? Seeing my students improve when they were so sure they couldn’t do it and constantly being told how pole dancing has empowered them both mentally and physically. Describe yourself in just one word. Two words: Happily imperfect.
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OMAR RAJEH CHOREOGRAPHER
Dance is Omar Rajeh’s great passion. Artistic director of Maqamat, founder of BIPOD and founder and artistic director of the newly opened Citerne Beirut, the acclaimed dancer and choreographer is a leading figure of contemporary dance in the Arab world and a great contributor to Lebanon’s contemporary dance scene. He spent 17 years weaving, exploring and refining his choreographic language by questioning the body. His works expose a rawness and intuitive dramaturgy surrounding the idea of body plurality, asking both the performer and audience to question and break the perception of oneness and singularity. Via Maqamat, Rajeh has staged various choreographic works at major regional and international theaters and festivals. “I feel a sense of content and gratitude when my performances touch the audience and make a difference in their lives,” he says. “To realize that I might have opened some possibilities and inspirations is a precious thing.” 56
Name one person who has left a lasting impact on your life and explain why. It is difficult to name one person only as we are always influenced and inspired – and embraced. In your opinion, is excess a good or bad thing? I tend to prefer simplicity and balance. Who’s the most outrageous person in the world and why? I don’t have an answer. What’s your dream travel destination? When I was a kid I always dreamed of traveling to outer space. It didn’t change much, but meanwhile, I would love to travel in Africa. Which is your favorite spot in Lebanon? The Cedars Biosphere Reserve. If you could go back in time and change one thing about your life, what would it be? I am happy with my journey as it is. What do you love most about your work? It’s a continuous questioning and discovering of relationships and order. A daily questioning of our perception of life and our presence. Describe yourself in just one word. Generous.
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JOYCE AZZAM
CONSERVATION ARCHITECT AND URBAN DESIGNER Dr. Joyce Azzam is the first Lebanese woman mountaineer to complete the Seven Summits by climbing the highest summit in each of the seven continents around the world, including Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Everest. She has raised the Lebanese flag at all seven summits – a commitment to her home country of Lebanon. By March 2020, she hopes to complete the Explorers Grand Slam, after which she’ll make history for being the second woman in the world to do so. Following her successful climbs, she’s become a source of inspiration to youth and women in Lebanon and across the Middle East. She believes that she is living proof that Lebanese women are capable, multi-talented and successful. Her dream travel destination? The Himalayas. What makes you most proud? Always being faithful to my dreams. Name one person who has left a lasting impact on your life and explain why. Georges Azzam, my brother, friend, coach and mentor. In your opinion, is excess a good or bad thing? More is less. Who’s the most outrageous person in the world and why? The mountaineer who leaves his or her trash and dreams on the mountain. Which is your favorite spot in Lebanon? The Lebanese mountains. If you could go back in time and change one thing about your life, what would it be? I would change nothing. What do you love most about your work? Passion. Describe yourself in just one word. Determined.
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In Focus Back Beauty_____ While Paris’ pre-eminent fashion museum Palais Galliera is now being renovated, it’s still holding various exhibits throughout the French capital, including the current “Back Side: Dos à la Mode.” Set at Musée Bourdelle, the show is dedicated to “fashion from behind,” with over 100 dresses and accessories from the 18th century to the present day, all emphasizing the sensual beauty of the female back. The fashion items are placed next to Antoine Bourdelle’s magnificent artworks, resulting in a highly unusual yet blissful dialogue between style and sculpture. Until November 17, palaisgalliera.paris.fr
Alexander McQueen
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In Focus
Casually Corneliani_____ Italian menswear label Corneliani is taking a more relaxed approach to fashion this winter. In terms of outerwear, there are double-face fabrics and soft cashmere for unlined, cozy and warm overcoats with a relaxed fit. There’s also a wide range of knitted sweaters crafted with a sophisticated technique, resulting in seamless pieces that are dyed for a sprayed effect. The super soft cashmere turtlenecks and crewnecks exude a warm artisanal feel. A collection that’s both fluid and nonchalant. Available at the Corneliani boutique in Downtown Beirut and at Aïshti by the Sea
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Carried Away_____ Jimmy Choo’s Varenne is a fairy tale in a bag. Inspired by the timeless ideologies of a modern British heroine and replete with equestrian references, the Varenne was designed to carry the contemporary woman through the dynamic life she leads. The bag comes in three distinct silhouettes – a cross-body, a shoulder bag and a bowler in a trio of sizes – ensuring a perfect fit for a variety of tastes. A current and future classic. Available at the Jimmy Choo boutique in the Beirut Souks and at Aïshti by the Sea
Bridal Baubles _____ A bridal collection like no other: Lebanese jeweler George Hakim recently unveiled a dreamy range inspired by everlasting love. Featuring brilliant, glittering, flawless diamonds, sculpted in a variety of settings and style, the collection includes bracelets, rings, necklaces and earrings that are both delicate and daring, encapsulating the refined elegance that characterizes George Hakim. Available at the George Hakim boutiques in Downtown Beirut, ABC Verdun and Aïshti by the Sea
Jimmy Choo, Corneliani, George Hakim, Zeng Shanqing, Sursock Museum
China in Ink_____ Chinese painter Yang Yanping and her artist husband Zeng Shanqing are celebrated in a new exhibit at the Art Institute of Chicago. “Expressive Ink” displays Yang’s ink-on-paper works, which feature a wiry ink line speckled with tiny dots and depicting lotuses and landscapes. The exhibit also highlights Zeng’s bold figures that are expressions of his pent-up energy and painted with a large, rapidly wielded brush. “Expressive Ink” is the first show of the artists’ work in a major US art museum. August 10-November 10, artic.edu
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Baalbek the Magnificent_____ In one of the most breathtaking exhibits to land in Beirut over the summer, the Sursock Museum highlights Lebanon’s magnificent Roman ruins of Baalbek, bringing together archaeological, ethnographic, anthropological, cultural and artistic perspectives to explore the history of Baalbek from its origins to the present day. Curated by Valo Mahlouji and supported by the Association Philippe Jabre, “Baalbek, Archives of an Eternity” includes epic paintings, dramatic photographs, fascinating historical materials and even interviews with some of the town’s current residents. A dream of a show. Until September 22, sursock.museum
Style of Africa _____ Berlin’s Museum of Decorative Arts (Kunstgewerbemuseum) shines the spotlight on a new generation of African fashion designers with a fascinating exhibit. The project first started in November 2018 at the museum, with a one-week workshop on global fashion and decolonial discourse. In March and April 2019, the first results were presented in Dakar (Senegal) and Kampala (Uganda). In August the results of the project venues and collaborations come to Berlin, as part of the “Connecting Afro Futures. Fashion x Hair x Design” exhibit. Highlights include Lamula Anderson’s mixed media installation “The Perfect Stereotype,” which stretches from historical women’s dresses with bustles to stereotypical color combinations in fashion and the afro, plus “Barkcloth Connecting Afro Futures Using the Signs of the Now,” in which fashion designer José Hendo uses Ugandan barkcloth to address questions of sustainability in contemporary fashion. August 24-December 1, smb.museum
Lamula Anderson/Magic Owen, Beirut Art Fair, Byblos International Festival, Allison Chipak/Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation
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Summer in Byblos_____ Lebanon’s steamy festival season continues in August, with three dazzling shows planned for the seaside town of Byblos. As part of the Byblos International Festival, revelers are treated to a massive production by internationally renowned DJ Martin Garrix (August 3) and a concert by pop metal band Within Temptation (August 7). The festival concludes on August 24 with an extraordinary performance by celebrated cellist Yo-Yo Ma. byblosfestival.org
Revisiting Basquiat ____ An exhibit at New York’s Guggenheim seeks to examine late American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat’s exploration of black identity. Titled “Defacement: The Untold Story,” the show takes Basquiat’s “Defacement (The Death of Michael Stewart)” as its starting point – the painting was created in 1983 to protest the death of young black artist Michael Stewart at the hands of the New York city police after he allegedly tagged a wall in a Manhattan subway station. Built around this rarely seen painting and augmented by works from Basquiat’s contemporaries, the exhibit provides a rare glimpse into identity politics, police brutality and Basquiat’s aesthetic language of empowerment. Until November 6, guggenheim.org
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Ten Years of Art_____ Beirut Art Fair returns for its 10th edition this September. Set in the Seaside Arena on Beirut’s New Waterfront, the major annual event is expected to attract 40,000 visitors this year, to view some of the best contemporary art from the MENA region. Exhibitors include Agial, Marfa’, Letitia and South Border from Lebanon, Aramé from Armenia, Mono from Saudi Arabia and ArtSpace Casablanca from Morocco, for a total of about 50 featured galleries from 15 different countries. Beirut Art Fair was founded by Laure d’Hauteville, who continues to direct the prestigious event. September 18-22, beirut-art-fair.com
In Focus Capturing the Sun_____ Lebanese jeweler Ralph Masri’s latest collection is inspired by Lebanon’s magnificent Roman ruins at Baalbek. Titled Heliopolis (in reference to Baalbek’s original name), the collection features motifs and patterns that reflect Baalbek’s Roman relief art. The Heliopolis range includes rings and earrings made from double-layered yellow and rose gold, and set with diamonds and rubies on lower layers. The surface layers are kept in polished gold finishes to create a striking contrast between the gold’s shine and the gems’ sparkle. It’s a magnificent new collection from one of Lebanon’s most dynamic jewelers. Available at the Ralph Masri boutique on Weygand Street in Downtown Beirut, ralphmasri.com
Burberry, Ralph Masri
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Monogram Magic_____ Burberry’s chief creative officer Riccardo Tisci has unveiled the British label’s first-ever Monogram collection. As experienced via the campaign starring Gigi Hadid, the collection celebrates the house’s founder and heritage through a new signature house code of interlocking TB initials in tonal shades of Burberry beige and brown. “What I wanted to do with the collection was to celebrate the breadth of who we speak to as a brand,” says Tisci. “Alongside some of the most talented creative icons of today and tomorrow, I am so proud of what we achieved together with this campaign.” Available at the Burberry boutique in Downtown Beirut and at Aïshti by the Sea
Introducing the new Heliopolis collection
NEW STORE - Waygand Street, Downtown Beirut
ralphmasri.com
Tel. +961-3-488538
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In Focus Photo Porn _____ Twenty years ago, Taschen made history when it published Helmut Newton’s photo book SUMO, which hit bookstore shelves in an exceptionally large format and a print run of 10,000 copies, all signed by the photographer. Ten years later, in 2009, the Helmut Newton Foundation in Berlin hosted a compelling exhibit in which all 460 pages of SUMO hung framed on the wall. Now, 20 years after the book’s initial release, the foundation, which occupies the first two levels of Berlin’s Museum of Photography, is presenting SUMO once again to the public. Photos on display include Newton’s Big Nudes, fashion shoots for various editions of Vogue, ELLE and Vanity Fair, plus portraits of stars and celebrities, including Elizabeth Taylor, Jodie Foster, Iman and Madonna. Until November 17, museumsportal-berlin.de
Helmut Newton Estate
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Aïshti by The Sea, Aïshti Downtown, Aïshti Verdun
In Focus
White and Light____ After its successful run last year at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, “Mary Corse: A Survey in Light” comes to Los Angeles. On view at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), the show is the first solo museum survey of the artist’s work, and it features 20 paintings, two sculptures and three prints, including Corse’s early shaped canvases, freestanding sculptures and light encasements, which she engineered in the mid-1960s. Also on display are the White Light Paintings, begun in 1968, and the Black Earth series, which she started in 1970 after moving from Downtown LA to Topanga Canyon, where she still lives and works today. Until November 11, lacma.org
Lose Yourself in Gemmayze____ Sip, the specialty coffee shop with outposts in Beirut’s Gemmayze and at Aïshti by the Sea, recently opened a boutique hotel adjoining its Gemmayze locale. Set in one of the neighborhood’s old buildings and enhanced with vintage-inspired touches, such as colorful tiles and wooden furnishings, the hotel offers guestrooms with names like Get Lost, Lost in the City and Lost on the Stairs. Sip owner Omar Jheir teamed up with Michel Abchee to launch the new concept. There’s even a bar on the ground floor – Bar Lost – for guests who wish to eat on the premises and for visitors wanting to get a taste of the Lost experience. lostbeirut.com
Celebrating Levantine Art _____ Toufic el Zein and Ghiath Machnok have teamed up to launch a brand-new Beirut art space. Named Mission Art and located in the gorgeous Jabre building on Armenia Street in Mar Mikhael, the gallery carries contemporary art, mainly by Levantine artists who live between Europe and the Near East region. There are works by the likes of Adel Daoud, Nada Raad and Omran Younes, among many more. El Zein explains that Mission Art is dedicated to encourage appreciation of contemporary visual art through direct engagement with artists. In addition to regular exhibitions, the gallery will host debates and talks about art. Mission Art’s first exhibit features the work of artist Nada Matta and opens in August. missionart.online
Mary Corse/LACMA, Lost, Raya Farhat
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Aïshti Downtown, Beirut
Aïshti by the Sea, Antelias
In Focus Cultural Crossroads_____ Chinese-American artist Zhao Gang presents 14 key paintings at Miami’s Pérez Art Museum, works that bring together the multicultural aspects of Gang’s art and identity. Though the artist is both Chinese and American, he considers himself an outsider in both cultures. His is a darkly ironic, often crude approach to depicting Chinese history, through paintings that elide centuries-old tropes with images from the Cultural Revolution, images drawn from memories of his childhood and images of China as an economic and cultural powerhouse in the new millennium. “Zhao Gang: History Painting,” with its emphasis on ChineseWestern cross-culturalism is particularly significant in today’s diverse, increasingly multiethnic world. Until January 5, 2020, pamm.org
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Zhao Gang, Moncler, Neous
Architectural Heels____ The late American architect Frank Lloyd Wright once said “Space is the breath of art.” Taking this statement one step further, UK footwear brand Neous has created a new collection for fall/winter 2019-20 that reflects Wright’s love of space. The recently released range includes the minimalist Tulip sandal, a spare model that uses simple strands of leather purely to underscore the shape of the foot. A landmark in footwear. Available at Aïshti Downtown and at Aïshti by the Sea
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Styled by Simone_____ Simone Rocha, who launched her debut collection in 2010 after graduating from London’s Central St. Martins, has created a new line for Moncler. Combining the Irish designer’s trademark romantic shapes with the luxury Italian label’s sense of utility and practicality, Moncler Simone Rocha has at its center a stunning, voluminous puffer cape with ropes. In addition, Rocha’s signature feminine pieces – ruffled dresses, daisy-patterned puffers, multitier coats – come in Moncler’s nylon technique, in a palette of white, blush, red, blue and black. It’s going to be a wondrous winter. Available at Aïshti Downtown and at Aïshti by the Sea
In Focus
Chloé on Your Arm____ Natacha Ramsay-Levi’s fall/winter 2019-20 line for Chloé celebrates love, nature and commitment. One collection highlight is the Aby statement bag, built upon the heritage of Chloé bags. Chic yet streamlined, the Aby bag is defined by a structured, upright shape and softened angles. Ideal for everyday use, the Aby is available in two sizes and can be carried in hand, on the shoulder or crossbody. The new season’s must-have. Available at the Chloé boutique in the Beirut Souks and at Aïshti by the Sea
Designing Beirut________ Third time’s a charm for Beirut Design Fair. With the stated aim to become “the design showcase of the Eastern Mediterranean,” Beirut Design Fair highlights the best established and up-and-coming designers in the region, with over 60 exhibitors from 10 different countries. Founded by Guillaume Taslé d’Héliand and located at the Seaside Arena, the fair attracts collectors, experts and design fans interested in contemporary and modern furniture and design objects. Rawad Rizk’s museum-scenographic touch adds magic to the experience. September 19-22, beirut-design-fair.com
Beirut Design Fair, Chicago Architecture Biennial, Chloé
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Architecture and Other Such Stories _____ The Chicago Architecture Biennial returns this year for its third installment under the heading “Other Such Stories.” The major event will host 80 contributors from four continents, including architects, artists and researchers, many of them collaborating across disciplines to present projects that explore architecture as it relates to land, memory, rights and civic participation. Participants include Oscar Tuazon, Jimmy Robert, Maria Gaspar, Ola Hassanain, Detroit Planning Department, Raumlabor, Sweet Water Foundation, Wolff Architects and more. Free and open to the public, the biennial seeks to illustrate how creativity and innovation can radically transform our lived experience. September 19, 2019-January 5, 2020, chicagoarchitecturebiennial.org
In Focus
Americano by the Sea_____ Americano is the latest restaurant to open at Aïshti by the Sea in Antelias. Offering a Latin American-inspired menu, with offerings such as fajitas, nachos, quesadillas, ceviche and guacamole, the place also serves creative cocktails, most notably the Americano, after which the restaurant is named. The signature drink – an exhilarating mix of Campari, red vermouth and club soda – has been an international favorite for 150 years, and it’s taken on a new life at the restaurant. Americano’s seaside setting makes it ideal for lunch, dinner and even sunset cocktails with a view of Beirut’s everchanging skyline. Tel. 81.006.670 and 04.725.781
Christelle Janho
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Fall Winter 2019 2020
loewe.com Aïshti by the Sea, Antelias
In Focus
Eye of the Needle_____ Jennifer Chamandi introduced her eponymous shoe collection at Aïshti in Downtown Beirut last June. Based in the United Kingdom, the Jennifer Chamandi footwear range is designed with methodical precision and a true understanding of luxury. Highlights include the brand’s Eye of the Needle signature heel, coveted by women across the globe. Outside Lebanon, Jennifer Chamandi shoes are sold at Harrods in London, Level Shoes in Dubai and Bergdorf Goodman in New York, among other prestigious points of sale. A fitting new addition to the Aïshti family.
Glass Art _____ Crystal glass manufacturer J. Hill’s Standard is launching a new collection of barware and drinking vessels designed by Irish artist Nigel Peake. Best known for his paintings and drawings of built and unbuilt landscapes, Peake has created clean, organic pieces with cuts that reflect the hand’s imprint. His offerings include three tumblers of various sizes, all infused with his singular touch. “Finding a small book of Nigel’s drawings on Irish landscapes inspired the idea for the collection,” said J. Hill’s Standard founder Anike Tyrrell. jhillsstandard.com
Carl Halal, J. Hill’s Standard, Wolfsonian-FIU
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Graphically Cuban____ Cuban graphic artist Conrado Walter Massaguer is the subject of “Cuban Caricature and Culture: The Art of Massaguer,” a major show at the Wolfsonian-FIU in Miami Beach. Featuring magazine covers, ads, original paintings, sketches and caricatures of famous figures from Hollywood stars to royalty and presidents, the nearly 100 works on view call attention to Massaguer’s profound influence on design in both Cuba and the United States over his 40-year career. Born in Cárdenas in Cuba, Massaguer was educated in both Cuba and America and frequently traveled back and forth, simultaneously building his reputation as a premier artist and art director in Havana and New York City. Over the course of his career, Massaguer became a prominent trendsetter by designing covers and illustrations for many of the leading magazines of the time, including Vanity Fair, Cosmopolitan and The Literary Digest. Until February 2, 2020, wolfsonian.org
JIMMYCHOO.com LEBANON Beirut Souks +961 1 991111 ext 595
In Focus
Welcoming Piaget__________ Piaget is the latest watch and jewelry brand to open inside Aïshti’s specialty store in Downtown Beirut. The luxury label launched its newest point of sale in July, during a high-profile event hosted by Tony and Elham Salamé, and Jean-Marc Shammas, Piaget’s Middle East and India brand director. Guests sipped long drinks and mingled outside Aïshti, on El Moutrane Street, among an elegant setup inspired by summer, under the Piaget Society Beach heading and in the presence of the Piaget team from Dubai. A fabulous new addition to the Aïshti family.
Stepping Out _____ Kenzo’s Inka mesh sneakers are too good to be true. Featuring a treaded rubber sole, front lace-up closure, reflective inserts and contrasting color details, the striking shoes are sure to add a dash of happiness to the coming winter season. Available at the Kenzo boutique in the Beirut Souks and at Aïshti by the Sea
Kenzo, Pulse Production, Jason Moran/Hauser & Wirth/Lorna Simpson
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A Man and His Jazz_____ Jazz artist Jason Moran unveils his first solo museum show at New York’s Whitney Museum of American Art. The exhibit features Moran’s own sculptures and drawings, plus performances and collaborations with visual artists such as Joan Jonas, Kara Walker, Lorna Simpson, Glenn Ligon, Stan Douglas, Carrie Mae Weems, Adam Pendleton and Julie Mehretu. The show also features many performances by renowned jazz musicians and new live adaptations of works made with Moran’s most significant artistic collaborators. A dazzling jazz innovator, Moran transmutes his personal experience of the world into dynamic musical compositions that challenge the formal conventions of the medium. September 20, 2019-January 5, 2020, whitney.org
follow@Armani shop online at
Aïshti By The Sea, Antelias, T. 04717716 Ext. 266
In Focus
Versace’s Renaissance__________ It’s been a momentous few months at Versace. Michael Kors finalized his purchase of the iconic Italian brand in January 2019, thereby charting a new course for the company that had been controlled by Donatella Versace since her brother Gianni’s murder in 1997. As she looked to the future, and on what would have been Gianni’s 72nd birthday, Donatella unveiled an over-the-top pre-fall 2019 collection inspired by her brother’s landmark spring 1994 runway show, featuring massive golden prints (including Medusa, crowns and flowers) plus zebra and other animal prints. A tribute collection that’s now part of Aïshti’s offerings. Available at Aïshti Downtown and at Aïshti by the Sea
Picturing Shanghai_____ The Asia Pacific region’s premier photographic event returns for its sixth edition this September. Combining new approaches to photography and modern masterpieces with exhibitions, commissions and a new award celebrating emerging photographic talent, Photofairs Shanghai highlights works by the likes of Marina Abramović, Adrian Sauer, Idris Khan, Yang Fudong, Vivian Maier and Robert Mapplethorpe, among many more. A dazzling event in China’s most dynamic city. September 20-22, photofairs.org
Precious Heirlooms_____ Lebanese jeweler Nada G has launched a new limitededition collection of eight unique jewelry designs, with only 50 pieces available of each design. Named Heritage & Heirlooms, the new range is inspired by nostalgia and includes 18-karat gold bracelets set with diamonds and precious stones. “My inspiration for this limited collection is drawn from the pieces I saw being passed on from my mother to my sister and from mothers of my close family members to their daughters,” says brand founder and creative director Nada Ghazal. “I think it’s a beautiful tradition, and the pieces spread happiness and joy, strengthen social ties and preserve this beautiful heritage of ours with a genuine unique gift that has both financial and sentimental values.” Available at the Nada G flagship boutique in D Beirut and at ABC Ashrafieh, ABC Dbayeh and ABC Verdun, nadag.com
Xyza Cruz Bacani/Christine Park Gallery, Nada G, Versace
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Fakhry Bey Street, Beirut Souks, Downtown Beirut Aïshti by the Sea, Antelias
In Focus
All the Living Senses_____ “Olafur Eliasson: In Real Life” offers viewers the opportunity to experience the Danish-Icelandic artist’s immersive world. Now showing at London’s Tate Modern, the exhibit is the first major UK survey of Eliasson’s work, and it includes early investigations into space, motion and natural phenomena (like 1994’s “Moss Wall”), as well as his extensive experiments with light, color and geometry. There are over 40 works on display, spanning three decades and encompassing paintings, sculptures and installations. A landmark exhibit, “Olafur Eliasson: In Real Life” extends onto the Tate Modern’s terrace and onto the concourse outside the galleries with such installations as “Room for One Color.” A true sensory wonder. Until January 5, 2020, tate.org.uk
Olafur Eliasson, Carl Halal, The Museum at FIT
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Maxi or Mini? _____ What’s the relationship between minimalist and maximalist aesthetics in fashion? New York’s Museum at FIT attempts to answer that question with its 50th anniversary show, “Minimalism/Maximalism.” Featuring key outfits by the likes of Gucci, Calvin Klein, Christian Lacroix, Comme de Garçons and Narciso Rodriguez, the exhibit examines how maximalist and minimalist trends have served to move fashion forward, while exploring the sociocultural, technological and economic factors that give rise to either trend. The over 90 garments on display span the 18th century to the present day, culminating with contemporary looks by Alexander McQueen and Jil Sander. A must-see for all fashion lovers. Until November 16, fitnyc.edu
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Dresses Galore_____ Americano, the newest restaurant to open at Aïshti by the Sea in Antelias, provided the setting for the launch of the new Zimmermann collection last June. Guests sipped sangria and Aperol Spritz as models glided around the tables while showcasing colorful dresses from the Australian brand. In addition to styles available at Aïshti Downtown and Aïshti by the Sea, you can check out key Zimmermann items at We Are The People.
MOSCHINO.COM
CANALI.COM
225 Foch St., Downtown Beirut, Tel. + 961 1 991111 Ext. 480 1 Aïshti By the Sea, Antelias, Tel. + 961 4 417716 Ext. 234
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OBJECTS OF DESIRE Photography Raya Farhat
BAG NANCY GONZALEZ __________ IN A WHILE, CROCODILE. EXOTIC LEATHERS ARE ALL THE RAGE THIS COMING FALL
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BAG GUCCI __________ SOMETIMES, IT’S SO EASY BEING GREEN
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Shoes Saint Laurent ________ Leopard print to help you take the stealthiest steps
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Bag ChloĂŠ _______ Rich fall colors add depth and delight to your favorite bag
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SUNGLASSES LINDA FARROW __________ ONE LOOK INTO LINDA’S EYES: SHE CAN READ YOUR THOUGHTS AND CAN SEE THROUGH YOUR MIND
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Words Niku Kasmai
EXCESSIVELY ITALIAN
Italy’s luxury fashion brands embrace gorgeous overabundance
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There was a time when some of Italy’s most famous fashion brands were all about excess. Specifically, Versace and Dolce & Gabbana gained enormous popularity thanks to over-the-tip, colorful, incredibly wild designs that could easily have slid into trashy territory but instead remained at the forefront of fashion because of the designers’ skills. Versace was founded in 1978 and Dolce & Gabbana in 1985, and for much of the ensuing years, the two brands embodied the dramatic beauty of excess. When maxilamism gave way to minimalism, both labels toned down their designs, as did most of Italy’s top brands, but suddenly around 2015 and seemingly overnight, excess was back. Gucci, under the helm of Alessandro Michele, was one of the first to dive head-on into flashy, fabulous, fantastic fashion. Soon most other brands followed suit, and for fall/winter 2019-20, Italian excess is back in full force.
FENDI Karl Lagerfeld’s final collection for Fendi is as dazzlingly inspired as the late designer himself. Some of the standouts for fall/winter 2019-20 include tops and hose adorned with the Fendi double F logo that Lagerfeld invented, a see-through canary yellow dress that’s both fitted and flowing and a white blouse with a huge, oversized bow tie. It’s a tale of disheveled romance and Lagerfeld’s farewell letter to his fans.
Above and below: Missoni
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Above and opposite page: Fendi
MISSONI It’s always been about knitting at Missoni and it always will be. This season, the brand’s legendary knitting machinery produced boldly patterned cardigan coats, a tank dress with horizontally applied sequins and a sweater with Mondrian-inspired geometric designs in a flurry of colors. Rich but not heavy, Missoni’s fall/ winter collection is compelling and eye-catching.
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This page: Miu Miu. Opposite page: Dolce & Gabbana
MIU MIU Darkness and drama are key to Miu Miu’s fall/winter offerings. This season, the brand has revived the cape – it’s long, enigmatic and comes in a myriad of materials, including tweed and faux leather. Some collection highlights include a mini skater dress, floral backpack, chain mail collar and a sheer pink dress affixed with crocheted flowers. It’s a fairy tale that keeps on exploding into fabled fireworks.
DOLCE & GABBANA Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana are as wild as ever this winter. Their fantastic collection is pure Dolce & Gabbana: spectacular, exuberant and savagely creative. There are pastel-colored nightgowns made from chiffon and satin and trimmed with marabou feathers, jackets with dazzling collages and coats with artsy graphics. In true Dolce & Gabbana style, you’ve also got outfits in leopard print plus Red Carpet-worthy floral print gowns.
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In true Dolce & Gabbana style, you’ve got lots of Red Carpetworthy gowns
MOSCHINO Jeremy Scott’s fall/winter collection for Moschino is pure excess – and, let’s face it, pure Scott. Moschino’s creative director imagined dresses plastered with dollar-bill prints, bags in the shape of an iron, pants with “Soft Drink” emblazoned across the front and even a tube dress with colorful prints from American TV game show Press Your Luck. Fabulously fashionable and fantastically funny. This page: Moschino (left) and Pucci (below) Opposite page: Prada
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PUCCI For its fall/winter 2019-20 collection, Pucci turned a little bit Japanese. While staying true to the color and print that have been the signature of the brand since its founding, Pucci added more than a few Far Eastern touches to its looks, resulting in a powerful and unusual collection. Highlights include an obi-sashed shirtdress and a glittering gown with dazzling colors and prints clearly inspired by Japan’s famed folk art ink prints.
PRADA Romantic and utilitarian: the Prada woman this winter is both in love with fashion and concerned about global conflicts. On the one hand, you’ve got feminine and frilly lace, flowers, hearts and capes, but you’ll also see slightly more masculine touches like uniforms, puffers and cargo details. Some of the outfits that best express this delicious duality include a military jacket matched with a stylish blue shirt and a black lace pencil skirt, and a sensuous skirt with a shapely fit and a massive patch pocket.
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IN THE STUDIO WITH THE MUKHI SISTERS
Words Rayane Abou Jaoude Photography Tony Elieh
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A MAG TALKS TO THE MUKHI SISTERS ABOUT WORKING TOGETHER, THE JOYS OF JEWELRY DESIGN AND INNER STRENGTH
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Pictures that show the evolution of our designs and how we’re always trying to take them one step further
Earrings and an image to show that we’re always inspired by our parents. We’re half Indian and half Lebanese and both of our parents are fine jewelers
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Sunset ring from our Reverie on the Vine collection surrounded by blue stones
Our boxes are inspired by our grandfather’s boxes from his old Hamra store but updated to reflect our own design
Colored pencils and a sketchbook that we take with us wherever we go
Earrings from our Reverie on the Vine collection
Bangles and rings that we remove whenever we’re working
We need coffee when we work
Alexander Wang is one of the muses for our upcoming collection
Pictures to remind us that whatever we’re creating comes from personal experiences
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Envelopes with unusual and rare stones that we use for our jewelry designs
Vintage pieces that we will soon transform into new designs
Sisters share an inextricable connection, a unique link often brought together by similar passions. For the Mukhi Sisters, that passion is gemstones.
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It’s been 10 years since the Indian-Lebanese siblings, Maya, Meena and Zeenat, established their jewelry house, perhaps a fated venture, seeing as they grew up in a family of jewelers. Their father, Chandru Mukhi, comes from a long line of jewelers, and their mother Effat is the owner of Effys Jewelry, a contemporary jewelry house.
“When we started Mukhi Sisters, we already knew what direction we wanted for our company. And we knew what values each one of us would add to the company,” Zeenat explains. “We didn’t exactly divide our roles. They came naturally. Each one has responsibilities and tasks that need to be met. And we have weekly board meetings.” Their collections are precious to them, each one carrying a piece of their
WITH EACH SISTER DIFFERENT FROM THE OTHER, IT MEANS EACH ONE BRINGS SOMETHING NEW TO THE TABLE, GIVING THEIR BRAND A UNIQUE EDGE
“Growing up in a family of jewelers influenced me in every single way. I grew up in a house where the main conversations were about aesthetics and gemstones,” says Maya. “I was raised surrounded by professionals in the industry, be it local or international, and I got to shape my own ideas related to luxury, design, marketing, even visual merchandising and management pretty early.”
So she took the best of both worlds and created her own, and since 2009, the brand has thrived. The sisters recently won the Fashion Trust Arabia Prize, a nonprofit fashion fund that supports Arab designers in the Middle East and North Africa, for best jewelry and design. Their collections are focused on personality and individuality, pushed by a desire to cater to a new consumer who’s more interested in standing out than blending in, in aesthetics rather than stones. The sisters refer to themselves as “dreamers” – they started Mukhi Sisters on their own terms and in their own way, with the belief that style is about showing who you are through the pieces you wear. With each sister different from the other, it means each one brings something new to the table, giving their brand a unique edge.
story, “the optimum representation of our style at the specific moment,” Maya explains.
Their Dream Catcher collection exemplifies the chasing of good dreams and turning these dreams into a reality. The designs are in yellow and rose gold and hold diamonds and turquoise, symbolizing optimism. Reverie on the Vine is a tribute to Lebanon and nature, which resulted in the design of a necklace called Beiruti Sunset, inspired by an actual Lebanese sunset, and Meena’s favorite. The collection is composed of rich greens, pearls and yellow gold, most apparent in a double-sided earring reminiscent of lush, enchanted forests, carrying “the story of love, light and hope.” The sisters’ maturity and growth is reflected in the work they do every year, Zeenat says. One ring she herself never takes off is the first Fleur de Lys sample, a stackable ring with diamonds on the side and a stone in the center.
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Their recent collection, Chapter X: No Guts, No Glory, is an ode to women’s empowerment, to taking charge and to inner strength. It tells the story of a superhero, Glory, who reminds us that true power comes from within. The collection itself is simple, focused on timeless pieces using only precious stones and no symbols, besides a snake – when a snake bites its tail, it represents infinity – which the sisters connected to the role of women in society: bringing life to the world. The collection is feminine and sexy, with the geometric pieces made to be stacked and mismatched. The aim is to have the wearer keep them as heirlooms. This line of work doesn’t come without challenges, of which there are many. Keeping a business sustainable in a country like Lebanon, which is often plagued by political, economic and security-related instabilities, for one, and the violation of intellectual property. But they tread on, inspired by what Maya calls an “inner life force,” by Meena’s belief in the company she co-founded and “the urge to go higher and bigger” and Zeenat’s gratefulness for health and love, and the ability “to reflect this through [their] work.” The Mukhi Sisters’ eleventh collection will be launched in fall 2019, and they couldn’t be more excited – neither can we.
Words and Photography Nan McElroy
ART RETURNS TO THE CANALS How artists embraced the 58th Venice Biennale’s theme, “May You Live in Interesting Times”
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While curator Ralph Rugoff’s theme for the Venice Biennale, “May You Live in Interesting Times,” could be viewed as an understated challenge to artists participating in 89 national and 21 collateral exhibitions, the works and installations that populate the city until November 24 are anything but.
The phrase was once quoted erroneously as a Chinese curse, and then referred to as such for decades on. It seems appropriate, then, in the current world climate of fake news and non-facts, to turn to the artist for insightful, unexpected interpretations of “interesting times.” In the Giardini, the Biennale’s original national pavilions, Laure Prouvost upends France with “Deep See Blue Surrounding You,” one of the most popular exhibits during the vernissage. Enter the pavilion from the back and climb the basement stairs to explore an intricate, watery, surrealistic environment where even Venice becomes a protagonist during the video saga recounting the exhibit’s hopeful journey to the Biennale itself. In stark contrast is the US pavilion, where Martin Puryear explores liberty with his clean yet complex sculptures of solid objects. Animation and hi-tech of any sort are notably absent, an approach exemplified in his bold, monumental mesh screen of his “Swallowed Sun” that purposefully masks the pavilion’s classic façade.
Another “interesting” departure is “Mondo Cane,” created by Belgian artists Jos de Gruyter and Harald Thys.
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Enter a world of old-world mechanized, if disquieting characters with vacuous stares who are animated at the visitor’s approach – read their personal accounts in the accompanying pamphlet. Curator Anne-Claire Schmitz has created a sideshow feel, and we vacillate between being a voyeur and just another mechanical doll ourselves. Belgium was awarded a Special Mention as a National Participation. On the way to the Arsenale venue, Naiza Khan has created Manora Field Notes for Pakistan’s inaugural national participation. Working in etched and molded brass, Khan manifests a long-term, studied relationship with the island of Manora on the Karachi harbor.
Khan draws connections between Karachi and Venice, both historically centers of trade for centuries and subsequently “at the crossroads of geo-political change.” Exploring the corridors of the Arsenale, animated objects become instruments in a collaborative concert conducted from a small laptop in the center of this unexpected orchestra in Tarek Atoui’s “The Ground.” Adapting musical practices experienced in his travels across China’s Pearl River Delta, this sounds-track emanates from turn tables that scrape ceramic plates, spinning bands that gently graze cymbals, and
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“May You Live in Interesting Times� could be viewed as an understated challenge to artists
suspended wands that ting bowls of various sizes to create a completely captivating aural environment.
Further on, Anicka Yi’s imposing, suspended, glowing yellow pods of “Biologizing the Machine” buzz with shadowy, droning animatronic insects. Created from kelp fronds, it’s difficult to say whether these pods rose from the inky pools below them, if they’ll descend into them eventually, or both. “He’s playing the data,” said a visitor, as she stared mesmerized at Ryoji Ikeda’s “Data-verse,” massive, super hi-def projections of “re-articulated” macro/ micro data sets from such institutions as NASA, CERN and the Human Genome Project. Created through a mathematical process developed by the artist, the soundtrack is so natural and germane you’d think it was emitted by data itself.
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Across the walkway from the Corderia, natural-medium artist Zahrah Al Ghamdi’s “After Illusion” marks Saudi Arabia’s return to the Venice Biennale after an eight-year hiatus. Wander among Al Ghamdi’s soaring cylinders strewn with hundreds of individually handcrafted, shelllike pods. Created in a special process from discarded sheep skin, some of them respond aurally to touch. The Biennale offers any visitor – art lover or otherwise – the possibility to explore a very contemporary Venice that’s an often challenging yet enriching contrast to the iconic version with which we’re familiar. The 2019 edition is no exception.
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EXPLORE A VERY CONTEMPORARY VENICE THAT’S AN OFTEN CHALLENGING YET ENRICHING CONTRAST TO THE ICONIC VERSION WITH WHICH WE’RE FAMILIAR
Lebanon: Aïshti Downtown Beirut, Aïshti By the Sea Antelias, Aïshti Verdun
dvf.com
WINTER PEEK
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Check out two of the most delightful, most lavish trends of the coming season
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ROOM TO GROOM PHOTOGRAPHY ALY SAAB STYLING SALIM BOURDOUKAN SHOT ON LOCATION AT AÏSHTI BY THE SEA
Balenciaga bag, top and pants
ChloĂŠ dress, Prada bag and Flexform lamp
Dior slippers
This page: Alexander McQueen suit and CĂŠline bag Opposite page: Dsquared2 cardigan, Alexander McQueen belt, Bottega Veneta bag and Mimi armchair by Gurian
This page: Gucci shoes and Etruzia lamp Opposite page: Loewe bag, Alexander Wang sweater, Alexandre Vauthier pants and Red Edition coffee table
This page: Sonia Rykiel sweater, Balenciaga bag and Moncler coat Opposite page: Gucci bag and Alexandre Vauthier dress
This page: Fendi bag and Maarten Baas chair Opposite page: Red Valentino sweater and CĂŠline bag
Give me more PHOTOGRAPHY PETROVSKY & RAMONE STYLING IMRUH ASHA SHOT ON LOCATION AT HET HEM IN ZAANDAM, HOLLAND PHOTOGRAPHERS PETROVSKY & RAMONE SHOT THIS LUSH EDITORIAL SPREAD AT THE NEWLY OPENED HET HEM MUSEUM IN ZAANDAM, JUST NORTH OF AMSTERDAM IN THE NETHERLANDS. HET HEM IS A CENTER FOR CONTEMPORARY CULTURE SET IN A RESTORED FORMER AMMUNITIONS FACTORY. IN ADDITION TO ITS ARTISTIC OFFERINGS, HET HEM IS A PLACE FOR STORIES, MUSIC, FOOD, DRINKS AND DREAMY CONTEMPLATION. VISIT HETHEM.NL
She’s in a Prada total look This page: She’s in aat MaxMara coat Model Callie Dixon Next Models Opposite page: She’s wearing earrings Hairvintage Sirsa Ponciano Makeup Mariko Hirano
This page: She’s in a Max Mara jacket, Azzedine Alaïa body, This page: Le Silla She’s shoes in and a Saint Saint Laurent Laurent coat earrings Opposite page: Left: She’sShe’s wearing in a Gucci Stellasunglasses McCartney dress
She’s in a Saint Laurent coat
This page: She’s in a Moncler total look
She’s in a Winonah bustier, vintage blazer and Calvin Klein sunglasses
This page: She’s in a Valentino dress and vintage gloves Opposite page: She’s in a Gucci total look
She’s in a coat and sweater, both by MaxMara
Main image: She’s in a David Koma dress, Sankuanz This page: She’s in a Max Mara jacket, Azzedine Alaïa body, Le Silla shoes and Saint earrings boots andLaurent Gucci sunglasses Left: She’s a Stella McCartney dress Smaller image: She’s in ainSaint Laurent dress, Saint Laurent heels and Moncler socks
This page: She’s in a Prada total look Opposite page: She’s in a Stella McCartney dress and Dior sunglasses
She’s in a David Koma dress and Gucci sunglasses
She’s in a MaxMara coat and vintage tights
This page: She’s in a MaxMara coat, MaxMara sweater, Hyun Mi Nielsen tights and Zoe Lee shoes She’s in a Balenciaga totalsocks look Opposite page: She’s in a Saint Laurent dress, Saint Laurent heels, vintage gloves and Moncler
She’s in a Céline total look
This page: She’s in a MaxMara coat and vintage tights Opposite page: She’s in a Saint Laurent coat
She’s in a Céline total look
Opposite page: She’s in a Valentino dress
This page: Saint Laurent heels Opposite page: She’s in a David Koma dress and Gucci sunglasses Model Anne J Hair and makeup David Koppelaar at House of Orange
PHOTOGRAPHY SIMON STYLING AMELIANNA LOIACONO SHOT ON LOCATION IN MILAN, ITALY
She's in an MSGM dress, Annakiki blouse and Dolce & Gabbana crown
This page: Gianvito Rossi sandals Opposite page: She's in a Dolce & Gabbana total look
This page: She's in a Versace total look Opposite page: She's in a Missoni total look
This page: She's in an Attico dress, Gianvito Rossi shoes and vintage earrings Opposite page: She's in a Givenchy dress
This page: She's in a Tory Burch dress Opposite page: She's in an Alberta Ferretti total look
This page: She's in a MaxMara gown, MaxMara blouse and Marni boots Opposite page: Valentino bag
This page: She's in a Prada total look Opposite page: She's in an Annakiki trench, Moschino jumpsuit and Marni boots. Her bag is Prada
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7FORALLMANKIND.COM BEIRUT SOUKS, SOUK EL TAWILEH T. 01 99 11 11 EXT: 560 AÏSHTI BY THE SEA, ANTELIAS T. 04 71 77 16 EXT: 263 ALSO AVAILABLE AT ALL AÏZONE STORES IN BEIRUT, DUBAI, AMMAN
David Levene
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Words Michelle Merheb
FREEDOM PAVILION Ghana joins the Venice Biennale in a space designed by architect Sir David Adjaye
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It’s been a big year for Ghana’s artistic scene. For the first time ever, the West African country inaugurated a national pavilion at the Venice Biennale. Named “Ghana Freedom,” after ET Mensah’s 1957 song to herald Ghanaian independence, the pavilion examines the concept of freedom through the work of six Ghanaian artists.
The pavilion, located in the Artigliere of the historic Arsenale, was designed by British architect Sir David Adjaye, who himself is of Ghanaian descent. Seeking inspiration from the classical structures of Ghana, Adjaye created a series of elliptically shaped interconnected spaces plastered with locally sourced earth. Each of the featured artists exhibits his or her work in a specific space within the larger structure. 180
“It means a lot for us to have our first national pavilion at such a narrative-building event as the Venice Biennale, especially at this moment,” said pavilion curator Nana Oforiatta Ayim. “The conversation about nations is broadening in the face of issues of migrations, of us redefining our connections to our diasporas throughout our ‘year of return,’ of discussing what it might mean to have our cultural objects returned, and how we thus might redefine ourselves in the world and of finally moving out of the ‘postcolonial’ moment into one we have yet to envision.”
The six Ghanaian artists include El Anatsui and Ibrahim Mahama, both of whom created large-scale installations for the event. Then there are photographs by Felicia Abban and paintings by Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, as well as a video sculpture by Selasi Awusi Sosu. Celebrated artist and filmmaker John Akomfrah, who like Adjaye is British of Ghanaian descent and who showcased his epic “Tropikos” at the Pérez Art Museum in Miami a couple of years back, launched a spectacular three-channel
film projection at the Venice Biennale.
“Being able to show the diversity and creativity of Ghana on an international scale is an incredible achievement, and one which showcases the talent that we have to offer,” said Adjaye. “The commitment and inspiration shown by the president in commissioning this pavilion is a testament to what our country has to offer the art community.” Titled “May You Live in Interesting Times,” the 58th Venice Biennale runs until November 24.
“BEING ABLE TO SHOW THE DIVERSITY AND CREATIVITY OF GHANA ON AN INTERNATIONAL SCALE IS AN INCREDIBLE ACHIEVEMENT”
SEEKING INSPIRATION FROM THE CLASSICAL STRUCTURES OF GHANA, SIR DAVID ADJAYE CREATED A SERIES OF ELLIPTICALLY SHAPED INTERCONNECTED SPACES
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“IT MEANS A LOT FOR US TO HAVE OUR FIRST NATIONAL PAVILION AT SUCH A NARRATIVE-BUILDING EVENT AS THE VENICE BIENNALE” 182
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Foster + Partners, Joe Lahdou, Fouad Samara, Takuji Shimmura
Words J. Michael Welton
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PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES Modern residential living in Beirut just turned a new corner Three residential projects in Beirut are pushing the boundaries of what contemporary living can be – and what the 21st-century Lebanese environment can look like. Their architects – Foster + Partners, Lina Ghotmeh and Fouad Samara – each responded to the parameters of site, the needs of residents and the demands of the environment. And each has added a new wrinkle to the architectural fabric of contemporary Beirut.
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3BEIRUT At 3Beirut by Foster + Partners in Downtown Beirut, the challenge was to design for developers SV Partners a series of mixed-use towers that mingle café society at lower levels with mountain and sea views from residences above. “They bought the rights to 56,000 meters – a complete city block where they originally wanted four towers,” says Martin Kehoe, associate partner and project architect at the firm. “They wanted retail, food and beverage and art galleries on the first two floors.”
The architects believed four towers were too much for the site, and scaled back to three. That gave some space back to the public, while making the entire project more efficient. “It’s a win/win and a perfect solution,” adds Jonathan Parr, senior partner and deputy head of studio. They created routes between the towers on the north, south, east and west, so that residents and guests come down a hill, through a marina, to the site. “The public realm is quite improved,” Kehoe says. “It makes the whole thing work for the city.”
The residential designs are flexible, with small and large apartments. “There are bigger elevations that open up to bigger views, with a hierarchy of small to big windows determined by the views,” Parr says. Turkish limestone cladding is a nod to a semi-classical building with punched windows across the way. “It’s all Beirut, with coffee-colored stone in an easy relationship,” he says. “It’s comfortable within the city while being modern.”
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STONE GARDEN Stone Garden by Lebanese architect Lina Ghotmeh is, on the other hand, composed completely in concrete. It’s also sculptural and rendered in an earthly finish that the architect says was completely invented and custom-made for the building. “It’s an echo of an old technique used for making a building finish traditionally in Beirut,” she says. This project, too, is mixed use, and comes with a distinctive history. It’s a joint venture between Fouad Elkoury, a Lebanese photographer known for his iconic photos of the Lebanese war, and RED Development. Stone Garden is located near the Port of Beirut and built on family-owned land that was the site for the first concrete factory in Lebanon, and the former office of modernist architect Pierre el Khoury. Inherited by his sons and daughter, it carries an emotional history for the family as well as for Beirut. The assignment was to build a residential structure with a generous ground floor dedicated to an art and photography foundation and gallery. The complete structure is a standout that looks back metaphorically to a turbulent time in Beirut’s history. “Violence has left its mark on the city’s buildings’ skins, hollowing them,” Ghotmeh says. “We’ve let nature invade a concrete skeleton to change one’s conception of what a façade opening might mean to this context, blurring the boundary between the articulated window and the memory of a violent event.”
MODULOFTS In 2009, architect Fouad Samara and three partners pooled their resources and bought the property where they built a 14-story building with seven duplexes. “We pulled out all the stops,” he says. They wanted to bring order out of chaos, and create a building like those built in London and New York during the 1960s. They also wanted to allow tenants to do what they wanted. “As modernists, we wanted something from the ‘70s and the art of habitation,” Samara says. “A building is not complete until the owner moves in and makes it his own.” Modulofts in Ashrafieh is a project with double-height spaces and four rooms: two on the lower level and two on the upper. “That allows you to participate with double-height and an American-style kitchen,” he says. “It gives the façade different versions, depending on what the owner wants.”
Samara designed it so the shape of the building changes daily – whenever an inhabitant changes something inside. And he applied Louis Kahn’s logic, setting the building back, placing all services to the rear and all mobile areas in front, for light and views. “There’s a dialogue between the street and the building,” he says. “It’s a façade that’s actually dynamic.” That’s especially true here – and for all three of these Beirut moderns.
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Words Marwan Naaman Photography Michèle Aoun
IN CONVERSATION WITH RAMY BOUTROS Maximizing the poetic pull of residential and commercial interiors It’s easy to fall under Ramy Boutros’ charm. The 42-year-old Lebanese interior architect weaves a spell when he talks about his various interests – furniture, art, design – and his passion for his work is evident whenever he speaks.
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Most people are probably familiar with Boutros’ commercial projects in Beirut, which include Em Sherif Sea Café in Zaitunay Bay, Villa Clara in Mar Mikhael and Ashi Studio in Ashrafieh. But Boutros has also created spectacular homes and offices across the Middle East, Europe and even the United States, infusing places far and wide with his self-described eclectic style. While each project differs – Em Sherif Café sports a blue and white nautical style, Ashi Studio is a regal palace in soft ochre and off-white hues and Villa Clara is a colorfully floral boutique hotel fantasy – these places and others all reflect Boutros’ irreverent and playful spirit. Boutros graduated from the Académie Libanaise des Beaux-Arts (ALBA) in 1999 with a Master’s in interior design, and while he credits the school for the great concepts he learned, he felt there was something missing. “I went to Paris after I got my degree,” he says, “because I felt I lacked know-how.” In 2002, he vacationed in Beirut and was unexpectedly offered interior design work. “I stayed in Beirut because I kept getting projects, great opportunities. My heart belonged to Paris and Europe, but I ended up staying here.” He first worked with his uncle, the late furniture designer Joe Tohmé, and ended up launching his own eponymous firm in 2005.
Over the past 14 years, Boutros has created innumerable spaces, but one that still stands out in his mind is a Barcelona-based 80-meter yacht designed for a client from the Arabian Gulf. The yacht was initially executed by Devonport in Plymouth, with interiors by B&B Italia. “Designing the interior of a yacht is not like a house,” says Boutros. “You have to make the space livable and interesting.” To maximize the amount of light, he enlarged the size of the windows from 160 centimeters to 240. He also increased the height of the main deck and created a beach club on the lower deck. That was in 2008, when beach clubs on yachts were still extremely rare.
Another project that’s close to his heart is an Orientalist villa he designed on the Côte d’Azur. The client, an 82-year-old woman, wanted to build her dream home along France’s fabled Riviera, so she turned to Boutros. “I translate the dreams of our clients into architecture,” says Boutros, adding that he never engages in work for purely commercial reasons. “I have refused clients and projects to avoid boredom and people who don’t understand what I’m talking about. I cannot tolerate small minds or people limited by an idea and who don’t want to play with me.”
More recently, Boutros has been hard at work designing his new home and office space, both in the same 1920s building near Saint Nicolas Garden in Ashrafieh. “This is a special project because I used to hate that building,” says Boutros. “I surpassed myself to make it interesting.” On the verge of completion, the project took two years of major works, and it will be a signature Ramy Boutros showcase of 21st-century furniture with art from the 20th and 21st centuries.
Furniture is of particular importance to Boutros: he’s a big furniture collector and believes that furniture pieces are the collectible art of the future. “I create interiors where you see my collector’s side, and a mix that resembles each client,” he says. “I want the space to tell you a story.” He’s fascinated by old cities that are laden with soul and history, like Florence, Venice, Istanbul and Taormina. “I’m inspired by the past to create a version of the past in the future,” he says. “But I also see beauty in ugliness,” he adds, describing how the misery of Lagos in Nigeria has left a lasting imprint on him. “It’s a place where poverty explodes in a million colors.” What next for Boutros? “I haven’t achieved even 10% of what I wanted,” he says. “I have the capability to achieve 90% more. I want to take care of myself, to baby myself. I don’t want my creativity to be affected by age, habits or routine.” He also candidly reveals that he’s seldom impressed by others. “I’m not impressed by anyone. I’m proud of people who have accomplished a lot, but I’m not impressed.” Instead, he’s in a constant race with himself, always trying to improve his life, his work, his output. “I try to surpass myself. I’m in a healthy competition with myself.”
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Words Marwan Naaman
AT THE PRINCE’S BEHEST
Milan’s Principe di Savoia offers palatial delights and historical grandeur
The Dorchester Collection
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Few hotels capture Milan’s glory quite like Principe di Savoia. The five-star property, which is part of the luxurious Dorchester Collection, is housed in an iconic neoclassical building, complete with late 19th-century and Art Deco furnishings, hand-painted frescoes and public spaces enveloped in a lush, velvety feel.
Located on imposing Piazza della Repubblica, Principe di Savoia first opened in 1927, and it remains Milan’s grande dame of hotels. The high level of service is apparent at the moment of arrival: doormen and porters immediately greet you, carry your bags and lead you to the check-in desk. This treatment may be standard for stars and celebrities, but at Principe di Savoia it applies to every single guest. While there are various room options, go for the spacious Junior Suite, designed to look like an abundantly stylish Milanese apartment and combining Art Deco glamour with contemporary flair. This luxurious abode has a separate living, with a seating area, fridge and TV, a blissfully oversized marble bathroom with both a tub and a shower stall, plus Acqua di Parma bath products, and scenic views over Milan’s dynamic streets. Rich purple hues, noble dark wood furniture and cascading drapes transform the suite into a veritable cocoon of refined luxury.
You may find it nearly impossible to tear yourself away from the comfort of your suite, but you must, because Principe di Savoia has much to offer when it comes to dining and nightlife. First there’s Acanto restaurant on the ground floor to the right of the lobby. This is where a decadent buffet breakfast is served, and you can enjoy your feast of pastries, charcuterie, cheese, cereal and much more either indoors or in the breezy garden. Acanto also serves lunch and dinner, featuring a succulent Italian menu devised by chef Alessandro Buffolino. For a lighter meal, dessert, a glass of wine or artisan coffee and tea in a lively setting,
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head to the hotel’s lobby lounge, the gloriously furnished Il Salotto. Here, in the elongated parlor and among a well-heeled fashion crowd, you can sip an Aperol Spritz while enjoying the hotel’s quiet busyness. And then you’ve got the Principe Bar, a prime Milan destination for those seeking superlative cocktails in dramatic surroundings. Here, in front of the sculpted crystal bar and back-lit mirrored wall, you may be lucky enough to spot the likes of Madonna or Lady Gaga.
For a change of pace, head to Club 10 fitness and beauty center on the hotel’s rooftop. You can work out at the city’s best gym with a panoramic view of Milan via floor-to-ceiling windows, or take a dip in the enclosed heated pool or whirlpool
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tub. The spa offers a range of luxurious treatments, including facials, waxing, nailcare and massages.
Once you’re ready to explore Milan, the hotel offers a complimentary shuttle to the center of town. You can also explore the city on foot, thanks to Principe di Savoia’s central location on Piazza della Repubblica. Milan’s Quadrilatero d’Oro, where many of the high-end boutiques are located, is just a 15-minute walk away. The trendy Brera neighborhood, with its ancient architecture, terrific restaurants and lively bars, is even closer, while the financial district of Porta Garibaldi, with its sleek modern towers, fountains and piazzas, is literally in the hotel’s backyard and visible from the top-floor gym. And should you wish to extend your exploration further, the Repubblica subway station is right outside the hotel, ready to whisk you away to the hipster neighborhood of Navigli, lush Parco Sempione or artistically lovely Fondazione Prada. After a few days and nights at Principe di Savoia, you’ll realize that the staff knows you by name, that the concierge understands your preferences and that the mixologist at Principe Bar remembers your favorite cocktail and prepares it to perfection. You’ll never want to leave. For more info, visit dorchestercollection.com
Two places to cherish at Principe de Savoia: Il Salotto lobby lounge (top) and Principe Bar (above)
AVAILABLE IN LEBANON: AÏSHTI DOWNTOWN, AÏSHTI BY THE SEA, AÏZONE BEIRUT SOUKS, AÏZONE ABC ASHRAFIEH, AÏZONE ABC DBAYE, AÏZONE ABC VERDUN 01 99 11 11 EXT. 140, DUBAI: DUBAI MALL T. +971 4 3882 270, MIRDIFF CITY CENTER +971 4 284 3007, JORDAN: CITY MALL +962 6 582 3724, KUWAIT: THE AVENUES MALL +965 2259 8016
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Words Niku Kasmai
GENDER ILLUSION When excessive femininity pervades men’s fashion
Reflecting the world’s changing perception of gender identity, big fashion houses are creating clothes that increasingly flout the boundaries between the masculine and the feminine. Brands like Gucci, Balenciaga, Maison Margiela and others have taken traditional male looks and turned them upside down, resulting in collections that are eccentric, unexpected and imbued with feminine touches. If fashion is a harbinger of things to come, then we’re in a for a brave new world where gender has disappeared and the future is one of fluidity.
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GUYS AND GIRLS AT GIVENCHY When she designed the men’s fall/winter 2019-20 for Givenchy, artistic director Clare Waight Keller said that she looked back to her youth in the 1990s, and how she managed to dress distinctively on a tight budget. Gleaning further inspiration from her womenswear palette, she created a collection that is both soft and fluid, with belted trench coats and jackets, flared pants and oversized collars. She even has men carry bags and wear necklaces, pushing her collection into complete androgynous territory.
Givenchy
MCQUEEN’S RUGGED REFINEMENT Much like Waight Keller did, Alexander McQueen’s creative director Sarah Burton looked to her past – and specifically to her native Macclesfield in England’s north – to create the brand’s latest fall/winter collection. The result is a menswear line that is rugged and delicate all at once – manly in its choice of materials, but certainly also feminine in its selection of patterns and accessories. There are brilliantly colored silk jacquard suits with metallic rose emblems plus crystal-singed jackets, many dizzyingly augmented by crystal necklaces and earrings or even lace patterns. It’s certainly one of the most gender-fluid men’s collections to date from the house of McQueen.
Alexander McQueen
MAISON MARGIELA’S GENDER MYSTIQUE It was trans teenager Finn Buchanan who opened Maison Margiela’s fall/winter 2019-20 runway show. Most members in the audience did a double-take every time Buchanan or one of the other genderfluid models made their catwalk entrance: gender it seemed, had become a veritable illusion, with boundaries further blurred by the brand’s latest collection. Creative director John Galliano – the fashion
Alexander McQueen
world’s most outrageous and irreverent figure – erased gender identity with a stroke of the designer’s wand, offering up a men’s collection rife with sloping shoulders, stocking socks and black Mary Janes. Once again, Galliano’s fashion is set firmly into the future, in a genderless utopian universe. GUCCI DUDES AND DOLLS Alessandro Michele continues to push the envelope with his newest fall/winter collection for Gucci. His gender-mixed runway show, with outfits that seamlessly skirt male/female boundaries and nods to ‘40s women’s fashion, translates into a collection that is pure Michele: surprising, entertaining and impossible to pin down. There are sharp, angular shoulders, nipped waists and pants cinched with a cord. Looks range from a sheer, flouncy men’s top that resembles a delicate blouse more than it does a tailored shirt, to a floral suit with legs that are full above the ankle. Sunglasses inspired by the ‘70s, men’s bags and buckled shoes complete a most eccentric – and most eye-catching – collection.
Maison Margiela
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Gucci’s fall/ winter collection is surprising, entertaining and impossible to pin down
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BALENCIAGA’S FEMININE FLAIR Demna Gvasalia, Balenciaga’s creative director, also staged a coed runway show for his brand. Like Michele, he offered up a fall/winter 2019-20 collection inspired by both sexes and designed to please both. Sleek, stylish silhouettes, minimalistic pantsuits and high collars and hoods were key to the collection, which included a bright all-red outfit consisting of loosefitting pants, a tailored shirt and a floorlength trench with a hoodie. Standouts – including a dark grey jacket and pants that call to mind men’s pajamas – allow Gvasalia to blur the boundaries not just between the sexes, but also between daytime and nighttime. It’s a dream in the daytime and a ray of sunshine in the night.
This page: Gucci Opposite page: Balenciaga
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PHOTOGRAPHY BACHAR SROUR STYLING CHARLES NICOLA SHOT ON LOCATION AT UNION MARKS, BEIRUT
Galvan London dress and Buccellati jewelry
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Valentino dress
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Skiim dress
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Valentino skirt and Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini vest
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Jonathan Simkhai bodysuit and Cartier necklace
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Cartier watch
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Joie blouse and George Hakim earrings and ring
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A.L.C. top, Alexandre Vauthier pants and Piaget pendants
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Ralph Masri ring and Balmain top
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Galvan London dress, Parosh sweater and Nada G bracelets
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Vince dress and Buccellati earrings
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She's in an Alexis top
Words and Photography Martin Stรถbich
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THREE PLACES, THROUGH A PERSONAL LENS
Beirut/Dubai/Tokyo is the working title of my latest publication. However, at the end of the day, the child is answering to the name of Beirut/Tokyo and One Picture of Mt. Fuji/Happy in the UAE. Rather clunky? Nevertheless, it does make sense. There are 404 pages. Three books. An optional Plexiglas slipcase. Three seemingly arbitrary places in the world. A total of 318 pictures. And on a good 90% of these pictures there is no human being of any kind in sight. And what does this have to say to us? In the first instance, nothing. What we have in our hands here is a very special, personal collection of photographs taken in Lebanon, in Japan and in the UAE between the years 2010 and 2017. By and large, I hiked my way to these shots. With a small, handy, analog Leica camera. And over the course of these hiking photography sessions, in my head the sequences were already taking shape and would subsequently be translated into book form. The pictures are, so to speak, the film stills from my surveys of the areas. And this is basically what I was concerned with. Surveying areas. Classifying things for myself.
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TOKYO
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AD Beatrice Rossetti - Photo Federico Cedrone
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Café Klint
Designmuseum Danmark, Bredgade 68, designmuseum.dk Housed inside the landmark Designmuseum Danmark, Café Klint is a terrific place for a casual lunch. During the summer and on sunny, warmer days, it’s best to sit outside, in the magnificent garden, and enjoy the lush courtyard while gazing at the museum’s ancient splendor. Order a couple of Copenhagen’s traditional open-faced sandwiches, such as beetroot salmon, salted Norwegian herring, green chicken salad or salt-baked potato (a vegan option), or heartier fare, such as rillettes of rabbit and shrimp pil-pil, which is rife with the aromas of lemon and fennel. Desserts are freshly baked and may include a soft, buttery chocolate cake or a summery lemon-blueberry cake. After lunch, be sure to visit the museum and admire some of the world’s edgiest design pieces. – Marwan Naaman
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NEW YORK
Pastis
52 Gansevoort St., pastisnyc.com Manhattan’s iconic Pastis restaurant reopened in June after a five-year closure, just around the corner from its original location in the Meatpacking District. Once the haunt of stars and celebrities, including Sarah Jessica Parker, Isaac Mizrahi, Prince Harry and Bill Clinton, the restaurant has been reopened by original creator Keith McNally, along with acclaimed restaurateur Stephen Starr, whose Buddakan and Le Coucou are New York culinary landmarks in their own right. The reinvigorated menu still features traditional French fare, but with a contemporary twist. Menu items include cheeseburger, croque monsieur, pepper steak, Gruyère omelet, rabbit pappardelle, veal sweetbreads and much more. The classic chocolate mousse is here once again, and other dessert options include rum baba and vanilla bean crème brûlée. Pastis, welcome back! – Niku Kasmai
Adar, Designmuseum Danmark, Louise Palmberg
Where We’re Eating
COPENHAGEN
PARIS
Adar
49 Passage des Panoramas, 75002, adar-paris.com Design studio T Sakhi, co-founded by Lebanese-Polish sisters Tessa and Tara Sakhi, recently unveiled their latest venture: Adar, a Levantine Êpicerie and traiteur set in Paris’ second arrondissement. A visually pleasing, sophisticated space, Adar captures Levantine culture through warm hues of brown, orange and off-white, and with its gorgeous central corrugated mesh chandelier evoking the traditional Middle Eastern souk. In terms of food offerings, chefs Tamir Nahmias and Aaron Rosenthal prepare fresh Levantine cuisine in an open kitchen, while organic Mediterranean food from Greece, Lebanon, Turkey and Italy is also available for purchase. A great addition to the Parisian culinary stage. – Michelle Merheb
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Where We’re Eating
Words Marwan Naaman
LUNCH WITH ARMANI Milan’s Armani/Ristorante reinvents contemporary cuisine
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With its impeccably designed, sunlit and spacious setting, Armani/Ristorante is one of Milan’s prime venues for a superlative lunch, whether on business or during a break from a shopping spree. Located on the seventh floor of Armani Hotel on Via Manzoni, the place offers expansive wraparound views that take in Milan’s Duomo as well as the sleek, soaring, futuristic towers of Porta Nuova.
While offerings change regularly and according to the seasons, they may include such delectable starters as Quinoa Rossa, a red quinoa salad with avocado, cashews and yogurt, or Gamberone, a shrimp tempura with mango jelly and a touch of wasabi. The red quinoa salad in particular is redolent with complexities, as the creaminess of the yogurt contrasts
Armani Hotel
Since 2018, the restaurant has been operating under the culinary direction of executive chef Francesco Mascheroni, who has created a menu inspired by traditional Italian cuisine but rife with international influences and contemporary flair. For lunch, guests have the option to choose either a two- or threecourse menu, or they can opt for a surprise five-course tasting menu devised by Mascheroni.
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beautifully with the softness of the avocados and the hard crunch of the cashews.
Main courses range from Manzo, a perfectly prepared charcoal-cooked beef served medium well in its own jus and accompanied with asparagus and mushrooms, to Pescatrice, a fluffy monkfish made exceptional thanks to the addition of a fragrant curry sauce, soy sauce and a side of bok choy. Of course, being in Italy, you must sample dessert, and there’s no better place to do so than Armani/ Ristorante. If you want a lighter option, there’s the Frutti di Bosco, a red fruit selection served with meringue plus a delicate passion fruit and cardamom infusion. More decadent choices include the cioccolato, a chocolate affair made with lime and ginger that’s just too delicious to miss.
In addition to the cuisine itself, various touches place the lunching experience here one cut above the
rest: the velvet feel of the service, the plush, silken surroundings, the carefully devised wine list and the nibbles served before and after your meal: crostini with fennel and sesame, homemade bread with Sicilian olive oil and addictive mini macaroons.
After lunch, be sure to stop by the adjoining Armani/ Lounge, where the comfy couches, spectacular views of Milan and seductive atmosphere will make you want to linger for hours on end. Visit armanihotelmilano.com
What We’re Eating
Words Salma Abdelnour
IN THE AGE OF OVERABUNDANCE Are we worrying excessively about excess? Walk into any ambitious restaurant or upscale supermarket, and you’ll find alluring ingredients from around the world, foods you used to have to travel to the ends of the earth to taste. For food-lovers with the means to enjoy all this abundance, this is a fantasy era. People are dancing in the streets, filled with the excitement of knowing they can get whatever they want, whenever they want it. Does this sound familiar? Well, no. Because how does the homo sapiens species cope with abundance? By worrying, of course. The age of excess has naturally triggered an equal and opposite response: excess stress.
Even as chefs and fancy epicurean stores are giving us greater access to all kinds of ingredients and foods that give us pleasure, we’re more bombarded than ever with information – and confusion – about how our eating choices can impact our health. Here are five signs that our anxiety about excess is getting… excessive. 240
1) Our era of abundant options has inspired a scary new disease: the fear of eating the wrong things. Alongside all the wellness trends and nutritional studies about how to optimize our diet, we’re seeing increased cases of a health condition caused by excess worry. It’s called orthorexia. Its main symptoms? Worrying too much about the nutritional value of foods, reading ingredient labels obsessively and even avoiding food altogether rather than risk eating the wrong things.
2) Frankenfood doesn’t terrify us like it should. In an effort to engineer the perfect food, the creators of an ever-expanding array of terrifyingly named products like Soylent Green – fittingly named after a dystopic novel and film from the 1970s – are creating efficient mealreplacement products that are meant to eliminate excess, apparently even excessive joy. 3) Delicious foods are packaged to look like medications. Certain fabulous Lebanese products like fig jam and pomegranate molasses are getting packaged with labels that look practically medicinal, with minimalist typography and design elements that recall pharmaceuticals. We’re seeing this phenomenon elsewhere too: some popular American food start-ups are marketing healthy, mouth-watering foods (like “hot-smoked salmon” and “garlicky chickpeas”) in tidy packages that look like medications. You just stack the little packages in your fridge and administer them to yourself when hunger strikes. Perfect portions. Impeccable nutritional value. No excess. And no fun.
4) Non-alcoholic wine is a thing. If wine is one of nature’s gifts to the human race, non-alcoholic wine is surely its punishment. There are far tastier ways to avoid excess. Delicious booze-free beverages are everywhere, so there’s no need to suck the life out of wine. Non-alcoholic
wine is artificial-tasting and super-weird, and a torture no one should have to suffer.
5) Diet trends are getting so complicated, they’re almost funny. Many of us barely know what or how or why we should even eat anymore. Avoid high-fat foods? Sure – well, maybe, depending on what your nutritionist says. Skip grains and vegetables? Some diets tell you to do that, no joke. Avoid beans and fruits and even some greens? Yup, at least for a while, according to certain socalled experts.
Case in point: A friend came over for lunch the other day. “I’m not eating cheese or bread now,” she said. “Or meat, or high-carb vegetables, or soy or grains or beans.”
“Um, what ARE you eating?” I asked, helplessly searching for something to feed her. “Nuts. Mainly nuts.” She found a jar on my shelf and clutched it like a teddy bear before emptying it down to the last pistachio.
Was she doing Keto or Paleo or Whole30, or some diet I’d never heard of, or everything at once? Nope, she insisted. No specific diet. She’d just heard you’re supposed to cut those foods out for a while if you want to feel your best. I handed her a bowl of salad filled with bulgur and lots of fresh vegetables. I thought this was a healthy lunch, but she tsk-tsked at the carb-packed salad and ate more pistachios. I know one thing is true, no matter to which food philosophy we subscribe. When it comes to happiness, there’s no such thing as excess.
T H E O R I G I N A L A M E R I CA N B RA N D AÏSHTI BY THE SEA ANTELIAS | 04 717716 EXT 232 AÏSHTI DOWNTOWN BEIRUT | 01 991111 AÏSHTI DUNES CENTER VERDUN STREET | 01 793777
Where We’re Detoxing
PANAMA
Islas Secas
Island resort Islas Secas is dedicated to sustaining its archipelago of islands in the Gulf of Chiriquí on the Pacific coast of Panama.
LOS ANGELES
Santa Monica Proper Just opened in June, Santa Monica Proper hotel emerges as an architectural marvel. 700 Wilshire Boulevard, Santa Monica, properhotel.com The hotel spans two stylistically disparate buildings linked by an artfully crafted bridge. With interior design by Kelly Wearstler, the hotel is a lesson in restrained elegance – think nature-inspired palettes, light hardwood floors and organic textures augmented by artworks from emerging local artists. The exquisitely pared-down aesthetics provide the stylish backdrop to the neighborhood’s only indoor-outdoor rooftop playground, complete with pool, cabanas, restaurant and bar. Add in a restaurant serving innovative Californian- and Mexican-inspired cuisine devised by celebrated chefs Jessica Koslow and Gabriela Cámara, and an expansive Ayurvedic spa, and you have the hottest hotel to hit Los Angeles in decades. – Karim Hussain
Domaine des Etangs, Islas Secas, Santa Monica Proper
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Punta Tierra, Chorcha, islassecas.com Its eco-reserve credentials include 100% of the property’s energy being solar-generated, recycled food waste and waste water reused for irrigation. This inspired eco-destination is home to four individually designed Casita sites sleeping up to 18 guests on one of the islands, with each built to feel like a sanctuary. Every Casita is surrounded by the island’s tropical forest, offering ocean views, complete with outdoor decks, plunge pools and thatchedroof cabanas. Activities are also designed for sustainable natural experiences: snorkeling and diving in the Gulf of Chiriquí, exploring the biodiversity of Coiba National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site, swimming and paddle boarding the archipelago’s waters or watching out for migrating humpback whales swimming by. – Karim Hussain
MASSIGNAC, FRANCE
Le Moulin des Etangs
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SET OVER 1,000 HECTARES OF PROTECTED NATURE-FILLED COUNTRYSIDE COMPRISING FOREST, GRASSLAND AND LAKES, DOMAINE DES ETANGS IS A CONVERTED PRIVATE HOME TRANSFORMED INTO A HOTEL AND SPA. Domaine des Etangs, lemoulindesetangs.com Called Moulin des Etangs, the spa is located in a converted and still working water mill. Its approach to wellness is “equilibrium,” a harmony between seasons and elements with skincare at the heart of the experience. Along with these treatments that focus on reviving the epidermis, both fresh and dried garden plants are used in the form of infused compresses. For bathing treatments, Charente salt is added to footbaths, while crushed and ground wheat serves as a base for bodily exfoliation treatments. The Domaine is located in Massignac, in the area of Charente, close to Cognac and the porcelain capital of Limoges. – Karim Hussain
What a Drag Cross-dressing goes from extreme to mainstream
You can’t help but have noticed, it’s been creeping into our collective consciousness for some time now… what was once on the fringes, has today become the theme of every popular-preteen girl’s birthday party. Drag has been whipped into a froth that exploded onto the mainstream in the form of hit TV shows commanding dedicated audiences around the globe. While cross-dressing doubtless has a history as ancient as mankind, the transformative power of drag, as a method to communicate creative ideas, dates back more visually to the Weimar Republic, when Berlin was a hub of arts and culture. The creative freedoms and expression of that brief period are documented by men and women using dress and character to explore self-image – think Marlene Dietrich. Decades later the emergence of gay culture in the United States and Europe, and the more recent strengthening of women’s rights in the public mindset, has meant that RuPaul’s Drag Race streamed internationally on Netflix as a family show. In turn this paved the way for Ryan Murphy’s award-winning Pose, while the seeding of the idea of characters becoming stronger through extreme-costume is woven into other dramas, such as Dumplin’, where drag queens guide teenagers to embrace their emerging identities. “Drag is not a costume, it’s not about putting on a wig and pouncing around. It’s about transformation, and communicating ideas. You build a
character and become someone else who communicates something,” says Daniel Vais, the creator and founder of Culture Device, an experimental dance company working with people who have Down syndrome or learning difficulties. For three months this year, his cast performed The Rite of Spring ballet by Stravinsky at London’s Royal Opera House. It was the first ballet in the world performed by professional dancers with Down syndrome and guest dancers from the Royal Ballet.
Fresh off this success, his cast demanded new challenges and Vais took them to a drag performance. Inspired, they crafted their own characters and launched them on stage as Drag Syndrome at a small experimental space in London’s Dalston in March. “Everyone realized that it was an absolutely revolutionary moment,” says Vais. “When we finished they wanted to know when the next gig was. I booked another performance, and now we’re in the middle of a world tour. Somehow drag has allowed these performers to be seen: they are now considered professional entertainers, and this is what the artists wanted. It is the natural progress of our work.”
That cast includes 32-year-old BAFTA and Cannes Film Festival award winner Otto Baxter, who revealed Horrora Shebang, a sassy, larger than life, character. “When Horrora is in the house, mayhem is guaranteed,” says Vais. There is also Danny Smith, an IranianBritish performer, painter and filmmaker, whose drag personality is Gaya Khalas. “She’s very glamorous, and loves the finer things in life such as expensive champagne,” says Vais. Drag Syndrome has now been featured on CNN, ITV, Nowness and is on tour in the United States this year.
“Drag is not about sexuality, it’s about gender,” Vais adds, “and gender is a current topic, because now legislation in some countries is recognizing there are many types. The story of Drag Syndrome is a micro-version of the greater drag story. It’s thanks to this extreme type of performance, that we’ve been able to bring people without a voice, who are not embraced by the mainstream, and place them right in the middle of it.” Visit dragsyndrome.com and @dragsyndrome
Elise Dumontet
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Words Karim Hussain
Words Marwan Naaman
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MILAN’S EPICENTER OF COOL TAKE A SPIN THROUGH THE CITY’S NAVIGLI NEIGHBORHOOD Is Milan the leisure destination of the future? Long described as Italy’s industrial center, and the nation’s undisputed fashion and design hub, Milan has recently become a draw for visitors who appreciate style, creativity, terrific cuisine and culture riches in a cosmopolitan setting. The Navigli neighborhood in particular, anchored by the sensually stylish Nhow Milan hotel (see page 250), has emerged as the city’s epicenter of cool, with boutiques, restaurants and bars that are as hip as they come. The Navigli were once a series of navigable canals in and around Milan, with historical links to Leonardo da Vinci, who back in the late 15th century ambitiously thought of using the canals (originally built between the years 1177 and 1257) to ferry goods and people to the city. While most of the canals have since been entirely covered, the Naviglio Grande and Naviglio Pavese are still in use, most notably by visitors
wishing to experience Milan while on a scenic boat tour. The twin canals branch out of the Darsena (the dock of Milan) and are dotted with attractions along each of their banks.
In terms of culture, you’ve got the breathtaking Museo delle Culture di Milano (MUDEC) on Via Tortona, set inside the magnificently renovated and repurposed old Ansaldo industrial plant and now featuring permanent and changing exhibits about world culture. Walking along the canals, you’ll also spot dozens of small art galleries, either on the main streets or hidden in narrow alleyways and secret gardens, offering works by both established and up-andcoming artists. Monuments in Navigli include the fourth-century Basilica di Sant’Eustorgio, one of Milan’s most ancient churches and once home to the relics of the Three
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Pourquoi Moi is one of the area’s best-loved vintage fashion boutiques. You can also check out Tenoha Milano, a mini shopping and entertainment center serving and carrying all things Japanese. There’s a lifestyle store where you can find accessories, homeware, tableware, stationary and Japanese candy (including Japanese Kit-Kat), a co-working space and food outlets serving Japanese cuisine.
Wise Men. Another fourth-century church, the Basilica di San Lorenzo, near the medieval Porta Ticinese, was renovated as recently as the 20th century. The architectural masterpiece houses the remains of St. Lawrence (after whom it is named), in addition to various Byzantine features. Be sure to visit the lush Parco delle Basiliche behind the church and view the park’s different species of maple trees. Milan is renowned as a shopper’s paradise, particularly when it comes to fashion and design. While Via Montenapoleone and the Duomo area have the well-known Italian brands, Navigli is the place to go for vintage fashion and hard-to-find treasures.
Since you’re along Milan’s scenic waterways, you’ve of course got innumerable restaurants, bars and cafés to enjoy at any hour of the day. For Italy’s illustrious aperitivi, try Spritz, housed in a vaulted 19th-century red-brick space, or the 20-year-old but still fashionable Capetown Café. For lunch or dinner, try Ristorante El Brellin, located on the historic Viccolo dei Lavandai (Washerwoman’s Alley), where up until the 1950s, Milanese women used to come to wash their clothes. Steak lovers can try Antica Marmeria di Mirko, set inside a former marble workshop and now offering some of the city’s best cuts of meats.
Whether you’re visiting Navigli during the day, when the shops, galleries and churches are open, or at night, when the neighborhood is rife with revelers hopping from bar to bar, strolling along the glistening canals, admiring the pedestrian bridges that gracefully curve over the water and discovering hidden gems nestled behind ancient buildings is a magical experience that’s sure to leave lasting memories.
The Machrie
ISLE OF ISLAY, SCOTLAND
Port Ellen, themachrie.com Holding 47 guestrooms, suites and lodges, and located on Scotland’s Isle of Islay, The Machrie is set on seven miles of a pristine beach that’s accessible to guests via a private footpath. The hotel’s flagship restaurant, named 18 because it overlooks the 18th green of The Machrie’s legendary golf course, offers contemporary cuisine made with local ingredients, served either in the glass-vaulted dining room or on the dreamy terrace that overlooks the blue waters of Laggan Bay. In addition to The Machrie Links Golf Course, where golf has been played since 1891, the hotel houses a gym and a spa offering bespoke treatments. In the words of Campbell Gray: “I am really excited to have the opportunity to welcome guests to The Machrie Hotel and Links and equally excited for them to enjoy the magnificent and dramatic landscapes of Scotland.” – Marwan Naaman
La Maison des Sources
Shouf Mountains, lamaisondessources.com Here you’ll find La Maison des Sources, a bed and breakfast set within a splendid 200-year-old traditional Lebanese home. Fadi Mogabgab, who hails from Ain Zhalta, along with his wife Alia Mouzannar and two close friends of theirs from France, teamed up to renovate the historic property and transform it into a mountain hideaway where peace and tranquility reign supreme. There are four guestrooms on the lower level and seven on the upper floor, all carefully restored to reflect their original vintage beauty while offering contemporary amenities, such as brand-new bathrooms and state-of-the-art insulation. Breakfast is served in the lower-floor dining room, which opens onto a vast garden via glass doors and noble arches. The first establishment of its kind in this part of the Shouf, La Maison des Sources offers easy access to the nearby Biosphere Reserve and its ancient cedars, as well as to the riverside restaurants in Nabaa el Safa. A pristine getaway for all seasons. – Michelle Merheb
Corte Realdi, La Maison des Sources, The Machrie
Ain Zhalta is one of the Shouf Mountains’ loveliest villages. AIN ZHALTA, LEBANON
Where We’re Staying 248
Gordon Campbell Gray, creator of Le Gray in Beirut and The Phoenicia in Malta, is the hotelier behind the luxurious Machrie Hotel and Links.
VENICE
CORTE REALDI SUITES, VENICE Santa Croce 2324, corterealdi.com
Venice is one of the world’s loveliest cities, a colorful, ancient, rococo fantasy floating atop a lagoon where cars do not exist and people get around by ferry, water taxi or gondola. While there are many hotels in which you could stay, there’s one alternative type of accommodation that offers a real taste of Venice, without the tourist trappings and with sterling service: Corte Realdi. Owned by Marco Pigozzo, whose mother Leila Sinno is Lebanese, Corte Realdi is a collection of three magnificent, fully furnished suites set inside a recently renovated 16th-century building and overlooking one of Venice’s prized gardens. There are two two-bedroom suites that can fit up to five people and a onebedroom suite that’s good for three guests. All suites have bathrooms and kitchens, ensuring that your Venetian haven feels like a real home. There is also daily cleaning service for optimum pampering. Corte Realdi’s location, in close proximity to Piazza San Marco, various ferry stops, the Grand Canal, the Rialto Bridge, the Rialto Market and much more, places all of Venice’s treasures right at your fingertips. – Marwan Naaman
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Where We’re Staying
MOST ARTISTICALLY MILAN FASHION, ART AND DESIGN CONVERGE AT NHOW MILAN Steps from Milan’s super-trendy Navigli neighborhood, on lively Via Tortona, stands Nhow Milan, one of the Italian city’s most dizzyingly dynamic hotels. Created by Italian architect Daniele Beretta and interior designer Matteo Thun, the hotel is set inside a former industrial building that was reinvented to reflect the changing Navigli neighborhood: once home to Milan’s heavy industry, the area is now one of the city’s primary design hubs, with fashion and design showrooms, galleries, creatives studios and the splendid, David Chipperfield-designed Museo delle Culture (MUDEC).
Nhow Milan is a marked departure from the usual European hotels. First, its location on the former premises of the General Electric factory allows it to play with history and space. A gigantic tunnel, where a massive screen showcases a variety of clips, leads to the glass entrance of the hotel. To the left, right in front of the elevators, a glass floor allows guests to view the foundations of the former factory below. The rest of the lobby floor is made of concrete, in a nod to the building’s past industrial life.
More than just a lobby, the hotel’s ground floor area
Nhow Milan
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Words Marwan Naaman
is a vast, massive space with various sitting areas, a stylish bar and dozens of everchanging pieces of contemporary art. On any given day, you’ll spot a playful dog sculpture, a cart full of refreshments to welcome guests and multicolored light fixtures dangling from the ceiling. The walls are adorned with artworks by well-known and up-and-coming artists. Even the spaces leading to the guestrooms, on each floor of the hotel, have been transformed into cultural havens, with changing art exhibits that expose visitors to some of the world’s most innovative artists. The hotel’s 236 guestrooms vary greatly in design, but all have been conceived as autonomous units
with no dividing walls – inspired by the popular American loft – allowing each space to flow into the next. In one of the larger rooms, the bed faces the window and is backed by shelves and hangers that function as a postmodern closet. There’s a sitting area with a TV behind the shelves, while the bathroom, with its elegant free-standing tub, is open and visible to the right of the bed. There’s a slight partition between the showers and the sleeping area, but guests can still peek at the person showering (or couple, since there are two showerheads next to each other and abundant space). For those wanting the full-on, over-the-top experience, the penthouse offers an extraordinary two-level space with living and dining areas, a bathtub with a see-through bottom that functions as a sort of liquid ceiling, plus views over Milan’s scenic Navigli waterways. Nhow Milan’s restaurant, on the ground floor, provides the setting for all three daily meals.
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Featuring tables and chairs designed by Matteo Thun for Moroso, Knoll and Poltrona Frau, the space drips with design elements. This is where a sprawling breakfast buffet is set up every morning, and where international and Mediterranean cuisine by chef Jacopo Foggini is served. There’s also a VIP area with sheer curtains for those seeking more privacy. Other hotel amenities include stylishly designed meeting rooms and a fully equipped gym. 252
Before heading back up to your room, be sure to check out the lounge bar. Designed by Karim Rashid, who mixed translucent rainbow colors with stark white, the place serves creative cocktails as well as Italy’s beloved prosecco. A great place to toast Milan and one stupendously unusual and highly lovable hotel. For more info, visit nhow-hotels.com
Distributed by Cristiano di Thiene Spa www.aeronauticamilitare-collezioneprivata.it
www.aeronautica.difesa.it AĂŻshti by the Sea, Antelias T. 04 71 77 16 ext. 273 and all AĂŻzone stores T. 01 99 11 11
Tayer + Elementary
LONDON
Where We’re Drinking
Bartending duo Alex Kratena and Monica Berg opened their new London establishment this past June. 152 Old Street, tayer-elementary.com Tayer + Elementary features two distinct bar concepts: at the front, there’s Elementary, a casual all-day bar serving seasonal drinks and snacks. Behind a concrete partition wall, you’ve got Tayer, an upscale destination serving elaborate cocktails and refined cuisine. Menus in both places are modern Asian style, incorporating locally sourced and seasonal ingredients. Elementary offers simple finger foods, while Tayer serves innovative and elegant small plates. A terrific new addition to London’s dining and drinking scene. – Niku Kasmai
Bloc Market, Biel Waterfront, @baubeirut Floating above the Mediterranean with the Beirut skyline in the background, BAU offers handcrafted cocktails and an Asian-inspired menu. Some cuisine highlights include tuna kimchi tartare tostadas, mini gourmet burgers and chargrilled scallops on a bed of wild mushrooms, while specialty cocktails range from an Aperol with a strawberry twist to a refreshing Melon Fusion concoction. BAU is the Lebanese capital’s new nightlife destination, a place where revelers enjoy superlative food and drinks while swaying to tropical beats. – Michelle Merheb
Beirut’s sexiest rooftop restaurant and club opened last June on the Biel Waterfront.
BAU, Bernard Zieja
BAU
BEIRUT
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AĂŻshti by the Sea, Antelias T. 04 71 77 16 ext. 274 and all AĂŻzone stores T. 01 99 11 11 Follow us on instagram: @melissashoeslebanon
Where We’re Drinking
NACCACHE, LEBANON
Spine
SPINE HAS REDEFINED LEBANON’S NIGHTLIFE SCENE. THE STUNNING ROOFTOP RESTAURANT AND LOUNGE APPEARS TO FLY ABOVE THE MEDITERRANEAN AND IS SURROUNDED BY MOUNTAINS, SKIES AND SEA.
Hotel VIU, Spine
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G1 Building, Naccache Seaside Road, spinebeirut.com Designed by Gregory Gatserelia, with marble elements from Musée d’Onyx Matta, the open-air space features an enormous structure of metal squares and rectangles that light up and change color throughout the night. The revelry begins with a restrained dinner menu that features delights to share, including spicy salmon tacos, tuna avocado tostadas and feta watermelon salad, all best enjoyed with Spine’s specialty cocktails. Over the course of the night, the mood changes, and Spine becomes a pulsating lounge with interactive lighting and the hippest beats. Spine is open every day except Monday, beginning at 9pm, but this year the place also opens at 6:30pm every Sunday for Lebanon’s most dazzling sunset cocktail celebration. With artisan cocktails – including passion fruit with vodka or watermelon with rum – and dramatic sunset views over Beirut and the sea, this is easily one of summer’s most magical experiences. – Marwan Naaman
VIU Terrace
MILAN
Milan’s VIU Terrace is a stylish destination for those seeking to enjoy Italy’s signature aperitivi. Via Aristotile Fioravanti 6, hotelviumilan.com Set on the rooftop of Hotel VIU (a member of the Design Hotels family) and featuring both indoor and outdoor seating, VIU Terrace serves a nice selection of cocktails, including its own take on the famed Aperol Spritz. The bespoke drinks are accompanied by delectable nibbles courtesy of Michelin-starred chef Giancarlo Morelli. Enjoying an ice-cold spritz besides Milan’s only open-air hotel rooftop pool, while gazing at the sprawling Italian city below, is a memorable and uniquely Milanese experience. – Marwan Naaman
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What We’re Drinking
Words Salma Abdelnour
Drinking Big Massive alcoholic beverages are turning up everywhere
The legendary French gourmand Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin understood the tendency of humans to prioritize a good cocktail. As he noted in one of his famous essays, people “have been so tormented by the passion for strong drinks, that limited as their capacities were, they were yet able to manufacture them.” Since Brillat-Savarin died in the early 19th century, he probably never had the chance to try a large-format cocktail, as the latest oversized drinks are known. But no doubt he would approve of the way we limited humans have figured out how to make cocktails that are not just strong, but enormous too.
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BIG BEER WARS If you’ve been to a German or Austrian beer garden, you’ve seen brews served in glasses so giant, you can practically stand on the edge and dive in. Even though beer in huge glasses is not a new phenomenon, the competition to pour ever-bigger brews is now turning into an all-out war. In the United States, a current legal case is pitting Huge Ass Beer against Giant Ass Beer, the creations of competing New Orleans bar-owners who want to corner the market on beers served in 70-ounce containers.
WORLD’S HUGEST GIN AND TONIC Who could forget Snoop Dogg’s 1994 hit “Gin and Juice?” No one, except the fans who got to drink a Gin and Juice that Snoop recently mixed at an outdoor food festival in Napa Valley, California. Those people may never remember anything ever again, because that particular gin and tonic involved 180 bottles of gin, poured into a glass five feet high. There was brandy in there too, and orange juice and lemon juice, thanks to a special recipe created by Snoop Dogg along with rap artist Warren G and chef Michael Voltaggio. That drink is now even immortalized with an entry in the Guinness Book of World Records.
LARGE FORMAT COCKTAILS Granted, “large format” is a tragically unimaginative name for a delicious tropical cocktail, but this is what bartenders are calling the latest bigger-than-your head cocktails. Turning up on bar menus everywhere, many of these giant drinks are revivals of the tiki cocktails your grandparents might have enjoyed. At the Polynesian in New York, the half-dozen large format cocktails on the menu serve six to eight people each, and include the musttry Kilauea Punch, a conch-shell-shaped container holding a heady mix of rum, mezcal, absinthe, bitters, tropical juices and cola. At the Palm House in San Francisco, the Summertime All the Time cocktail is made for six to share, and it lives up to its name with a blend of white rum, lime, pisco, pineapple and notes of cucumber and basil. In London, the Mahiki bar in Mayfair outdoes itself with its Pieces of Eight cocktail, combining peach liqueur, brandy, grog, sparkling wine, lime and sugar. As if the potion itself weren’t enough to grab your attention, the drink is served up in a treasure chest, and it’s massive enough to share with at least seven of your friends.
ENORMOUS WINE BOTTLES Gigantic bottles of French rosé and Champagne are more popular than ever at restaurants and beachside bars everywhere from St. Tropez to the Caribbean to the Hamptons. Sommeliers and wine sellers are reporting an uptick in sales of sizes ranging from the 1.5-liter magnum to the colossal three- and six-liter options. Why? A better question is, why not? First of all, the huge size looks cartoonish – and who doesn’t love to kick off a party with a smile? Also, rather than popping open bottle after bottle for a crowd, it’s so much easier to just open one – at least until everyone polishes it off and gets ready for the next round. And the next.
Words Marwan Naaman
THE LAST PAGE OUTRAGEOUS PEOPLE We’re living in an age of excess. From reality shows, fake news and social media to presidents, fashion designers and professional celebrities, the early 21st century is sometimes just too much – everything is big, loud and overwhelming. Here are five people who best represent this overabundance.
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AHMED SEROUR Ahmed Serour is the Middle Eastern king of camp fashion. Describing his fashion looks as “trash couture,” the 26-year-old Cairo-based designer says he’s inspired by Egyptian kitsch aesthetics and male belly dancers. @ahmedwsorour
RICKEY THOMPSON “I don’t wanna be cute, bitch!” Just one of the tirades that Rickey Thompson posted on his Instagram channel. The 23-year-old American comedian, actor and Internet celebrity, who was once bullied for being openly gay, is one of the most hilarious Instagram stars – he even has a lead role in the YouTube Red series Foursome. @rickeythompson
DANI MILLER For its first-ever campaign, Gucci Beauty tapped 26-year-old American punk singer Dani Miller to launch 58 shades of makeup. With large gaps between her twisted, yellow-tinted teeth, disheveled hair and over-the-top fashion sense, Miller seemed like an odd pick for a beauty campaign – then again, maybe she was the ideal choice to capture the 21st-century zeitgeist. @alienzarereal
INDYA MOORE American transgender model and actress Indya Moore shot to fame when she portrayed Angel Evangelista in the FX TV series Pose. She was the first transgender person to appear on the cover of American ELLE magazine in May this year. Now in her mid-20s, Moore describes herself as non-binary, neither masculine nor feminine. @indyamoore
MARK HACHEM Lebanese-Canadian comedian Mark Hachem is best-known for his YouTube and Instagram channels, on which he shares his impressions of life in Canada versus his native Lebanon. While he broaches other topics as well, like health and fitness, his most hilarious posts are the ones in which he tackles the Lebanon/Canada culture clash. @markhachem
What floor?
