A Magazine, Issue 74 by Aïshti

no. 74 oct/nov 2014 LL10,000

Cast a spell Bewitching fall fashion Fashion Age is just a number Cuisine Insects in the kitchen Art Here and Elsewhere Beauty Smoke signals Music All that jazz Design Lap of luxury Travel Dubai takes it easy

cartier.com

Haute Haute Joaillerie Joaillerie collection collection

EnginEErEd for mEn who bEliEvE lifE is an advEnturE.

IWC Boutique, Beirut Souks-Downtown, ext: 212 ABC Dbayeh, ext: 201 / ABC Ashrafieh, ext: 205 Beirut, Dora Highway, Tel: 01 25 66 55

Aquatimer Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Month. Ref. 3794: Men who don’t lead ordinary lives don’t wear ordinary watches: they choose one like this digital perpetual calendar. The case diameter alone – at 49 millimetres the second largest in IWC’s history – separates the owner and his watch from the masses. Then again, the masses won’t even be visible as you take off to explore the unknown with the flagship of the Aquatimer family – limited to just 50 examples – on your wrist. What you will have is the reassurance that the Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Month will never let you down. Theoretically, the perpetual calendar mechanism, visible through the transparent perforated covers, will still show the correct date in 500 years. Those who plan to spend at least part of this time under water are likewise ideally equipped with the newly developed IWC SafeDive system and water-resistance to 10 bar. And even when your course takes you from the ocean back to the big city, the combination of rubber-coated titanium and 18-carat red gold is as reliable a marker of your position as any anchor. Ultimately, the greatest of all discoveries is possible anywhere: that life is one long adventure.

iwc . e n g i n e e r e d fo r m e n .

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Inside No. 74 OCT/NOV 2014

Cityscape

48 Beirut Good eats, glamorous jewels 52 London Art fairs, city gardens 54 Paris Concept stores, clown-themed bars 56 Milan Sweeping views, secret gardens 58 New York Tough-luxe design, preppy-cool 60 Tokyo Health, fitness, fantastic food 62 Exhibition “Carte Blanche”

Design Playground

182 Update Design developments 186 Trend Lap of luxury 190 Sound off Listening in design 194 Haven Marmara Park Avenue 198 Course Streamsong 202 Legend Carlo Scarpa in Venice

Fashion

High Art

72 Mixed media Kamal Mouzawak 74 Pioneer Arthur Satyan’s Beirut 76 Eccentric Meet Karneef

84 News From top to toe 86 Collection Choo.08 90 Opinion Is age just a number? 94 Capital Move over, Big Four 98 Headpiece Return of the hat 100 Prodigy Fashionable baby talk 102 Movement Fashion and dance 104 Fixture Denim upgrade 106 Accessories Art attack 116 Hot stuff Fall’s most wanted 128 Ballroom blitz Are you ready? 142 Field of dreams It’s enchanting 168 In the shadows City of London

212 Exhibitions What’s on view 218 Festival St. Moritz Art Masters 222 Middle East “Here and Elsewhere” 226 Studio Formafantasma 230 Painter Aaron Curry 236 Voyeur Alex Prager 242 Future Bloomberg New Contemporaries 246 Curator Christopher W. Mount

Lifestyle

252 Delicacy Six-legged cuisine 254 Joy ride Ferrari’s latest model 256 Revolution What’s brewing 258 Escape Indian harmony

Inside

Beauty

268 Counter A floral fall 270 Health Comeback cardio 272 Runway Smoke signals 274 Inspiration To brow or not to brow

Last Word

276 Forecast Star-sign style n o. 74 oct /no v 2014 LL10 ,000

Cover Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in a miu miu dress Photographer Sevda Albers. Stylist Magdalena Bryk. Hair Yoshitaka Miyazaki from Untitled Artists. Makeup Joanna Banach from Untitled Artists. Model Felicity Peel from Elite Model Management

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Publisher

Tony Salamé Group TSG SAL

Editor-in-chief MacKenzie Lewis

Art directors

Senior art and production director Maria Maalouf Senior art director Mélanie Dagher Guest art director Raya Farhat

Editors

Associate editor Pip Usher Assistant editor Celine Omeira Italy editor Renata Fontanelli UK editor Grace Banks US editor Robert Landon Editorial intern Talia Abbas

Writers

John Burns, Rowan Claire, Marissa Cox, Maya Gebeily, James Haines-Young, Robert Landon, Clara Le Fort, John Ovans M. Astella Saw, Mehrnoush Shafiei, Natalie Shooter, Jasper Toms, J. Michael Welton

Photographers

Fashion photographers Sevda Albers, Samantha Casolari, Tony Elieh, Marco Pietracupa Contributing photographers Antoine Bordeleau, Paul Clemence, James Haines-Young, Nabil Ismail, Fredrik Nilsen, Josh White Illustrator Mélanie Dagher

Stylists

Amelianna Loiacono, Magdalena Bryk

Celine Omeira Celine Omeira joined the A magazine team as editorial assistant – and jack of all fashion trades – last year. In this issue, she was the stylist on A’s “Hot Stuff ” pages.

Samantha Casolari Photographer and video artist Samantha Casolari grew up in Italy and now lives in New York, where she shoots for Elle, GQ and T: The New York Times Style Magazine, among others. She traveled back to Milan to shoot “Field of Dreams.”

Advertising

Melhem Moussallem, Karine Abou Arraj, Stephanie Missirian

Production and printing

Senior photo producer Fadi Maalouf Printing Dots: The Art of Printing

Responsible director Nasser Bitar

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

tribute In September, the AĂŻshti family lost Sophie SalamĂŠ, one of its co-founders. The fashion community in Lebanon continues to mourn the loss of a legendary woman and celebrate the legacy she left behind. This issue of A magazine is dedicated to her. MacKenzie Lewis

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ÂŠ Nabil Ismail

A tribute

A 46

Sophie Salamé In memory of a fashion leader in Lebanon

In the Salamé family, known in Lebanon for its spirit, initiative and enterprise in the luxury fashion industry, Sophie was a character apart. Strong-willed and independent, this elegant brunette succeeded in creating, with the help of her business partners, a concept of her own: a boutique named Sophie’s Choice. The title of a novel by William Styron that was later adapted to the silver screen, the phrase has come to represent a cruel dilemma with no easy answer. It was a fitting name for a woman whose own life lacked ease or simplicity, a woman frequently confronted with difficult choices and situations. The disease that took her life with so little warning will never erase the memory of the luminous creature she was in spite of these hardships. Sophie was a light that brightened any day with as little as a passing smile in the Beirut Souks, the home of her boutique. It’s not surprising that within Sophie’s Choice she created a refined but

welcoming cafe that became a respite for the city’s most glamorous, as well as bankers and businessmen. Sensitive, loving and nurturing her friendships with maternal warmth, Sophie was no less dedicated to her professional relationships. Born with an eye for styling and a sharp business sense, she was both a confidant and consultant to her clients. Her extraordinary events welcomed everyone into the fashion fold, like the party she organized in honor of Goga Ashkenazi, the flamboyant owner of Vionnet. Though Sophie’s future wish list of projects, including films and television programs, was cut short, her memory will live on in the generation of young stylists that she lovingly mentored. Sophie was independent. She was courageous. She was never given the choice to be any other way. But if Beirut is known as a fashion capital despite its turmoil, it’s because of determined figures like Sophie Salamé. 47 A

A cityscape

Just in Beirut

Xiao Ciao (below)

Drawing upon flavors of the Far East, Xiao Ciao has created the ultimate colonial-chic experience. A new cocktail bar and lounge on Uruguay Street, it combines an Eastern aesthetic influence with stellar service for an unbeatable experience. Uruguay St., tel. 70.288.211

Dionea Orcini (above)

Junkyard (above)

After the success of Junkyard’s pop-up bar and restaurant in 2012, it’s finally here to stay. Its street food (made from locally sourced ingredients, of course) and extensive cocktail menu create a place described as a “pre-party creative hangout.” Mar Mikhael, tel. 01.448.632

Grand Factory (below)

Sandwiched between the mountains and the sea, the rooftop at Grand Factory provides panoramic views worth admiring while you sip cocktails and tap your feet to the beat. As the latest venue for concerts, social gatherings, cultural events and club nights, add this spot to your social calendar immediately. Al Rehban St., Karantina, tel. 01.694.469

Repossi (above)

The White Collection, designed by creative director Gaia Repossi, is an ode to minimalist design and purist architectural movements. Curved lines and delicate diamonds define pieces that are modern in their simplicity. Charles Malek Avenue, Ashrafieh, tel. 01.330.500, sylviesaliba.com A 48

Dionea Orcini enrolled in jewelry school after seeing the green tourmaline gemstone during a trip to Brazil. Her sensual fine jewelry line is rich with symbolism and beauty. Available at Sylvie Saliba, Charles Malek Avenue, Ashrafieh, tel. 01.330.500, sylviesaliba.com

A cityscape

Just in Beirut

Dunya (left)

Oriental melodies and the babble of a water fountain add Eastern magic at Dunya, Beirut’s newest Lebanese restaurant. Seeking to recreate the magic of the olden days, expect elegant dishes that focus on authenticity. Sodeco, tel. 01.333.747, dunyabeirut.com

Newport (below)

AS29 (above)

Every sophisticate needs her sparkle, and Belgian jeweler Audrey Savransky provides just the thing with her collection of diamond pieces. Called AS29, diamond-encrusted rings compete with slender pendants for the most desirable addition to your jewelry box. Available at Sylvie Saliba, Charles Malek Avenue, Ashrafieh, tel. 01.330.500, sylviesaliba.com

Blu Port (right)

Classic Americana fare is given a stylish makeover at Blu Port, Lebanon’s newest diner. Stop by for a meal that promises blissed-out indulgence. Zaytouna Bay, Le Yatch Club, tel. 01.762.881, bluportbeirut.com A 50

YSL Supreme Bouquet scent (above)

An ode to the Orient, YSL’s limited edition fragrance, Supreme Bouquet, stands out as a sophisticated scent. Both a collecter’s item and the perfect accompaniment to an evening out, only four bottles are available in Lebanon and will be sold exclusively at Aïshti. Available at Aïshti stores.

Ahoy, cocktail connoisseurs! Newport, a nautically themed bar in Uruguay Street, recreates that special feeling one can only get aboard a boat in summertime. Stop by for fresh cocktails and tasty bites. Uruguay St., tel. 71.939.398

A cityscape

Just in London Arcadia Missa (left)

Despite being a newcomer to the area, the Arcadia Missa Gallery is a pioneer of the Peckham art scene. Head down to its South London space for solo shows from Jessie Darling, Phoebe Collings-James and Bunny Rogers. Unit 6, Bellenden Road Business Centre, arcadiamissa.com

Adeline de Monseignat (below)

Adeline de Monseignat’s show “Home,” held at Ronchini Gallery in Mayfair, is essential viewing. The artist’s work incorporates everything from Freud to vintage fur. On view from October 28-January, 2015 at Ronchini Gallery London, 22 Dering St., Mayfair, tel. 44.20.7629.9188, ronchinigallery.com

Christopher Kane (right)

Not content with the launch of his handbag collection, Chris Kane is opening his first London store on Mount Street this fall. Expect trademark fluorescent colorways and oversized knits, ideal for transitioning into a new season. Mount Street

Rocket Gallery (below)

After establishing itself as one of London’s most dynamic design studios, Rocket Gallery has opened a fine art showroom in East London. Make an appointment to view new works by Martin Parr, or become a member and enjoy evening previews. 4-6 Sheep Lane, tel. 44.20.7254.8391, rocketgallery.com

Sky Garden (below)

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Frieze London 2014 (below)

London’s biggest art fair is back. From exclusive events to pop-up restaurants, this is the perfect time to get immersed in Britain’s contemporary art scene. Runs from October 15-18 at Regent’s Park, friezelondon.com

In a city with skyscrapers popping up every few months, finding one with a roof garden is a rarity. For a dose of tranquility amid urban chaos, head to Sky Garden, a grand landscaped space 525 feet above street level, complete with a bar and restaurant. 20 Fenchurch Street, tel. 44.20.8812.3200, 20fenchurchstreet.co.uk

A cityscape

Just in Paris

Dessance (left)

All is fine and candy at this intriguing alldesserts restaurant, where chef Christophe Boucher works with fruit, vegetables and fresh herbs to create surprising dishes that hit the sweet spot. No pear drops here: instead, think of an elegant pear purée served with a Greek yogurt sorbet and chervil meringue wafers. 74 rue des Archives, 3rd arrondissement, tel. 33.1.42.77.23.62, dessance.fr

Sept Cinq (above)

Parisian style gets a mention très bien at this smartly curated concept store, whose fun, quirky collection of clothes and home decor celebrates the made-in-Paris spirit. Local fashion heroes include Mimilamour jewelry and Newstalk T-shirts. 54 rue Notre-Dame de Lorette, 9th arrondissement, tel. 33.9.83.55.05.95, septcinq.com

E-clat (left)

Beauty fiends are preening in this fresh, bright space dedicated to cult European brands such as Ren skincare, Ellis Faas makeup, Sachajuan haircare and all-natural Anne P. candles. On Thursday evenings, guests are treated to bubbles and snacks at aperitif o’clock – a happy hour indeed. 90 rue de Richelieu, 2nd arrondissement, tel. 33.1.49.27.99.91, e-clat.fr

Painted clowns tumble about the retro Belle Époque interior of this historic bistro, once the staff canteen of the Cirque d’Hiver next door. There’s no joking around with chef Atsumi Sota’s crisp, modern menu, though: expect inventive dishes and natural wines to turn that frown upside down. 114 rue Amelot, 11th arrondissement, tel. 33.1.43.55.87.35

The Peninsula Paris (left)

Two majestic lions flank the grand entrance of this gorgeously restored 1908 building. Against a stylish backdrop of marble and gold, luxuriate up and all around: the best rooms have private roof gardens, while rooftop restaurant L’Oiseau Blanc has glorious views of the city. 19 avenue Kléber, 16th arrondissement, tel. 33.1.58.12.28.88, paris.peninsula.com A 54

Clown Bar (above)

WATCH THE FILM AT JIMMYCHOO.COM LEBANON BEIruT SOukS +961 1 991 111 ExT 595

A cityscape

Just in Milan 7 H U U D] ] D$S H U R O (left)

With a view of the Duomo di Milano’s gargoyles, Terrazza Aperol is the most spectacular terrace in Milan. The prices are also excellent, with Sunday brunch starting at 10 euros. Piazza del Duomo, tel. 39.02.8633.1959, terrazzaaperol.it

Sheraton Diana Majestic (left)

Spazio 900 (right)

Antiques are the order of the day at Spazio 900, where there’s an extensive selection of furniture and furnishing accessories from the ‘50s through to the ’80s. With two permanent exhibits, the choice is wide and the pieces sophisticated. Viale Campania 51, tel. 39.02.7012.5737 spazio900.net

Wait and See (above)

Founded by fashion designer Uberta Zambeletti, Wait and See offers pieces of her own design as well as vintage items from around the world. Carved out of a former convent in the middle of Milan’s historic center, the store serves as a hub for the city’s creative clique. Via Santa Marta 14, tel. 39.02.7208.0195, waitandsee.it

' H V L JQ & DI ¾ O D7 U L H Q Q DOH (below)

One of Milan’s most avant-garde institutes, the Triennale Design Museum is the perfect place to mix culture with a cocktail. Looking out over the greenery of Parco Sempione, it’s an urban oasis. Via Emilio Alemagna 6, tel. 39.02.8909.3899, triennale.it

Marc Chagall: A retrospective 1908-1985 (right)

Exhibiting more than 200 of Marc Chagall’s paintings, this retrospective celebrates an eclectic artist whose exploration of modernism spanned nearly the entire 20th century. Many paintings, drawn from private collections of Chagall’s heirs, are being publicly exhibited for the first time. Runs until February 1 at the Palazzo Reale, tel. 39.02.54.911, mostrachagall.it A 56

A meeting place for the fashion elite, the bar of the Sheraton Diana Majestic is one of the few city hotels where locals like to congregate. The private garden is particularly remarkable. Viale Piave 42, tel. 39.02.20.581, sheratondianamajestic.com

nancygonzalez.com

A誰shti, Downtown Beirut 01. 99 11 11

A cityscape

Just in New York Band of Outsiders (below)

Preppy-cool label Band of Outsiders has opened its first U.S. shop. Befitting the brand’s All-American aesthetic, the space also houses a Momofuku Milk Bar window serving up freshly baked cookies. 70 Wooster St., tel. 1.212.965.1313, bandofoutsiders.com

One of New York’s most beloved sources of artisanal foods has nearly doubled the number of rare and fine cheeses available in its fromagerie. New flavors include both European and American selections. Ask onsite fromagers to help you select a cheese and pair it with the perfect wine. 2 Park Avenue at 32nd St., tel. 212.725.8585, artisanalbistro.com

215 Chrystie (below)

Ian Schrager, America’s most iconic hotelier, has joined forces with Pritzker winners Herzog & de Meuron to build a 28-floor tower just off the Bowery in the Lower East Side. This fall, they unveiled their “tough luxe” design for th new building, a 370-room hotel topped by 11 super-refined residences. 215 Chrystie Street, 215chrystie.com

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Cherche Midi (above)

The minds behind the perennially popular Balthazar have opened their latest venture, a casual brasserie with – no surprise – a Frenchslanted menu. The star of the lineup is the LaFrieda hamburger, made with aged beef and dressed with bacon-and-shallot marmalade. 282 Bowery at Houston St., tel. 212.226.3055, cherchemidiny.com

Lobby Bar (below)

The new Ludlow Hotel brings a healthy dose of tasteful luxury to the famously gritty Lower East Side. Now the hotel has opened its bar, which features a darkly sophisticated interior and the works of bartender extraordinaire Thomas Waugh. 180 Ludlow St., tel. 212.432.1818, ludlowhotel.com

©Band of Outsiders, Artisanal Fromagerie and Bistro, Cherche Midi, Lobby Bar, 215 Chrystie

Artisanal Fromagerie and Bistro (below)

A誰sht i, 71 El- M out r ane Str e e t. Te l.: 01.991111 - A 誰 sht i Seasi de, Jal el D i b . Tel . : 04. 717716

LESILLA.COM

A cityscape

Just in Tokyo JG Tokyo (left)

In the heart of Roppongi Hills, Jean-George’s new restaurant unfolds like a well-crafted box. In a space designed by Gwenael Nicolas from Curiosity, Chef Fumio Yonezawa showcases the freshest local seafood. 6-12-4 Roppongi, Minato-ku, 81.3.5412.7115, jean-georges-tokyo.jp

Nohara by Mizuno (above)

This new health and fitness concept space in Harajuku was designed by Wonderwall principal Katayama on the concept of a “sports living room.” It also welcomes Katayama’s Design Lab, a program that cultivates the next generation of designers. 6-31-15, Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, 81.03.3409.6507, noharabymizuno.jp

Andaz Tokyo Toranomon Hills (right)

Andaz Tokyo is taking the lead with design rooted in the natural Japanese aesthetic, elegant interiors in rich shades of brown and panoramic views over the city from a 52ndfloor bar and its chic restaurants below. 1-23-4, Toranomon, Minato-ku, 81.3.6830.1234, tokyo.andaz.hyatt.com

An eco-conscious alternative to the average Tokyo mall, this urban complex is a green oasis filled with boutiques, restaurants and event spaces. Designed by Wonderwall, many shops are housed in repurposed shipping containers with spectacular results. 1-28-9 Yoyogi, Shibuya ku, 81.3.5302.2073, yoyogi-village.jp

AO spa (left)

AO offers a tailor-made approach to treatments: upon arrival, every guest picks freshly grown seasonal herbs and plants to create a unique healing formula. A therapist then takes over to rebalance the body to perfection. 1-23-4, Toranomon, Minato-ku, 81.3.6830.1234, aospaandclub.com A 60

Yoyogi Village (below)

A誰shti | 71 El-Moutrane Street | T - 01.991111 A誰shti Seaside | Jal el Dib | T - 04.717716 zagliani.com

ÂŠ Nabil Ismail

A cityscape _ exhibition

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Freedom of expression By Rowan Claire

Artwork by David Hominal, Alicja Kwade and Latifa Echakhch welcomes guests to MAS Beirut

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A cityscape

This page Works by Daniel Hominal (top) and “Eadem Mutata” by Alicja Kwade (bottom) Opposite page Mohamed Bourouissa’s “Screen” (top) and “Murmures (Poudre)” by Claude Lévêque (bottom)

“Carte Blanche” at MAS Beirut

An unusual name for an exhibition, “Carte Blanche” was inspired by gallery owner Tony Salamé’s conversation with Kamel Mennour before the show was curated. After telling Mennour, “I give you carte blanche to choose the artists and their works,” the show’s title was born. It’s not surprising that the exhibition is equally unique. Featuring young A 64

On September 12, 2014, MAS Beirut and the Kamel Mennour gallery inaugurated “Carte Blanche,” a collection of contemporary artworks by a number of international artists, including Claude Lévêque – the man being the Louvre’s punk light installation, showing at the famous I.M. Pei pyramid until January – and photographer Marie Bovo. With French artist Daniel Buren as the exhibition’s lynchpin, the show focuses on artwork from a wide variety of artists in a number of mediums: painting, sculpture, photographs, neon works and installations.

65 A

A cityscape

This page “Murmures (Ivre)” by Claude Lévêque (top) and two works by Daniel Buren, the lynchpin of the show (bottom)

artists focused on nature, light, imagination and the physical experience of how the body lives in space and time, it’s an eclectic collection of works that challenge the viewer to think deeply.

Founded in 1999, the Kamel Mennour Gallery opened its doors in the heart of Paris’ Saint-Germain des Prés. Although it began with a specialization in contemporary photography, the gallery quickly grew to include contemporary artists of all backgrounds, its space also expanding into the ground floor of a 17th-century hôtel particulier. With a commitment to promoting the careers of young emerging artists as well as their more established counterparts, the Kamel Mennour Gallery is an ambitious player in Paris’ art scene.

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LEBANON 225 Foch St., Downtown Beirut Te l . + 9 6 1 1 9 9 1 1 1 1 E x t . 4 8 0

A playground _ mixed media

Alone on a desert island€ Restauranteur Kamal Mouzawak

Kamal Mouzawak has trail-blazed his way through Beirut’s gastronomic scene, establishing the country’s first farmer’s market, Souk el Tayeb, followed by several sleek restaurants, all called Tawlet, based on those same locally sourced values. A vocal advocate of Lebanon’s culinary heritage, he reveals the art that would feed his soul on a desert island.

The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams

Hungry City: How Food Shapes Our Lives by Carolyn Steel

L• Herbier du Museum

Fasateen by Mashrou Leila

The Darjeeling Limited by Wes Anderson

A Sunday Smile by Beirut

A nostalgic nod to childhood, I’d take this beautiful book packed with pearls of wisdom like “Once you are real, you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.”

I love their music, especially the track “Fasateen.” It pushes you to move, to dance. Wonderful. A 72

With time to spare, I’d educate myself with this Orwellian portrayal of how the mass consumption of food shapes our lives and the cities in which we live.

An extraordinary story of every family’s fears, tensions and problems – but in an exotic and spicy setting!

A hefty coffee table book on the largest and oldest herbarium in the world, L’Herbier du Museum uses its collection of nearly eight million specimens to tell stories of other times and places. What better place to read it than a desert island?

This is one of my favorite tracks. I love the name of the band and the song title itself.

A playground _ pioneer

All that jazz Beirut’s jazz pioneer Arthur Satyan gets his music fix

Lebanon’s jazz history might not be long established, but hear Arthur Satyan play and you’d imagine otherwise. Born in Armenia at a time when jazz was forbidden, the arranger, composer and master on the keys has always gone against the grain. It all started when Satyan performed at Casino du Liban in ‘96 with his band Three Wheel Drive, alongside Steve Phillips on drums and Jack Gregg on contrabass. Though there was an established scene of jazz-fusion at the time, there were no bands doing what Satyan calls “traditional, authentic-sounding” jazz music. “There were mostly fusion bands with

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an oriental harmonic and improvisation approach. Guys like Walid Tawil, Joelle Khoury and Ziad Rahbani made a huge contribution to the local music scene. There are no words for how many generations of musicians they influenced with their styles,” Satyan says, “but we started the jazz vein of it. All the guys who play jazz nowadays were watching us and learning.” Satyan later founded the jazz department at the Lebanese National Conservatory of Music, which opened up the scene to a younger generation. “Most of the cats playing good jazz now came out of my class,” he says. Besides playing alongside almost every jazz giant who comes to town –Charles Davis,

By Natalie Shooter

Just last year Satyan released “ARTology,” an album that crosses musical periods, with some songs first conceived in the ‘80s. The album’s influences are diverse, and it’s his track “Chrome” that he believes to be the perfect soundtrack to the city. “It’s Beirut where you meet all kinds of people, religions, mentality, colors, architecture, seasons and all that jazz,” he says.

Opposite page Le Duc des Lombards in Paris (top) and Beirut’s Metro al Madina (bottom) This page Satyan’s favorite New York clubs, Smalls and Village Vanguard

Ed Cherry, Ray Vega and Larry Coryell, to name just a few – Satyan masterfully juggles musical projects. The most prominent is the Arthur Satyan Organ Quartet, featuring Tom Hornig on saxophone, Raffi Mandalian on guitar and Fouad Afra on drums – all longtime friends and collaborators. Satyan is also part of a quartet with Lebanese jazz singer Rima Bou Aoun, a duet with Mandalian and an acoustic ensemble. He has recording projects in the works with each, which shakes things up on a regular basis. “They’re all different,” he says. “Every band has it’s own color, repertoire, sound and vision.”

Since there are no strictly jazz music clubs in Beirut, Satyan has numerous favorites around the world, including Le Duc des Lombards and New Morning in Paris, and Village Vanguard and Smalls in New York. Though he believes the hunger for jazz in Lebanon could be stronger, he has a soft spot for Razz’zz and Nova Club. “Razz’zz Music Club is the only club with an acoustic piano. Nova Club helps keep jazz music alive – the owners are jazz listeners and appreciate good music. I really want to thank them for that.” Satyan is encouraged that an interest in jazz is growing with its integration into other areas of the local music scene. “Radio Beirut and Metro al Madina are having jazz shows and it’s very positive,” he says. “Everything is ahead. I’m looking forward to more great moments of my musical life journey.” arthursatyan.com A 75

A playground _ eccentric

Meet Karneef

By Natalie Shooter

The artist goes pop!

Karneef wrote Love Between Us in only two months, finding inspiration in everything from orchestral music to progressive rock. The result is pop music as it should be: sexy, subtle and with well-formed melodies that creep slowly and stay with you. The album features groove-laden bass lines set to teasing drumbeats and Karneef ’s stripped-back, soulful vocals. “I recorded a lot of it in this corner of my living room, totally afraid my elderly Greek neighbors upstairs could hear me trying to ‘find my voice,’” Karneef says. After hearing the demo of his album, American fusion bassist Hansford Rowe, a member of Franco-British rock band Gong, got in touch, wanting to play bass on Karneef ’s A 76

songs. They rerecorded, this time featuring a drummer named Max, who “was incredible at drums and bodybuilding and looking tough.” Since then, drummer Pascale Mercier, bassist Rafael Katigbak and guitarist Asael Robitaille make up the live formation, all friends of his from Montreal’s party circuit. Montreal has become an incubator for independent bands, where cheap living costs and a general atmosphere of industry resistance have spurred a thriving music scene. But as unhinged as Karneef appears in music videos, his sound is the result of carefully honing his craft. “I trained in music and bring a rigorous aesthetic to rock in the same way that these dudes did in the ‘70s. You need to know the notes, understand chord structure and voicing and all that.” For Karneef though, the key to success and sustainability within Montreal’s pop realm is

knowing how to “package it.” “Some rely too much on [software application] GarageBand, other people’s production knowledge or their withering visage. I have a very amazing fashion designer working for me to ensure that doesn’t happen. If I fail, it’s her fault,” he quips. The woman in question is the Mexican, Montreal-based fashion designer Renata Morales, who has directed Karneef ’s last two music videos and is also behind Arcade Fire’s costumes. With all the elements aligned, Karneef looks set for a lasting music career, which is just as well since he can’t imagine doing anything else. “Music is my everything. If I get sick of it, I will drive a motorbike off a mountain… with a watermelon on it, not me. I will watch.” Visit karneef.bandcamp.com

Since the release of his debut album, Love Between Us, at the end of 2013, Canadian musician Karneef’s addictive, funk-filled groove-pop is making ripples beyond his hometown of Montreal. This fall the eccentric frontman, Philip-Antoine Karneef, will make his debut appearance in Lebanon at Radio Beirut, part of a long-planned dream tour of the Middle East. The stop has particular significance; Karneef’s Lebanese father grew up in Beirut, and though the musician was always surrounded by tales of the city, he’s never visited. “I’ve heard nothing but amazing stories about Beirut,” Karneef says. “I honestly have no idea who or what is there – I just want to eat and swim and ride around in fast cars.”

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A fashion _ news

Fashion fragments News, from top to toe

Killer Heels

Is a shoe ever just a shoe? In its new “Killer Heels” exhibition, The Brooklyn Museum explores the cultural, historical and sexual symbolism behind more than 160 heels spanning nearly a century, with archive and contemporary designs from Roger Vivier for Dior (above), Martin Margiela, Elsa Schiaparelli and more. Runs until February 15, 2015. brooklynmuseum.org

Manuela Frey (left) and Nastya Sten (right) are the undisputed champions of the season. Both 19-year-old models walked an impressive 63 fall/winter 2014-15 shows each.

Liberty Ross x Genetic Denim

Liberty Ross has left behind tabloid scandals (particularly those involving her now ex-husband and actress Kristen Stewart) to focus on more important things: a project with L.A.-based Genetic Denim. The stunning model/actress is collaborating with the brand on a rock-inspired capsule collection that represents London and Los Angeles, where she splits her time. Visit geneticlosangeles.com

In detail

Menswear is seeing the return of maximalism, at least in the front rows at Fashion Week. The industry’s most stylish men are adding flare to classic tailoring with finishing touches in rich velvet and silk. From left: Canali scarf, Corneliani smoking shoes and belt A 84

Decorative arts

Art deco references are the common thread in this season’s most in-demand accessories. From left: Fendi sunglasses, Amulette de Cartier necklace, Chloé Drew bag

Walk stars

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A fashion _ collection

In focus By MacKenzie Lewis

With Choo.08, Sandra Choi gives women what they want – and need

If anyone knows the power of a shoe, it’s Sex and the City’s Carrie Bradshaw, who famously missed the Staten Island ferry when hers fell off. “I lost my Choo!” she cried as the boat shrank against the Manhattan skyline. It was a moment that catapulted Jimmy Choo from industry secret to style celebrity in suburban living rooms around the world. The humble shoemaker has since found a successor in his niece, Sandra Choi, but what a man designs for a woman and what her life demands can be two very different things. Now at the helm of Jimmy Choo, Choi is filling in the gaps between fantasy and reality with Choo.08, launching this fall.

Jimmy Choo was born in 1961 to a family of cobblers in Penang, Malaysia. “I’m the only son in the family, so I always watched my father, my mother and my uncle make shoes,” he told British Vogue last spring. “In the old days you were encouraged to watch, because when you watch you learn.” He made his first pair of shoes after celebrating his 11th birthday.

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This page Walking the walk is easy in Choo.08’s functional styles, like Marlin, Mane and Hatcher (from top) Opposite page The wildly popular Anouk is Jimmy Choo’s shoe of the season; Creative director Sandra Choi is a sleek, stylish and successful symbol of the brand

By 1986, Choo had relocated to London, the earliest Jimmy Choo boutique taking shape in a former hospital. Through word of mouth, he gained a loyal client in Princess Diana, and Tamara Mellon, then accessories editor at British Vogue, began commissioning custom pieces for the magazine’s pages. There was no eye-watering ad budget or high-profile PR team, and there was no overnight success.

Together, Choo, Mellon and Choi would transform a small couture collection into a ready-to-wear brand with more than 180 stores in 32 countries. Despite internal tumult – Choo and Mellon would eventually leave the company, and Choi and her uncle no longer speak – the brand presented a glittering vision that attracted monarchs, Hollywood royalty and queens of style in between.

As his business quietly grew, Jimmy Choo welcomed his niece into his workshop after she was steered towards the family trade by her parents. “I was getting a bit wild – it was Madonna, Boy George, Doc Martens and Adidas with the neon red stripe,” she told The Telegraph last year. Though Choi started out doing odd jobs like serving tea, she was appointed chief designer a mere five years later when Tamara Mellon partnered with Choo to launch J. Choo Limited.

When Carrie Bradshaw fell out of her lilac, feathered stiletto running to the ferry in 2000, it signified two things: that Jimmy Choo was solidly on the fashion map, and that practicality is often key to getting where you want to go. No one knows that better than Choi. The delightfully rebellious embodiment of the Jimmy Choo brand, she now oversees the entire creative direction of what’s rumored to 87 A

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This page, clockwise from left Founder Jimmy Choo; The brand’s boutiques are now across the globe, from Vienna to London’s Bond Street and Rodeo Drive in Los Angeles

Without sacrificing any of the brand’s trademark glamour, the pre-fall 2014 launch collection is noticeably tougher. High-top sneakers, smoking slippers and biker boots with a comfortable stacked heel offer a new sense of freedom to the traditionally stiletto-clad Choo client. One particularly vampy pair of over-the-knee boots in black leather – part of the fall/winter 2014-15 collection – was designed with a low heel for effortless sex appeal.

“The Choo.08 woman is in every respect the Jimmy Choo woman,” says Choi, “but the line represents her evolution. She’s leading a demanding life juggling many different roles; she’s on the go all day and needs to be both stylish and able to move freely.” A 88

It’s a fitting reference for the brand. In that same episode of Sex and the City, Carrie’s sweet-talking man-of-the-moment proposes they meet again. “I’ll pick you up at 7,” he growls, pointing to the Jimmy Choo bag next to her. “Wear the shoes.” Jimmy Choo shoes have long fueled the flames of passion. With Choo.08, the brand proves it’ll stick around the morning after.

be a $1.8 billion company. When she’s not at the office, she’s at her Battersea home, where she and her husband, artist Tamburlaine Gorst, are raising their two young children. “Each day is different, bringing with it new challenges. That’s what keeps it exciting after 17 years,” she tells A magazine. Her latest venture, Choo.08, is a new line that matches the fast-paced lives of her clientele.

“The idea of an affair driven by unbridled passion was front of mind when designing this first collection,” Choi explains. She revisited classic films about forbidden lust, deception and illusion, like Wong Kar-Wai’s In the Mood for Love and Les Liaisons Dangereuses. “I wanted to play with new perspectives, creating pieces that would be lusted after.”

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A fashion _ opinion

Act your age By MacKenzie Lewis

Can trends be outgrown? I had just added another swipe of fuchsia lipstick when an article titled “10 Style Moments Best Reserved for 20-somethings” appeared on Facebook like a warning. A friend I haven’t seen in years shared the post with her own expletive-ridden caption. I took the bait and clicked the link.

Chloé

alongside you.

A stylish new mother in her mid-30s, she worked hard to get in shape after the birth of her daughter and now looks firmer and leaner than I ever remember. I’ve followed her post-baby body transformation with the admiration of someone who bribes herself with cupcakes to go to the gym. Who was this journalist to tell her to cover up and act her age?

The pre-fall 2014 collections were rife with microminis. Antonio Berardi gave trim pins their moment with a scalloped-edge metallic miniskirt, while Chloé’s ruffled orange mini dress had jaws of all ages dropping. The ‘60s-inspired shift dress was the silhouette of the season at Dior, DSquared2 and Tory Burch, a classic look that appeals to both mature women and the fresh-faced ingénues who could easily be their daughters.

The Internet loves fashion dictates. Google “over 30” and “what not to wear” and everyone from Oprah to your local blogger has an opinion. But gone are the days when women hit a certain age and retreated to a closet full of twinsets. They’re more health conscious, in better shape than ever and tired of following outdated fashion laws. When the blogosphere tells you to retire your miniskirt because “showing some serious leg has a timeout factor in life,” designers are the first to scoff

On the red carpet, Cameron Diaz regularly takes thighgrazing skirts out for a spin. Had she been told that “wearing jeans to the office” (another on the list) was a style sin, she wouldn’t care. Diaz – one of Hollywood’s most successful women – has made jeans, breezy T-shirts and statement shoes her signature look. The actress recently paired cherry red Hudson denim with snakeskin sandals, and Stella McCartney jeans with peep-toe booties from Maison Martin Margiela. For

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“Wearing tops with no bra” featured near the top of the fashion magazine’s list. So far we were in agreement, though I’d apply that rule to anyone who requires a bra, regardless of age. Reading further down I began to feel uneasy when bright pink lipstick filled another spot. And then there were crop tops – this particular friend’s trigger point.

Dior

Antonio Berardi

press tours and events, the film industry equivalent to office work, she often tops the look with a blazer. Despite being over 40, Diaz never looks like she’s trying too hard in her polished, approachable uniform. Gwyneth Paltrow, now 41 and an admitted gym addict, has never met a crop top she didn’t like. Her rock-hard abs were on full display in a belly-baring shirt from Jason Wu’s resort 2014 collection, a bold choice for a cocktail event. She looks better than many women half her age, which is precisely the point. Fashion doesn’t depend on how many birthdays you’ve celebrated. It’s about taste, confidence and knowing what flatters your figure. A bit of investigating revealed the person behind the article to be in her 20s. This wasn’t an older woman imparting style wisdom. It was a young writer making a misguided attempt to spare us embarrassment. And

Dsquared2

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Sharon Stone

Cameron Diaz

thank goodness! Imagine if we all looked like Diaz, Paltrow, 51-year old Demi Moore or Sharon Stone, who turned 56 this year. Therein may lie the real problem. With our toned legs, firm midriffs and electric lips, we’re showing up 20-somethings. Shaming us into safe, boring style is just another way of pouting. A 92

Demi Moore

Tory Burch

A fashion _ capital

A tale of four cities By John Ovans

Throughout history, different cities have wielded influence on fashion at different times. During the Renaissance, Italy’s cultural muscle ensured that Naples, Rome, Florence, Genoa and Milan rippled the sartorial zeitgeist throughout Europe. But now, thanks to a little thing called the Internet, trends can start anywhere, fueling an ever-evolving game of thrones in which fashion’s capitals are no longer the only players. Four cities are currently vying for the title of top dog.

Stockholm If London is rebellious, Paris chic, New York edgy, and Milan dripping with glamour, then Stockholm is a city which is strongly tied to a particular aesthetic: that of minimalist, pared-back ease. A mixture of basics by homegrown brands and vintage fashion, ubiquitous in districts like SoFo and Götgatan, makes the streets a veritable catwalk, while Stockholm Fashion Week is fast approaching its 20th year. Many Swedes – invariably blonde, beanstalk-tall and blueeyed – are the perfect human clothes hanger for their city’s minimialist style.

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New cities challenging London, Paris, New York and Milan for the fashion crown

This page In Berlin, Bread and Butter (left) and Mauerpark (bottom left and right) Opposite Page The runways at Stockholm Fashion Week teem with Scandinavian style

Berlin Post-war Berlin brought with it vast, unused industrial spaces, which were slowly but surely occupied by artists and fashion designers from around the world. Moving to areas such as Kreuzberg and Neukรถlln, they were all in search of the creative holy grail: extensive studio space and dirt cheap rent. The city is now an established fashion capital, with a booming luxury sector and lucrative trade shows, including Bread and Butter, while bustling markets like Tiergarten and Mauerpark draw big crowds. In recent years, Berlin has welcomed Lebanese expatriates in their hundreds of thousands, which some have claimed is due to a likeness to Beirut: both cities have been occupied, broken down and stitched back together, fostering a laissez-faire environment where the bohemian individual can thrive. 95 A

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São Paulo It was the city that launched her career at age 14, and this year, Gisele returned to São Paulo to take to the runway for the city’s fashion week, the fifth largest in the world. Brazil itself is the seventh largest global economy, a fact attested to by the opening of stores in São Paulo by Burberry, Diane von Furstenberg and Gucci some three years ago, all eager to capitalize on a market hungry for luxury goods. Like the Swedes, Brazilian shoppers like to support local talent, and with a huge domestic accessories and ready-to-wear market, there’s plenty to choose from.

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This page Highlights from São Paulo Fashion Week, which continually welcomes supermodel Gisele back home (top left and right)

Istanbul Despite a turbulent 12 months in Istanbul, the city’s fashion star continues to rise. The previously squalid Karaköy has been gentrified by hipsters thanks to the opening of the Istanbul Modern, a contemporary art gallery, in 2004. You know the story: next came artisan coffee, and concept stores and boutique hotels quickly followed suit. Fashion buyers and designers from Europe and America regularly visit, attracted by the exotic fabrics in the likes of Nisantasi. Better yet, many Turkish labels need not ever leave, running their own factories in conjunction with their design studios. Mercedez-Benz Fashion Week Istanbul, meanwhile, makes the most of the city’s astounding historical landmarks, proving that tradition provides a comfortable backdrop for forward-thinking fashion.

This page Mercedez-Benz Fashion Week Istanbul is giving the Big Four a run for their money

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A fashion _ headpiece

Hat trick By Grace Banks

A headwear renaissance Fendi

Emilio Pucci

The formal-wear section of your local mall may offer a visual education on hats, but when did headgear become reserved for weddings and funerals? Switch to the minimalist layouts of Céline, Moschino and Gucci stores and you’ll notice that headwear isn’t relegated to its own section; it’s mingling with confidence among the paint-splashed crepe pleats and logo-adorned trophy pieces of fall. The hat is the season’s signature accessory, the essential adornment for the runway and celebrities. From Pharrell’s Vivienne Westwood Mountain hat to Dsquared2’s clipped equestrian styles, headgear is experiencing a cultural relevance not seen since the bygone days of formal millinery.

In a decade of economic and political austerity, hats allow us to experiment with theatricality. In ‘14’s pre-fall runway, the bon mots of Fendi, Marc Jacobs and Armani packed a punch. Armani’s oversized bowler hats offered a glimpse into the corporate yet hyper-glamorous world of women in the city, while Fendi channeled the dreamy realm of Where the Wild Things Are through luminous mink and fox fur caps. These accessories go past practicality to offer a cheeky eccentricity popular in the late 18th century, when your personality was often judged according to your hat. In a time when the average person had only two outfits, hats were crucial in the exemplification of style and social status. In a 1798 letter to a friend, Jane Austen wrote, “I shall begin my operations on my hat, on which you know my principal hopes of happiness depend.” Similar gravity was given to A 98

Gucci

Hats have long been the go-to accessory for formal dressing, and social politics play their part. In the British Tudor era, women with blue bows in their hair were ripe for marriage, while men bearing certain feathers in their bilaments were looking for wives. Thankfully, both style and sexual politics have moved on, but more than ever this season’s hats talk the talk.

Pip’s silk top hat in Great Expectations, which marked him as a true gentleman in London society. Marc Jacob’s leather baseball cap is stabbed with an oversized safety pin, a sure sign to be left alone, and Gucci’s soot black flat cap is pure bad-boy, amplified by models reminiscent of a young Johnny Depp. But if there was ever a hat with personality, it has to be Pharrell’s. So familiar is the singer’s Vivienne Westwood design – recreated from her Buffalo collection, which was launched during a period of recession in 1982 – that it’s become a pop cultural reference in itself, even starring in a Saturday Night Live sketch. In the ‘60s, mods revived the pork pie, a hat that had formerly reached its peak of popularity during the Great Depression. Despite its price tag, Pharrell’s mountain hat could easily be a similar commentary on the current economic climate. Moschino’s Americana fast food headgear is their latest talking point. It’s hard to believe that an Italian heritage label has a genuine creative investment in corporate branding like the McDonald’s golden arches, but there they are, on phone cases and bags too. The brand also played with a Spongebob Squarepants print on do-rags and caps, the ultimate testament to pop culture. Like past nods to marital status and GDPs, the reference always has meaning. Hats, once relegated to moments of celebration or sorrow, are finally remembering how to make small talk.

Fendi

Moschino

Marc Jacobs

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Minimes By John Ovans

There was a time when the frosty sight of Anna Wintour sitting front row would have had the paps papping, the bloggers blogging, and the P.R.s quivering, but now, lower your gaze a few feet, and you’ll see that the new fashion icons are positively pint-sized. The celebrity style crushes for 2014 come in miniature – we’re talking about A-list kids decked out in the latest designer threads, kicks and pacifiers. The queen of these fashionable sprogs is, of course, Tom Cruise’s and Katie Holmes’ daughter Suri, who regularly steps out in the likes of Burberry coats, ruffled Little Marc Jacobs frocks, and, much to the clamor of the global press, child-sized kitten heels. Joining her in the catwalk crèche are Kim Kardashian’s daughter North, who, according to her mother, rocks a “cool, simple style”; Alexander Wang’s niece Aila, who swans about New York in a leather mini-skirt; Rachel Zoe’s trilby-touting tot Skyler; and Orlando Bloom and Miranda Kerr’s son Flynn, recently photographed in tartan trousers and a leprechaun-sized biker jacket. There’s the hair, too, whether it’s Harper Beckham styling out a pleated Chloé dress with a topknot at fashion week, or Kingston Rossdale looking boss with an electric blue mohawk somewhere in L.A. But it’s not just the spawn of the stars. Six-year-old Alonso Mateo is living proof that voguishly inclined A 100

toddlers simmering at the injustice of their mediocre heritage needn’t resent having been birthed by noncelebs. Alonso, the son of a Mexican banker and a stylist, swathes himself in Dior and Gucci, poses for photos alongside his nonplussed-looking Great Dane, Hendrix, and shares his looks with a sizeable 61,000 followers on Instagram. The people of the Internet have latched onto the concept of kiddie couture with predictable mockery, manifested in the satirical blog “Suri’s Burn Book,” a fictional diary in which Suri Cruise viciously lambasts the sartorial choices of her celebrity infant peers, reserving particular disdain for Beyoncé’s Blue Ivy, the Jolie-Pitt brood and Prince George (“Prince George wears bucket hats, so stop caring about him now, please. Please. I mean it. I hate how cute his fat little hands are.”). Attention lavished by the press upon these Lilliputian fashionistas has resulted in a furiously emerging minimarket, once dominated by only two or three brands. Now everyone’s jostling for space on the rack, including Dolce & Gabbana, Marni and Diane von Furstenberg, whose collection for Gap Kids proved such a hit that it resulted in a BuzzFeed article rating each garment out of ten for wearability – for adults. You might justifiably call a grown-up squeezing into the seams of a preschooler’s top a little crazy, but one thing is very clear: when it comes to the world of fashion, the age of innocence is over as soon as you’ve popped out of the womb.

A brave new world of tiny fashion-savvy people

Prince George

Flynn Bloom

Alonso Mateo

Harper Beckham

Aila Wang

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Just dance By John Ovans

The bond between fashion and dance

It’s ballet, though, that has the longest historic link with the world of fashion. As artistic mediums, the two make – excusing the expression – perfect partners. But artistically, and commercially, there’s a trade-off. Fashion designers, first challenged to produce garments that can withstand excessive movement and sweat, can then see their work realized in another way, brought to life by the superhuman bodies of ballet dancers via the kind of kineticism that outstrips the comparative stagnation of a catwalk presentation. Meanwhile, ballet companies, working in an altogether more esoteric artistic field, benefit from not only the dazzle of the costumes but by being attached to a famous name. The relationship, however, is also symbiotic A 102

This September, the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City launched “Dance & Fashion,” a retrospective exhibition devoted to the long-standing relationship between the two art forms. One hundred dance costumes and dance-inspired garments from the 19th century onwards are on display, curated by F.I.T.’s museum director, Valerie Steele. Featured pieces include early costume designs by Yves Saint Laurent for The Paris Opera Ballet and move through to flamenco-inspired dresses by Cristóbal Balenciaga and Oscar de la Renta, all delineating a mutual passion in the two industries for beauty in movement. “Both dance and fashion rely on the human body to create their effect,” says Steele. “Dancers usually have extremely fit bodies and their graceful movements often inspire designers.”

This page The Birmingham Royal Ballet’s rendition of The Nutcracker (top), Dries Van Noten’s take on the ballet slipper (bottom left) and “Dance & Fashion” at F.I.T. (bottom right) Opposite page Dolce & Gabbana brings an element of fairytale to the runway

website Showstudio. Cowley became “a note on a stave” in designs by Valentino, Margiela and Dior. If ballet is an art form perceived as elitist, then collaborations with the world’s most esteemed designers are a natural fit.

in terms of influence, with ballet seeping onto the catwalk and beyond even now. Take the runway show for Dolce and Gabbana’s fairytale-inspired fall/winter 201415 collection, which was set to Tchaikovsky’s “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy,” a soundtrack whose effectiveness relied partially on associations with The Nutcracker. In editorial shoots, photographers love to use dancers as models. Just last August, Nick Knight shot Olivia Cowley, English soloist with The Royal Ballet, in a project about the deconstruction of couture for fashion film

Yet in 2014, fashion is more accessible and democratic than ever, and it’s cheated on ballet with a bevy of dance styles. Take Givenchy, who marketed its fall collection of pussy-bow blouses and wacky animal prints with a viral video of models letting loose to a track by house D.J.s The Martinez Brothers. It generated the response Givenchy was looking for, with one publication writing: “Ok, we get it guys – your new collection looks even sexier when it’s moving.” Steele confirms, “Indeed, more designers seem to be interested in dance than ever before.” While sportswear has been riding high as a trend for several seasons, it might be time for dance to share the spotlight. After all, ballet flats have been casual footwear for decades, and Dries Van Noten is introducing the shoe to his menswear collection next spring. What’s to stop us all from stepping out in tutus? 103 A

A fashion _ fixture

Denim upgrade

By Grace Banks

The new designer jeans

Marques Almeida Ashish

Junya Watanabe

A year before their fall/winter 2014-15 show, Marta and Paulo, the Portuguese designers at the helm of Marques Almeida, spent months looking at images of Grace Kelly at the 1971 Monaco Rose Ball, Cindy Crawford on the 1991 Versace runway and Elizabeth Taylor’s jewelry collection. It’s not an unusual mood board for a fashion line, but this design duo wasn’t searching for couture inspiration. They were working on their denim collection, producing a range that would transcend reliable old standbys. A fabric that came up in casual culture, the influence of luxury is steering the failsafe jean into a whole other style arena. With a plethora of designers reworking the fabric, black tie denim is one of the season’s most exciting looks. Raw edges give Marques Almeida’s denim a couture feel. Formal silhouettes elevate the look for evening but basic jeans get the raw

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Jeans aren’t just jeans at Junya Watanabe. His inky patchwork denim is reminiscent of leather or velvet, glamourized further with voluminous layered tops and jet-black stilettos. This denim is too good to stroll in, too haute for a dash to the shops – instead, save these pieces for the most anticipated events of the season. Victoria’s Beckham’s denim line deserves the same consideration. Comfortable and flattering, yes, but its beauty lies in its tailoring. Like Balenciaga’s short-sleeve, zippered shift dress, it has been tailored with the precision of a bespoke garment. These pieces aren’t meant to be paired with sneakers, but the most in-demand shoes of the season. Everyone has denim in her wardrobe. Let yours make a statement.

Balenciaga

treatment too, their luxuriousness amplified by ornate separates, like the label’s sheer, denim-embellished top or Ashish’s pink ruffled jacket. While gliding down the high street in these pieces is improbable, accessories such as Buffalo sneakers that flash when you walk, tiaras and varsity-style lettering reference denim’s relaxed roots.

Fashion Ballroom blitz Field of dreams Art attack

A fashion _ accessories

Art attack

This page Prada bag, LL3,334,500; Nancy Gonzalez backpack, LL6,187,500; Charlotte Olympia clutch, LL2,190,000; Prada shoes, LL1,365,000 Art: Jim Lambie floor installation Opposite page Prada bag, LL3,225,000; Gianvito Rossi heels, LL1,462,500; Céline bag, LL1,462,500 Art: Marc Quinn’s “Portrait in Blue (Kate Moss),” 2006

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This page, clockwise from left Céline bag, LL6,292,500; Gucci bag, LL1,725,000; Sara Battaglia clutch, LL2,212,500; Fendi sunglasses, LL780,000 Art: “Arcosem #1, 2008” by Assume Vivid Astro Focus Opposite page Charlotte Olympia heels, LL1,927,500; Saint Laurent bag, LL4,297,500; Ashlyn’d clutch, LL780,000 Art: Jim Lambie’s “Radiator (yellow),” 2008

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This page Casadei shoes, LL1,455,000; Burberry bag, LL4,462,500; Jimmy Choo clutch, LL2,280,000 Art: Jim Lambie’s “Straight No Chaser,” 2014 Opposite page, clockwise from left Jimmy Choo clutch, LL2,467,500; Gucci necklace, LL2,392,500; Dior earrings, LL1,042,500; Gucci sunglasses, LL570,000; Céline bracelets (each), LL1,305,000 Art: “Lucky Cloud,” 2012 by Eva Rothschild

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This page Dior heels, LL1,942,500 Art: Kristin Baker’s “Rime Affinity,” 2010 Opposite page Charlotte Olympia clutch, LL2,190,000; Dior bag, LL6,427,500; miu miu heels, LL1,117,500 Art: “Clay,” 2012 by Melodie Mousset

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This page miu miu wallet, LL952,500; Chloé bag,LL2,392,500; Céline heels, LL1,447,500 Art: Ryan Johnson’s “Holding heads,” 2012 Opposite page Valentino bag, LL3,195,000; Stella McCartney bag, LL1,792,500; Saint Laurent shoes, LL2,242,500 Art: “Untitled,” 2008 by Chris Johanson

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A fashion _ hot stuff

Fall’s most wanted The top-to-toe trends on everyone’s wishlist

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Balenciaga

Dolce & Gabbana

Bottega Veneta

Prada

Pattern play

Moschino Pucci

Marni

Altuzarra

Dries Van Noten

1. Bottega Veneta clutch 2. Diane Von Furstenberg top 3. miu miu dress 4. Dior bag 5. miu miu shoes 6. Charlotte Olympia heels 7. Balenciaga top 8. Sara Battaglia bag

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Cavalli

Both guns blazing 2.

Burberry

Diesel

Saint Laurent

1. Stella McCartney dress 2. Saint Laurent bracelet 3. Bottega Veneta heels 4. Gucci bag 5. Lab.617 jacket 6. Casadei shoes 7. Azzedine Ala誰a bag 8. Saint Laurent shoes 9. Saint Laurent belt

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Prada ChloĂŠ

Bottega Veneta

Etro

Below the pelt Etro

Bottega Veneta

Pucci

Jenny Packham

Helmut Lang

1. Diane von Furstenberg bag 2. Jimmy Choo clutch 3. Fendi bracelet 4. Grinvest fur 5. Jimmy Choo boots 6. miu miu vest 7. Bottega Veneta vest 8. Castiglioni jacket

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Valentino

A fashion _ hot stuff

miu miu

CĂŠline

Antonio Berardi

4. Diane Von Furstenberg

Tory Burch

Valentino

Dior

Christopher Kane

Dsquared2

Dress up

1. Gianvito Rossi heels 2. miu miu clutch 3. Oscar de la Renta dress 4. Jimmy Choo heels 5. Giambattista Valli dress 6. Valentino bag 7. miu miu earrings

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Pucci

Céline

Srella McCartney

Stella McCartney Pucci

Balenciaga

2. Michael Kors

Tight knit 6.

Rag & Bone

Michael Kors

Chloé

Marc Jacobs

1. Stella McCartney sweater 2. Paul & Joe coat 3. Stella McCartney bag 4. Saint Laurent coat 5. Chloé sweater 6. Prada shoes

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Dolce & Gabbana

Céline

Rag & Bone

A fashion _ hot stuff

Layer love

Marni Fendi

Rag & Bone

Chloé

Balenciaga

Dolce & Gabbana

1. Céline shoes 2. Chloé bag 3. Bottega Veneta necklace 4. Balenciaga shoes 5. Oscar de la Renta shoes 6. Jitrois dress 7. Dolce & Gabbana dress 8. Saint Laurent pants 9. Dolce & Gabbana scarf

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Dsquared2

Dolce & Gabbana

Antonio Berardi

Fendi

Diane Von Furstenberg

Caught short 4.

Moschino

1. Brunello Cucinelli sweater 2. Marc Jacobs sunglasses 3.Dolce & Gabbana jacket 4. Nancy Gonzalez bag 5. Gianvito Rossi heels 6. Burberry bag 7. Giambattista Valli jacket 8. David Koma sweater 9. Burberry heels

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Dior

Burberry

Chloé

Moschino

ItÍ s a wrap

Dior

Chloé

1. Saint Laurent coat 2. Valentino heels 3. Burberry coat 4. Michael Kors coat 5. Chloé bag 6. Fendi coat 7. Jimmy Choo bag

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Céline

Tory Burch

Céline

Dior

Dolce & Gabbana

Pucci

Dolce & Gabbana

Sheer force Bottega Veneta

Michael Kors

1. Elie Saab

Vera Wang

Valentino

1. Gianvito Rossi bag 2. Michael Kors dress 3. Oscar de la Renta top 4. ChloĂŠ top 5. Dior dress 6. Oscar de la Renta heels 7. Charlotte Olympia clutch

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Stella McCartney

Saint Laurent

Bottega Veneta

A fashion _ hot stuff

Altuzarra

Balenciaga

Bottega Veneta

Céline

Goody two-hues

Céline

Dries Van Noten

1. Dior dress 2. Bottega Veneta sweater 3. Jimmy Choo shoes 4. Céline bag 5. Marni earrings 6. Azzedine Alaïa shoes

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Gucci

Antonio Berardi

Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wearing a sweater and a skirt by Parosh. Her clutch is by Jimmy Choo and her shoes are Marni

Ballroom blitz Photographer Marco Pietracupa Stylist Amelianna Loiacono Location La Balera di Porta Venezia, Milan

This page Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s holding a Dolce & Gabbana clutch Opposite page Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wearing a dress, sandals and bag by Valentino

This page She’s in a Michael Kors blazer and pants. Her shoes are by Marni and her clutch is by Jimmy Choo Opposite page She’s wearing Dsquared 2 shoes

This page She’s holding a Jimmy Choo clutch Opposite page She’s in a MSGM dress. Her shoes are by Dior

This page Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wearing Fendi shoes and her clutchis by Dior Opposite page Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in a Moschino fur and Maison Martin Margiela shoes

This page Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in a Dolce & Gabbana dress Opposite page Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wearing a Dior dress and Dsquared 2 shoes. Her bag is by Marni

This page Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wearing Marni shoes Opposite page Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in a Valentino dress and Fendi shoes. Her clutch is by Dior Hair Simone Presso from Atomo Management Makeup Michiko Ikeda from Atomo Management Model Bree Smith from Next Model Management

Field of dreams Photographer Samantha Casolari Stylist Amelianna Loiacono Location Milan

This page She’s wearing a Chloé cape and Tory Burch blouse. Her pants and belt are by Diane von Furstenberg Opposite page She’s in a Prada coat

Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wearing a Maison Martin Margiela dress

Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wearing a Love Moschino dress and her sweater is by Fabiana Filippi

This page Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in a Prada look Opposite page Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wearing a Valentino dress and a Prada coat

This page Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wearing a Love Moschino dress Opposite page Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in an Etro dress

This page Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wearing a Brunello Cucinelli sweater and a Cavalli dress Opposite page Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in a Parosh dress

Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in Dolce & Gabbana

Opposite page Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in a Love Moschino dress

She’s in a Tory Burch blouse and Chloé cape

Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in Dolce & Gabbana

Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wearing a Parosh dress

This page Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wearing Dolce & Gabbana lingerie and holding a vintage blanket Opposite page Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in a Fabiana Filippi sweater and Love Moschino dress

This page Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wearing a Brunello Cucinelli sweater and a Cavalli dress Opposite page Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in a Parosh dress Hair Dora Roberti from WM Management Makeup Cosetta Giorgetti from WM Management Model Carolina G from Fashion Model Management

In the shadows Photographer Sevda Albers Stylist Magdalena Bryk Location London

Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wearing a dress and shoes by Prada

Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in a Victoria Beckham dress and Jimmy Choo shoes. Her bag is by Bulgari

Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wearing a Saint Laurent dress

Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in a dress and coat, both by CĂŠline

Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wearing a dress and coat, both by Stella McCartney

Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in an Altuzarra dress

Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wearing a dress by miu miu

Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in a Dsquared 2 look

Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wearing a Dior dress Hair Yoshitaka Miyazaki from Untitled Artists Make up Joanna Banach from Untitled Artists Model Felicity Peel from Elite Model Management Assistant stylist Izabela Rembisz Art direction Tereza Bila and MĂŠlanie Dagher

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A design _ update

Design Developments

By Marissa Cox

It’s a beautiful world Phillips Auction House (left)

Crest by Zaha Hadid (right)

Housed at the V&A Museum in London, Zaha Hadid’s newest installation, “Crest,” is a shelllike sculpture that mimics the movement of a wave. In October, it will be moved to the ME Hotel in Dubai, where it will become a permanent fixture. Runs September 13-October 24, London, vam.ac.uk

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©Biennale Interieur, Dutch Design Week, Philips, Oliver Hrubiak, Victoria & Albert Museum

International auction house Philips will open its new European headquarters in London this month. Designed by award-winning architectural practice Aukett Swanke – who has worked with the V&A and the Gagosian Gallery – the space will feature double-height ceilings, bespoke lighting and solid oak staircases made by artisans. Visit phillips.com

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A design _ update

Oliver Hrubiak (left)

Dutch Design Week (left) Now in its 13th year, this annual festival explores how design helps us move upward to make the world a better and more beautiful place. Exhibitors will showcase clever creations, innovative solutions and experimental designs through workshops, talks and parties. Runs October 18-26, ddw.nl

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Biennale Interieur (above)

Since its inauguration in the ‘60s, Biennale Interieur has been leading the way for modern design. This year’s event will center on the role of design in contemporary living, with cultural projects that challenge the concept of home and how this has changed as the economy shifts. Runs October 17-26, interieur.be

©Biennale Interieur, Dutch Design Week, Philips, Oliver Hrubiak, Victoria & Albert Museum

Oliver Hrubiak is an up-andcoming product designer who takes his influence from Scandinavia. While in his final year of university, he won John Lewis’ New Designers Award for Finn, his domestic lounge chair. His repertoire has since expanded to include sofas and lighting. Visit oliverhrubiak.co.uk

A design _ trend

The lap of luxury

Freestanding and shapely, the modern bathtub reaches beyond soap and water

By J. Michael Welton

For the aesthete (left)

For the lines (above)

Created by the Italian design house Meneghello Paolelli Associates, Victoria + Albert’s Amiata tub found its inspiration in an extinct Tuscan volcano. It’s crafted from a naturally white material, rich in volcanic limestone, for a neoclassical set of streamlined curves. Visit vandabaths.com

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For more than one (above)

Introduced during Milan Design Week, Agape’s Drop bathtub was designed by Benedini Associati, who took on the challenging task of creating a tub that can be used simultaneously in different positions by more than one person. It’s made of Cristalplant, a biobased material. Visit agapedesign.it

The Ocean Sailor by Bagno Sasso Mobili is made of Alpi Macassar wood for a zebralike pattern of black-and-white stripes. It’s a recent winner of the Good Design Award from the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design. Visit bagnosasso.com

For the feel (left)

Resins embedded in the Chelsea Silk Tub from Hastings Tile and Bath are said to create a sensuous, silk-like feel. The resins also make it easy for artisans to shape and mold it, with curves in a contemporary design and a soft edge. Visit hastingstilebath.com

For the couple (right)

Designer Patricia Urquiola looked to the old-fashioned washtub for inspiration when she designed her bathtub for Axor, including handles that actually serve as towel-holders. A pair of these mineral-cast tubs, installed side-by-side, allows for a new kind of customized intimacy. Visit hansgrohe-int.com

For the eyes (left)

MTIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new oval-shaped Parisian makes a strong visual statement, with flowing curves and exaggerated rounded features. It offers an air bath, a heating system to warm the interior surface and underwater LED chromatherapy, and is handcrafted in highgloss Lucite cast acrylic. Visit mtibaths.com 187 A

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A design _ soundscape

Sound off By John Ovans

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As it turns out, a city that never sleeps is bad for your health. Car horns, jackhammers on building sites, pulsing bass from nightclubs: there’s no denying that Beirut makes quite the racket. While sound pollution is a very modern problem, a recent study by the World Health Organization has documented the effects of exposure to noise on our physical and psychological health. Beyond impaired hearing and tinnitus, noise can have adverse effects on our behavior, mood and stress levels, raising the risk of cardiovascular

disease and high blood pressure. In other words, listening to the blare of traffic jams isn’t just irritating; it’s potentially knocking years off your life. The solution, you’d think, would be to soundproof the living hell out of your apartment. But according to Fouad Bechwati, principal of Lebanon-based acoustics research lab and consultancy firm 21db, it isn’t that simple. “We encounter a lot of cases where people

How your home sounds is as important as it looks

This page 21dB added the element of sound to the design of a private home in Faqra (top and right), and to the Dawawine cultural center in Gemmayzeh (bottom) Opposite page At Dawawine, 21dB created a projection room that could deliver high quality audio and integrate music that complements the spaceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s architectural forms and functions

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A design _ soundscape

who live in the city want to soundproof themselves from the noise of it,” he says. “This is a double-edged sword, because the more you soundproof a space, the easier it becomes to hear the quietest noises in that space.” Instead, Bechwati’s clients are seeking to optimize their sonic environments – or, as it’s become known, to “soundscape” – and embrace sound in new, innovative ways.

When it comes to designing dream homes, most people take a puritanically visual approach, consulting the endless magazines, websites and blogs devoted to the subject. But what about the way they sound? Between the shudder of the washing machine and the hum of the refrigerator, the background noise inside our interiors is as invasive as the din outside, what Bechwati refers to as “negative soundscapes.” A small but growing number of homeowners, however, are beginning to address this. There are, after all, five senses, and Bechwati claims that sound should be top of the priority list. “It is the human

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This and opposite page Sound adds another dimension to the architecture of a private Faqra residence (top left and right) and Beirut’s Dawawine (far and bottom left)

sense that provides the most information about the space we live in,” he says. “For example, you can close your eyes but you can’t shut your ears, and you can still hear in complete darkness. You can hear sounds that are coming from any direction in the 3D space you’re in, as opposed to having a limited visual angle.” With this in mind, he instead provides his clients with what he terms an “elevated sonic experience,” which refers to anything from choosing the right materials to make a space acoustically pleasant, to the right selection of speakers or music content to complement both landscape and architecture. An elevated sonic experience is, according to Bechwati, relatively easy to create, especially in Lebanon, where acoustics are rarely considered in the design process.

If quality acoustics have the capacity to impress, then one would assume prehistoric man should never have moved out of the caves he used to inhabit. Yet soundscaping works best in conjunction with the visual. Bechwati talks of a client in Faqra who frequently hosts parties in the summer months and “wanted to achieve a sonic quality that could match the wow factor that his visual space provides.” Unsurprisingly for somebody who earned a Ph.D. in acoustics, Bechwati is passionate about sound in all its forms, even the daily hullaballoo in Beirut, which he cites as part of the city’s charm. But ultimately, his work suggests that we need to reconstruct our relationship with sound. In a world preoccupied with how things look, what we need, he maintains, is to really start listening. 193 A

A design _ haven

A handmade space at the Marmara Park Avenue

By J. Michael Welton

The two concepts could not have been more different. Invited to present his vision for a new boutique hotel by the developers of the Marmara Park Avenue, opening this fall in New York, artisan Joe Ginsberg delivered a striking contrast. One proposal harkened back to the old world charm of Venice, while the other looked forward to a sleek and modern metropolis. The clients looked and listened carefully – then decided on a turn toward the contemporary. “They’d seen some of the other work I’d done, including the Gramercy Park Hotel – the lobby, the concierge area, the restaurant and the bars on the first floor,” he says. “There’s a handmade aesthetic there.”

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Handmade is the operative word here, and the touchstone for all of Ginsberg’s work. He does little that’s mass-produced, choosing instead to create original works in a variety of media. In this classic 1928 building, he was given free rein to explore them all. “There’s cast metal, blown glass, handmade furniture and seamless limestone walls, all artisan-made pieces that reflect a boutique environment,” he says. Ginsberg and his team of artists and designers spent more than a little time on their hands and knees in the lobby, casting a concrete floor and carefully inserting bronze segments into it for a terrazzo effect. Above it, they created a ceiling of reclaimed,

Inner sanctum

This and opposite page Joe Ginsberg brings handmade details to Marmara Park Avenueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s contemporary interior

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A design _ haven

whitewashed oak. They made the drapes and quilted the leather while designing beds and seating for each of the 128 guest rooms. “We wanted the sensibility of a highend space,” he says. “It’s going to feel luxurious.” At the entry, they created an indoor/outdoor experience inside a jewel box of an atrium made of faceted glass panels, a blackened steel frame and a walkway of stone pavers. “You’re going to walk through it and into the expanse of the lobby,” he says. “There’s a ‘Wow!’ factor there to make you feel enlightened coming A 196

through that bronze door.” He kept the lobby seating low, emphasizing the height of the 15-foot ceilings, while instilling Zenlike calm from a neutral palette punctuated with rich details. A library offers a calming space to sit with a drink or coffee, for quiet time or a meeting. “It’s really about being in a sanctum – a place where you can gather yourself and your thoughts in a contemporary zone,” he says. Sure, the Venetian influence could have worked, but after all, this is New York. The Marmara Park Avenue is now part of it.

From the moment you step inside the hotel, neutral colors bring a sense of calm to the luxurious space

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A design _ course

Full swing in Florida

Good design is par for the course at Streamsong

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The sandy barrens between Tampa and Orlando, Florida have long been something of a desert-like no-man’s land, despite their subtropical latitudes. Until recently, the area’s only interest to the outside world lay in its phosphate-rich soil, which was mined for fertilizers. Now, one of those mines has been transformed into Streamsong, a luxury spa and resort set amid not one but two 18-hole golf courses that recall Ireland’s legendary Ballybunion links.

The two courses were created by two different design teams, each of which offers its own set of challenges. The course by Tom Doak and Renaissance Golf Design has larger greens but tests golfers with deeper bunkers. Its rival, designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, features more roll-offs and bunkers that, while shallower, present meandering edges more difficult to evade. However, the mutual landscape also creates

By Robert Landon

This page Watch the sun go down at Fragmentary Blue (top); a covered breezeway lets in Floridaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s warm winds (bottom) Opposite page The Streamsong Clubhouse, set against blue skies

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plenty of commonalities that have enchanted the experts. “Both favor the ground game, even on Bermuda grass, with wind dictating the tactics,” writes Ron Whitten in Golf Digest. “They share top billing and center stage, in complete harmony with a fantastically unique landscape and each other.” Now, Streamsong has opened an architecturally ambitious lodge and spa to complement the delights of golfing. Designed by Florida-based Alfonso Architects, the four-story lodge, like the two courses, works hard to harmonize with the wide-open natural spaces that surround it.

“Streamsong is a celebration of reclamation, of both

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This page The Streamsong Leaf Lobby Opposite page A daytime view of the Leaf Lobby (top) and the 18-hole Streamsong Red, designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw (bottom)

land and spirit. Since the mining has stopped, nature has taken over and provided us with the perfect inspiration,” says lead architect Alberto Alfonso. Inside, the generous use of glass helps connect the 200-plus-room interior to the strange beauty that surrounds it. At the same time, the austere palette of colors and materials provide subtler links with the landscape. Cedar, teak and walnut add natural warmth and pick up the hues of both earth and foliage. And architectural concrete, poured on site, recalls the rough textures of the site’s unusual topography.

“Enormous grass dunes, our brilliant Florida light, water bodies stretching to the horizon teeming with fish and wildlife, a fertile and varied landscape – all are reflected in the design consciousness of Streamsong,” says Alfonso. To really feel this, head up to Fragmentary Blue, the rooftop bar named for a Robert Frost Poem. By day, a wall of blue mosaic tiles provides a perfect, pixelated version of the ever-changing hues of central Florida’s heavens. In the evening, it transforms into the perfect place to soak up sunset views after a day of driving, putting and pampering. 201 A

A design _ legend

Imperfect order By Robert Landon

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During the mad opening rush of this year’s Venice Architecture Biennale, I slipped away several times to find solace in the strange serenity generated by the works of Carlo Scarpa. A Venice native and arguably Italy’s greatest 20th-century architect, Scarpa bequeathed to his hometown a series of modest structures most visitors completely overlook. Into the city’s fine Byzantine fabric Scarpa wove simple little havens like the zen-like gardens of the Fondazione Querini Stampalia or the lusciously restrained Negozio Olivetti, which hides in plain sight on Piazza San Marco. The simple, off-kilter beauty of these works is the perfect antidote to Venice’s opalescent grandeur, capable of wiping the mind clean of the Biennale’s hypercritical blah-blah-blah.

Born in 1906, Scarpa came of age just as Modernism and Futurism were ripping apart notions of beauty and art. He embraced the changes, but with a completely distinctive, even Venetian, irregularity. Rejecting the frictionless universalism of, say, Mies van der Rohe and Le Corbusier, he deliberately disrupts the visitor’s expectations with his refusal to adopt any clear master narrative. At the same time, his unconventional designs manage to radiate uncanny tranquility. A great fan of Frank Lloyd Wright, he shares with that American master a fascination with Japanese aesthetics, from the elegant simplification of forms to a reverence for humble, handcrafted materials. You can feel the presence of the workman’s hand in every

Carlo Scarpa still stands out in Venice – if you know where to look

This page and next page The architectâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Olivetti Showroom Opposite page Scarpaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s contribution to La Partigiana, a sculpture by Leoncillo Leonardi

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A design _ legend

inch of a Scarpa design. Even in Venice, that city of polished marble, Scarpa embrace raw, pebbly concrete, as in the garden of the Fondazione Querini Stampalia. It is hard to capture the serenity of these gardens in words or pictures. To be inside them is to breathe temple-like air. Soft grasses meet rough concrete. Water is made to run through geometric marble. These manmade rivulets don’t exactly imitate

nature, yet neither do their paths follow any clear logic or symmetry. Rather, Scarpa seems to strive for something akin to the Japanese notion of wabi-sabi – the discovery of beauty in the imperfect, the impermanent, the incomplete. In The Waste Land, that founding text of literary modernism, T.S. Eliot rejects a single, master narrative and instead splices together fragments, both ancient and new, into a beautiful but imperfect amalgam. Scarpa takes a similar approach, forcing us to experience his work not as a seamless whole but as a series of moments – fragments in time. Consider the Negozio Olivetti, commissioned in the late ‘50s as a showcase both for Olivetti typewriters and Scarpa’s genius. Each step in the shop’s floating staircase is a different width, but not for any apparent structural or design reason. Rather, it is as if we are seeing the staircase through an unsettlingly Cubist kaleidoscope that refracts time and space and turns a unitary structure into a polyphonic phenomenon. “The Scarpian detail eludes the completeness of any ordering or systematic arrangement,” writes architectural historian Francesco Dal Co about his rather peculiar fellow Venetian. “Scarpa’s compositions consist of rifts and contrasts – his misgivings over the norm necessarily lead to difference.”

Of course, it is these irresolvable differences that enable you to return again and again. Beyond creating visual interest, they manage both to short-circuit and refresh the mind at the very same time.

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A high art _ exhibitions

On view By Pip Usher

Peter Lindbergh Since the early ‘70s, Peter Lindbergh has been photographing the world’s most beautiful people for publications like Vogue. This solo exhibition showcases his striking black and white portraits of women, whether it’s the iconic shots of Kate Moss or a suggestive row of legs encased in stockings. On view until November 22 at Gagosian Gallery, 4 Pontier St., Paris, tel. 331.7500.0592, gagosian.com

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A high art _ exhibitions

ÂŠ Gagosian Gallery, Pace Gallery, Galerie Perrotin, Galerie Eva Presenhuber, Gilbert & Geroge, White Cube

Mario Merz Late Italian artist Mario Merz rejected abstract expressionism for art that was grounded in the material world. Part of the Arte Povera movement, he began drawing when imprisoned by Mussoliniâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fascist party in 1945. Stop by this retrospective if you feel like challenging the status quo. On view until November 8 at Pace Gallery, 6 Burlington Gardens, tel. 44.20.3206.7600, pacegallery.com

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A Revision Employing a variety of technologies and techniques, John Henderson creates abstract artworks that range from oil paintings to cast metal creations. The exhibitionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sole video piece mirrors his painting style: lovely, precise and understated. On view from October 9 to November 15 at Galerie Perrotin, 909 Madison Avenue, New York, tel. 1.212.812.2902, perrotin.com

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A high art _ exhibitions

Wyatt Kahn Another artist who has risen to prominence for his unusual methods, Wyatt Kahn pushes beyond the flatness of traditional techniques to create threedimensional elements in twodimensional work. Pastel shades and dreamy motifs accentuate his compositions in this intricate body of work. On view until October 25 at Galerie Eva Presenhuber, Löwenbräu Areal, Limmaststr, Zurich, tel. 41.44.515.78.50, presenhuber.com

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Scapegoat Pictures As their East London neighborhood has evolved, Gilbert & George â&#x20AC;&#x201C; one Italian, the other English â&#x20AC;&#x201C; have documented change in their urban surroundings through art. With paintings populated by young people of different races and religions, this exhibition reveals societal tensions in the modern Western world. On view until November 15 at Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac, 69 Avenue du General Leclerc, Pantin, Paris, tel. 03.1.5589.0110, ropac.net

Light and Red Larry Bell, an experimental artist whose works include large installations and shimmering paper collages, uses careful methodology to create his unusual techniques. Graceful and abstract, this dynamic collection of work plays with light and shapes. On view until November 15 at White Cube, 50 Connaught Road Central, Hong Kong, tel. 852.2592.2000, whitecube.com

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A high art _ festival

Spice from the Subcontinent By Renata Fontanelli

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It’s the seventh edition of the St. Moritz Art Masters. Internationally acclaimed artists and art dealers have gathered in the Engadin, a long valley stretching through the Swiss Alps, for a 10-day arts and culture festival dedicated to Indian art in all its contrasts. Founded by Monty Shadow, a man as colorful as the gathering itself, and Sam Keller, also responsible for establishing Art Basel, the valley quickly fills with artists whose works were inspired by and completed on the subcontinent. Leica photography workshops, artist talks and large-scale sculptures set serenely on the banks of St.

Moritz’s lake: it’s an annual playground for the industry’s contemporary art clique. A tall, imposing man with wild hair and the look of an unscrupulous smuggler, Monty Shadow shows up to our interview with a white dog inside a designer bag, a pricey watch and a Vertu telephone that never stops ringing. Among the many calls he receives is one from Sylvester Stallone, Hollywood actor – but also, according to Shadow, a talented and sensitive artist. This is hardly surprising: it’s said that Shadow’s contacts range from the world’s most beautiful women to the richest men.

At St. Moritz Art Masters, art from India takes center stage

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A high art _ festival

Speaking on the art fair, he declares, “I chose Saint Moritz because it boasts the highest concentration of millionaire collectors in the world.” Pausing, he adds, “I do it because I enjoy it.” Highlights from the show Nalini Malini Winner of St. Moritz’s annual Lifetime Achievement award, Nalini Malini is an internationally known Indian video artist and painter who brought 42 reverse paintings to the festival. Craig Semetko The Californian photographer was chosen A 220

by camera manufacturer Leica for a unique project to celebrate its 100th anniversary. Paired with the great master Elliot Erwitt, Semetko spent a season in India traveling the country and snapping pictures along the way. Billy Childish No obvious India references here, but one’s sense of spirituality is certainly piqued by Billy Childish’s series of esoteric works. With a firm nod to painter and St. Mortiz native Giovanni Segantini, Childish describes himself as a “radical traditionalist; past, present and future worlds are collapsed into the ever present now.”

Francesco Clemente Francesco Clemente’s “Standing with Truth” can only be described as spectacular. A colorful tent hoisted up inside the town gym, it symbolizes the artist’s own nomadic existence between East and West. As he says, “The scent of India converted me to India.” India: Maximum City Showcasing the work of 10 Indian artists, “India: Maximum City” examines the numerous challenges in today’s Indian metropolises. From Reena Saini Kallat’s work on immigration office stamps to Gigi Scaria’s photography, artists are given a unique platform from which to express their voice.

This page Highlights of the festival include works by Billy Childish (top) and Francesco_Clemente (bottom) Previous page St. Moritz offers a stunning backdrop for the annual event

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Manhattan and the Middle East By Robert Landon

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ÂŠAkram Zaatari / Sfeir-Semler Gallery Beirut and Hamburg, Diala al Jabiri, Fakhri El Ghezal and Hassan Sharif / Gallery Isabelle van den Eynde, Dubai, and Alexander Gray Associates New York

A high art _ middle east

This page A Palestinian resistant in Saida’s Studio Shehrazade (1970–72), part of Akram Zaatari’s “Objects of study/The archive of Shehrazade/ Hashem el Madani/Studio practices” (top left), “Red Sea” by Ali Jabri (bottom left) and Hassan Sharif’s “Suspended Objects” (right) Opposite page “Retour Chez Abdelbasset l’Encadreur 1” by Tunisian artist Fakhri El Ghezal

The New Museum celebrates contemporary Arab Art

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A high art _ middle east

This summer, the New Museum wowed the New York art world with “Here and Elsewhere,” an exhibition that gathers together works by 47 contemporary Arab artists. Critical praise has been universal, with The New Yorker describing it as “this summer’s most vital show.”

This page “Infiltrators” by Palestinian artist Khaled Jarrar (top) and Fouad Elkoury’s “Color snapshot, Place des Canons (Beirut 1982)” Opposite page “The Keeper,” an installation created between 2011 and 2013 by Shuruq Harb

Occupying all five floors of the museum, “Here and Elsewhere” encompasses everything from the miniature and artisanal to the vast and digital. Along one wall are hundreds of matchbooks painted with exquisite little drawings by Mohamed Larbi Rahali, a Moroccan art school dropout. And a few feet away, Moroccan artist Bouchra Khalili uses huge video screens to tell the tales of Arab, African and south Asian immigrants’ circuitous routes to life in the West.

©Fouad Elkoury / The Third Line / Dubai / Galerie Tanit Munich and Beirut, Khaled Jarrar / Galerie Polaris Paris, Shuruq Harb

Founded to surprise even the most jaded museumgoer, curators from the New Museum scour all corners of the art world looking for the unknown and unfamiliar. “This exhibition continues the New Museum’s commitment to looking at art from beyond the confines familiar to the New York art world,” explains Massimiliano Gioni, associate director and director of exhibitions. “‘Here and Elsewhere’ brings new works and new voices to our audiences, presenting many artists who are showing in New York for the first time.”

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The exhibition takes its name from Ici et Ailleurs, the 1976 film-essay by French directors Jean-Luc Godard, Jean-Pierre Gorin and Anne-Marie Miéville. The project, which began as a piece of pro-Palestinian propaganda, evolved into a meditation on the power of images to shape opinion and turn political ideology into perceived reality. With the film acting as the backbone to the show, it reveals artists struggling to represent social, political and personal upheavals, from repressive police actions to all-out civil war. Yet at no point do the works feel driven by propaganda or, on the other end of the spectrum, merely journalistic. In virtually every case, the work goes beyond the specifics of facts and opinions to represent the imperfect nature of representation itself. Lebanese photographer Ziad Antar turns war-torn Beirut into an object of aesthetic reverie, without ever concealing a legacy of violence. “Ziad Antar’s photographs, made using expired film, probe photography’s relationship to history, archives and truthful documentation,” write the exhibition’s curators. Meanwhile, Marwan Rechmaoui goes in another direction. Rather than represent Beirut in ruins, he has

installed a sculptural miniature of the Beirut high-rise where he once lived. Tehran-born Rokni Haerizadeh’s explosive work adds another dimension. She paints over YouTube stills of police brutality, transfiguring numbingly realistic horror into garish, nightmarish scenes. Populated by half-human beasts giving way to their instincts, her images are terrifying in exactly the degree to which they are exhilarating. While the lion’s share of the work deals with violent conflict, there are some quieter moments, like the series of minimalist paintings by Suha Traboulsi dating from the ‘40s. They seem to hone in on beautiful quirks discovered in the works of Kandinsky and Mondrian. The U.S. is gaining a new respect for contemporary Arab art; recently, that old-guard bastion of the art world, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, even began a search for a curator of contemporary Middle Eastern, North African and Turkish art. “Here and Elsewhere” – a show that manages to surprise, delight, disturb and provoke – can only encourage further interest in the region’s diverse range of artists. 225 A

A high art _ studio

Hands On

ÂŠ Studio Formafantasma

By Jasper Toms

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This page Some of the studioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work in collaboration with Fendi Opposite page Formafantasmaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Simone Farresin and Andrea Trimarchi

Studio Formafantasma mesmerizes the contemporary design world

Represented by top gallery Libby Sellers, Studio Formafantasma is a key contributor at world-leading fairs like Salone del Mobile and Abu Dhabi Art, and its installations are revered among the design community, with the V&A, The Art Institute of Chicago and Vitra Design Museum collecting its works. Made up of two Italians, Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin, the Netherlands-based practice is part of the network of New Craft studios. Its recognizable touch comes through in the conscious primitivism of every piece, communicated by earthy keynotes and a

sense of deep sustainability. Each product series or installation bears a folk aesthetic that is neither busy nor twee because it always contains a lean simplicity that helps the work feel clean and contemporary. Formafantasmaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s success is one of the best examples of the romantic fetishization of the pre-industrial and the handmade by high-end design consumers. Of the studios forming among design graduates during the past few years, theirs falls firmly into the revivalist camp, as new-school design splits between reverent craft and 227 A

A high art _ studio

This page Formafantasma produced a series of products for Fendi’s Craftica, a celebration of leather Opposite page Page’s from the studio’s monograph (top) and the team hard at work (bottom)

Much of their magic comes from the natural characteristics of the materials they use, and their associative, as well as tactile properties. Sea sponge, salmon skin, charred wood, cows’ bladders, volcano lava and plastic made from beetles have all been central fabrics in their pieces. In addition to tactility and references to nature, they often contribute an applied function, as the best design should; for example, charcoal used for the shapely lids of jugs and decanters acts as a water purifier. The process of charring the wood for this glassware series was, as often in their work, as important to their exhibition as presenting the final pieces themselves, and pictures of the smoking charcoal heap feature along with personal stories about each craftsperson who contributed. Not everything the studio creates is offbeat. The artists do work in classic materials, like copper, glass or crystal, when it inspires them. Their exploration of materials drew the attention of Fendi in 2012, when the Italian luxury brand sponsored Formafantasma to create a series of products celebrating the culture of leather, called Craftica. In keeping with their practice, the result was poetic, detailed and slow-feeling; perfect for Fendi and the appeal of luxury goods. A 228

The Formafantasma boys work hard. Last year the studio presented 20 conceptual installations or product series at fairs, events and exhibitions. So far this year they have shown over 15 projects, the most celebrated being De Natura Fossilium, presented in April in Milan. De Natura Fossilium sees the pair playing with lava, experimenting with the material to create blocky, modern shapes that have a D.I.Y. look thanks to being made from composite pieces fixed together. As one would expect from designers represented by

futuristic tech. Design Academy Eindhoven – where both designers now teach – is currently one of two headline-grabbing design schools in Europe, the other being ECAL, in Lausanne. The collaboration between Trimarchi and Farresin began during their postgraduate years at the academy.

a world-renowned gallery, these objects come with stratospheric prices, but everyone can own a piece of the studio’s aesthetic through its self-titled 2014 monograph. This book reveals as much talent for layout and typography as for material interrogations, thanks to simple and surreal graphic design that renders this work on paper almost more seductive than the studio’s 3-D creations. You can imagine the tactility of the products jumping from the quadruple fold-out pages, and it’s a pleasure to see them all in close quarters, revealing the diversity of Formafantasma’s thoughtful approach to design.

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A high art _ painter

Who says paintingÕ s passŽ ? By Grace Banks

This page An untitled work by Aaron Curry, 2003-2004 Opposite page Curry’s Haunt (Thief)

The power of paint is lauded through Aaron Curry’s latest works

His recent show “Bad Brain,” at Bordeaux’s CAPC contemporary art gallery, was a return to form for the L.A.-based artist who began his career painting pieces big and small. “I’ve always been interested in paint,” he says. “I even think of my sculptures as sculptural paintings.” But it’s an area in which he didn’t always have confidence. “I used to hide my paintings. When people came to the studio I would tuck them away.” Now Curry’s canvases have transformed him into one of the most covetable artists on the contemporary scene, with a fan base that A 230

Aaron Curry is an artist whose foundation is in the process. In the last 10 years he’s worked almost entirely with sculpture, and his recent move towards painting proves that development is at the core of every piece.

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ÂŠ Fredrik Nilsen

A high art _ painter

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This page Schizoid Sorcerers (Hellequin’s Armor), 2008 Opposite page An untitled work, 2003-2004

includes Tom Ford. Curry’s decision to work with paint is bold considering galleries aren’t in the habit of taking on painters. “Painting is an incredible skill that’s not rated anymore. That’s why I’m so excited by it at the moment,” he explains. “The way the art world is set up now, you work toward shows. With the paintings I had no deadline, so creatively I was free.” Despite the difference in each discipline, his approach to painting and sculpture are the same: “What I aim to do is build up a

piece so it becomes an actual object.” He uses “Rags and Bags” as an example, a piece incorporating found objects and contrasting painting techniques, to exemplify his multidisciplinarianism. “I created the water drops by hand on my computer and then screen printed them onto the canvas, so everything is painted. Through the droplets I aim to look at a sculptural space.” Curry knows technology. He takes his stylus with him everywhere, uses Zen brush – an iPad drawing application – and often handtraces over his digital drawings. Perhaps it’s 233 A

A high art _ painter

Curry’s Infinite Mask Perpetual Mash-up (Pink)

The human body has informed much of the artist’s work; his wife’s liver and kidney transplant seven years ago is particularly A 234

influential in his abstract approach. Collectors like Tom Ford look to him for that radical take on classical painterly themes. The Ford story is one he adds casually towards the end of our interview. “Oh yeah,” Curry says, “he invited me to his house. He’d bought a painting and wanted my opinion on some things.” See Aaron Curry’s work as part of “The Los Angeles Project,” running until November 9 at the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, Beijing, ucca.org.cn

the fact that he’s a Generation Y artist, but most likely it’s because he’s a perfectionist with a commitment to innovation. “The pieces I’m really happy with are the ones that use digital drawing and hand print,” says Curry. “It makes me realize that there doesn’t have to be a predetermined prototype, but that there are different avenues to the same image.”

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9/19/14

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A high art _ voyeur

Hollywood grit By Grace Banks

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For all the international intrigue and acclaim, most of Alex Prager’s influences can be traced to her experience in Los Angeles. The photographer and film director’s California roots are certainly worth mentioning: it’s where she lives, where she first picked up a camera and Hollywood’s thin luster is one of her favorite inspirations. “You walk into a bar here and it looks old, but then you realize it’s been designed to look like that. I mean, it could have been set designed by the guy who did Scorsese’s last picture,” Prager says. Since breaking onto the scene in 2010 with consecutive shoots for Vogue

and W Magazine, Prager’s photographs have become art, noted for their references to Eggleston, Hitchcock and the layers of grit and glamour in modern society. “A Face in the Crowd,” a series of cinematic photographs of strangers in a crowd and Prager’s latest work, is currently on display at The Arts Club in London. “It’s about people in society, and my reaction to it all,” the artist explains. “Everything I do is based on this forced world colliding with raw emotion. This isn’t a real crowd scene; this is a

Alex Prager’s alternate society

This and opposite page “Spellbound,” shot by Prager for the November 2010 Art issue of W Magazine

manufactured crowd.” The photographs feature actors, extras and friends, and are cinematic, stylish and slick. While Prager’s big productions fit the Hollywood cannon, she removes herself from it, making observations from the outside. “I wanted these photos to appear glamorous at first glance,” she says, “but when you look closer it’s very strained and forced.”

For her 2010 short film Despair, Prager shot Bryce Dallas Howard as a woman who, despite her beauty and polished appearance, is teetering on the edge of sanity. It landed her comparisons to Hitchcock. “It was incredibly flattering, but I am not Hitchcock,” she states. If Hitchcock masters film, Prager has 237 A

A high art _ voyeur

This page Prager’s work scrubs the veneer off of high-sheen glamour Opposite page Writer, blogger and socialite Jessica Joffe poses for the “Spellbound” editorial shoot

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theater down. Her females move around the screen like they are on stage, each with a developed narrative. Both her Vogue shoots and independent work go through a laborious post-production process that can last up to eight months, but are crucial to the photorealistic quality the photographs and films posses. The finished result adds to the thwarted image of men and women in a crowd, something

she’s proud of. “Coming from L.A., you don’t really see a huge crowd unless you seek one out in the stadium. I want to keep looking at how false groups can be and how we interpret and experience a crowd, from L.A. to London.” “A Face in the Crowd” runs until December 19, 2014 at The Arts Club London, theartsclub.co.uk 239 A

A high art _ voyeur

Prager explores the crowd, which includes Joffe and model Irina Lazareanu, in W Magazine’s “Spellbound”

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A high art _ future

Fine young upstarts

The 56th edition of Bloomberg New Contemporaries

British art schools have cultivated quite a reputation. Young hopefuls from around the world queue up to hone a craft, cultivate a persona and learn the complex skill of choreographing an uncomfortable performance piece evolved from a folder of inspiration images dragged off Tumblr. Everyone from Damien Hirst to Antony Gormley has paved their path to fame through the hallowed halls of Goldsmiths and Central St Martins. But not every graduate is a star, and with unemployment among arts graduates on the rise, the stakes for success just get higher as years pass by. That’s why Bloomberg New Contemporaries

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(BNC), the UK’s annual prize for its most promising fine art graduates, sorts the diamonds from the rough. It chooses 50 or so finalists and exhibits this filtered selection to the public every year. New Contemporaries hasn’t always been funded by Bloomberg. In fact, it remains partly supported by Arts Council England. It was founded in 1949 by art students as a way to assess and promote themselves, and re-envisioned in 1989 as a more professional entity, after which established artists were called on each year to judge works by the next generation. That the prize is judged by practicing artists, as opposed to curators

By Jasper Toms

This page “Flow Body II,” 2014 by Bee Flowers Opposite page Victoria Grenier’s “Slippers,” 2013

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A high art _ future

The success of last year’s exhibition at the ICA(below) has only increased anticipation of this year’s event

This year’s judges are performance artist Marvin Gaye Chetwynd, multi-media artist Enrico David, and installation artist Goshka Macuga. The assessment process takes days dedicated to viewing thousands of images before narrowing the list down from 1,400 submissions. This process is done “blind” – the art works have no names on them and the judges receive no information on artist background or education. Each artist submits 10 slides or video clips and submission is open; the criteria are simply that artists must be in their final year of study or must have graduated within the previous year. Gaining exposure shortly after leaving art school is an important bridge from being a hopeful student to developing a critical and creative presence on the cultural stage. That’s why the prize and exhibition has the power to truly shape careers. Big names such as Jake and Dinos Chapman, Tacita Dean, Mona Hatoum, and David Hockney were all selected in their day, so it’s little wonder BNC has come to be considered a trustworthy barometer of ones-towatch in the British capital – for curators, critics, collectors and the public alike. A 244

This year the exhibition of 55 selected artists starts at the Liverpool Biennial on September 20 before moving to the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) in London on November 26. At first glance over the works being exhibited, Bee Flowers, a Dutch artist who studied printmaking at the Royal College of Art, looks intriguing, as does Marco Godoy, who did photography at the same school, and Victoria Grenier, a sculpture graduate from Wimbledon. Seeing the works in the flesh is the best way to judge for yourself, however. Who will sink and who will swim? Only time will tell, but BNC has a pretty good idea.

or critics, is central to its credibility. Still committed to transparency and fairness, judges look for important, authentic voices that reflect contemporary art’s current concerns. A principal aim is to explore the tone and content of what it means to be “new” in art in the now.

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A high art _ curator

Artwork, coast to coast

Christopher Mount opens galleries in Los Angeles and New York A 246

Curator Christopher W. Mount is on a roll. Earlier this year, he opened an eponymous Los Angeles gallery that focuses on architecture and design. Architectural drawings – especially those by Californians Neal Denari, Frank Gehry and Michael Rotondi – are of particular interest. For his clients, they represent the opportunity to own a work of art by a known entity and at a reasonable price. These drawings are also a symbolic means to an end. “I want to promote architecture and design as a valuable artistic endeavor,”

the former curator at New York’s Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) says. “It’s not just about a finished project, but how the architect gets there.” The new gallery gives Mount bicoastal status since he’s already operating a small, salon-style space in New York. There’s no programming there yet; it’s more of a private affair. “I’m using it to bring stuff in from Los Angeles and do things by appointment – small parties and that kind of thing,” he says. He got his start right out of Columbia

By J. Michael Welton

This page Balthazar Korab’s “Eero Saarinen and Associates, Dulles International Airport, Chantilly, VA,” 1963 Opposite page “American Airlines, Boeing 777 at LAX” by Benny Chan

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A high art _ curator

Left Benny Chan’s “Traffic, Los Angeles” Bottom “Symptomatic Fleas (architecture sketch)” by Bryan Cantley

He discovered that curating is a craft, like any other skill, and that having a good eye is essential, even if it takes years to get there. “You can be born with it, and you can develop it too,” he says. “But being born with it is a lot easier.” Mount would serve in the ‘90s as director of exhibitions at Parsons The New School of Design, then as editor-in-chief of the iconic I.D. magazine. These days, his galleries hold his undivided attention. “I like the undiscovered. It gives me a thrill to show it to people,” he says. “There’s so much attention paid to the established artists and the canons of art, but I get excited about everyday things.” Now he has two venues, in two great American cities, to do that. A 248

University, joining the legendary Arthur Drexler, director of MoMA’s Department of Architecture and Design, in the mid-‘80s. He stayed there for 15 years, organizing exhibitions on architecture, automobiles and graphic design. All the while, he absorbed the finer points of curating. “I learned a certain rigor about architecture and design – that you don’t just promote well-known names or the things you see in magazines,” he says. “You come to it with a certain amount of skepticism of something that’s new and that gets a lot of publicity.”

A lifestyle _ delicacy

Sustainable, six-legged cuisine By J. Michael Welton

Dave Gracer considers his diet a fairly conventional one. He tries to keep the amount of processed food he eats to a minimum. He enjoys a little meat from the grocery store, and sometimes, venison supplied by friends who hunt deer. He likes a good salad too, and the occasional bowl of ice cream. But then there are the 50 or so insects he consumes each month. He began to eat them when he was 35. Today, he’s 49 – and spreading the gospel of a new kind of cuisine. Gracer favors grasshoppers, mostly the large ones shipped from a farm in Texas to his home in Providence, Rhode Island. He’ll roast them for a crunchy effect – sort of like

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French fries, only meatier. “They’re a cross between a salad and smoked meat,” he says. “They don’t taste like chicken, but there’s a meat-like sensation on the palate.” He likes his caterpillars too, especially the wax worms that make their homes in beehives. “They have a slightly higher moisture content,” says Gracer. “They taste like pine nuts or walnuts, and a bit like sautéed mushrooms.” Certain species of ants taste like bacon, he claims, and are quite fatty. Most of them, though, leave a citrus tinge on the taste buds. Not to mention the stink bugs. “They do have an aroma for defense purposes, but it’s not a smell anything like a skunk. It’s more like cilantro or cloves, and their flavor is

Around the world, insects are stepping up to the plate

This page Toloache’s Tacos de Chapulines, also known as grasshopper tacos (left) and Aphrodite’s take on insects (right) Opposite page Chef David Faure makes magic with crickets, worms and other unusual ingredients

more like kale,” he explains. “They’re called jumiles in Mexico, and they’re honored as a real delicacy in a few places there.”

centered around the six-legged creatures is quietly creeping up the food chain to elbow its way onto a surprising number of menus.

Gracer’s an English professor, currently perched on the cutting edge of one of the newest global trends in food preparation. Insect cuisine, mostly unheard of until recently, is taking off across North America and Europe. Since 1885, a mere 30 books were written on the topic, but Gracer’s now cataloged more than 4,000 new articles and a few thousand scientific papers.

“In Oaxaca, insects are very popular,” says Ricardo Palafox, who manages Toloache restaruant in New York. “In certain parts of Mexico, you’ll go into a restaurant and have them as a snack, like popcorn at the table.”

With a handful of fellow amateur insect chefs, he participates in cook-offs to raise public awareness in New York, Seattle, New Orleans, Minneapolis and Providence. “There is a small number of us, and none of us really have a culinary background,” he says. But in the galleys of restaurants in Manhattan, Mexico and France, a cuisine

At Toloache, Chef Julian Medina imports his dried grasshoppers from Mexico. They arrive about an inch-and-a-half long, wellseasoned with spices and chili. He’ll clean them up, sauté them in olive oil, then slip them into a tortilla with red salsa, cilantro, onions and some guacamole. “Basically it’s a grasshopper taco – two per order,” Palafox says. “People love them, and they’re great protein.” At Aphrodite restaurant in Nice, France, insects have earned a respectable place on chef David Faure’s menu, alongside

his coveted vegan and molecular cuisine. Faure favors European crickets and worms, influenced by those he saw and tasted in Asia. He views them as an opportunity to educate his clientele about sustainability. “Gastronomy is a special and wonderful vector of communication,” he says. “We must adapt with the evolution of the world and open the minds of our guests on the problem of overpopulation, for a more environmentally responsible future.” Dave Gracer’s on the same page. “As our food sources are jeopardized because of climate change, food will become more expensive,” he says. “Then insects, which are now viewed as a food of last resort, will become popular.” The sooner we to get used to the idea of insects for dinner, Gracer reasons, the better off the world will be. It could work. After all, with the right Remoulade, almost anything tastes good.

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A lifestyle _ joy ride

Fast and luxurious

By James Haines-Young and Maya Gebeily

The Ferrari California T hits Lebanon’s roads

We traded in the gridlocked streets of Beirut for the winding hills, tearing up the roads of Beit Misk in the brand new Ferrari California T and living every car aficionado’s dream. With a wheel that feels like it’s controlling a fighter jet, the California T features the sleek, dominant dashboard style typical of Ferrari’s vehicles. A touch of the big red “Engine On” button and it snarls to life. The car whipped around the turns of Lebanon’s Metn roads with tight, controlled ease. It was a comfort to see how the California T expertly swerved around the A 254

ubiquitous potholes, debris and reckless drivers. It was light, yet addictively powerful. Owners of luxury cars elsewhere might balk at Lebanon’s casually maintained roads, but Marie-Claire Chammas, Ferrari Lebanon’s Deputy Operations Manager, says they haven’t scared the Lebanese away. “If you can afford to have a Ferrari, you won’t stop because of roads, potholes or even bombs,” Chammas assured us. The California T takes Ferrari’s trademark style and ramps up the class. If the other models are revving at stop lights looking to show off horse-power, the California T is gliding effortlessly – but not unnoticed – up to the entrance of the Phoenicia. It trades in just a bit of flash for substantially more elegance; a tad of that inevitable Ferrari confidence for self-assured comfort. Put simply, with this car there’s nothing to prove. Besides having more revs than you can floor,

better handling than a surgeon’s knife and looks to kill, it’s practical. There’s a trunk that can fit more than a pair of stilettos, as well as four seats; admittedly the back two aren’t as roomy as an armchair, but they do the job. It’s every bit the sexy, luxurious car that Ferrari delivers model after model, but the California T proudly sets itself apart. The Italian car maker has gone and made a car that you not only can drive every day, but that you want to. There is something delightfully routine about it – after 5 minutes behind the wheel it’s like you’ve always been there, that you always should have been there. It’s a car that doesn’t feel out of place in your daily routine but helps make the everyday just that bit more extraordinary. Whether you’re a first timer (like us) or an upgrader, you’ll notice as soon as you’re in the seat that there’s something about the California T that demands to be driven.

You might not call Beirut a driver’s city, but that’s never stopped anyone from driving a nice car. It’s something of a miracle that between the potholes and inexplicable road layouts compounded with bumper-tobumper traffic, Beirut manages to remain full of self-styled rally drivers, classic car owners and sports car collectors.

A lifestyle _ revolution

Quick fix By James Haines-Young

ÂŠ James Haines-Young

In London, a change in taste

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This page The only modern technology in Square Mile, roasting machines that electronically record temperature and time of roast to ensure quality Opposite page Association stocks two roasters’ coffee, Workshop Coffee Co. and Square Mile Coffee

England might be famous for its tea, but over the last few years it’s coffee that’s been on everybody’s lips. In London, a revolution is brewing. “Six years ago there weren’t many independent roasters around,” says Anette Moldvaer, founder of Square Mile Coffee, one of the best-known names in the industry. They supply quality beans to dozens of shops around the U.K. and hope to start exporting to a coffee house in Beirut later this year. The shift in coffee culture started with independent roasters like Square Mile, but now there are people serving up beans of all kinds. “We were probably one of the most lightly roasted coffees in London at the time. We offered an option,” says Moldvaer of the company’s early days. All of London’s roasters have their own styles and create their own blends, securing them a loyal following and eliminating competition, Moldvaer says, because everyone is doing something different.

Recently, Workshop started shipping internationally and found that they were regularly exporting to Dubai and Saudi Arabia. “There is definitely a market for this kind of coffee in the Middle East,” says Association barista and ex-Workshop roaster Nico Halliday. As a result of growing success, a tightknit family of suppliers and sellers has formed. “The more of us there are, the better it is for everyone,” says Mason of customers’ growing options and changing mindsets. “If you have great coffee on the weekend where you live, then at work on Monday you’re also going to want great coffee.” Visit associationcoffee.com, squaremilecoffee.com and workshopcoffee.com

The general movement has been away from the classic Italian and French dark roasts in favor of a lighter blend. Sam Mason, a banker-turned-barista and founder of East London’s Association Coffee, says that this is a result of the coffee production process improving. “Darker roasts are easier to keep consistent. There’s no doubt that a light roast done badly can taste terrible, but done well you get so much more flavor.” Association Coffee sits in London’s finance district, under the shadow of Norman Foster’s famous Gherkin building and only a few minutes from the Bank of England. Most of its clients are slick city types. Association stocks both Square Mile Coffee as well as Workshop coffee, another of London’s pioneer roasters. John and Alex, both suit-clad insurance men, say that they are loyal followers because of its consistently great filter coffees. But what actually makes a good cup? Moldvaer admits it’s a largely personal choice, but says that most people (knowingly or not) are adding milk and sugar to mask the taste. “Try ours black,” she says, “and if you still don’t like it, I’ll give you the milk. But I’m pretty sure you’ll like it.” Most of Square Mile’s blends are based on her own tastes. “I have a fairly sensitive palate when it comes to bitterness and a slightly higher preference for acidity, which is my Scandinavian coffee background. But I also have a terrible sweet tooth, so our espresso is always going to be on the sweet, bright, lively, fruity side.” At Association, the Americano – which they call a Long Black – is neither bitter nor heavy. What they serve is more like a dark tea than what you’d expect from a coffee: subtle, rich and deep but not bitter or dark. A 257

A lifestyle _ escape

Indian harmony

By Clara Le Fort

An escape to Kerala’s backwaters

Coconut Lagoon Built in a colonial style with sculpted columns, antique swing chairs, walkways lined with wooden slats and footbridges shaded by Venetian blinds, Coconut Lagoon sits at the very tip of a waterway, facing the mirror-smooth waters of Vembanad Lake. Reached by boat and hidden behind a palmlined shore, the eco-resort is as an ideal retreat to discover Kerala’s heritage. www.cghearth.com/coconut-lagoon

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Kettuvallam Kerala’s backwaters stretch out over more than 1,500 kilometers of waterways. The best way to discover its labyrinth of lagoons, rivers and hand-dug canals is aboard a kettuvallam, an elegant houseboat woven by hand from palm trees, bamboo and coconut-fiber ropes. Modernized for maximum comfort, Spice Coast Cruise boats are fitted with elegant cabins to wander, night and day, across the contemplative waters. www.cghearth.com/spice-coast-cruises

Marari Beach At this latitude, the Malabar Coast embraces the Arabian Sea’s swell. Laid-out in what looks like a palm tree plantation, Marari Beach resort presents bungalows and well-ventilated villas that keep the heat at bay. Local flavors, harvest food festivals and a dedicated ayurvedic pavilion with expert therapists ensure that every stay is synonymous with wellbeing. www.cghearth.com/marari-beach

Far from the bright lights of Bollywood or colorful Rajasthan lies Kerala. At the southern tip of the continent, India’s sleepiest state invites visitors with meandering backwaters, where elegant boathouses head for endless beaches on the Arabian Sea.

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A lifestyle _ community

By Pip Usher

ÂŠ Achrafieh 2020, Deir al Oumara

Pay it Forward

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This page Deir al Oumara’s traditionally crafted stone lobby (top); the hotel was originally built as a private home by Emir Bachir II (bottom) Opposite page The hotel’s extensive renovation emphasized its historic features, like the triple arch architecture

It takes a village Nostalgia – defined as pleasure and sadness caused by remembering something from the past and wishing you could experience it again. A country that teeters between deep-seated nostalgia and a manic desire for development in just one hot, polluted breath, Lebanon is evolving fast. Now its inhabitants must decide how they define themselves in the decades to come, and which elements of the past are carried into the future. Fifty minutes from Beirut, Deir al Oumara is a mountain hotel with an eye on history. A grand beauty of a building originally built as a private home in 1827 by Emir Bachir II for his advisor and poet, it’s a striking example of Lebanese architecture that has survived numerous reincarnations and come out on top. Used by the Catholic Marist brothers as a school at the turn of the century, then by the Ottomans as a Turkish language school during their occupation, it was lovingly restored to its former glory in 2011 and finally opened as a hotel this summer. With its turquoise French doors, high ceilings and meticulous craftsmanship, it’s a testament to the architecture that dominated Lebanese villages until recently. This hasn’t come cheap – the initial investment started at $1.5 million – but it’s a testament to the owners’ vision that they persevered with a project that promised no quick fixes. Nadim Zoghbi, manager of Deir al Oumara, and I sit in the central courtyard, a crescent-shaped, peaceful space with a spectacular view of the Chouf Mountains. Each suite’s set of paneled wooden doors swings open

into the courtyard, with guests leaving their doors open as they enjoy a hearty breakfast of miniature manousheh by the hotel’s chef, a native of the area. It’s an unusual set-up for a hotel: intimate and familial. But Lebanon’s traditional architecture was built for this purpose; as Zoghbi explains, there was a time when the country’s communal spaces reflected weighty bonds between its citizens. “In the old days, everyone not only knew each other, but they lived with each other,” Zoghbi recalls. “Ite was a community within a community.” These days, he proudly watches hotel guests talk to one another in the courtyard over a morning cup of coffee, the subtle implications of the hotel’s unusual structure continuing a legacy of familiarity that he describes as a “homey feel.” Jihad Bitar, one of the founding members of Achrafieh 2020, looks mildly mournful as he reflects on the current state of one of East Beirut’s oldest districts. 261 A

A lifestyle _ community

This page An engraved illustration of Beirut in the 1890s, before rapid development transformed the city skyline

That’s where Achrafieh 2020 steps in. Founded by Bitar and several others (all either born in Ashrafieh or residents of it now), it’s a non-governmental organization devoted to reinventing their neighborhood as an oasis of calm amidst Beirut’s mayhem. Although Bitar denies nostalgia, the group is certainly inspired by their memories of the past; or, as he describes it, “trying to bring back what was good and build on it for the future.” They dream big: on their Facebook page, A 262

they write of highly regulated traffic, public transport and waste management to create a “livable, breathable, welcoming and friendly neighborhood.” In reality, they’ve started smaller. They launched in September 2012 with a car-free day that closed nearly 40% of Ashrafieh, and since then they’ve organized more car-free days across the district to let people “discover the beautiful corners in this city.” More powerfully, perhaps, it reminds residents that reducing cars on the roads brings business to local shops and revives a sense of community that many believe is being demolished as tower blocks crowd the city skyline. New buildings trump old; people come and go; neighborhoods absorb new populations that reinvent their streets’ social fabric. Without a doubt, Lebanon will continue to shape-shift. What remains to be seen is how its citizens’ wistful memories form communities to come.

A native of the neighborhood, he grew up among its meandering streets and heritage homes. Much of that has now been replaced with sprawling urbanization as developers earn a quick buck with luxury high-rises and parking lots. But despite these changes, Bitar is the first to acknowledge a profound emotional connection to his city. Remembering the civil war, he describes Ashrafieh as a close-knit community that “functioned like a village – we knew all our neighbors in the streets, we used to help each other.”

WWW.AISHTIBLOG.COM

A lifestyle _ city

Going to extremes

Dubai counters its trademark glamour

Whatever you want, Dubai has it. Or is building it. From the world’s tallest building to the world’s largest shopping mall at its feet, the city is headline-ready as one of extremes. But Dubai is coming of age, and casual weekend getaways are rising from the sands among the storm of glitz. Large-scale projects like Dubai Design District and Dubai Opera are under way, set to inject the emirate’s eccentric tendencies with cultural venues to rival the recent Louvre and Guggenheim coup of its more demure sister, Abu Dhabi. After a scorching summer, the city comes out to play during October and November. Opening earlier this year, The Beach at JBR fast became one of Dubai’s favorite hangouts, not to mention one of its only pleasurable pedestrian experiences. With its stylishly landscaped complex of outdoor shopping and dining options, fall provides the perfect

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climate for a stroll along the new boardwalk. Swing by S*uce on Sea to shop a collection of breezy, designer swimwear and beach accessories, or take a table on the terrace, put on an apron and crack open a bucket of fresh shellfish at Aprons and Hammers. Across town, fall will also see the return of Downtown Design Dubai, a three-day event showcasing the latest collections of acclaimed international interior designers. This year, contemporary product design from the likes of De Vecchi Milano and Gaggenau are set to be exhibited alongside a roster of seminars from leading design experts. As the patchy fabric of the city expands and evolves, urban subcultures are beginning to flourish between the cracks. From the meet-ups organized by boutique bicycle store Corcel, to the small-scale indie music festivals held in Safa Park by The Archive, the changing seasons see Dubai’s social scene

By John Burns

shift away from the hotel lobbies and out onto the city’s streets. That said, no visit to Dubai would be complete without a cocktail on one of the city’s extremely high-rising rooftops. Hot spots come and go, but a new classic is 40 Kong, a low-key, stylish cocktail lounge on the 40th floor of the H Hotel. Though fun late at night, with its deep house and relaxed crowd, 40 Kong is best enjoyed earlier in the evening, when you can order a bottle and watch the sun set over Downtown before catching a 15-minute cab ride back to the airport.

Thom Browne

Creekside With contemporary design, cultural installations and fine dining, Creekside is a hidden gem overlooking the creek in Dubai’s historical neighborhood. Bastakiyeh, www.creeksidedubai.me

Balenciaga

Gucci

Acquired taste

Tom & Serg Reworking one of Al Quoz’s cavernous warehouses, Tom & Serg’s antipodean approach to casual brunch classics draws in Dubai’s design crowd. Al Quoz, www.tomandserg.com

Yamanote Atelier Curry donuts and kitschy Totoro-shaped buns: Dubai’s first contemporary Japanese bakery offers an unusually tasty selection of super-cute pastries. Al Wasl, www.yamanoteatelier.com

A fashionable fête This autumn, the Dubai Mall is once again inviting Vogue Italia to take over all 13 million of its square feet for a three-day celebration of luxury fashion. Last year, the Vogue Fashion Dubai Experience runway shows, live music and couture exhibits not only drew in half the city, but the leaders of the international fashion world. From October 30 to November 1, Dubai Mall

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A beauty _ counter

Black swan Lancôme is changing the mascara game with Grandiôse, featuring an angled swan-neck wand for full coverage on even the hardestto-reach lashes. Visit lancome-me.com

Inside and out

Sublime skincare The Golden Champa and Harungana are the secret ingredients in Chanel’s newest anti-aging concentrate, Sublimage L’Essence. When activated with the house’s patented technology, the exotic flowers reveal a firm, glowing complexion. Visit chanel.com

A floral fall

Rock solid Looking for a new way to flaunt gems? This season’s holographic nails take inspiration from amethyst, rose quartz and other colorful, lightreflecting crystals. From left to right: Chanel, Essie A 268

Wood working As the temperature cools, the sweet, woody complexity of oud is making its way into two warm new fragrances: Tom Ford Private Blend Oud Fleur and Valentina Oud Assoluto by Valentino. Visit tomford.com and valentino. com

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A beauty _ health

Comeback cardio By John Ovans

From scrunchies to flannel shirts, the ‘90s is the current decade du jour when it comes to global street style. But while the idea of going about your day dressed like an extra from Saved by the Bell might make you balk, you can still embrace the renaissance on a cardiovascular level. Learn how to make your fitness regime a thing of the past, with a nod to an era that was all about wacky gadgets, daft moves and silly outfits. Inline skating Originally reported by online fashion news portal Refinery 29, rollerblades appear to be the footwear of choice for 2014, with a surge in sales in both New York and Los Angeles. But the craze isn’t just concentrated there; 17.3 million people regularly slip on a pair of blades worldwide. The current retro sportswear trend has been the perfect incubator in which to revive the cultural phenomenon, and while sloping parts of Beirut don’t make the ideal rollerblading A 270

territory, sailing down the Corniche in neon bikini kneepads with the wind in your hair has got to be one of the most fun ways of keeping fit. Medical experts have even declared inline skating to be better exercise than jogging. Rad.

no surprise that Tae Bo is the nostalgic fitness class of choice. Offered by studios including Avalon, Body Garage and In Shape, it’s still widely available in Beirut, so there’s no excuse not to pour yourself into some geometric spandex and get kicking.

Tae Bo The ‘90s was a time when we embraced our living rooms as gyms and videocassettes as personal trainers, with no workout more popular than Tae Bo. The high-impact aerobics regime – which integrated dance, boxing and martial arts into something that was somewhat all of them but fully none of them – was the brainchild of pectoral-flashing Billy Blanks, who began teaching classes in his garage in California before rolling out mass-market videotapes across America and the rest of the world. Sadly, it ran out of puff before the millennium arrived, proving that fitness is as prone to fads as fashion, but with up to 800 calories burned in a single class, it’s

Step aerobics Everyone did step aerobics in the ‘90s, even Buffy from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. All you needed was a step and some distressingly hienergy dance music to motivate you, a simple set-up that enabled it to become the first big fitness craze of the decade. After all, who’d have thought that stepping up and down would provide such an effective workout for the hamstrings, gluteal muscles and quadriceps while simultaneously doubling as cardio? Fitness experts recently predicted the resurgence of the step class as consumers reject more complex, new-fangled workouts in favor of something that quite simply does the job, whenever, wherever.

It isn’t just fashion that embraces past trends – it’s fitness, too

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A beauty _ runway

Smoke signals

By MacKenzie Lewis 1.

Forget thick wooly sweaters and cozy flannel shirts – this season is about toughas-nails leather, even when it comes to makeup. From exotic ostrich skin to soft, supple nappa, Yves Saint Laurent translated leather textures into shadows and polishes for the ultimate bad girl (with an obvious taste for the finer things). “She is edgy, sexy and she likes flirting with danger,” says Lloyd Simmonds, artistic director for YSL Beauty. This season, the role of the rebel is played by Cara Delevingne. A 272

With a smoky eye, fuchsia lips and gritty nails, the look, which Simmonds calls “extreme seduction,” can easily be adapted for real life. The key is to choose one focal point: the eyes or the lips. “Outside a photo shoot,” he explains, “it’s rare to wear a total look.” To achieve Delevingne’s come-hither gaze, a smoky eye is in order. Start with a glowing, even complexion before adding a bright copper base to the eyelid. Contour the outer corner of the eye with a rich brown shade, highlight the brow bone with a warm

golden hue and define the lower lash line with a stroke of black shadow; smudge and blend for a smoldering finish. Simmonds painted Delevingne’s pout a shocking pink, but a sheer wash of color makes the look more wearable when the spotlights are off. The final touch for the Yves Saint Laurent séductrice? A coat of punk-rock nail polish with a full-grain leather texture. “When she puts on a leather biker jacket or steps into her black pumps,” concludes Simmonds, this is a woman who “exudes a powerful attraction and self-confidence.”

1. Yves Saint Laurent Couture Palette Collector in Fétiche 2. Dior It-Lash, Fabulous Impact Vibrant Color, No. 92, Black 3. Estée Lauder Revitalizing Supreme Global Anti-Aging CC Creme, SPF 10 4. Yves Saint Laurent La Laque Couture Nail Lacquer, Grained Leather Effect, No. 52 5. Acqua Di Parma Colonia Leather 6. Chanel Pure Shine Intense Colour Long Wear Lip Gloss, No. 57

A beauty _ inspiration

From dark to light

By MacKenzie Lewis

Power brows According to market researchers NPD Group, sales of eyebrow makeup increased by 29% last year, with Rebecca Minkoff certainly doing her part to fuel those purchases. This fall, the New York-based designer showed a tougher collection than usual, accessorizing masculine silhouettes with power brows. The big, bold brow is now a staple on runways, its popularity waxing and waning since ancient Romans considered the unibrow a sign of intelligence. Forget the toga and look to more recent heavy-browed women when dressing the part. Though Minkoff and model Cara Delevingne prove boyish cuts can flatter statement eyebrows, feminine shapes in the spirit of Elizabeth Taylor provide a glamorous contrast.

Elizabeth Taylor

Dior

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Invisi-brows Call it a backlash to the power brow’s success, but this season saw the return of the anti-brow, a virtual disappearance of any eye-framing facial hair. At Marc Jacobs’ fall/ winter 2014-15 show, bleach took care of any natural color, though extreme tweezing and shaving are becoming increasingly popular in certain style circles. Queen Elizabeth I, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Lady Gaga – all fans of the bald brow – prove that a “go big or go home” attitude is required to pull off this look. Futuristic, goth, grunge or even neo-Elizabethan styles display defiance, differentiating an extreme beauty trend from a mishap with the razor.

Karen Elson

Tory Burch

Marc Jacobs

Queen Elizabeth I

Rebecca Minkoff

To brow or not to brow: that is the question of the season.

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A last _ word

Fashion forecast Use your star sign to your style advantage

Libra (September 23-October 22)

Libra’s notorious indecisiveness is indulged with a new silhouette for fall: skirts and shift dresses layered over fitted pants at Balenciaga.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21)

Mysterious Scorpio is wrapping her innermost secrets in plush layers of fur, making a comeback this season in ombre colors at Marc Jacobs. Never one to take herself too seriously, Sagittarius should play around with novelty knits, like Moschino’s now-iconic SpongeBob sweater.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

Ambitious Capricorn is being rewarded for her hard work with stacks of gold, from Chloé’s metallic embellishments to shimmering shearling at Mara Hoffman.

Aquarius (January 20-February 18)

Oversized cuts are fit for unconventional Aquarius, who’ll feel at home in Jason Wu’s roomy, tailored coats.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

Taurus hates being told what to do, and unexpected splashes of chalky pastel at Gucci and Burberry are the best way to buck fall color traditions.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

A new wave of extreme turtlenecks at Rebecca Taylor and Stella McCartney, in distorted shapes and unusual materials, are the perfect fit for rebellious Gemini.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

Comfort-craving Cancer will be bundled up in printed cashmere ponchos, a cozy staple at Burberry’s fall show.

Always drawn to the mystical, Pisces finds a happy ending with fairytale imagery – including a cape fit for Little Red Riding Hood at Dolce & Gabbana.

Leo (July 23-August 22)

Aries (March 21-April 19)

Virgo (August 23-September 22)

She can’t sit still for long, so Marc by Marc Jacobs’ BMX-inspired fall collection is a winning choice for athletic Aries. A 276

Glamorously Gothic looks at Saint Laurent and Elie Saab suit Leo’s taste for dramatic flair. Devoted Virgo gets that warm and fuzzy feeling from bathrobeinspired wrap coats at Altuzarra.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21)

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