F/I/M²/P · Issue 05 · APRIL / MAY 2013

FASHION

ILLUSTRATION

MUSIC

MOVIES

PHOTOGRAPHY

WOODKID PROM KING

10 USD 15.000 LBP

CLASS OF 2013

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WHO’S ON THE INSIDE EDITORS IN CHIEF MANAGING PARTNER RESPONSIBLE DIRECTOR ASSOCIATE EDITOR FASHION EDITOR PROOFREADER

RUDY SHAHEEN & MOHAMAD ABDOUNI FATIMA M. EL MARINI LAMIS KHAWAJA KARL HITTI CHARLES HADDAD KRYSTEL KOUYOUMDJIS

THE CLASS OF 2013 We present to you, ladies & gents, the class of 2013. Well, most of it anyway ...

PAGE 98 PAGE 08, 26 PAGE 04 PAGE 11 PAGE 36 PAGE 88 PAGE 38 PAGE 30 PAGE 28 PAGE 18 PAGE 54 PAGE 42 PAGE 100 PAGE 70 PAGE 52, 92 PAGE 50 PAGE 60 PAGE 62, 94 PAGE 74 PAGE 68 PAGE 48 PAGE 46 PAGE 68 PAGE 78 PAGE 20 PAGE 96 PAGE 86 PAGE 90 PAGE 65 PAGE 06 PAGE 44 PAGE 76 PAGE 16 PAGE 14, 34 PAGE 32 PAGE 84 PAGE 102 PAGE 82 PAGE 24 PAGE 56 PAGE 58 PAGE 22

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A. DANIEL ABDOUNI, MOHAMAD ABI ASSI, HELENE ABI NADER, CLARA ABOU KARAM, DINA ABOU ZAKI, KARIM APRAHAMIAN, PANOS BADR, MOHAMAD CANTE GUILLAUMINE, BEATRICE DERSAHAGIAN, SAKO EID, WISSAM EL KHOURY, JAD GEMAYEL, RAYMOND GHOSN, GHADI HADDAD, CHARLES HAJJ, RAMI HAYEK, TIMI HITTI, KARL KAHWAGI, MURIEL KALDANY, SERGE KARAM, PAMELA KASSAB, MARIA KHAIRALLAH, MICHELE KLINK, KAREN KOUYOUMDJIS, KRYSTEL KOYESS, STEPHANIE KRAYTEM, MOHAMAD MAKHLOUF, TINA MAKHOUL, PATRICK MERHEJ, CYNTHIA MEZHER, FOUAD RICHA, STEPHANIE SFEIR, PATRICK SHAHEEN, RUDY TABET, ANIS TANFOUS, OUMAYMA WARDE, ALEXANDRA WAZAN, MICHELLE YACOUB, PHILIPPE YAMMINE, LEA ZAHER, RANA ZANKOUL, LARA

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EDITORS’ LETTER

THE VALEDICTORIANS

N 05 THE YEARBOOK

ABDOUNI & SHAHEEN WITH THE HELP OF KARL HITTI & KRYSTEL KOUYOUMDJIS, BUT WHATEVER.

MOST LIKELY TO BORE THE LIVING F**K OUT OF YOU

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e were not chosen to be valedictorians for our own graduation ceremonies but we did get laid on our prom nights (or was it rape?). Anyway, people did not sit in their white-sheet covered chairs smiling and awe-ing at every word we said while our glammed up classmates hated every second of it. However, you will now read this… that’s right, read it so that you grasp every word from the comfort of your own toilet seat.

Graduation is overrated anyway.

We mean, what’s the point? You finish twelve years of what’s tougher than military school and head right towards at least three more years of getting hammered and showing up hungover to classes the next morning… hold on a second there, it wasn’t all that bad now that we look back at it. But of course, there’s a lot of knowledge in universities: freshmen bring a little in and the seniors don’t take much… so you see, knowledge sort of accumulates.

Point is, a graduation ceremony is an event where the commencement speaker tells thousands of students dressed in identical caps and gowns that ‘following your dream’ is the key to success. Try telling that to Joan of Arc! Not to mention the parents! Have you ever thought of how tough graduation day is for them? They go to the ceremony as parents and go back home as contemporaries. After 17 or so years of child-raising, they are unemployed.

We never thought we’d actually be sitting here today wrapping up a year of what started off as a little getaway for us to translate ideas onto paper without having to explain why the hell we did… and we sure did.

For the sake of some seriousness, F/I/M²/P would not have been here without the wonderful over 50 individuals who contributed. From Fashion Designers to Illustrators, music hipster maniacs to movie buffs passing

by Photographers along the way: each and every single one of you graced us with pieces that will forever be F/I/ M²/P’s backbone. We love you and this yearbook is our thank you. We gave you the liberty to discuss whatever you want, whether through illustrating it, writing about it or snapping a shot that represents it. You filled up this issue with your ideas and beautiful work.

This one’s for you.

To the people behind the scenes, what you bring to the table is priceless.

Thanks for keeping us away from each others’ throats.

Last but not least, to all those who received honors, awards and distinctions, we say “well done”. As for those who settled for the ‘C’s, we’ll thank Google, Wikipedia, the schoolmates in older classes as well as copy/paste on your behalf.

Have beautiful years ahead, you beautiful people.

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n Greek mythology, a Muse was a goddess and a source of inspiration for literature, science and art. Originally, we counted nine muses in Greek culture; each representing a different domain of the arts. Calliope was the muse of poetry, Thalia the muse of comedy, Terpsichore the muse of dance… I won’t go on, since their names only get weirder form here on.

Ever since the seventh art emerged, a new kind of muse was born along with it; one inspiring directors to complete their masterpieces alongside recurring actors/ actresses.

Today, if there is one director that has been known to play favorites with his lead actor it’s none other than the genius Martin Scorcese (let’s call him Marty).

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HELENE ABI ASSI WRITER

FASHION

DIRECTORS AND THEIR MUSES

MOST LIKELY TO DATE AN ACTRESS Over the years, Marty has been closely associated with four leading actors in several films apiece: Harvey Keitel, Robert De Niro, Daniel Day-Lewis and Leonardo DiCaprio. Marty held on to each of these actors at some point in his career; building his films around them.

Marty and De Niro were an unstoppable team, bringing us classics from the 1970s and the 1980s, which have defined both their careers. We’ve all been touched by their magical duo in Taxi driver (You talking’ to me?), Raging Bull (You f**k my wife?) or Goodfellas (You pay me my money!), to name a few.

Bob (as Marty calls him) has been in nine Scorcese films.

De Niro & Scorcese were known for their commitment and love of improvisation, a fascination of the dark male psyche and some pretty f***ed up issues of their own.

Lately, Scorcese has found a new source of inspiration in DiCaprio, who came highly recommended by Bob himself. The latter had worked with DiCaprio on This Boy’s Life and reported to Marty: “this boy has that something special; you’ve got to work with him”.

Marty found in him a great similarity compared to his previous muses, in his focus, his specificity and the intensity of emotions he brought to the screen.

Moving on to the second greatest love story of directors and their muses: Quentin Tarantino and Uma Thurman.

We’ve all seen Tarantino’s seminal films (at least I hope you guys have), such as Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown and Kill Bill vol. 1 & 2. And even though

Thurman and Tarantino shared only three movies together (if you consider Kill Bill 1 & 2 as two separate movies), their relationship went beyond acceptable levels of chemistry. Uma was a great source of inspiration for Tarantino; to a point where he would write specific roles for her in his films and even postpone their production to suit his muse’s availability.

He waited for a pregnant Thurman to have her baby to start shooting Kill Bill vol. 1, only to throw 100 of Lucy Liu’s henchmen at her.

Another fun fact about Tarantino is his foot fetish; a weirdness he expressed through his muse in all of their movies together. It started in Pulp Fiction with the foot massage story discussed by Vincent Vega and Jules. But the height of the expressiveness of his fetish was the incredibly long scene in Kill Bill vol.

1, where Thurman commands her toe to wiggle after coming out of a coma.

Remember that scene? It was probably longer than it needed to be.

Amongst other notable pairings of directors and their muses, we have all been amazed by the magical movies brought to us by Mr. Tim Burton and his most inspiring leading actor Johnny Depp. The duo has completed 7 films together, each having Depp dressed in weird, slightly ridiculous outfits.

Examples include Edward Scissorhand, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Corpse Bride or Sweeney Todd: the Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Burton and Depp both share the same imagination, allowing them to express their similar point of view and their desire to bring the unusual lives of peculiar characters to our screens.

They both have a fondness for pale skin

(you’ve just reviewed the faces of Willy, Sweeney, Barnabas, Victor and Edward in your mind, haven’t you?), dark humor and creepy characters. Their dynamic duo has employed the outside-in method, where an actor lets his acting be guided by the outfit and make up of his character; Let’s admit that anyone dressed in a Mad Hatter outfit would automatically start acting a little cuckoo.

Another beautiful duo, often forgotten about, is the (almost) professional relationship between Woody Allen and Diane Keaton. We’ve all heard stories of Woody mixing business with pleasure when it came to his muses.

I think we stopped listening when he married his ex girlfriend’s adopted daughter Soon-Yi. The Diane/Woody relationship started when he cast her in a Broadway show he wrote Play it again Sam, and Annie Hall was a defining movie for their careers. It is said that Woody wrote the part of Annie specifically for Keaton, given that her original name is Diane Hall.

We can all agree Woody did his best work with Keaton, without ever letting their romantic relationship get in the way I wish I could go on, as there is a great deal of directors’ relationships with their muses, such as Hitchcock & Jimmy Stewart or Cary Grant, David Fincher & Brad Pitt, Frank Capra & still Jimmy Stewart, or even Elia Kazan and Marlon Brando… But then again, we’re not revisiting the odyssey here are we?

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CYNTHIA MERHEJ ILLUSTRATOR

MOVIE

THE PASSENGER (MICHELANGELO ANTONIONI) MOST LIKELY TO SPY FOR NORTH KOREA

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here’s this moment right before you ask for your fourth glass of scotch when you’ve looked around you and realized that three aren’t enough.

By the time you’re begging for your fifth, you know that if you had any sense in you, you’d stop. But you don’t. And then the sixth glass gets handed to you which is when you know you’re in for quite the night. Fortunately, you’ll remember very little of it in the morning.

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MOHAMAD ABDOUNI WRITER

MOVIE

MY BLUEBERRY NIGHTS (WONG KAR-WAI)

MOST LIKELY TO HAVE A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN The pouring of vanilla ice cream over a day-old blueberry pie repeated endlessly over the backdrop of a familiar voice that wails and moans about once wanting to be the greatest.

-“It’s Cat Power you idiot.”

-“He’s played this a million times already!”

I had stopped counting how many times that same woman had opened the same diner door and closed it behind her.

The song wouldn’t end. It took me a while, but looking down at my hand clenching the remote made it all a bit clearer.

-“He’s been playing this scene over and over for twenty minutes now! Could you take that goddamn remote away from him?”

But I wouldn’t have it. I grasped it tighter still. There was something about the colored lights coming from my T.V. set, the music playing and the words being said; It was all so perfect.

So perfect in fact that I did not see it coming when I got shoved and had the remote taken away from me... for being drunk, and for not letting anyone watch anything past the opening credits.

You see, this is what My Blueberry Nights reminds me of: a drunk and dramatic past self, surrounded by those he loves, sobbing at the sight of a beautiful Norah Jones staring at her apartment building from across the street as she decides that her life has taken such a wrong and unplanned turn that she was going to walk the long way home (instead of crossing the street to the comfort of her bed). This is what the entire movie could be summed up by, really. Norah’s character snaps at

the beginning of the movie over the end of a relationship and decides she was no longer to go on with life as she knew it. The long road home she then takes involves different states, jobs and people as well as stories she could later tell. A little piece of her, however, stays back home with Jude Law (Ok, yes, not him, his character. But trust this, by the time the movie is over, you will only be speaking of “Norah” and “Jude”, you won’t even remember their characters’ names).

Now I wouldn’t ruin the intricacies and details of their relationship by blurting out something I probably shouldn’t, but it is one of the most natural, course-taking and sex-free relationships portrayed in film. The story does not revolve around it but is made all that much more beautiful by it. It’s the kind of romances that builds slowly from friendship and reminds you that sometimes, it is Ok to let things grow on their own and not expect anything to come out of them. No back-thought, no expectations, just two people trying to stay in contact through a mailman (what? who said that?).

2046. The beauty of it all might have lost some of its poetry in translation, but Wai’s trademarks rise high and mighty throughout the entire film.

I kid you not, the movie might be a bit too poetic and perfect for anyone to relate to, but I don’t suppose many of us look for real-life in movies. We look to escape it, and this is the perfect movie to do so.

Whether you’re just about to embark on a new relationship, have recently ended one, are hoping for someone or dreading them, My Blueberry Nights will make you dream of having the balls to do what Norah did: Cut the bad out of your life, leave everything behind and start anew, right from square one.

Apart from the dreamy jukebox soundtrack being perfectly complemented

by Cat Power’s The Greatest, Miss Chan Marshall herself makes a well-acted cameo as Jude Law’s past love. That scene will make envious any once-lovers, who will from then on try and recreate it at any cost.

This movie marks Wong Kar-Wai’s first english speaking film; a directorial debut for the internationally hailed and lauded mastermind-director who has brought us such movies as Days Of Being Wild, In The Mood for Love and

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CLARA ABI NADER PHOTOGRAPHER

MOVIE

MA NUIT CHEZ MAUDE (ERIC ROHMER) MOST LIKELY TO BE IGNORED AT PARTIES

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could frame the story of my whole adult life around how I hadn’t watched Velvet Goldmine until a few days ago. Marrying the narrative structure of what is arguably film’s greatest achievement with the life of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s most consummate showman, Velvet Goldmine is an ingenious combination of legendary 20th Century Rock culture.

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RUDY SHAHEEN WRITER

MOVIE

VELVET GOLDMINE (TODD HAYNES)

MOST LIKELY TO GET BUSTED FOR PAYOLA Gold in the form of colorful glitter powder drips off the screen with baroque substance in Todd Haynes’ cinematic ode to the late seventies British glam Rock scenery. Released in 1998 to limited artistic acclaim, the last 14 years have witnessed Velvet Goldmine gain a niche following in what is now nestled between Rock cult classic and the sexual revolution coming-of-age genre. The movie might seem to shed a light on the sexually tainted politics of that time, but in fact it just indulges in a campy glam, which emerges as a cross between poetic and just plain fun. With the fictionalized spotlight on David Bowie, Writer/Director Todd Haynes has created a remarkable fabricated history of a moment in Rock music that looks and feels like the real thing.

The film documents Slade (Jonathan Rhys Meyers)’s early days as an aimless post-hippie singer who hadn’t found his voice. Soon after, the creation of his glam persona (Ziggy Stardust) launches him into stardom; capturing precisely the period’s cacophony of androgyny, bisexuality, drugs and Rock ‘n’ Roll.

Winner at Cannes in 1998 and the Academy Awards that same year for artistic contribution and costume design, Haynes succeeds at putting forth a visually intricate and detailed film through collage storytelling. Similar to his 2007 film I’m Not There, Velvet Goldmine is composed of mockumetary and noir inspired vignettes that build a Burlesquian glam fantasy that mirrors the true-life movements of gods David Bowie and Iggy Pop referred to as Brian Slade (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) and Curt Wild (Ewan McGregor). Christian Bale also stars as Arthur Stuart: a die-hard

fan-turned-journalist whose role is to guide the component of the film through an investigation into Brian Slade’s faked death 10 years earlier. Christian Bale interviews Curt Wild, Slade’s hardliving collaborator, rival and sometime lover - the Iggy Pop Character - and his bitter, lounge-singer ex-wife, a parallel of both Angela Bowie and Charles Foster Kane (Citizen Kane)’s talentless drunk ex. It’s shot in a 1970s cinematic style; the director taps prehistoric music video visuals for fantasy sequences and creates you-are-there concert footage. Set to a landscape of the surreal, the film, which begs to be played with the volume blasted out, is exuberant; with musical historical references that elude to Haynes’ inspirations. If you’re over 50 years old or simply a fan of early sixties cinema, you’ll notice the influence of Jack Smith while the (for the lack of any other words) intellectuals will understand why Oscar Wilde is the fiber that weaves the story through to its end.

The usage of layers that Haynes has included in the movie’s structure makes it an elusive film in numerous ways. The reference to Oscar Wilde at the beginning of the film is interpreted through the portrayal of Arthur Stuart as an insecurely inhibited young man.

Arthur’s need to connect with Slade is translated through Wilde’s yearning for the flamboyant. What is unmistakable is the rejoicing and complete sympathy for young people’s love of the other and their bare need to be different and stand out from the ordinary.

both the young superficial enthusiast of the seventies and the more mature, more resigned woman of the eighties. Jonathan Rhys Meyers captures an elusive Bowielike quality in his role while the slightly wobbly American accent of Ewan McGregor combines Lou Reed and Iggy Pop with a touch of Kurt Cobain. There’s no doubting Todd Haynes’ abilities as a filmmaker and yet Velvet Goldmine isn’t quite the film you feel it could have been had it remained more focused on the story it had to tell. Even though the story is familiar enough that none of the circumstances feel particularly original, Haynes’ execution is nothing but a flood of genius.

Velvet Goldmine seems to unfortunately run out of creative fuel somewhere in the final 20 minutes; falling back on tacky prop symbolism given that it’s packed to the rafters with metaphors. Once you have abandoned the notion that Velvet Goldmine should make linear sense, you engage in its peacocky glam nostalgia and sexual devoutness; a trip worth taking. Besides, who can resist two hours of Ewan McGregor decked in sparkling glitter and gold lamé and making out with Jonathan Rhys?

Toni Collette’s out of this world performance as Mandy is… well, out of this world! She manages to be credible as

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PATRICK SFEIR ILLUSTRATOR

MOVIE

KIKUJIRO (TAKESHI KITANO)

MOST LIKELY TO HAVE YOU POPPING XANAX

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nother six months have passed. While the rest of the civilians are still donning shoulder pads and enough bling to dazzle incoming UFOs, the Fash Pack are ready for a fresh new start; a new promise to life – new lease on living – that ultimate gift that recharges their batteries and replenishes their thirst. They get the chance to explore new depths, fresh proportions and really delve into new philosophies. I may be laying it on a tad too thick, but what the mere normal people see as just another way to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars parading a line-up of the newest batch of razor thin Eastern European models, with accents as thick as they are unfriendly, in abundantly expensive outfits that collectively have the ability to end world hunger… the Fash crowd see as Fashion Week!

It all starts with the Big Apple. The city that never sleeps, (which according to Carrie Bradshaw is because it’s always trying to get laid) has always been home to a slew of commercially intelligent and market oriented designers. Designers like Michael Kors and Oscar De La Renta have always had their minds geared towards the needs of their client base, which, according to the left side of the brain, is where the fashion world needs to focus on. Sadly the whimsy and allure of fashion dies a little, and you’re left with the corporate side of those pretty little dresses. However, there are still those who venture beyond the nuts and bolts of the industry and still have the vision to play around. Thom Browne, known for presenting menswear collections down the runway that would make the manliest of men fantasize about their wardrobes, presented a womenswear collection this season that was oozing with fantasy and imagination. It ticked off all the right elements on the list; Tim Burton’s Red Queen, the Pope, Hitchcock, Dior’s New look… All of these elements fused together to form an army of uptight, fluttering Russian dolls. Another stand out show was that of Proenza Schouler. Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez presented us with what the 21st century idea of ladies who lunch should look like.

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SAKO DERSAHAGIAN WRITER

PARIS FASHION WEEK

FALL/WINTER 2014

MOST LIKELY TO GET TRASHED BY ANNA WINTOUR With a soft palette of mints, whites and blacks, the look seemed almost in a daze; in its own bubble of New York sensibility. But the stellar pieces of the show were the chain metal items with their couture-like quality of craftsmanship. Bet your bottom dollar that over the next six months every magazine editor will want to get their bejeweled paws on Proenza Schouler.

Now after we all wake up from our after show party hangover, let’s slick our hair back, regain our self esteem, and hop on a jet to visit Milan. In the land of pasta and expensive footwear, fashion is always on everyone’s mind. Some of the biggest names of the industry and some of the most well known brands come from Italy. But the true grand slam of the fashion week was Prada. Miuccia Prada is the designer’s designer. If military were to come back, instead of having models truck down the runway in military print, looking butcher than Rosie O’Donnell, Ms. Prada would send angels in white down the runway in memory of the lost souls. The woman is an inspiration guru to a slew of designers and her substantial work in the industry has its weight. But this season she managed to outdo herself with work so beautifully Italian and boundary pushing that it would make the Mona Lisa shed a tear. It didn’t seem much like the capsule collection it was called, but more of a prance down memory lane featuring all the Prada classics that made us die-hard fans. The silhouettes were lady-like; a lady who’s been running down the street in the rain, looking for the one that got away. The detailing was sublime; black sequined flower motif embroidered on black cashmere, enough

to make any icy fashion-conscious femme melt. The beautifully colored checkered suits with all the stunning leather goods, will have women looking good and satisfied for a vast number of months! In stark contrast to the soft, intimate, melancholia of Prada were the high paced, über-fun furs of Fendi.

Celebrating their 96 th collection for the house, Fendi cooked up a collection of absolute delight. Karl Lagerfeld simply outdid himself with this batch; mixing different kinds of furs and distressed leathers into all forms of jackets and coats. In fact, there was fur everywhere, from sunglasses to little bunches on the stunning leather accessories that the heir to the throne Sylvia Fendi concocted.

Whatever hybrid of absolute awe walked down that catwalk, one thing was certain. They ruled!

Grab a glass of champagne and let’s mosey on down to gay ol’ Paris.

Paris has long reined supreme among all fashion weeks. A designer hasn’t made it in the industry until he’s shown on the time slot of Paris Fashion Week.

Gargantuan legends have been in Paris; legends whose names are muttered with such reverence and respect all over the world. This season those names and brands had been buzzing around as it saw the debut collection of Balenciaga with Alexander Wang at the helm. This would be a daunting task for any designer, not only because of the legacy of Cristobel Balenciaga, but also because Wang’s predecessor, Nicolas Ghesquiere’s creations where so loved by critics and audiences alike. Personally, the dresses were lovely, sleek and commercially conscious. Did they uphold the legacy of Balenciaga? Only time (and consumer

reports) will tell if the risk of putting such a young and street designer in the throne of such a lavish company was worth it.

Maybe it would be like Hedi Slimane at YSL, or as it is officially called now Saint Laurent. Taking a distinctly French brand that has shaped decades with its looks, turning it and making it relevant to today’s youth. Whether it’s worth destroying a legacy and historic images for an extra buck will have to remain on the consciousness of the corporate heads!

At the end of the day it’s just a dress. It may cost more than the first down payment on a house, but it’s just a dress. And with many young designers coming out on the platform of fashion these days, the competition to get something meaningful has become fierce and monstrous. Only time will tell where we’re going with the looks of fashion, but patience is a virtue, and we’re quickly running out of it in the industry. Then again, it’s only six months left till we do this whole shindig all over again!

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KRYSTEL KOUYOUMDJIS ILLUSTRATOR

MOVIES

THE FILM ADAPTATIONS OF ROALD DAHL

MOST LIKELY TO REVEAL CHILDHOOD COMPLEXES

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LARA ZANKOUL PHOTOGRAPHER

MOVIE

ALICE IN WONDERLAND (WALT DISNEY PRODUCTIONS) MOST LIKELY TO END UP IN A PSYCH WARD

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onnie Darko is a masterpiece; At least for me. It’s the type of movie that causes me to stutter when I’m talking to someone about it, because of all the things I want to say about it rushing to come out.

Released on the doomed 11th of September 2001, the movie was a box office flop and was pulled a week later only to gain international success upon its DVD release and become a cult Indie Movie.

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PHILIPPE YACOUB WRITER

MOVIE + SOUNDTRACK

DONNIE DARKO (RICHARD KELLY)

MOST LIKELY TO BREAK THE TIME-SPACE CONTINUUM What made it a hit is the low budget, the great cast (Jake Gyllenhal, Maggie Gyllenhal, Noah Wyle, Drew Barrymore, Patrick Swayze etc..), and a mind-numbing story about a schizophrenic high school boy going through the pains of teen age, listening to his bunny rabbit friend Frank and to top it trying to wrap his head around the philosophy of time travel. (Believe me I’ve watched it more than 20 times while growing up, just to get a better understanding of it every time. Growing up wasn’t easy…)

Aside from the awesomeness of all of the above, the movie soundtrack is the cinematographic cherry on top of this visual delicacy.

It’s an all new wave 80’s music score, which inspired the Director and Writer Richard Kelly to make the movie in that exact mood.

The Soundtrack: Echo & The Bunnymen – ‘The Killing Moon’: The movie begins with Donnie waking up in the middle of the road at dawn, he gets on his bike and pedals through the small town of Middlesex to get home.

What an excellent mood setter it is. The distinct echoing drums, the awkward trumpets and exquisite vocals all mixed together in a slow new sound set us off on the journey into Donnie Darko’s world.

Tears for Fears – ‘Head over Heels’: This song is a personal favorite. Why? Well because of the cult scene in the movie where in a one take camera movement, we follow the main protagonists through

Donnie’s school (Bloody brilliant, youtube this scene). As for the song, It is TEARS FOR FEARS! Any decent music fan in the eighties surely had Tears for Fears cassettes because quite simply they were the embodiment of the success achieved by mainstream new wave and post-punk bands.

original version by Tears for Fears, transformed into a sad piano ballad by Michael Andrews (The music selector and composer in the movie), sung by Gary Jules to highlight the inner worries, fears and regrets of the protagonists in the movie at the end of it all.

Quite chilling I tell you!

Some of their best works are ‘Everybody Wants to Rule the World’, ‘Shout’, ‘Change’, ‘Mother’s talk’, ‘Mad World’ ( We’ll get to this one by the end of the article) and so on.

Oh yeah, and ‘Head over Heels’ with its piano and guitar intro, its sexy tempo and F***in’ awesome lyrics.

Don’t just take my word for it, watch the movie if you haven’t, re-watch it if you have and buy the soundtrack if you agree with me.

Joy Division – ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’: Thinking of this song gives me goose bumps. Nothing like a powerful guitar riff and drum intro to take you onto a synth dream trip (yes, pun intended).

Other songs include Duran Duran’s ‘Notorious’ , The Church’s ‘Under the Milky Way’ , and Michael Andrew’s original music in the score of Donnie Darko.

It’s only fitting to end the article with: 28.06.42.12 (Movie freaks will get it).

Not a cheerful song by any means (I think you got the idea from the title), but could easily be labeled as “the song” of the 80’s new wave. (Well, in my opinion.)

‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ comes at a critical part of the movie; the Halloween party Donnie and his sister throw at their house.

Gary Jules – ‘Mad World’ ( Tears for Fears cover): The masterpiece of the movie and the soundtrack.

You could easily rethink your human status if you don’t feel a thing while listening to this song. Taken from the aggressive industrial sound of the

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MOHAMAD ABDOUNI ILLUSTRATOR

ALBUM

MOSQUITO (YEAH YEAH YEAHS)

MOST LIKELY TO MAKE YOU QUESTION YOUR SEXUALITY

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he psychedelic myth, that appeared on the West Coast in the mid-60s, fed off excess: sexual liberation was its essence and intensive use of LSD (commonly known as Acid) its engine. The definition of psychedelic couldn’t be clearer : “relating to or denoting drugs (Especially LSD) that produce hallucinations and apparent expansion of consciousness”. The link between this new musical tendency and the intake of drugs was obvious!

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BEATRICE CANTE GUILLAUMIN WRITER

PSYCHEDELIC ROCK: GENESIS OF A MYTH

MUSIC

MOST LIKELY TO FIT IN WITH ANGRY TEENS It was the discovery of artificial paradises and the liberation of consciousness through an explosion of music and painting. Moreover, psychedelic Rock was characterized by a revival of the approach of Rock blatantly shattering all musical rules: use of electronic sound effects, oriental instruments (Zither), delusions sound stretching pieces improvisations, long guitar solos, distortion, wah wah pedal and themes from Eastern philosophy.

However, if there was some overlap between the Hippie movement and the psychedelic movement in Northern California, in the South, identities were more disparate. And while many talents broke through in Los Angles, Sunset Boulevard became an ode to self-centeredness. This aggregate of individualities brought about the emergence of the most brilliant period: the Doors, the Lizard King and Jim Morrison, did an extaordinary performance on ‘Strange Days’, while Love recorded the timeless ‘Forever Changes’ and the Seeds with their eponymous album set California on fire.

But it’s in Texas, where country music seems to be an unbeatable monster, that Roky Erickson, on vocals and guitar, created the iconic 13 th Floor Elevators whose album The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13 th Floor Elevators released in 1966 remains today THE psychedelic album; and the first track ‘You’re Gonna Miss Me’ remains a musical jewel.

Psychedelic Rock was also emerging across the country. New York and Los Angeles became such wellknown sister enemies. But the Big Apple

managed to stand out from the city of angels with a new approach, more avant-gardist and artsy. The Velvet Underground with Lou Reed and John Cale was the leader of the New-York music scene. And it is their encounter with the king of Pop Art Andy Warhol that actually launched their careers. In 1965, the Velvet recorded their famous banana album in Warhol’s studio (The Factory) and began to perform on stage with Nico (Warhol’s muse) in a special show combining photography, art and music (The Exploding Plastic Inevitable Show). The Velvet created a hybrid Rock ‘n’ Roll, at the crossroads of Pop blues (‘Femme Fatale’), and dazzling Rock (raging riffs of ‘The Black Angel’s Death Song’). Away from the hedonism of California, the album The Velvet Underground & Nico reveals hypnotic music with instrumental Rock between brutality and avant-gardist research.

The spirit of the lyrics was also highly different from the West Coast.

Maybe deeper, probing into the maze of wandering souls: neutral description of the topic of drugs with Heroin or sadomasochism with the title ‘Venus in Furs’. The Velvet illustrated the strong link between graphic art and psychedelic power, as evidenced by the banana album, whose legendary cover designed by Andy Warhol, is still the pride of its holders.

the first punk bands emerged in the United States with the Stooges at the helm. Psychedelic Rock influence is clearly visible; their name was initially none other than The Psychedelic Stooges.

Since then, the psychedelic movement has continued to influence many Rock bands from across the Atlantic. We can note in particular the excellent Black Rebel Motorcycle Club whose latest album Specter at The Feast has been hailed by critics, the Dandy Warhols, Kasabian and of course, the four bad kids of the Black Lips.

Right. This is the official story of psychedelic music: guys with acid in their veins, which promotes sexual liberation with furious riffs in mythical groups.

But when I think about my journey in this special world, I realize that it’s more than just deviance. Psychedelic music represents also love. I mean the most beautiful love songs were penned by these psychedelic Rock bands. When I hear ‘Alone Again’ by Love, ‘You’re Gonna Miss Me’ by 13th Floor Elevators or ‘Can’t Seem to Make You Mine’ by the Seeds, my entire body shivers. I can feel the despair of a lost love. And nothing is more powerful than pain set to music.

But psychedelic music is also an inspiration for the development of new approaches to music. Mingling with Garage Rock, it contributed to the onset of American Punk in the late 60’s.

Influenced by the 13 th Floor Elevators, the Doors and the Velvet Underground,

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MOHAMAD BADR PHOTOGRAPHER

PAINTER

PICASSO’S LIGHT DRAWINGS

MOST LIKELY TO MISTAKE YOU FOR A GEOMETRIC SHAPE

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wasn’t surprised one bit when I read that many consider Citizen Kane as the best film ever made. After all, The American Film institute called it the greatest movie of all time back in 1998. Citizen Kane is indeed one of those ageless movies that get better with repeated viewings, and through the years, it has become one of my personal favorites. The legendary status of this movie has been partly fueled by the fact that Orson Welles was only 24 when he made it, but also by the obvious parallels between the main character Charles Foster Kane and real life newspaper magnet William Randolph, who did everything possible to stop the picture from being released (when that failed, he tried to discredit it).

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ANIS TABET WRITER

MOVIE

CITIZEN KANE (ORSON WELLES) MOST LIKELY TO KISS CRTIC ASS

Citizen Kane tells a fantastic story in reverse: Charles Kane (wonderfully played by Welles himself) is born poor, but is adopted by a rich man as a child.

As a young man, he begins to assemble a newspaper and radio empire, before marrying the niece of an American president. But as Kane becomes more and more alienated from his power, he becomes abusive to the women in his life; first his wife, then his mistress. Before his death, Kane spends most of his final years in his unfinished castle, longing for the simplicity of his childhood.

The most important reason why this film was such a success is its technical and stylistic innovations. It’s obvious that Welles was 20 years ahead of his time when he made this groundbreaking picture. Audiences and critics could not grasp many of its elements, and I don’t blame them. It took many years to shape Citizen Kane into the film that we know and admire today, and it has served as a benchmark and source of inspiration to filmmakers of different eras. When asked where he got the confidence, as a first-time director, to direct a film so radically different from contemporary cinema, Orson Welles responded: “[From] ignorance...sheer ignorance. There is no confidence to equal it. It’s only when you know something about a profession that you are timid or careful.”

Regarding those innovative techniques, the use of deep focus was dominant in Citizen Kane; in nearly every scene in the film the foreground, background and everything in between were all in sharp focus. Also, in-camera effects were used to create this deep

focus image; when Kane breaks into Susan Alexander’s room after her suicide attempt, Welles managed to keep both the background action of Kane and another man breaking into the room and the foreground image of the medicine bottle and a glass with a spoon in focus. How? The foreground was shot first, with the background dark. Then the background was lit, the foreground darkened, the film rewound and the scene re-shot with the background action.

Also, there are scenes where Welles, through his camera lens shows the strengths and weaknesses of his characters. The camera looks up at Foster and down at weaker characters like Susan Alexander Kane. This technique was borrowed from one of Welles biggest inspirations, a film he had watched forty times: John Ford’s Stagecoach.

unheard of, Welles rejected the idea of a single storyteller and used multiple narrators to recount Kane’s life. Each one narrates a different part of Kane’s life, with the stories partly overlapping.

The film depicts Kane as a mysterious, complicated man who, in the end, leaves viewers with more questions than answers as to his character.

There’s no denying that from the opening scene to the closing sequence, Citizen Kane is a brilliant character study and will always remain the movie that made me realize how much classic films should be cherished and treasured.

“A lot of people ought to study Stagecoach,” Welles told Peter Bogdanovich. “I wanted to learn how to make movies, and that’s such a classically perfect one — don’t you think so?”

Another area where the movie was innovative is in storytelling techniques.

Citizen Kane diverts from the traditional linear, chronological narrative and tells Kane’s story entirely in retrospect using different points of view, many of them Kane’s aged associates’. The technique of using flashbacks had been used in earlier films such as Wuthering Heights in 1939 and The Power and the Glory in 1933 but no film was as immersed in this technique as Citizen Kane.

Also, unlike Hollywood films where the use of multiple narrators was

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RUDY SHAHEEN ILLUSTRATOR

SINGLE

YUNG RAPUNXEL (AZEALIA BANKS)

MOST LIKELY TO OPEN A WEAVE SHOP

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DINA ABOU KARAM ILLUSTRATOR

BAND

CRYSTAL CASTLES

MOST LIKELY TO HAVE SEVERAL STINTS IN REHAB

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etired police officer Rick Deckard is forcefully brought to meet with his former commander Captain Bryant, who tells him that six replicants have fled an off-world colony and come to earth illegally.

What Deckard has to do, is what he used to do as a blade runner; track them down and “retire” them. Terminate them, basically.

The “replicants” are genetically engineered robots identical to adult humans, hence their name. They are manufactured by the powerful Tyrell Corporation, which seems to be running all aspects of human life in this near future. The use of replicants is banned on Earth and they are used in the off-world colonies where they do hard labor and unpleasant or dangerous work.

The replicants, which have a four-year lifespan, have come to earth to lengthen their lives. They have come to find meaning to their lives. They have rebelled against their masters and have fled the off-world colonies to look for their maker.

These replicants are an isolated and hopeless group. They are going to be terminated or “retired” at the hands of our hero eventually. There are no illusions of redemption or emancipation here; the Replicant Spring is not going to occur, there is no revolution. The fate of the replicants is what their maker wants it to be: for them to be slaves, the only reason for their existence.

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PANOS APRAHAMIAN WRITER

MOVIE

BLADE RUNNER (RIDLEY SCOTT)

MOST LIKELY TO DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP Blade Runner is a sci-fi and film noir hybrid. It is dark like a detective story, with the hero’s behavior and ethics questionable at times; shedding doubts about his own humanity.

The future Blade Runner depicts seems like an organic continuation of our present. It doesn’t portray change but augmentation; the escalated version of our troubled times. The dystopia that is the Los Angeles of November 2019 appears inevitable.

The urban landscape seems literally built upon the twentieth century metropolis, where remnants of our present are very much visible on the streets and apartment buildings and decade-old junk pile up and clutter the streets.

The environment is in total decay.

The sun seems to struggle to shine through thick industrial fog and acid rain is constant; nature is in complete collapse here.

The mental environment is polluted by the asphyxiating abundance of neon signs and giant video screens which seem to only advertise products imported from Asia.

The streets are overpopulated and working conditions for the common man in this megacity are almost unbearable.

As well as the constant corporate presence, visible in the over-advertised cityscape and the gigantic Tyrell Corporation building, the only truly new architectural piece, there is constant police presence everywhere. Flying police cars patrol the city; hovering over fast

food outlets run by people from different cultures, nationalities and ethnicities.

Obviously, police officers or blade runners can gun down regular civilians, in the guise of hunting replicants. Police brutality occurs regularly; illustrated by Deckard’s commander, Captain Bryant’s famous line: “You know the score pal. If you’re not a cop, you’re little people.”

There are parallels to be drawn here with the current debates in the US over the possibility of the CIA using drones on US soil, against US citizens.

The police also appear to be in direct contact with the Tyrell Corporation, with hints that they work for them. They use their technology, the Voight-Kampff, to detect replicants and “retire” them.

The corporatization of human society seems to be fully realized at this point. Besides policing the population, it seems the corporate boards are the ones truly running things around here.

Life is utterly commercialized; there are no advertisements for movies, music or anything other than corporate goods.

There are open markets for drugs and bodies and every character we meet in the film works in one way or another for the Tyrell Corporation.

Technology runs all aspects of human life. There are constant beeps, and monitors and cables are omnipresent.

The more comfortable classes have fled the megacities in our present fashion but instead of moving to white picket-fenced suburbs, they move to off-world colonies where all labor and undesirable work is

accomplished by slaves; the replicant population who represents everything from miners, to servants, to prostitutes.

In this world technology is God, as illustrated by the Tyrell Corporation motto “More human than human.” Science was able to almost create life here, with the latest breed of replicants becoming more and more indistinguishable from humans; especially with Rachael’s character, who eventually finds out that she is a replicant that has had memories of another woman transplanted in her. Even the replicants don’t know if they are replicants or not.

Anybody can be one, making everyone a potential threat to “National Security.”

The replicants’ lives seem unimportant in this world; they are programmed to last only a certain amount of years, then they’re done, like our disposable technology. Also unimportant are the lives of those who fail the medical tests that allow them to emigrate to the off-worlds.

Increased corporate presence in our everyday lives; constant police surveillance; a dying overpopulated Earth; new forms of apartheid and colonization; a system of tests, the outcomes of which decide where you get to live; constant exposure to advertising; total attachment to technology; paranoia about the presence of an enemy within, totally indistinguishable from us; whole populations forced to do hard labor to sustain the lifestyles of the more privileged…The dystopia that is the Los Angeles of November 2019 seems truly inevitable.

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COVER STORY

A

nd the metaphor goes as follows: On a sunny Sunday morning, Sofia Coppola woke up feeling distraught. “What I am doing is not enough”, she thought. “There must be something more for me out there.” She infused her ginger tea, grilled toast on which she splattered some raspberry jam and turned the television on. The girl’s silver screen flirtations weren’t enough to keep her satisfied. As images of a hippie Sheryl Crow flashed in front of her, Sofia grinned; the little black box suddenly held messianic qualities. She stood up, left the TV on and boogied her way towards her car. “That’s it! I am going to become a singer.” She then drove off into the glimmering city looking for a record store.

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COVER STORY

WOODKID PROM KING

COVER ARTWORK BY MOHAMAD ABDOUNI & RUDY SHAHEEN SINGER-SONGWRITER

DIRECTOR

ARTICLE BY KARL HITTI

ILLUSTRATOR

MOST LIKELY TO REMAIN THE OVER-ACHIEVER Directors doing music seems absurd, as twisted as Steven Spielberg in a leotard. But stranger things have happened, I mean Arnold Schwarzenegger was elected governor of California after all.

We’ve all heard the expression “triple threat”, a singer that can also dance and act. Yoann Lemoine is, after careful calculations, a quintuple threat.

This dashing young man has gotten his hands dirty in more departments than a Russian call girl on Valentine’s Day. Hailing from the concrete skies of Lyon, France, Yoann grew up with parents in the music and advertising fields.

He naturally grew fond of the subjects over the years, while being exposed to a humongous number of blueprints.

Around the rise of the new millennium he enrolled at the Emile Cohl School in France where he studied illustration and animation. London followed with courses in screen-printing techniques at Swindon College. With diplomas out of the way, Lemoine started freelancing as an illustrator for different international magazines and books. His work then delved into the field of filmmaking when he joined a French production group, H5, which would eventually lead him to hone his skills as a director.

Yoann, the conductor, then worked with Luc Besson for a brief period. After that the aforementioned Sofia Coppola and David lynch joined in on the action; with no regrets obviously. This did not stop the up-and-coming movie creator from making stops in editorial photography and advertising. His

campaign for Aids Awareness garnered him fifteen awards; four of which were Cannes Lions, in 2010.

in 2012 resulted in him being nominated in almost every category at the MTV Video Music Awards.

Then one day, while working on a shoot with soulful singer Richie Haven, things took a drastic turn to the tune of a banjo. The Director admitted to his client that he had always wanted to play the instrument, which led the veteran guitarist to provide Lemoine with one.

The now sainted contraption, led to an epiphany known as Woodkid.

On the more personal front, Lemoine’s warm acceptance into the music world caused him to take his melodic endeavors more seriously. He followed ‘Iron’, with ‘Run Boy Run’ before going full frontal with a complete LP The Golden Age; a collection of grandiose harmonized pieces that form a grand symphonic painting. This of course resulted in a Grammy nomination and more praises from his peers and critics.

The multitalented young man started using all the skills he had acquired over the past years to dabble in music. However, this did not mean that he was giving up his seat behind the camera. Make way for the release of his debut single ‘Iron’ in 2011, the song that launched a million fashion trends. Firstly every geek out there was conquered when it got featured on Assassin’s creed revelation trailer. Things got even more alluring when viewers got a look at the Lemoine-built optical treatment for the song. A slow paced, epic, out-ofthis-world march featuring the pretty face of Agyness Deyn. When this slice of visual, lyrical and musical perfection made its way to Dior Fashion House, the Homme Fall-Winter collection ended up heavily mirroring it. Right down to its nomenclature “A Soldier on My Own”, an extraction of Iron’s lyrics.

We chose Yoann as our prom king for five simple reasons: Fashion, Illustration, Music, Movies and Photography. The next time anyone in your entourage complains of multitasking, direct them to his Wikipedia page. Oh, and look out for Sofia Coppola’s debut album “Daddy I wanna be free” out this fall.

Woodkid’s name as the ultimate puppet master of the arts started making waves in Los Angeles. Mainstream singers flocked to his side in order to nibble on his mind. From Katy Perry to the woman he now dubs as his muse, Lana Del Rey. The visual accompaniments he brought to life

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JAD EL KHOURY ILLUSTRATOR

MOVIE

THE OTHER MAN (RICHARD EYRE)

MOST LIKELY TO STAR IN BAD ACTION MOVIES

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FOUAD MEZHER ILLUSTRATOR

SINGER-SONGWRITER

TRENT REZNOR

MOST LIKELY TO RAPE YOUR MOTHER

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MARIA KASSAB GRAPHIC ARTIST

ALBUM

VALTARI (SIGUR RÓS)

MOST LIKELY TO EXPOSE SHIA LABEOUF’S GENITALS

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et’s just start off by saying that some TV shows are meant to be watched from under a blanket, with a glass of whiskey in one hand and a huge bowl of popcorn in the other. They say revenge is a dish best served cold, and boy do we agree. Simple in its composition, with little to no music, the story takes you to deep and dark places in a world where you are allowed to wish for one’s tragic fall or, even worse, actually strive for it.

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XXI

PAMELA KARAM WRITER

TV SERIES

REVENGE (MIKE KELLEY)

MOST LIKELY TO MARRY YOUR SON WHILE PLOTTING TO SCREW OVER THE FAMILY Revenge happens to be one of those exhilarating series that makes you wish you were a millionaire with nothing to do all day but put down every person who’s hurt you in the past; all the while looking glamorous and sipping cocktails on your porch in the Hamptons.

In other words, to make you fully understand what we mean: if you were ever let down, screwed over or even had your heart broken, you would find everything you might need to get even inside this big spider web of Machiavellian inspiration.

The plot is designed in a way that pushes you to stay at the edge of your seat for a full forty minutes. And when one episode is over, all you can think of is who is going to fall next, and, more importantly, how.

The main character is emotionally unstable and comes back to her childhood house to play a huge game of human domino.

With only one “friend” by her side, she makes everyone pay for past mistakes in order to avenge her father’s murder. The targets of her almost diabolic schemes are those people that were responsible for putting a sudden halt to her innocent and perfect childhood; and our graceful blond is not nearly ready to let them get away with it.

The main actress fits the part very well; she plays Emily Thorne, a woman living under an assumed name. But only we, and a lucky few know that her real identity is actually far from what she pretends to be; She is Amanda Clarke, the daughter of the late David Clarke, former Grayson Global hedge fund manager.

As a beautiful, peaceful summer unfolds, Emily makes a sudden appearance within the circle of Hamptons socialites.

With a laden schedule and a planned itinerary, she makes her way through this complicated circle of typical American aristocracy and seems to fit right in.

She has her own secrets, a little bit like everyone around her.

The only thing that keeps Emily from going over the edge and falling into a deep, dark and twisted world is all the flashbacks she keeps getting from her childhood. Surrounded by her father, her dog and Jack, her first love.

As for the cast, the spotlight is shared by numerous actors who stand out with their flawless performances.

Madeleine Stew, who plays one of the most intriguing characters of the show, got nominated for a Grammy award.

She is none other than the one and only Victoria Grayson; a woman that we all love to hate. A sneak peek at her routine shows a strong woman leading a perfect life and giving back to her community and friends. We guess it is safe to say that she embodies the American dream (mind the capital A). She sits inside her mansion, looks elegant and rules over a bunch of minions that have no idea what skeletons hide in her closet. Be sure however that everything this lady does is linked, somehow, to a personal agenda. Maybe it was her filthy rich husband that turned her into this poisonous snake, or just some kind of twisted maternal instinct. Whatever the reason, we can’t get enough of this woman’s vindictive ways.

picturing him in various, somewhat unconventional, situations. In Revenge, this part falls to a geek. Maybe it is because of his hair, or the way he dresses, or even the way he talks; Nolan Ross happens to be the most perfect thing on television today. He is one of Emily’s few allies and helps her achieve her absolute goal.

All that being said, the most important questions remain within the main character’s scheme. While applauding the tragic fall of the elite, we can’t help but ask ourselves: how far is one person willing to go in order to make everyone pay for their disturbed past?

And is it possible to do so without losing your soul in this cold-blooded, dark pursuit of ultimate revenge?

You know how in every TV show there is one character that is just unrivaled. He wins your heart in a couple of seconds, and you can’t stop

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RAMI HAJJ PHOTOGRAPHER

FASHION

BACHAR ASSAF & HELEN

MOST LIKELY TO BE VICTIMIZED BY REGINA GEORGE

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udrey Hepburn, Jackie Kennedy, Isabella Blow, Tilda Swinton…all have one thing in common; we like to think of them as fashion soldiers, fighting for a designer’s vision. In one way or another they have acted as an ultimate source of inspiration to the designers that admire them. And we thank you ladies, for serving your fashion duties.

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XXIII

CHARLES HADDAD WRITER

FASHION

DESIGNERS AND THEIR MUSES

MOST LIKELY TO DATE A MODEL Lets start from the beginning, shall we?

Yves Saint Laurent had multiple leading ladies in his career, such as Betty Catroux, and Catherine Deneuve.

However it was Loulou de la Falaise who helped inspire his groundbreaking “Le Smoking” tuxedo; with her Rive Gauche haute bohémienne aesthetic. Valentino Garavani’s fashion wing-girl was certainly Jackie Kennedy whose wedding gown he designed back in 1968, along with Diana Vreeland whom he called the Chinese Empress because of her love affair with the far east and the signature Valentino Red. Karl Lagerfeld has placed quite a significant amount of ladies on the Chanel pedestal but his go to girl back in the day was Ines de la Fressange; a statuesque quintessential Parisienne. Jean Paul Gaultier’s infamous collaboration with an even more infamous Madonna, put him on the map as “L’enfant terrible”.

Hubert de Givenchy had the opportunity to dress Audrey Hepburn and soon thereafter fell in love with her grace and presence; she automatically became the Givenchy It girl. Whereas at the house of Givenchy today, Riccardo Tisci opts for the likes of Mariacarla Boscono over Miss Hepburn…times have changed.

When we think of great muses in fashion history one of the first females to come to mind, one who has made a significant impact within the industry, is none other than the late Isabella Blow.

Not only was she a huge ball of inspiration for designers like Alexander McQueen and Philip Treacy; she was single handedly responsible for their careers. An incredible beacon of encouragement for up and coming designers, she discovered

and shaped them into the fruits of her own labor. Through Isabella, Alexander met his second muse and future great friend Daphne Guinness. The beer heiress had refused to meet him for the longest time; his first words to her were: “I am the guy you don’t want to meet.” The rest was history, filled with one-of-a-kind pieces that he would gift to Miss Guinness free of charge, because to him she embodied his ideal woman.

Now in today’s fashion scene, we cannot talk about muses without mentioning gals like Tilda Swinton and her deeply intertwined connection with one Mr. Haider Ackermann, Tom ford’s never ending love affair with French Vogue Editor Carine Roitfeld and world renowned milliner Stephen Jones who has Dita Von Teese embellishing her victory curls with fabulous fascinators.

In 2009 the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute thought it was appropriate to dedicate their annual gala/exhibition to designer muses. The exhibition entitled “The Model as Muse: Embodying Fashion”; focused mainly on the models that bring life to designers’ creations. The curators Harold Koda and Kohle Yohannan wanted to shine some light on the models that have indirectly impacted the industry in many ways; embodying designers’ visions and proving that a model is much more than just a walking hanger. On the list of muses: the likes of Karlie Kloss, CoCo Rocha, and many others who inspire and epitomize their respective eras. When we think of model muses, Naomi Campbell and Linda Evangelista come to mind as big contributors to a certain fashion genius by the name of Azzedine Alaïa. Another

would be Carmen Kass for Michael Kors; the perfect vision of an Upper West Side client. You also have the opposite end of the spectrum with Alexander Wang’s ideal girl Erin Wasson, and her downtown New York grungy “I just had sex and didn’t have time to shower” attitude. Another infamous model muse would be Kate Moss, who has been around the fashion block quite a few times. On one hand you have John Galliano who considers her as his biggest muse, on the other, there is Marc Jacobs who refuses to let go of her.

These women have defined eras in fashion and each decade has its own set of icons. They provide us with the necessary bursts of creative juices; refueling designers’ love for what they do.

Fashion cheerleaders perhaps? However, there are no pom-poms in this picture, but instead discrete front-row cheering at fashion week.

Touchdown.

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WISSAM EID ILLUSTRATOR

FILM DIRECTOR

QUENTIN TARANTINO

MOST LIKELY TO KIDNAPP A POLITICAL LEADER

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f everyone could sublimate painful loss and tormented feelings into beautiful and coherent artistic productions, the world would be a far better place. Dum Dum Girls have been able to pull this off on two records. In Only In dreams (2011), front-woman Dee Dee (Kristin Gundred) explores her feelings of grief following the death of her mother as well as other emotions triggered by separation. Their latest EP End Of Daze, released in September 2012, is a collection of carefully selected songs dealing with the same notion of death but driving it forward. It features solid songwriting and tackles profound and bleak emotions in continuity with their artistic progression.

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LEA YAMMINE WRITER

ALBUM

END OF DAZE (DUM DUM GIRLS) MOST LIKELY TO STALK JOAN JETT

Far from earlier tracks, such as ‘Catholicked’, that exhibited raw energy and were driven by musical arrangements which could be described as Garage Rock influenced, the more recent outputs by the band sound clearer. A style first put forward on the He Gets Me High EP, layers of distortion and noise can still be perceived but the lyrics are no longer obscured by the music. The band has made a quality move from low-fi noise pop music to more polished productions that put forward Dee Dee’s deep vocals and songwriting skills. End Of Daze boasts a confident sound that the girls seem to be increasingly comfortable with and in full control of and showcases stronger lyrics. Till now, Dum Dum Girls had always written heartfelt personal songs but their lyrics hadn’t exactly been praiseworthy. This EP could well be considered a turning point in that respect, even though it is not a full album and only shows a glimpse of their no doubt compounding songwriting strength. Indeed, the songs on End Of Daze display many subtleties that have to do with Dee Dee’s coming to terms with the loss of her mother (who, incidentally, previously adorned the covers of two of their records, just to show how much of an influence had she already been on her daughter’s music career).

The EP opens with ‘Mine Tonight’, which starts off slow, purposefully building up for a minute and thirty seconds until it soars, bursting into an enchanting glaring riff. From the get-go, death is a looming shadow over the record. ‘Mine Tonight’ and ‘I Got Nothing’ were in fact both penned following the Only In Dreams sessions and so are both reminiscent of the feel of

that album. In the same spirit, ‘Caught In One’, ‘Teardrops On My Pillow’ or ‘Hold Your Hand’ address death but in the form of well-dispensed pop tunes with enough hooks to make them effortlessly sing-along worthy in spite of their gloomy subject matter.

But compared to Only In dreams, personal sorrow in this EP is expressed in more mythical terms (Icarus makes an appearance on ‘Lord Knows’, while Satan is mentioned in ‘Mine Tonight’), but also in more existential terms; addressing how grief affects one’s experience of the world. On ‘I Got Nothing’, Dee Dee laments the despair of having nothing left to do or say. ‘Trees And Flowers’ depicts exactly the feelings of aversion towards and rejection of one’s environment when facing sentiments of loss and sorrow. The hatred of nature in the form of trees and flowers smoothly switches to buildings, i.e. the urban environment “I hate the buildings and the way they tower over me”, leading to the deeper feeling of loneliness and fear of being alone.

‘Season in Hell’ brings the EP to an end with a swift tune and drummer Sandy’s fast beat driving the song’s more hopeful outlook. It talks about getting over grief in order to move on “there’s always darkness to endure on the path to be redeemed” and focusing your gaze on the “end of daze” and bright future ahead.

The song concludes the eighteen-minute long record documenting deep, complex and dark emotions with a promising question: “doesn’t dawn look divine?”

That line can also be regarded as some sort of self-fulfilling prophecy; for the band, the dawn does look divine.

With many releases under their belt, the band is playing tighter shows and delivering great performances and their songs keep getting better with a style that’s distinctly their own. If End Of Daze is any indication, the future is certainly promising and holds more musical beauty for the Dum Dum Girls.

Choosing ‘Strawberry Switchblade’ as a featured cover right in the middle of the record was a very smart choice.

The band delivers an eerie rendition of the song, which guides the listener’s focus on the lyrics that are accompanied by stripped chords. Following that is an equally powerful ballad and utterly exquisite song. ‘Lord Knows’ is definitely the EP’s strongest track. It is four minutes of magnetic melody commanded

by Dee Dee’s beautiful vocals which deliver lines such as “the tracks of time, the tracts of tears when love is smothered out in fear” and bemoaning “Lord knows, I’ve hurt my love”.

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XXVI

RANA ZAHER ILLUSTRATOR

DECORATIVE ARTIST

ALPHONSE MUCHA

MOST LIKELY TO MAKE YOU FEEL INCOMPETENT

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TIMI HAYEK ILLUSTRATOR

PHOTOGRAPHER

LOUIS FRY

MOST LIKELY TO PROMOTE INSTAGRAM

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n order to keep a TV series alive writers have been known to treat their characters’ lives like power ups. These cliff hangers will keep the audience on edge, which in turn will have them coming back for more. The “no one is safe from getting the boot” strategy has proven over and over again to have its benefits, but it does come with specific guidelines: A new protagonist should directly replace the one that was used up; if your audience cries themselves to sleep then you are doing a good job and for the love of god don’t kill off Mischa Barton.

The Sugababes’ history has been playing out like a cleverly written soap opera.

From disappearances to resurgences this girl group has kept everyone guessing. One would even say that they have no idea what they are doing themselves, even though they seem to have changed the shape of pop music by blindly roaming about.

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KARL HITTI WRITER

BAND

SUGABABES

MOST LIKELY TO CONSPIRE AGAINST BANDMATES Sugababes 1.0 (1998-2001) Former All Saints manager Ron Tom had a pale red head and a tinted Filipino in his studio. One day while recording, the young girl of Asian descent, called Mutya Buena, brought her African American friend Keisha Buchanan along for the ride. Ron found himself in front of a palpable, harmonising United Colours of Benetton advertisement; and dollar signs filled the air. Joined by Siobhan Donaghy, Keisha and Mutya then signed to London Records and released their debut album One Touch. All the material on the record was written by the little ladies who were no more than 16 at the time. The public was taken aback by these teenagers, who were able to tackle subjects well over their ages; while remaining completely cold – almost ghost like – in every appearance they made.

Four singles were eventually released, one of them the now classic ‘Overload’, critical praise was amassed, talent was recognized but sales weren’t massive. The girls were then dropped from their label, and Siobhan abruptly left the girls while on a promotional tour in Japan.

Miss Donaghy later revealed that the sudden rise to fame and bullying from one of the members took a toll on her. The split profoundly affected the teenager; she eventually got treated for clinical depression. Siobhan released two messianic left field pop albums in the following years to help her deal with her demons. Revolution in Me and Ghosts suffered the same fate as One Touch; catching the critics’ attention but not so much the mainstream public.

Sugababes 2.0 (2001-2005) With the quirky artsy one out of the picture, the management decided to bring in Heidi Range. Keisha, Mutya

and Heidi immediately began writing new material for their sophomore record Angels with Dirty Faces; this got Island Records to greet them with open arms. The initial chemistry and musical qualities were still intact, which led line-up number two to be the most successful of the bunch. Their first official release ‘Freak Like Me’(a mash up between the Adina Howard song and a Richard X bootleg) reached the top of the charts. Several other singles and three other albums followed the same path. This new brand of quirky, smart, dance-pop music was starting to take over the charts and the Sugababes were leading the conquest. When it came time to put out their third LP together, Mutya had given birth to a baby girl which prompted her to leave the group while they were promoting Taller in More Ways.

Buena later released her own solo material, working with George Micheal and Amy Winehouse. Even though her first solo single ‘Real Girl’ almost topped the UK charts and her Groove Armada collaboration/Sugababes diss-track reached number 8, the album itself only went gold.

Sugababes 3.0 (2005-2009) Newbie Amelle Berrabah was flown in as an attempt to fill the “bad-ass” spot.

Keisha, Amelle and Heidi immediately re-recorded some tracks off Taller in More Ways in order to release a rebooted almost Mutya-free version. With only one original member left, the musical balance started gradually shifting towards a more conventional less ground-breaking route.

Two albums followed Berrabah’s debut with the group, Change started off very strong but its momentum died down faster than expected. While the appropriately titled Catfights and Spotlights was somewhat

of a flop. Out of fear of tanking again, the Sugababes name was forever tainted by the release of ‘Get Sexy’, first single to be lifted off their seventh record. But before they could say “we are not selling out”.

The only remaining original member left, Keisha Buchanan, was carelessly ejected from the trio.

Sugababes 4.0 (2009-?)

Jade Ewen, a former Eurovision contestant appeared to be her replacement. But we would rather you called her the final nail in their coffin.

Heidi, Amelle and Jade tried to put out album number seven, but the new glossy line-up was explicitly ignored.

MKS (2011-?)

In a twist worthy of a Hitchcock master plan, smart pop music and the world were saved. The girls formerly known as the original Sugababes got back together out of nowhere under the name Mutya Keisha Siobhan. Their comeback album is being perfected with the likes of Emeli Sandé, Shaznay Lewis (former All Saints member), William Orbit, MNEK and Dev Hynes of Blood Orange. On the 14th of March 2013, Hynes posted ‘Lay Down In Swimming Pools’. A Kendrick Lamar reinterpretation recorded playfully after their sessions together. This would be their first recording together in twelve years and simple proof that the magic will always be in the right ingredients The lush harmonies of a tattooed soulstress, a perplexing ginger and a fiery black diva will be saving our souls from eternal damnation; and there ain’t no doubt about it.

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PATRICK MAKHOUL PHOTOGRAPHER

MOVIE

VIDEODROME (DAVID CRONENBERG) MOST LIKELY TO OPEN A SEX SHOP

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XXX “Beneath this mask there is more than flesh. Beneath this mask there is an idea, Mr. Creedy, and ideas are bulletproof.” – V, in V For Vendetta

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SERGE KALDANY MICHELE KHAIRALLAH WRITERS

MOVIES

25 QUOTES THAT WILL TRIGGER A MOVIE MARATHON MOST LIKELY TO TRIGGER EPILEPTIC SEIZURES

“Which would be worse? To live as a monster? Or to die as a good man?” – Teddy Daniels, in Shutter Island “This is what happens when you fuck a stranger in the ass!” – Walter Sobchak, in The Big Lebowski “The greatest con that he ever pulled... was making you believe... that he is you.” – Avi, in Revolver “An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind? No it doesn’t. There’ll be one guy left with one eye! How’s the last blind guy gonna take out the eye of the last guy left who’s still got one eye? All that guy has to do is run away and hide behind a bush. Gandhi was wrong! It’s just that nobody’s got the fucking balls to come right out and say it.” – Billy Bickle, in Seven Psychopaths “We accept the reality of the world with which we are presented.” – Christof, in Truman Show “The greatest thing you’ll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return.” – Toulouse Lautrec, in Moulin Rouge “A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti.” – Hannibal Lecter, in Silence of the Lambs “We got a German here who wants to die for his country! Oblige him!” – Lt. Aldo Raine, in Inglourious Basterds “It is unsinkable. God himself could not sink this ship.” – Cal Hockley, in Titanic

“My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions and loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next.” – Maximus, in Gladiator “Well, as far as brains go, I got the lion’s share. But, when it comes to brute strength... I’m afraid I’m at the shallow end of the gene pool.” – Scar, in The Lion King “Forget that... there are places in this world that aren’t made out of stone.

That there’s something inside... that they can’t get to, that they can’t touch.

That’s yours. Hope.” – Andy Dufresne, in The Shawshank Redemption “It didn’t matter in the end how old they had been, or that they were girls... but only that we had loved them...” – The Narrator, in The Virgin Suicides “How about a magic trick? I’m gonna make this pencil disappear. Tadaa! It’s... it’s gone.” – The Joker, in The Dark Knight “I gotta see about a girl.” – Sean Maguire, in Good Will Hunting “This time I can’t bring myself to tell him to shut up. Sure he’s an asshole... Sure he’s dead... Sure I’m just imagining that he’s talking. None of that stops the bastard from being absolutely right.” – Dwight, in Sin City

“It’s only after we’ve lost everything that we’re free to do anything.” – Tyler Durden, in Fight Club “And… no, it is not dangerous to confuse children with angels!” – Quiz Kid Donnie Smith, in Magnolia “Normally, Monsieur Candie, I would say ‘Auf wiedersehen.’ But since what ‘auf wiedersehen’ actually means is ‘till I see you again’, and since I never wish to see you again, to you sir, I say, goodbye.” – Dr. King Schultz, in Django Unchained “…………, ……….!!” – George Valentin, in The Artist “Constantly talking isn’t necessarily communicating.” – Joel Barish, in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind “Perhaps it is good to have a beautiful mind, but an even greater gift is to discover a beautiful heart.” – John Nash, in A Beautiful Mind “I’m the hand up Mona Lisa’s skirt. I’m a surprise, Kevin. They don’t see me coming: that’s what you’re missing.” – John Milton, in The Devil’s Advocate “I’m drowning here, and you’re describing the water!” – Melvin Udall, in As Good As It Gets

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GHADI GHOSN ILLUSTRATOR

MOVIE

PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE (BRIAN DE PALMA) MOST LIKELY TO PROMOTE “SELF EXPRESSION”

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t all started, as it often does, with a fertilized ovum. Or, in this case, two: Otis and Dwayne. The story of these dizygotic twins’ inception — and that of their subsequent naissance and misadventures — is a curious one indeed.

Otis and Dwayne are not the sheer product of the union of a humanoid egg and spermatozoid. They were illicitly conceived at the hands of two rather boldly ambitious subaltern deities, Robon and Gobon, who set out to create their own mortal creatures, much to the Big Blast’s dismay — the master and creator of the universe of Otis N’ Dwayne.

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MURIEL KAHWAGI WRITER

MOVIE

OTIS N’ DWAYNE (DYLAN O’NEIL)

MOST LIKELY TO USE VINTAGE FILTERS “They lack souls, they lack penises, they lack the spark of life,” says the Big Blast of the androgynous twins; and, soon thereafter, he commands his angel, Leonard, to destroy them before they are even born.

It all sounds quite simple in theory — as simple as things can be in the mercurial world of Otis N’ Dwayne, at least — but the plot thickens as Leonard travels into the twins’ biological mother’s womb and falls in love with Dwayne the very moment he lays eyes on him.

The film’s opening line says it all: “The name’s Leonard. I’m an angel.

This is my story.” As the plot unfolds, Otis and Dwayne’s escapades and antics are relayed to us through Leonard and Leonard’s fate is shaped by that of Otis and Dwayne. This is no less Leonard’s story than it is Otis and Dwayne’s, and the film is no less a love story than is Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita.

The alternate reality that Otis N’ Dwayne is built on is a curious one.

Governed by juvenile lechery and adolescent whims, it is a universe where the laws of physics as we know them seldom apply (when the devil, Jerry Muthaf**kin’ D, accidentally shoots himself in the face, for example, all he needs to do is bandage his face to regain his vitality) and this is something to constantly keep in mind if one is to truly appreciate Otis N’ Dwayne.

As it happens, Leonard is unable to kill off his much beloved Dwayne upon meeting him and, as a result, is equally helpless toward Otis. Their biological mother thus ultimately gives birth to

adult-sized Otis and Dwayne, who often become inadvertently inanimate, especially when people stop paying attention to them.

But the ever-infatuated Leonard falls even harder for Dwayne, and is still unable to put an end to the twins’ lives.

The plot thereafter centers on the Big Blast’s continuous attempts at putting Otis and Dwayne to death.

“There’s an homage to Star Wars in Otis N’ Dwayne,” says screenwriter Curtis Michael Brown. “From the Big Blast’s red version of Lord Vader’s suit, to the droid sale where the purchased droid’s ‘memory unit’ unearths something useful to Leonard’s struggles with the dark side, to the “I’ve got a baaaaaaaad feeling about this” line from the trash compacter scene in A New Hope.”

But the Star Wars trilogy is not the only film production that Otis N’ Dwayne pays homage to; If you are a fan of John Waters’ Pink Flamingos, you’re going to love Otis N’ Dwayne. Crude, raw, candid and coarse, the film tackles issues such as homosexuality and bullying with refreshing nonpolitical correctness in the context of which phallic motifs (like the opening scene’s penis-shaped sunset) and profanity are indeed made normative.

to kill off Otis and Dwayne, but also fell in love with the latter — the Big Blast is outraged by it. Ironically enough, he is shown to be fondling one of his male servants in that very scene.

In the end, Otis N’ Dwayne proves to be an immensely self-redeeming film where nothing is quite what it seems to be. Otis and Dwayne are sent off to Boystown, a reformatory school where the headmaster, Uncle Paulie, says that “we pride ourselves on being straightshooters, chick-f***kers,” although he is just as gay as the Big Blast himself. Still, Otis and Dwayne manage to evade the mocking tragedy of their circumstances with great brilliance and through a series of hilariously ridiculous events; befriending the devil, the Big Blastobsessed Clay (Uncle Paulie’s older brother), and eventually even reuniting with their birth father who nonetheless tries to harvest their organs in order to sell them in the black market.

“A curious fact that emerges about the world of this film is that practically everybody in it is both homophobic and gay,” says Brown. A prominent exemplar of this is, in fact, none other than the Big Blast himself. When he learns of Leonard’s betrayal — a double betrayal, indeed, since he not only failed

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STEPHANIE RICHA GRAPHIC ARTIST

MOVIE

LE FABULEUX DESTIN D’AMÉLIE POULAIN (JEAN-PIERRE JEUNET) MOST LIKELY TO STEAL YOUR GNOME

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KAREN KLINK ILLUSTRATOR - WRITER

FASHION DESIGNER

V!TOR

MOST LIKELY TO ANGER MS. WINTOUR

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fter being reborn, V!TOR begins the search for a new path, new inspiration, divinities and some lucky charms to keep the bad vibes at bay.

The existing religions did not reflect its current beliefs and did not answer most of the questions in its soul, so V!TOR decided to look within and around itself for spirituality and mystical guidance.

Looking for what might lead up to divine inspiration, some madness, fun, love, integrity and principals, V!TOR dwells in pop culture, the individual and collective imagination, nostalgia, the Universe – looking for the perfect icons, idols and omens for this new faith: V!TOLOGY. Of course, V!TOLOGY needs v!tologic creatures to go with it and inspire followers and believers. Like the Gold Pug with its all-seeing eye and deep understanding of the Universe, Mingau the Mighty Warrior Cat with its multiple paws and unexpected agility despite being so overweight, the Flying Shrimp Guardians of Universal Awesomeness and the muses and gods of creativity, integrity, kindness, justice, braveness and singularity. A religion fit for the 21st century, where prejudice is eradicated and uniqueness is embraced.

Proud to be locally produced and globally distributed, its strongest resources and inspiration are local creativity, tiny subcultures and lifestyles surrounding it.

Originally from Brazil, young Vitor Bastos made his ModaLisboa debut several years ago and quickly became a crowd favorite. He then met Porto’s visual artist Luisa Cativo and the two of them are now joining forces and taking the brand to a whole new level.

Presenting both men’s and women’s wear, V!TOR continues to showcase readyto-wear street chic that is at home on the streets of London, Paris and New York.

So yes, yes, it has been a blast illustrating its gods, creatures and inspiring muses taking several different, unexpected shapes throughout the collection. While still developing this new universe, these divine creatures will bring to life the brand’s own religion which is free of stigmas and all about positive vibes.

I never pictured that my imaginary triumvirate of curiosities and fascinations would turn into tangible pieces through my collaboration with V!TOR. And who is V!TOR ?

V!TOR is an exclusive streetwear brand with a unique, personal twist.

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abibi is a book of wonder and Craig Thompson is a god! That was the first thing I thought to myself after I put down this massive volume. I had spent the previous five hours completely immersed in the beauty that is Habibi and its fascinating story. Habibi was my introduction to the world of illustration and graphic novels. Sure I had read comic strips while growing up but this was something else. Habibi completely enticed me, it was so beautiful, so detailed, I instantly fell in love.

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MICHELLE WAZAN WRITER

GRAPHIC NOVEL

HABIBI (CRAIG THOMPSON)

MOST LIKELY TO LEGALIZE INCEST I came upon Habibi one hazy winter afternoon while I was bumming around at a friend’s house. As each one of us was doing his own thing and I had grown weary and bored, I decided to rummage through his library... you know the rest. The book is a graphic novel by Craig Thompson first published in 2011. According to this generation’s one and only information source, Wikipedia, it tells the story of Dodola and Zam, two escaped slave children who are torn apart and undergo many transformations as they grow into new names and new bodies, which prove to be obstacles to their love when they later reunite.

Thompson’s story is told through biblical and Quranic parables as well as legends and mystical tales in which the Arab culture is more than omnipresent; it’s the heart of Habibi. The whole thing is set in an imaginary place which is contemporary and ancient at once.

An Oriental land greatly inspired by both the Muslim and Christian culture and filled with djinns, dreams and mysticism; one where rivers flow with ink and the sky is woven in a silk carpet.

As for sex and sexuality, they play an integral part in the story. Both characters have different perceptions of the matter and thus deal with it in singular ways. While Dodola uses sex as a weapon and is often seen naked, floating on a bed of Arabic letters or lying around a harem; Zam’s experience is more of a conflicted, self destructing one. Sex is also the link that brings Zam and Dodola closer all the while tearing them apart Craig Thompson’s view and depiction of sexuality has been

criticized and he has been accused of “exotifying” the Arab culture. Well, I saw nothing of it, I took the book as it is or as I think it should be; a beautiful tale. A tale where alphabet comes to life, where innocence flirts with debauchery and where Scheherazade meets the sensual world of sex slaves.

I became obsessed with knowing their story, understanding why this was happening and discovering what would happen next. But the book doesn’t follow a linear path. Instead, it goes back and forth to different stages of the characters’ lives while linking the whole thing to religious images and parables. I felt like I had stumbled upon a beautifully illustrated version of all three holy books telling the world through Dodola and Zam’s lives.

To be completely honest, I was a bit disappointed with the book’s ending, I found it weird… Mind you, I had been reading that novel for the past five hours, not once putting it down so I might have been tired. Truth is, I don’t know how I wanted the story to end or whether I had wanted it to end at all.

Nevertheless, and despite the ending, I still believe that this is one magical book, one that made me fall in love once again with Arabic calligraphy and the extraordinary culture that surrounds it.

Thompson’s genius, in my very humble and inexperienced opinion, lies in his imagery, his exquisite way of bringing his characters to life and making them as timeless as the mythical creatures they sometimes embody.

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OUMAYMA TANFOUS PHOTOGRAPHER

PHOTOGRAPHER

RICHARD AVEDON

MOST LIKELY TO BASH INSTAGRAM

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MOHAMAD KRAYTEM ILLUSTRATOR

MOVIE

GUMMO (HARMONY KORINE)

MOST LIKELY TO BREED PSYCHOPATHS

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he’s been called an axe-wielding b***h from hell but that hasn’t put a damper on her. Truth be told, very few artists convey human emotions as poignantly and effectively as Polly Jean Harvey. Treading a thin line between the beautiful and the grotesque, Polly’s artistry is unprecedented, daring and full of guts. She is constantly experimenting and pushing her sound and subject matter to extremes. Her 1998 release Is This Desire? is a true testament to her mastery of storytelling; sacrificing confession for fiction and singing the sorrows that come with a burning love and the dangers of desire. Passion, obsession, loneliness and longing are recurring themes in these tales of thwarted fulfillment. If you’re looking for a happy time, this ain’t it!

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KARIM ABOU ZAKI WRITER

ALBUM

IS THIS DESIRE? (PJ HARVEY)

MOST LIKELY TO BUNK WITH PUSSY RIOT More musically subdued than her previous guitar-driven records, Desire paints an atmospheric soundscape held together by bass lines, electronic rhythms and keyboards so quiet that at times it barely rises above a murmur.

Contrary to what its volume would allude to, this record is still very much abrasive and menacing. Written in isolation, it is intimate, clever and pretty scary. It is not an easy listen, but it is well worth the effort. Chilly postindustrial ambiances are conjured; slowly slithering and creeping into your psyche. Most song compositions are clawed back to minimalism, leaving Polly’s lyrics and delivery at the forefront to conduct this orchestra of doom. Her voice floats over the instrumentation, echoing like a spooked seductress and commanding the dark space with hypnotic power.

To deliver her message, Polly rarely uses the first person but rather enlists a town of people from her head. The songs play like a dream sequence, with vivid imagery and characters intertwining through their desires and demise and intimately connected by their quest to find a release from their emptiness.

There is, however, no such release and no resolution to their searching, for they often seek but do not find.

Opening the album is ‘Angelene’, a ballad with dreamy, washy guitars enhanced by a somber, melancholic vocal. “My first name Angelene / Prettiest mess you’ve ever seen / Love for money is my sin / Any man calls I’ll let him in”. It sets the morose tone for the album and ignites the quest for love.

‘My Beautiful Leah’ is a missing girl that went searching for it but did not get very far on her quest. “She only had nightmares / And her sadness never lifted / And slowly

over the years / Her lovely face twisted”.

Leah’s fate is then slowly uncovered as the months of her absence are enumerated with pungent distorted bass lines and haunting drum loops amplifying the intensity of the revelation. Her last words shockingly resonate “If I don’t find it this time / Then I’m better off dead” before the song comes to an abrupt halt, completely fading into thin air and leaving you startled.

with a guitar line, lo-fi synths, and a snare drum beat. It’s a long 19 seconds before Polly utters a word; as if she had spent the time summoning courage to do so. Her voice is seductive up until the seduction part kicks in. Her tone rises with dread: “Is this desire / enough, enough / to lift us higher / to lift above?” She says she is not scared but sounds like she is almost ready to fall apart.

The theme of longing follows in ‘The Wind’ which finds Harvey doing chilling whispers and falsetto-style airy vocals over a dysfunctional trip-hop beat and judicious strings. The song recalls the legend of Saint Catherine, and the chapel named after her which became a popular place for women to pray for a husband. ‘Catherine’ finds Polly singing in her low register, her voice almost debased, boiling with envy, quietly raging and condemning her lover to the eternal damnation he brought upon her: “until the light shines on me / I damn to hell every second you breathe”. It is a haunting, ominous track of passion and despair that could serve as a soundtrack for a horror movie.

Even when PJ is embodying these characters her voice is immediate, her tone is too personal, leaving no doubt about the inherent truths embedded in her stories which are ultimately projections of herself. By sinking a universal feeling into a seemingly fictional story, the emotion is left up to personal interpretation and subconscious triggers. With its bravery, experimentation, and ingenuity Is This Desire? remains a masterpiece to this day.

As one would expect, the aptly titled ‘Joy’ is a near terrifying grind of industrial beats and hissing synths: “Joy was her name / A life un-wed / Thirty years old / Never danced a step.” The end is hopeless and sees Joy appealing to a higher power praying to go blind as she becomes physically and emotionally consumed by her afflictions. “I’ve been believing in nothing since I was born / It never was a question.”

The album ends with the title track, an eerily beautiful ballad drawn

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TINA MAKHLOUF ILLUSTRATOR

SINGER-SONGWRITER

JANIS JOPLIN

MOST LIKELY TO NEVER SHAVE HER ARMPITS

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s it just us or has this retrospective been long awaited? Well it surely was worth the wait. Yes we are talking about one of the most epic exhibitions going on in the world right now at the V&A museum in London; “David Bowie is”; A trip down memory lane for the people who grew up on Bowie and for our generation’s admiration of such genius. Hold the phone! David Bowie’s archives are sitting under one roof at the Victor and Albert Museum in London. Give us a minute to digest this. Thanks!

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CHARLES HADDAD WRITER

DAVID BOWIE IS (V&A MUSEUM, LONDON)

EXHIBIT

MOST LIKELY TO BEFRIEND TILDA SWINTON Victoria Broackes and Geoffrey Marsh, the curators at the V&A, had the opportunity to raid Mr. Bowie’s closet and put together the first retrospective of his eccentric career.

The exhibit showcases a chronological process of the artist’s eclectic work over the years. Highlighting his multiple transformations in style and constant reinvention throughout his career.

A selection of over 300 pieces of his work gathered under one roof; from fashion, photography, film, handwritten lyrics, storyboards for videos, drawings for costumes and sets, and much more. These items were chosen strategically to showcase Bowie’s broad range of collaborations with artists from every field.

Fashion always played a big role in the Bowie mystique. He was very picky when it came to the artists that he worked with. On display are over 60 pieces from Bowie’s long and fruitful career; a feast for the eyes indeed.

Costumes such as Freddie Buretti’s creation for Ziggy Stardust; a multicolored quilted jumpsuit he made for the ‘Starman’ performance worn with red patent leather boots. Also, Kansai Yamamoto’s knitted catsuit for Bowie as Aladdin Sane. In his 1980 ‘Ashes to Ashes’ video he wanted to be “the most beautiful clown in the circus”, so a certain designer by the name of Natasha Korniloff came into the picture with a Pierrot inspired costume. Even the late and great Alexander McQueen played a part in this exhibit, with his Union flag coat that was worn by Bowie on his 1997 album cover of Earthling.

One of the key elements that differentiated Bowie from other assists at the

time was his intelligent melange of sound and visuals, which is why the exhibit is thoroughly based on this same idea: Surrounding the extravagant fashion is footage of Bowie’s tours, performances and innovative visual excerpts as well as clips of music videos such as ‘Boys Keep Swinging’ and films like The Man Who Fell to Earth. The exhibit also includes footage of the one and only time that Bowie and Warhol ever met; a very awkward moment between both artists.

Warhol was very unappreciative of the song that Bowie wrote entitled “Andy Warhol”, and he did not hide his emotions on camera.

hasn’t performed nor made any public appearances since 2006. Nevertheless we could not help but wonder what his opinion would be of this vibrant thoughtprovoking showcase of his life. We are keen to see him in his glory once again, but in the meantime a trip to the V&A would do the job. Who’s in?

Moving along the exhibit we begin to see items that were a bit more personal to the artist. His sketches of costumes are presented, along with drawings such as a portrait of Iggy Pop in 1970s Berlin, storyboards, handwritten lyrics and diary entries. In our opinion this is the highlight of the exhibit; viewing pieces from an artist’s personal life allows you to envision their creative process. The exhibit also features photography by Brian Duffy, Album artwork by Guy Peellaert and Edward Bell.

On March 20th the orange Ziggy Stardust carpet was rolled out in front of the V&A; celebrities and fashion enthusiasts began to show up to honor the glam Rock star, who has become a true hero. Foremost at the event was Miss Tilda Swinton in her Bowie-worthy tailored look by none other than her good friend Haider Ackermann who also graced us with his presence. Designers from the British scene, such as Christopher Kane, and Erdem Moralioglu were amongst the attendees. However, the man himself was nowhere to be seen. Then again he

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GHOSTS (SIOBHÁN DONAGHY)

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O

bsession is an impulse, a compulsive preoccupation, an unhealthy fixation.

Something that calls you to have another go, and soon enough turns into a cycle; a loop. A loop is one that ends where it started. It can be any closed figure. In the case of An Awesome Wave, Alt-J’s debut album this loop comes in the shape of a small mystical triangle.I fixated on this album that truly lives up to its name.

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STEPHANIE KOYESS WRITER

ALBUM

AN AWESOME WAVE (ALT-J)

MOST LIKELY TO CTRL, ALT, DEL In my daily (desperate) hunting for new music on numerous poo riddled blogs, Alt-J was a name I stumbled upon over and over. Note that a little over a year ago I was frustrated... no, angry from all the tasteless tracks released every day. Tracks as ephemeral as Kirsten Stewart’s smile. And after anger came numbness, which suffocated my natural curiosity. Without ever hitting play I thus dismissed them as just another one hit wonder indie act and kept sifting through the pages by rote. I was suffering from good-music withdrawal; dying for some Pezaz.

It was only a month later, on the corner of office boredom and coffee haze, that I found my new drug, which was right under my nose this whole time (no pun intended). The album I stupidly ignored before was finally playing in my ears and out came pouring the enchanting world of Alt-J. As I listened to the singles, I basked in the euphoria of my new finding. It was unfamiliar, uncanny, and undeniably the best I had heard in a long long time.

We owe this little gem to the Brits.

These people sure are the ears’ best goddam lovers. A bow is due to their musical virtuosity. All throughout music history and till this day, they still deliver the best acts there are.

Alt-J(∆) is a quartet formed in 2007; Gwil Sainsbury (Guitar/ Bassist) Joe Newman (guitar/vocals), Gus Unger-Hamilton (keyboards) and Thom Green (drums) who met in Leeds University. It all started when Joe, showed Gwil some of the material

that he wrote influenced by his father (a guitarist and singer himself) and hallucinogens. The two began making music together with Gwil working as a producer for the band on GarageBand.

The two other members joined not long after that. They adopted the name Alt-J, the keyboard combination you hit to obtain the following sign (∆).

Triangles are tricky symbols.

They represent secret societies, religious trinities, and many other mystical things. This little shape is somewhat used and abused in the music industry nowadays. But never was it an entity by itself, and never was it so appropriately represented by the music it stands for (All Pink gods set aside of course). Geometry, complexity, mysteries, patterns, are all themes enclosed in this “plain” figure, and which haunt the music served in the album An Awesome Wave released in 2012. The Mercury Prize winning record is composed of thirteen tracks and a fourteenth “hidden” track.

Like a triangle pointing downwards, representing water, the album is fluid, one you can listen to from beginning to end while the stream of melodies take you on a soothing ride. Yet, like a triangle pointing upwards, representing fire, it sure is intense and hypnotizing thanks to mysterious lyrics oddly uttered by eccentric vocals.

When asked about the way he sings, Joe Newman admitted it started out as an imitation of his father’s singing until one day it took a life of its own.

absurd, but weren’t deprived of charm.

The thing is, once you got a grasp of the lyrics, you get the meanings that lay there, buried deep under the layers of intricate music and the instrumental palooza.

The single ‘Tessellate’ is filled with sexual innuendos, but also seems to be talking about a love triangle.

‘Breeezeblocks’ is inspired by Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are and talks about how destructive the love for one can be “Please don’t go/I’ll eat you whole/I Love you so/I love you so”.

And ‘Taro’, the most exotic song, and the big finale of the album is about the death of war photographer Robert Capa, and his reunion in the after-world with the deceased love of his life, Gerda Taro.

Like the lyrics, the musical genre is hard to decrypt. It is experimental yet accessible. Avant-garde, while being pop enough to please the larger crowd. This is why some draw a resemblance between (∆) and Radiohead.

You too will soon obsess over the following: Four Lads. Three Lines. Two Words. ∆.

And even though his singing made it almost impossible to understand, I started repeating the melodies brainlessly, singing lyrics that seemed

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DANIEL A. PHOTOGRAPHER

MOVIES

TAXI DRIVER (MARTIN SCORSESE) MOST LIKELY TO RAISE A LESBIAN

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RAYMOND GEMAYEL PHOTOGRAPHER

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HOME (NOSAJ THING)

MOST LIKELY TO DATE SKRILLEX

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ALEXANDRA WARDE GRAPHIC ARTIST

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AMOK (ATOMS FOR PEACE)

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