Gossip16

Dec 2011-Jan 2012

No. 16

RADICAL TRENDS FOR 2012 HOLLYWOOD HEARTTHROBS: RYAN GOSLING, AMANDA SEYFRIED AND JENNA DEWAN SKI, STYLE, SNOW AND ALL THAT SEATTLE: 20 YEARS OF NIRVANA NEW YEAR’S PARTIES AROUND THE WORLD

YOU DON’T EXIST UNTIL THEY TALK ABOUT YOU

Directory

No. 16 Dec 2011-Jan 2012 PUBLISHER

Tony Salamé Group TSG SAL EDITORINCHIEF

Marwan Naaman

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Malak Beydoun

ART DIRECTOR

Laurent El Khoury JUNIOR EDITOR

Tala Habbal

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

Natasha Dirany, Lucy Gillespie EDITOR AT LARGE

Serena Makofsky

ASSISTANT EDITOR

Gaelle Dalati

IN-HOUSE STYLIST

You’re sexy and you know it. Choose the clothes that’ll make you look irresistible, wear the fragrance that’ll make everyone around you roll over and play darling, go to the bars where people will open their mouths and stare. Just because it’s winter, doesn’t mean you have to keep it covered. You’re only going to be young once, so get dizzy and enjoy every single minute. Drink to the New Year and rock into 2012. You’ve got your passion in your pants, so don’t be afraid to show it.

Mouna Harati

WRITERS Laure Ambroise, Jean-Marie Délbes Ziad Gedeon, Jean-Pascal Grosso Emma Hashimoto, Aurora Jenkins AG Joy, Cléo Le-Tan Bridget O’Toole, Marion Renard Shirine Saad, Delphine Valloire Kristin Julie Viola, Vladislav PHOTOGRAPHERS Corran Brownlee, Tony Elieh Raya Farhat, Nino Munoz, Philip Neufeldt Edouard Plongeon, Mason Poole Roberta Ridolfi, Bachar Sour CONTRIBUTING STYLISTS Emilie Kareh, Helena Tejedor Anna Quérouil PRODUCTION Fadi Maalouf, Anne-Marie Tabet GRAPHIC DESIGN INTERN Mélanie Dagher RESPONSIBLE DIRECTOR George Chahine PRINTING Dots WHERE TO FIND US facebook.com/GossipTheMagazine scandalmongering.blogspot.com scandalmongering.tumblr.com issuu.com/gossip.beirut twitter.com/gossipdigital 140 El Moutrane St., Fourth Floor Downtown Beirut, Lebanon T 961.1.974.444 E gossip@gossip-beirut.com

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Blast | News

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10/21/11 1:58:32 PM

Ryan Gosling | Citizens

RYAN’S RACE TO THE TOP Text JEAN-PASCAL GROSSO

Actor Ryan Gosling is driving us wild Sexy Hollywood superstar Ryan Gosling is on the up and up. After appearing in one of the most memorable nude scenes in recent film history in the hit comedy Crazy Stupid Love, Gosling recently starred in Drive. The 30-year-old actor chats with Gossip about Drive and about his experience with the film’s director Nicolas Winding Refn.

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1 Drive seems like the ultimate tribute to ‘80s flicks about men and cars.

It’s funny. Everyone is bringing up all these movies like Driver with Ryan O’Neil. But during filming, Nicolas [the director] and I came up with something else: Prince’s Purple Rain and John Gossip No. 16

Hughes’ Pretty in Pink. Drive is like a movie by Hughes that turns into a nightmare.

. Tell us something about director Nicolas Winding Refn.

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He used to watch Texas Chainsaw Massacre every morning before school. I think that this affected the movie in a subtle way.

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3 Your character in the movie is moody, seductive, calm but determined. Is he schizophrenic?

To be honest, this character is still a mystery to me.

. Where did you get that amazing blue jacket that you

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wear throughout the movie?

The jacket with the scorpion on the back was my idea. It was designed for me by the movie’s costume designer, Eric Benach, with who I’ve previously collaborated on Half Nelson and Blue Valentine.

. Is Drive a movie about superheroes?

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Yes, it is. I always dreamed of being one. This movie finally let me fulfill this dream.

. You started your career with Disney. What memories

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do you still have of that time?

It was an extraordinary time! I sang and danced in Disney shows with Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake. We all have great memories of that time.

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Citizens | Clémence Poésy

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The Clémence Poésy scrapbook 1 Drawings by Poésy, inspired by the work of American photographer Francesca Woodman.

2 “Joan of Arc was here, on April 28, 1530, coming from Crépy-en-Valois on her way to Compiègne.”

3 Patti Smith, as shown in her book Just Kids.

4 Horses on the set.

5 Notes by Poésy: “The air is filled with the moves of you,” from the song “Elegie,” by Patti Smith.

6 Poésy’s dressing room in a dungeon at the Château de Vincennes.

7 A soldier’s soccer break.

8 “Use threats, use prayer,” Jean Genet, from The Man Sentenced to Death.

9 Joan of Arc burned at this stake.

10 Image from the book Vania, by Russian illustrator Vania Zouravliov.

11 Tire tracks on the beach.

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MODERN-DAY JOAN OF ARC Text DÉLPHINE VALLOIRE Photos CORRAN BROWNLEE

Clémence Poésy talks about her role as Joan of Arc in Philippe Ramos’ movie The Silence of Joan

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1 Where you overwhelmed when they asked you to play the role of Joan of Arc in The Silence of Joan?

I was more excited than overwhelmed. As a woman, I always dreamed of playing such roles.

It’s rare to find such roles.

. What’s next for you?

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I made two movies for the BBC. I played the role of Queen Elizabeth in Richard II, a movie by Rupert Goold, and was also in the movie Birdsong, which is about a hero confronted by an intense sexual encounter.

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. Many movies have been made about Joan of Arc.

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How come they all differ?

Each film director portrays the character of Joan of Arc the way he sees her. It really just

I have a lot of actor friends, whether I’ve worked with them or not. I really admire them and learn a lot while watching them.

2 The movie begins and ends with death, why?

Philippe wanted the focus of the movie to be about a girl whose life and death mesmerized the world.

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depends on the director’s personal sentiments about the movie.

. Do you think you belong to the new generation of actors?

Dec 2011-Jan 2012

Cynthia Merhej | Citizens

PEN TO PAPER Text AURORA JENKINS

Cynthia Merhej draws dreams into pictorial reality Lebanese born illustrator Cynthia Merhej moved to London in her late teens “to pursue an education in the arts” at the prestigious Central Saint Martins and subsequently The Royal College of Art. “In both London and Beirut I am lucky to have the chance to know, love and work with some incredible people who make both feel like home. I adore Beirut because of its vitality, spontaneity and spirit. In London, on the other hand, you have incredible access to culture and meet people from all over the world.”

A career as an illustrator was the natural progression from a childhood “obsessed with reading, writing and drawing.” Although Merhej explains “I wasn’t aware that drawing my stories was the Gossip No. 16

role of an illustrator until I arrived on my foundation degree and our tutors explained it.”

“I find that hand drawing is the approach that works best for me; many of my drawings come from mistakes, messing up an image and then trying to find a solution for it, which usually leads to a completely different drawing! I love the playfulness and experimentation that I can achieve with illustrating by hand.”

Although still studying at The Royal College of Art, Merhej is beginning to amass an impressive portfolio of client work, including the artwork for a whimsical children’s book My Fashion Lookbook

by Thames & Hudson, illustrations for Rookie

Magazine (United States) and logos for Wilderness of Wish, a specialist store selling artisanal goods in New York.

“My influences come from my own experiences with other people. My biggest inspiration is how I feel and everything else that I see, read, smell and hear just feeds into that. I am constantly asking myself questions with no answers, so I am hoping that someone will provide me someday with an answer in the form of a question.”

With an impressively imaginative body of work, including a story of cats, acrobats and dysfunctional relationships, it’s not immediately obvious what that all-elucidating question would be.

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What to do | Seattle

SLEEPLESS IN THE 206 Text BRIDGET O’TOOLE

Twenty years after Nirvana released their epic Nevermind, Seattle is still the edgiest city in America’s Pacific Northwest Rest in peace, Kurt Cobain. For anyone under 40 in America, Seattle is still the spiritual home of Grunge and Nirvana. His suicide at 27 is the stuff of legend, and the punk-rock scene that exploded with his “Smells Like Teen Spirit” still defines “206” – Seattle’s area-code nickname – rather than the tragedy of the way he died. In a fitting tribute to the man, a limited edition CD and DVD set of Nirvana’s classic Nevermind dropped last September to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the album’s original release in September 1991.

Nirvana and Pearl Jam and REM are still the reason Seattle became hot rather than Microsoft or

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Starbucks or Amazon. Teen scene-making is part and parcel of 206’s grungy mystique. When Cobain sang, “I feel stupid and contagious/Here we are now, entertain us,” he was taunting Seattle, and daring it to try harder. At Easy Street Records west of Belltown (easystreetonline.com), Eddie Vedder and Jimi Hendrix and Nirvana are perennial top sellers, on permanent and proud display.

Within strolling distance is the city’s Experience Music Project (EMP) at the Seattle Center arts complex (www.empmuseum.org), named for Hendrix’s band. It’s a psychedelic interactive rock museum devoted to Hendrix’s early Seattle days.

Stroll across Belltown, then ascend the Space Needle into heaven for cocktails with a revolving view of Puget Sound and the Cascades and Mount Rainier high above the city. This metal spike into the sky was built for 1962’s fair and has a revolving restaurant too. Equally famous for dining with views is the Dahlia Lounge, starry flagship of superchef Tom Douglas (tomdouglas.com). He launched his celeb-studded firstborn around the date Nirvana first picked up their guitars, and followed it with three more ultra-hip bistros, including the new Lola.

Then head to Belltown Billiards, where you can fit in a few games and eat pizza too, till all hours Dec 2011-Jan 2012

Seattle | What to do

of the night (belltownseattle.com). Although a certain funkiness rules, there’s no problem finding a dance partner in this messy teen-boy heaven and party spot for dancing queens or kings. Try pool, dancing, myriad beers and cocktails, and eat pizza in the dark until all hours – or at any rate well past midnight.

they were just a bunch of young “musos” hanging out to talk about forming bands in their Live Bait Lounge. Which they did, of course; so the Croc is still music central in the 206, especially since their remodel five years ago spiffed it up, and you’ll give up respect when you hear Pearl Jam and REM and Nirvana first picked up fans here.

Get your fill of live rock ‘n’ roll at the Crocodile Café – you’re in the 206, remember? Belltown’s all-night nightlife goes back to 1991’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and the Croc’s babyhood. Yes, the beer was righteous, local and cheaper in funkier days, before they cleaned up this joint. Back then

Afterward, nearby Club Medusa is techno-loud and hip hop-whumping till 4am or so (clubmedusa.us). It’s for trance-loving house freaks and has a lot to answer for corrupting youth – there’s a big dance floor beneath giant chandeliers, three bars and a lot of marble, celeb deejays and VIP

Gossip No. 16

bouncers outside their VIP rooms. In other words, this is Upscale, 206-style.

For a dawn pick-me-up try Daily Dozen, a donut stand in Pike Place Market where they produce exotic donuts to order on the spot. If you’re in need of an espresso hit too, again no problem: the very first Starbucks opened here, and moved into 1912 Pike Place in 1971, after its three founders (Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegl and Gordon Bowker) spent time in Berkeley learning the trade from Al Peet, while Seattleites were slurping instant coffee. Seattle is still the place where loyalty to your favorite bean rules your heart and day.

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Citizens | Amanda Seyfried

IN AMANDA TIME Text JEAN-PASCAL GROSSO Photos NINO MUNOZ

Amanda Seyfried is one of Tinsel Town’s hottest young movie stars Amanda Seyfried may only be 26, but the veteran actress already has 10 years of acting experience under her belt, with hit movies like Dear John, Chloe, Red Riding Hood and Mamma Mia! Gossip chats with the young star about her movie In Time and her on- and off-screen connection with co-star Justin Timberlake.

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1 What do you think of Justin Timberlake, your costar in In Time?

He’s one of the most charismatic guys I’ve ever met. He has a very professional attitude on set.

There was a mutual respect during the movie, and we had laughed a lot. There was this chemistry between us.

. Chemistry?

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tracted to my partner. For In Time, which is a thriller, it really helped that I was a big fan of Justin’s.

. You have around 10 years of professional acting

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experience. What do you think about your career path?

I started my career at 15 but signed my first real contract at 17 when I was in the soap opera As the World Turns.

. In the movie In Time, your character is immortal?

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Are you attracted by the thought of immortality?

I would be bored, and life would be meaningless if I was immortal. I like to be motivated and take advantage of every single minute of freedom to enjoy life.

. You spend your time running in heels in the movie.

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When I play a romantic comedy, I need to be at-

Who trained you?

In the movie I had a “shoe double” for running and stunts. It was supposed to facilitate my movements even for a little bit. The wedges were 7.5 centimeters high. You need heels that high when you act with Justin. He’s tall. While filming, I used to think to myself: “If she has to run for her life, why doesn’t she take off her shoes?”

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6 In life are you as sophisticated as Sylvia, the character you play in In Time?

Sometimes I am, for the red carpet. However I’m more of a natural girl. I love summer because I get to always wear a T-shirt and shorts.

. What are your plans for the future?

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To get married and have kids. I’m dying to. But it’s not on the agenda right now – I don’t even have a boyfriend! That’s why I bought a dog.

Dec 2011-Jan 2012

Theater | What to do

THEATER IN 3D Text LUCY GILLESPIE

New play Sleep No More turns Shakespeare’s Macbeth upside down to provide an exciting real-life experience Waiting in line for admittance to Sleep No More, you may suddenly find yourself yanked by a stagehand and crammed into an elevator with 17 equally confused theatergoers. The jaws of the elevator yawn open, and, as if by magic, you’ve arrived in 1939.

Specifically one of the upper-class clubs, filled with all the frantic extravagance of a world almost at war.

Floor-length silks, shoulder-ermines, flapper fringes, feathered hat-pins and lace swirl around you, as does a whirlwind of colorful cocktails, exorcised all by jaunty, hollow brass numbers. Your card number is called, and a manic chap in full evening regalia issues ivory Venetian masks with a command neither to remove the mask, nor touch anyone.

“Bing” – you arrive at the second floor. Four people are kicked out. On the next floor, you are hustled out into a pitch black hallway. The crowd around you has just spotted the dashing, perfectly chiseled figure of Macbeth striding purposefully toward a vast oak door. They begin to run. The show has begun.

Gossip No. 16

Adapted from Shakespeare’s Macbeth and infused with paranoiac Hitchcockian rhythms, Sleep No More contains various characters whose weaving storylines take them, and you (as ghosts), on a wild chase through the spectacularly bedecked rooms of a Chelsea warehouse made over as a ‘30s hotel.

Some sets, such as Lady MacDuff’s claustrophobic dressing room, are tornadoes of detail; open any book to find intricate hand-written journals. Others such as the ballroom, are immodestly expansive.

Beyond one door, pulsing strobe lights reveal the robotic progression of three naked witches toward a vast cauldron filled with blood.

There are rooms to suit all manners of fetish and curiosity – but linger too long and you’ll miss the story.

You’ll hear very little of Shakespeare’s original text; rather his intentions are translated through extravagant choreography, carried out by limber performers who may, at any time, pull you into a closet, remove your mask or caress your face.

Innovative British theater/dance company Punchdrunk is the brains behind this synesthetic, pulse-pounding extravaganza. For over 10 years, they have specialized in immersive, multi-sensory theater pieces that activate audiences, taking them the extra mile beyond virtual reality.

Evocative of the fantasy-fueled New York theme nightclubs of yore, Sleep No More provides ample adrenaline and hallucination; no need for additional substantive help in that department.

After three hours of chasing lithe, tormented bodies through sumptuous halls, however, you will need a drink. That ‘30s bordello? Fully functional. Normalize your heart rate amid swirling silks, live music and classic, debonair cocktails.

Sleep No More is on at the McKittrick Hotel, 530 West 27th St., New York, W www.sleepnomorenyc.com

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Citizens | Jenna Dewan

JENNA MAKE ME SWEAT Text KRISTIN JULIE VIOLA

Actress Jenna Dewan is on the verge of making it big Jenna Dewan has come a long way from her days as a back-up dancer. She has since made it big with the hit movie Step Up, where she met her husband Channing Tatum. Plus, she has gone on to star in other movies and TV shows, including the now-defunct series The Playboy Club. The rising star, who is of Lebanese origin, chatted with us about her working relationship with Tatum, The Playboy Club cancellation and her beauty secrets.

. You originally started out as a dancer. How did you

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break into Hollywood?

Very randomly. I came out to Los Angeles and wanted to be a professional dancer. I danced with lots of different artists. I was doing the Grammys with ‘N SYNC, and the woman who became my manager was in the audience watching and said, “I think that girl should be an actress.” She ended up getting me my first audition, and I ended up getting the part. It was a very fateful moment.

It hasn’t been that easy ever since!

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. You met Channing Tatum on the set of Step Up.

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Was it love at first sight?

Of course, we were attracted to each other, but we started out with a strong friendship at first, which is nice.

. What was your reaction when you were told that

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The Playboy Club was cancelled?

It was really sad. The show was such a great experience, and all of the actors were amazing to work with. It was a bummer because we had all put so much into it, but it was out of our control.

As this business is, you just have to go onto the next. I believe everything happens for a reason.

. Do you have any upcoming projects that you can

Dawson, Chris Pratt, Ron Livingston and so many other great actors.

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5 What was it like working with Tatum again?

This was our first time working together since Step Up. And of course, we’re married now, and it’s five years later, so the energy and chemistry is so much more mature, and our relationship has evolved. It is so easy to work with Channing.

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6 Can you share any of your beauty secrets with us?

I’m a big believer in argan oil – Josie Maran Cosmetics makes it. I swear by it. I’m also really religious about getting facials.

. What do you like to do for fun?

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share with us?

I’ve got a movie called Ten Year. It’s about a 10-year high school reunion, and it has a big ensemble cast – there’s about 10 of us. Channing is also in it, and we play boyfriend and girlfriend together. And there’s also Justin Long, Rosario

I love waking up when we have a day off and finding a random trail to go hiking on. And I’m a voracious reader. I can read a book a day. We’re always running around in this business, so it’s nice to be able to relax and sit on the couch and watch TV. Dec 2011-Jan 2012

Amin Dora | Citizens

DORA’S LABORATORY Text NATASHA DIRANY

Amin Dora’s visual artistry is always fun and fresh “I have always been fascinated with cameras. My first one was made out of Mecano…a personal creation that made me feel as if I was using one for real. I loved using it to capture stories that were – for sure – never recorded.”

It’s been an eventful year for Lebanese director and visual artist Amin Dora. Shankaboot, the Beirut-based interactive web series directed by Dora, now on its fifth season, won the International Digital Emmy last April (“We celebrated it by jumping all over the place”), and his professional accomplishments have now been followed by a more personal one – the arrival of a baby daughter.

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His Mecano days, and his hours spent recreating scenes from Top Gun as a young boy, have served him well. You get the impression from all of Dora’s projects that he thoroughly enjoys what he does, approaching music videos, film projects and ad campaigns, such as his latest set of visuals for Aïzone, with the same gusto.

“I love working on human behaviors, humor, visual concepts,” he says. While Dora credits his fellow “Shankabooties” for the success of the web series, the director’s ability to turn a cast of fresh-faced and professional actors, shot for the most part in the streets of Beirut, into

a punchy and charming drama, is testimony to his talents.

“We really were deeply engaged in a sort of laboratory, trying out some chemical reactions between the story, the characters, the team, the city. We never worked aiming for an award or anything else. It was really about exploring the web platform, which was our playground.”

With a feature film currently in the pipeline, is there anyone he would love to direct, if given the chance? “I would have loved to direct all the old classical Lebanese actors in one film.”

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What to do | 24 hours

24 HOURS IN CHAMONIX-MONT BLANC Text LUCY GILLESPIE

Bordering France, Switzerland and Italy, the Alpine capital is home to such legendary pistes as Brévent-Flégère, Le Domaine de Balme and the awe-inspiring Grands Montets, making Chamonix-Mont Blanc a favorite of celebrities such as the Beckhams, Kylie Minogue and Penélope Cruz.

Non-skiers are also welcome. Take in Annecy, the Venice of the Alps, before joining up with the elegant après-ski crowd at The Clubhouse

7AM:

7PM:

MONTENVERS TRAIN STATION Save yourself a two-and-a-half-hour hike by hopping on the Montenvers Rail to the Mer de Glace, Mont Blanc’s longest glacier. The peaceful, roundabout route gives you ample time to be at one with the glorious vista. The final road leads you directly inside a grotto, annually re-carved from within the glacier itself. Dress warmly (the temperature hovers between -2°C and -5°C), and make yourself at home among the ice-hewn furniture and sculptures.

HOT SPRINGS AT PRE-ST. DIDIER A shuttle bus wings the weary across the Italian border for restorative sojourns at this palace of relaxation. The outdoor thermal springs of Pre-St. Didier, steamy at 37°C and filled with natural minerals, have long soothed the sore muscles of hardcore skiers, all while providing majestic panoramic views of the surrounding mountains.

The Ravine waterfall massages are definitely worth a stop.

8AM:

4PM:

10PM:

NOON:

5PM:

MIDNIGHT:

TO PISTE OR TO OFF-PISTE? Chamonix-Mont Blanc is renowned for its pistes.

Le Brévent is the closest, providing a good range of intermediate to advanced runs. Argentière provides excellent off-piste options; ascend via Lognon cable car or Herse and Bochard chair lifts to the summit of the 3,300-meter Aiguille du Grands Montets.

LUNCH AT L’IMPOSSIBLE The cheerful dining room at L’Impossible is the perfect way to re-adjust to ground-level altitudes. Effusive chefs Auro Bucci and Takashi Minegawa celebrate the art of slow cooking, starting with organic Italian fare, then layering on a distinct third-culture flair.

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2:30PM:

WAKE UP Chalet Soli and Le Grepon, the independent Chalets run by Chamonix’s premier resort, Le Hameau Albert 1er, provide the perfect balance between authentic wooden-beamed coziness and luxurious mod-cons, making this the snowcapped hideaway of choice. Fat, crêpe-paper croissants, preserves, steaming bowls of hot chocolate and other mountain riches warmly await your waking.

OLD CHAMONIX A walk through the gingerbread-house streets of Old Chamonix provides endless distractions, from sampling the new season at Chanel to finding local cheeses and handcrafted chocolates to bring home. For winter-sports gear, all major brands are represented, from North Face to Patagonia.

APRÈS-SKI AT THE CLUBHOUSE Get away from the throngs of tourists at this exclusive sanctuary (and sister club to New York and London’s Milk and Honey). The Lazy Man Flip – a combo of port, calvados, cream, sugar and egg yolk – will revive your spirits. A members-only policy is avoidable only by making advance reservations.

DINNER AT ALBERT 1ER A day on the slopes induces the kind of hunger that only cream-sauced, lardon-speckled fondues and fricassees can sate. Michelin-starred Albert 1er should satisfy all cravings: their nine-course tasting menu is filled with flavors of the distinct local regions of Piemont, Comtes de Nice and Savoie.

LE CHOUCAS Rub shoulders with locals and visitors alike at this beloved aprés-aprés-ski destination. The New Year’s parties here are legendary, but at this stalwart of late-night activity, there is always something to see, even if it’s just the surplus of long-limbed, scantily clad Scandinavians.

Dec 2011-Jan 2012

Land of the Stupid, home of the Brave.

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Dec 2011-Jan 2012

SANTA BUNNY Photos ROBERTA RIDOLFI Styling EMILIE KAREH

Dior dress and Louis Vuitton bag, shoes and necklace

Gossip No. 16

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Top, skirt and necklace, all by Louis Vuitton

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Dec 2011-Jan 2012

Emporio Armani jacket, Carven bra, Roberto Cavalli jeans and Louis Vuitton necklace and shoes

Gossip No. 16

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Sandro top, Versace for H&M skirt and Louis Vuitton necklace

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Dec 2011-Jan 2012

Gossip No. 16

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YSL jumpsuit and sandals, and Louis Vuitton necklace

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Dec 2011-Jan 2012

Dolce & Gabbana bodysuit and Maje jacket

Gossip No. 16

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MOUNTAIN LODGE Photos ROBERTA RIDOLFI Styling EMILIE KAREH

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Dec 2011-Jan 2012

Calvin Klein dress and Agent Provocateur harness

Calvin Klein dress and Agent Provocateur harness

Gossip No. 16

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Diesel sweater, Laurence DoligĂŠ Luxe underwear, and Dsquared ice skates

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Dec 2011-Jan 2012

Sportmax top, Claudie Pierlot cardigan, Isabel Marant skirt and Wolford stockings

Gossip No. 16

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Paul & Joe Sister sweater and Rochas blouse

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Dec 2011-Jan 2012

Moschino Cheap and Chic blouse, The Kooples skirt, Isabel Marant coat, Falke socks and Paul & Joe shoes

Gossip No. 16

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Chanel cardigan and top, Vencouvert shorts, Falke socks and Rochas shoes

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Dec 2011-Jan 2012

Dolce & Gabbana dress, Moncler coat, Pimkie belt, Claudie Pierlot mittens, Falke socks and Rochas shoes

Gossip No. 16

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RETRO VIXEN Photos EDOUARD PLONGEON Styling HELENA TEJEDOR

Tom Ford sunglasses and Chanel dress

Oliver Peoples sunglasses and miu miu coat

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Dec 2011-Jan 2012

Sandro jacket, Sportmax shirt, Vivienne Westwood skirt, Robert Clergerie shoes and Falke socks

Gossip No. 16

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Paul & Joe jumpsuit and belt, Nina Ricci shoes, Oliver Peoples sunglasses and Sandro collar

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Dec 2011-Jan 2012

Bel-Air cardigan, IKKS top, Sportmax skirt, Pedro Lourenco boots, Mulberry bag and Sky Eyes sunglasses

Bel-Air dress, Sandro collar, Louis Vuitton bag, Nina Ricci shoes and Wolford pantyhose

Gossip No. 16

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Style | Shopping

DRESSED TO PARTY Styling MOUNA HARATI

LEATHER MY PLEASURE 5

1

3

7 4 2 6 1. Burberry jeans 2. JW Weston shoes 3. McQ by Alexander McQueen skirt 4. Etro bag 5. Equipment jacket 6. Maison Michel hat 7. Versus shoes

BLOCK MY COLORS

BLACK ME WHITE 1 3

2 3 2

1

4

4

5 1. Diane von Furstenberg clutch 2. Dolce & Gabbana bag 3. YSL bag 4. Salvatore Ferragamo shoes 7

SNAKE ME AROUND 1

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2 3

8

5 4 1

1. Christian Louboutin shoes 2. YSL clutch 3. D&G shoes 4.. D&G clutch 5. Céline bag 6. Diane von Furstenberg clutch 7. Diane von Furstenberg boots 8. Prada clutch

1. Dolce & Gabbana clutch 2. Chloé boots 3. Roberto Cavalli shoes 4. Gucci shoes 5. Prada clutch

SPARKLE MY BAG

Inge Christopher

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Chloé

Dolce & Gabbana

Inge Christopher

Marc by Marc Jacobs Dec 2011-Jan 2012

Shopping | Style

ACCESSORIZE MY LOOK

The choker

Emerald drapings

Drop earrings

WEDGE ME UP

Arm candy

Cropped pants

MAKE ME IN METAL

2

1

4

5

3

2

3

1. Pierre Hardy 2. Camilla Skovgaard 3. Pierre Hardy 4. YSL 5. Burberry

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DRESS ME LIKE AN ANIMAL 1

2

3 4

6 4 5

5

8 7

1. Balenciaga top 2. Diesel top 3. Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci shoes 4. Givenchy sweater 5. Christopher Kane dress Gossip No. 16

1. Marc by Marc Jacobs sweater 2. Dolce & Gabbana clutch 3. Camilla & Marc top 4. Mark & James pants 5. miu miu sweater 6. Dior bag 7. Vince sweater 8. Jimmy Choo shoes

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Style | My week

MY FASHION DIARY

Styling MOUNA HARATI Photos BACHAR SROUR

Fashion blogger Laura Berdoyan models a week’s worth of outfits, perfect for work, play and everything else

MONDAY

Juicy Couture poncho, Carven shirt, McQ

by Alexander McQueen skirt, Falke socks, Bloch shoes and miu miu clutch

TUESDAY

Rag & Bone pants, Theory shirt, Balenciaga bag and model’s own shoes

WEDNESDAY Stella McCartney dress, Burberry shoes, vintage necklace and model’s own bag

THURSDAY

Joseph coat, miu miu blouse, Joseph sweater, Camilla and Marc shorts, Bottega Veneta sunglasses, Burberry umbrella and miu miu bag

FRIDAY

Marc by Marc Jacobs top, McQ

by Alexander McQueen skirt, miu miu booties, D&G bag, CC Skye bracelet and Noir ring

SATURDAY

Carven dress, Dolce & Gabbana purse and YSL shoes

SUNDAY

Joseph dress, Carven jacket, Jerome Dreyfus bag and model’s own shoes

Visit www.ilovegarlicbread.blogspot.com

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Dec 2011-Jan 2012

Love bites | Style

BEIRUT ELECTRIC All youthful things that are transforming the city into the Middle East’s design capital

LUSCIOUS LAYLAT

Young Lebanese designer and Parsons Alum Layla Naamani began creating her whimsical shoes in New York and has since launched her line, Laylat, in Beirut.

KEEP ON DRAWING

ALBA alum and freelance illustrator Joseph Kai is making a name for himself with his creative cartoon drawings and clever illustrations.

COCKTAILS WITH DINA

Central St. Martins alum Dina Jsr recently showcased her stunning Lasting Impressions collection of cocktail dresses inspired by her native Lebanon. The designer is 27.

TIME TO SWITCH

Design duo Marie and Talia create adorable tees with illustrations of famous fashion figures under the Don’t Switch Me Off label.

EAR CANDY

Gaelle Dalati, 24, is behind the deliciously stylish Lollies earrings that have been a hit among Lebanese fashionistas since their 2009 debut.

TALA WITH A T

Lebanese designer Tala Habbal’s jewelry is definitely for the daring-est of fashionistas.

This chunky silver-plated chain necklace with gold spikes comes under the Designs

by Tala label.

MY MAN’S STYLE LOVE TO WRITE

Graphic designer Rouba Mourtada’s Choux à La Crème’s stationary collection is filled with delightful Middle Eastern-flavored paper goods.

Lebanese designer Nora Habbal, 21, is looking to boyfriends for style inspiration.

Her Royal Threads boyfriend cardigans with witty sayings are the perfect combo of sexy and cute.

COOL STOOLS

Lebanese artist and furniture designer Anastasia Nysten gets inspiration for her stools from travel, music and art.

DRESS TO IMPRESS

Lebanese lovely Sandra Mansour’s latest spring/summer 2012 collection focuses on flirty cocktail dresses and sultry eveningwear.

YOU’RE SO VAIN

Sarah’s Bags will never cease to delight us. Their new Gothic mini clutch is the perfect addition to any of your sexy holiday outfits.

Gossip No. 16

Inspired by Cinderella’s infamous glass slipper, Franco-Lebanese designer Laya Rahman launched her Cindy Glass shoe collection back in 2005.

EASTERN BAUBLES

The Vanina girls are unstoppable. Friends Tatiana and Joanne are selling their jewelry and clothing designs in cities like Beirut, Dubai, Milan and Paris.

TO LOVE AND TO HOLD

SOMEDAY MY PRINCE WILL COME

We love it when young designers turn to their Arab roots for design inspiration. The Crtl+Z jewelry pieces by designer Zinab Chahine feature iconic Fairouz images, old Egyptian movie posters and funny Arabic sayings.

MAMA CELESTE!

The Celeste clothing line by Lebanese designer Celine Atwi is filled with cropped shirts and printed pants that are fun and frisky.

JUST FOR YOUR IPAD

Lebanese designer and Starch alum Margherita Abi Hanna helps us funk up our tech gear with her fabulously stylish new iPad case.

WRAP IT AROUND

Ditch your boring old scarves and look to Lebanese designer Noriella al Hariri’s line All by N to spruce up your winter wardrobe.

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Style | Guidelines

FLIRTY ‘70S

Text LAURE AMBROISE Photos PHILIP NEUFELDT Styling ANNA QUÉROUIL

Find out how to look like a ‘70s icon – with an updated twist

.

The blazer should 1 always look like you’ve had it for years

.2 Frills on your blouse

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Say bye-bye to T-shirts and hello 4 to the dress shirt

.3 Just a touch of prints

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Cashmere day and night 5

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Daring jewelry 6

.7 Low waists are out!

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Play the color game 8

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Wooden wedges 9

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Dec 2011-Jan 2012

Beauty | Style

WAY BACK WHEN

Text MARION RENARD Photos MASON POOLE Makeup SERGIO CORVACHO Hair SÉBASTIEN LE CORROLER

‘40S GLAM

‘50S ROSE BABY

‘60S SEMI-SMOKY

Lucia Iraci

Laura Mercier

Julia Knafo

Hair guru

Makeup artist and founder of Laura Mercier cosmetics

“With this hairstyle, we get a sense of femininity and a bit of nostalgia. Hair kept down, touching the shoulders is messy but sexy.”

Makeup artist for Bobbi Brown “This winter the smoky look is easier and only focuses on strong color on the outer corners of the eyes. For every day, the look is lighter and less severe.”

“This winter is all about revisiting styles from years past and making them one’s own.

Try sexy lips from the ‘50s pin-up style.”

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2

1

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2 1 3

1. Carita Universal Spray 2. Lucia Iraci, Eau de Myrthe des Jardins de Méditerranée 3. Privé all natural hair spray

The very feminine and sultry ‘40s era takes us back to a time when cinema greats like Rita Hayworth and Veronika Lake showed off cute, old-fashioned curls. This season, miu miu channels that era on the fall/winter 2011-12 runways.

1. Laura Mercier Bare Pink lip gloss 2. Nars Montego Bay lipstick 3. Dior No. 640, Baby Rose, lip serum with SPF 20

This romantic and rosy color is both sensual and seductive. Spotted on the runways of Givenchy, Moschino Cheap and Chic, Donna Karan and Nina Ricci, this color changed the way we look at pink.

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1. Chanel eye shadow No. 85, Mirifique 2. Bobbi Brown No. 5, Rich Slate, and No. 1 Sand Dune 3. Estée Lauder Black Chrome eye shadow duo

The smoky eye look has become a makeup staple.

Although the look is difficult to master, this season it’s lighter, subtler and less severe. New eye shadow palettes featuring shadows in similar shades make the look achievable in mere minutes.

NAILS LIKE BUTTER Text SHIRINE SAAD

Nonie Creme’s line of nail polish, Butter, is a cult favorite Nonie Creme is American and British. She is petite and has big energy. She flaunts a gray Mohawk and a taste for fancy skin lasers. But don’t be fooled; behind this bubbly character is a driven woman who has become one of the best nail experts in the fashion world and whose British nail polish brand, Butter, is an editorial obsession. With colors like Yummy Mummy, a dirty greige with a hint of sparkle, or Wallis, a dark chocolate with thick gold sparkles, Butter reflects London’s raw creativity and draws on the city’s punk-rocker-meets-old-school-glamour energy. The brand statement is: “We believe in rock ‘n’ roll. Great Britain. And Fashion.”

Gossip No. 16

Butter’s celebrity customers include Alexander Wang, Victoria Beckham, Calvin Klein, Issa and Rachel Zoe, among others.

Creme develops bespoke colors for shows, which then inspire Butter’s seasonal collections. “Nails are a fashion accessory and can have a huge impact on an outfit,” she says.

Success hasn’t killed Creme’s punk ethos. Among her inspirations are painter John Currin’s distorted portraits and nudes, Alexander McQueen’s dark romanticism and, of course, London. Creme has also kept her sense of humor: “I know what Nonie Creme should look like: it’s gray hair and a Mohawk.”

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Style | Trends

STREETS OF PARIS Styling MOUNA HARATI

Gossip checks out the top trends for European hunks and the men who dress like them

1. BANDANA SCARF

We have Chuck Bass to thank for making the Ascot fashionable again. Thin bandanas and scarves wrapped around the neck up the fashion ante on an otherwise mundane shirt.

2 . SMALL COLLAR

The Peter Pan collar was the big thing on the women’s runways last season, and this fall men’s shirts are reinterpreting the trend with a slightly pointier version.

3. RADICAL SOCKS

Who said socks have to be boring? Stylish men are adding funk to the bottom halves of their outfits with trendy, multicolored socks.

4. BACKPACKS FOR ALL

The backpack is back! This practical and stylish addition to the fall/winter 2011 wardrobe has been spotted on many a runway.

7. MONK STRAP SHOES

Sounds weird, looks cool. Double buckle or “monk strap” shoes are the latest trend for men’s winter footwear.

5.VARSITY CARDIGAN

Take a cue from the classroom and add a cool varsity cardigan to a white tee and khakis or jeans for a look that’s both sexy and versatile.

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6. POCKET FUN

This winter add a blast of funk to your outfit by going for an unconventional pocket on a plain white tee or denim shirt.

Dec 2011-Jan 2012

Trends | Style

8. DENIM EVERYWHERE

There has never been a better season to play around with denim. Combining light and dark hues is the best way to achieve a hip yet sophisticated look.

9. DOUBLE-BREASTED

The quintessential gentleman’s double-breasted suit is a wardrobe staple for men this winter season, with designers like Burberry and Zegna perfecting the art of the coat.

11. FAUX FUR

10. COLORED JEANS

Colored denim was seen all over the winter runways both for men and women. The men’s versions are a little more subdued, with hues of mustard and marine blue.

Shearling and faux fur are warming up the hottest coats on men’s runways this season. Just a touch goes a long way.

13. CROPPED PANTS

Roll em up, cuff em or just buy them that way. However you do it, this is one trend worth exploring.

12 . LAYER AWAY

Master the art of layering by picking light pieces in different fabrics, colors and textures. Mix denim and tweed for an edgy, urban look.

Gossip No. 16

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Nightlife | Mar Mikhael

PARTY DESTINATION: MAR MIKHAEL

Text NATASHA DIRANY Photos TONY ELIEH

Join the exodus as Beirut’s party-seekers migrate east this winter to hipper climes. The bars of Mar Mikhael are kicking Beirut’s nightlife neighborhoods to the kerb (yes, Hamra, Gemmayze and Monot, we mean you) with great DJs, creative cocktails and late-night drinking spots that stay alive well past bedtime BEHIND THE GREEN DOOR No one is entirely sure if it’s the mood-lighting and “green room” interior or if the bar’s bouncers have a beautiful-people-only door policy, but there’s something about BTGD, affectionately referred to as “Green Door” by its regulars, that makes everyone seem slightly better looking. When the clock strikes midnight this is the place to be (and to be pretending you don’t want to be seen). Order a Bloody Mary, drape yourself across a velvet couch and let the evening’s decadence unfold until the early morning, while DJs play the trendiest music in town. T 01.565.656.

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EM CHILL Swig a shot of Sailor Jerry while sitting at the upstairs bar before (carefully) descending the spiral staircase into EM Chill’s basement. The venue has become a suitably below-street-level habitat for Beirut’s growing underground music scene and alternative-flavored club nights. A night here is a game of musical Russian roulette; a mixed bag of local acts, ranging from punk to Palestinian hip hop, fill up the bill, with occasional guest spots from international artists passing through the city.

The “EM” stands for electro-mécanique, a tribute to Mar Mikhael’s local mechanics. T 01.565.313.

LEI Say “surprise me” to a barman at Lei when asked what you’d like to drink and trust that you’re in safe hands. Ordering a bottle of Almaza here is a serious faux pas: Lei prides itself as a master of mixology, using only the best ingredients, custommade glasses, fresh fruit and bar staff who know the encyclopedic cocktail menu by heart. Set inside the top floor of an old Lebanese house (restaurant Chez Sophie occupies the bottom floor), the place features a different DJ every night: the record spinners keep the crowd happy by bypassing the Top 40 with non-commercial party tunes. T 01.444.090.

Dec 2011-Jan 2012

Mar Mikhael | Nightlife

HONORABLE MENTIONS

L’OSTERIA During the day, this cozy bar and bistro’s cavernous interior makes a great spot for a cappuccino, but it’s when nighttime falls that L’Osteria’s real atmosphere takes over. Candles, glasses of wine (L’Osteria prefers to serve non-commercial bottles from small caves) and homemade Italian dishes fill up the wooden tables; perfect for a long, laid-back and civilized evening, with live music on Sunday and Monday nights. T. 01.566.175.

CHAPLINS A bar in Beirut dedicated to Charlie Chaplin? The premise might seem a bit odd at first, but newly opened Chaplins knows exactly how to let the good times roll. Admire the Chaplin memorabilia that lines the walls while mingling with the cool, unpretentious crowd – or grab one of the bar’s fake moustaches and Chaplin hats and have your Polaroid taken as the man himself. T. 03.286.977.

SECTEUR 75 Taking its name from the area code of Mar Mikhael, Secteur 75 explodes with distressed walls, graffiti and chandeliers. You feel as if you’ve arrived inside an aging rock star’s crumbling mansion, with a bar flown in straight from Manhattan’s Meatpacking District. Try the Moscow Mule, served in an icecold steel cup, the thyme vodka gimlet or any other refreshingly risqué cocktail, aperitif or digestif. As well as the drinks, the kitchen serves a choice menu of international dishes. Penne alla Russian Standard, a vodka-splashed pasta dish, will keep your party buzz on track. T 01.575.675.

Gossip No. 16

LA BOUTEILLE La Bouteille’s concept is simple: take a bottle of the bar’s carefully selected range of local and international wine, single malt whisky and other spirits and watch the evening while away. Another new addition to Mar Mikhael’s bar scene, La Bouteille seems calm at first, thanks to a soothing jazz soundtrack, but has quickly gained a reputation for getting as rowdy as its revelers, who spill out onto the tiny candlelit terrace. T 01.570.811.

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Style | Coats

SUGAR COATED Text TALA HABBAL

TORY BURCH Inspired by the English countryside and rich in tweedy textures, the coat took center stage at Tory Burch’s fall/winter 2011-2012 show. Running the gamut from long and fabulous to short and casual, styles included knee-length sleeveless numbers in brown and black fur, military-style wool looks in beige and black, as well as a long, coral, double-breasted sweater-like piece with a hefty beige fur collar.

ALL DRESSED UP Known for its free-spirited and urban feel, contemporary label All Dressed Up blends modern sophistication with Asian design elements.

The coats in the fall/winter 2011-12 collection prove that covering up can be fun and playful. A double-breasted black wool cape is the perfect combo to a brown tweed mini, while khaki and cream-colored wool coats with large cuffed sleeves balance out cute and girly belted dresses.

THEORY For his first-ever Theyskens for Theory collection, designer Olivier Theyskens created coats that exude a chic, minimalist vibe cleverly in tune with the brand’s trendy yet pure aesthetic. Floor-grazing wool and velvet maxi coats in shades of gray were both structured and feminine, with a bit of a gothic edge. Shorter toppers included a boxy black knee-length, cape-like coat as well as a more casual zippered short black raincoat.

CARVEN Blair and Serena would totally love French brand Carven’s fall/winter 2011-12 collection. Former Givenchy designer Guillaume Henry has taken over the fashion reins at this celebrity-loved brand, and the mood is prep school meets high street fashionista. Whether it’s the navy knee-length tweed jacket with toggles or the gray double-breasted version, the looks are fit for any Upper East Side princess.

Wireless | Tablet

KINDLE MY FIRE Text EMMA HASHIMOTO

Amazon’s new Kindle Fire: you just gotta have it!

Just released on November 15, the Kindle Fire has done the unthinkable: beaten the iPad in its first week of sales. While the iPad was aimed at toppling laptops from the top slot, Amazon created a device that was, first and foremost, for reading.

Well if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! By focusing on the realm of media (over extraneous features that pilfer memory and battery life), the Kindle Fire keeps the magic of imagination alive and well.

The iPad may be armed to the teeth with the latest apps, but Amazon by far bests iTunes’ stock of content. Over 100,000 movies and TV shows, and millions of books, magazines and songs are nothing to sneeze at. Furthermore, finger-wagging

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Apple disallows an array of desirable content, while Google Android users complain that overavailability makes for too much time spent sifting.

This nifty new tablet reaches a perfect middleground: Amazon Silk’s Cloud-Accelerated Browser provides tailored search results at lightning speed.

Inspired by the lightness of a paperback, the Kindle Fire is blessedly easy to wield. Its compact size (seven inches) makes it less bulky and more portable than other tablets. The energy of graphic novels (including long-awaited Watchmen) is explosive, on a screen far less likely to shatter than that of the iPad when you accidentally sit on it.

Dec 2011-Jan 2012

Sex bombs | Citizens

BUSTY BEAUTIES

Text JEAN-MARIE DELBÉS

Check out what 10 voluptuous sex bombs had to say about themselves MARILYN MONROE “Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it’s better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring.”

DOLLY PARTON “It’s a good thing I was born a girl, otherwise I’d be a drag queen.”

JAYNE MANSFIELD “A 41-inch bust and a lot of perseverance will get you more than a cup of coffee – a lot more.”

CHRISTINA HENDRICKS “Instead of trying to downplay your curves, find a designer or style that glorifies them. There are designers who simply don’t design for people with shape and there are those — like L’Wren Scott or Roland Mouret — who do exactly that. Once you find what looks best on you, stick with it.”

CRYSTAL RENN “During the shoot in November 2003, I was vaguely aware of the stylist’s sulky demeanor and eye-rolling vibe, but I blocked her out. Some fashion people are snotty drama queens; this is not news. Whatever was going on with her, I was determined to be positive and not get infected by her energy. Later, Fiorella told me that the entire time I was in makeup, the stylist had been clomping up and down the hall, sputtering into her cell phone, ‘I can’t believe I have to style a FAT GIRL!’” SCARLETT JOHANSSON “I hope they make a video game of me. At least I wouldn’t have any cellulite then.”

ANITA EKBERG “It was I who made Fellini famous, not the other way around.”

LAETITIA CASTA “Real beauty is to be true to oneself. That’s what makes me feel good.”

BETTIE PAGE “I love to swim in the nude and roam around the house in the nude. You’re just as free as a bird!”

ANGELINA JOLIE “Honestly, I like everything, boyish girls, girlish boys, the heavy and the skinny.”

Gossip No. 16

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Music | Tyler The Creator

TYLER: CREATOR AND DESTROYER Text CLÉO LE-TAN and SERENA MAKOFSKY

Tyler The Creator is out for a good time How do you like your Tyler? If you grew up with him, you knew him as Tyler Okonma, but most call the rapper Tyler The Creator. Still and all, there’s Wolf Haley, an alter ego who the 20-yearold describes as a “cool-ass, red-headed ginger dude.” If you follow his tweets, he’s fucktyler.

He’s pure LA, using the skater-speak of “gnar” to describe everything from his sold-out gig in Austin to Waffle Crisp. His surprising win of the VMA’s Best New Artist award had him falling into Kanye West’s arms in tears. All this after the brouhaha of dissing Bruno Mars during the pre-show.

It’s no wonder that in his hit single “Yonkers” – with images of Tyler eating a cockroach, puking

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and then hanging himself – he features the lyric “I’m a fucking walking paradox, no I’m not.” During an interview, he elaborates, “It’s a big mind fuck.” He adds that the short, sharp turnarounds and verbal sparring represent him in philosophical combat with Wolf Haley.

The games continue. In his latest video (for the single “Bitch Suck Dick”) with Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All, Tyler dons a long, wavy hairpiece and little else while jogging on the beach. It’s pure David Hasselhoff, and don’t bother looking for deep meaning. In the artist’s words: “I just thought it’d be funny if I ran on the beach in a wig.”

Gossip asked Tyler the Creator some personal questions. This is what the dude had to say: 1. How old are you?

I’m 27. (He’s only 20!)

2. Do you like skateboarding?

Not at all.

3. What about girls?

Love them.

4. Do you prefer questions about music?

I hate all types of questions. End of story. Except maybe extremely random ones about toilets, tables or toasters.

5. Do you get along well with other musicians?

I try to never argue and get into fights.

Dec 2011-Jan 2012

Albums | Music

TUNE IN, BLAST OFF Text SERENA MAKOFSKY

Amy Winehouse LIONESS: HIDDEN TREASURES This 12-track compilation consists of unreleased original songs, covers, between-song noodlings, different versions of recorded tracks and demos for singles that would have wound up on Winehouse’s next album (including “Like Smoke,” her duet with Nas). It’s what you have to settle for, but these tidbits offer a glimpse of the singer’s astonishing range, from jazzy scatting to hip hop phrasing. Her bluesy rendition of Carole King’s “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?” – part of the Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason soundtrack – betrays an achingly beautiful voice. And then there’s the doo-wop and harmonizing that made the artist famous.

PLAYLIST Kate Bush 50 WORDS FOR SNOW In what sounds like a John Cage experiment, Kate Bush recorded an album set to the sound of falling snow. The single “Wild Man” showcases the breathy side of her iconic voice. The title track has Stephen Fry reciting an invented lexicon in the guise of an Inuit professor, while Elton John appears on “Snowed In At Wheeler Street,” a song of disembodied lovers.

Rihanna TALK THAT TALK She’s a hit-making machine who manages to sound original and not overproduced. For her latest release, the Barbados-born singer pushes her style in countless directions, hitting up dirty pop, R&B, dance music, drum ‘n’ bass and reggae. The lyrics veer from romantic to raunchy, with standout cuts including the title track (with Jay-Z returning to collaborate) “You Da One.”

Gossip’s art director Laurent El Khoury shares his playlist. Download it for a peaceful but dynamic experience.

“Helena” by The Equals

James Blake LOVE WHAT HAPPENED HERE Trademark fuzzy guitar opens “Heart’s All Gone,” a bonus track on the deluxe edition of this shortbut-sweet album. We last heard from the Cali pop punk band in 2003, though the members have explored side projects. Bassist Mark Hoppus described the inspiration behind the album title. “We’re all very different people…we’re like different neighborhoods in a city.”

“The Genius and the Gangster”

by General Elektriks “I’m His Girl” by Friends “Can You Find a Way?” by The Rapture “Don’t Stop the Dance” by Bryan Ferry “The Noose of Jah City” by King Krule “Lonely Boy” by The Black Keys “Oblivion” by Grimes

Jónsi WE BOUGHT A ZOO Spending time outdoors – be it strumming the guitar on the beach or sitting in a phone booth writing lyrics – inspired the music on the Irish band’s latest EP. Singer Gary Lightbody, who once had to sell his record collection to pay the rent, has drawn international attention to the Belfast music scene. Here, his vocals walk the line between pop music and an indie edge.

“Il N’y A Que Toi” ( Junesex RMX)

by Guillaume Fedou “On the Water” by Future Islands “Cyan” by Kindness “Janet” by New Look “For Joel” by Ivan Smagghe “Fallout” by Neon Indian “Can’t Buy Love” (Original Mix)

Kele THE HUNTER The rumor mill is churning over whether Kele got fired from his singer/guitarist gig for Brit rock band Bloc Party. This EP may be his ultimate revenge. The first single – revealingly titled “What Did I Do?” – features Lucy Taylor on lead vocals against a bubbly beat. Sometimes soulful and often yearning, this seven-song collection reminds us that breaking up is hard to do.

Gossip No. 16

by Aquarius Heaven “New How Love Life” by Joakim “Break It All” (Demo edit)

by Krikor and the Hillbillies “Dead End” by Chloe “The Age of Compassion” by Tevo Howard

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Movie | Icon

Flakes

(500) Days of Summer

TAKE ME TO THE ZOOEY Text SERENA MAKOFSKY

A tour of hipsterdom through the flicks of Zooey Deschanel Bring on the cupcakes with pink and aqua frosting. It’s time to get your fill of all that is lovely and adorkable in the work of actress Zooey Deschanel. She enters living rooms every week via New Girl, a sitcom that scored over 10 million viewers for its premiere. Deschanel plays Jess, the awkward-yet-gorgeous woman who ditches her cheating boyfriend to live in a house with a bunch of guys she finds online. She’s Generation Y’s Liz Lemon, complete with black-framed glasses and a line of underpants peeking out of her low-rise jeans.

But this is only Deschanel’s most recent incarnation as the retro girl next door who favors perfect A-line dresses. In the movie Flakes, she plays Miss Pussy Katz, the street artist who slings Fruit Loops at a New Orleans café devoted to retro sugar cereals. She has dreams, though, of riding

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at the helm of a vintage Airstream trailer. And her baby blues make the whole sweet package taste free of fortified irony.

This hipster icon brings an earnest delivery to her lines that makes her just this side of believable. As Frances in The Good Life, she persuades Jason, a gas station attendant, that his life is worth fighting for. As Kit in Failure to Launch, she makes terribly wise comments like, “You are a dirty little fun-haver” and “What the hell kind of devil bird chirps at night?” She’s like Yoda, but with perfect skin. The anti-romcom (500) Days of Summer has Deschanel as the protagonist, Summer, telling Tom, the love interest, that she never wants to be a girlfriend. The two progress from dates at a record store to dates at Ikea, with Tom falling ever deeper. In his words, “It was a rare quality, this Summer effect.”

I call it the Deschanel effect. That visage, the quirky gesture, the near nasal voice, it stays with you. I may get nauseous with indie-film jerky camera work or weep with faux nostalgia during the flickering home movies that run during the titles, but I am seduced by her manic pixie dream girl world.

Film critic Nathan Rabin identifies this character type as “that bubbly, shallow cinematic creature that exists solely in the fevered imaginations of sensitive writer-directors to teach broodingly soulful young men to embrace life and its infinite mysteries and adventures.”

I could sit down for a cuppa at that twee party.

Deschanel and I would give each other makeovers with too-bright colors and watch funny kitten videos on YouTube. At least until we ran out of cupcakes.

Dec 2011-Jan 2012

Pulse | Movie

GIRLS KICKING ASS Text SERENA MAKOFSKY

ON THE BIG SCREEN

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO David Fincher, whose taste for violent movies includes directing Fight Club, does not hold back in this gritty crime thriller.

Based on Stieg Larsson’s international bestselling trilogy and the hit Swedish film it inspired, the movie concerns a journalist, Mikael Blomkvist (played by Daniel Craig) who is investigating a murder 40 years after the fact. He seeks the help of Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara). She looks like a waifish street punk and has the ability to hack your Mac, read encrypted messages and remember a face after a single glance at a photograph. She’s just the woman Blomkvist needs to crack the case, but the plot is less whodunit and more an exploration of sexual violence, family secrets and revenge.

WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN

SLEEPING BEAUTY

THE IRON LADY

HAYWIRE

This is the gripping story of a mother who must come to terms with the results of her son’s sociopathic behavior and acts of extreme violence. The narrative darts back and forth, pausing to juxtapose images such as a splatter of paint morphing into spilled blood. Tilda Swinton puts on the performance of her career as a woman grappling with grief and guilt.

Languid and haunting, this erotic drama follows a beautiful university student (Emily Browning) as she finds an outlet for her existential yearnings by serving as the object of others’ desires. Things get creepy quickly, but the most arresting element is not the film’s premise, but the vivid cinematography that makes the situation seem all the more dream-like.

Who better than Meryl Streep to take on the role of Margaret Thatcher and give it complexity? This biopic tackles the sweeping theme of a woman who tore down gender barriers to rule a nation, but makes the story an intensely personal one, focusing on Thatcher’s sacrifices and conflicts on the road to power, including the studied posh accent she adopted to appeal to the conservative masses.

Mallory Kane, an ex-Marine on black ops, is a woman on a mission. When she gets double-crossed during a covert operation, she suddenly finds herself the target of an international manhunt. To escape the deathtrap and exact revenge upon her would-be assassins, she resorts to every trick she’s got. Mixed Martial Arts superstar Gina Carano plays the ass-kicker, with Steven Soderbergh directing the film.

FLICKS TO DOWNLOAD

LIFE ABOVE ALL

CATFISH

HOWL

THE VIRGINITY HIT

NOWHERE BOY

Present-day South Africa serves as the backdrop for a story about family loyalty. This top-of-theline drama provokes cheers and tears.

A documentary that feels like a hoax chronicles two aspiring filmmakers and a photographer as they get tangled in a web of deception online and IRL.

This experimental flick had the filmmakers working years beyond their schedule to capture the impact of Allen Ginsberg’s epic performance poem.

Remember the ‘80s trend of teen sex comedies?

It’s back, this time as a mockumentary following four boys’ exploits to lose their V-Cards.

Chronicling John Lennon’s formative years, this film uses material from Imagine This: Growing Up with My Brother John Lennon, written by his half-sister.

Gossip No. 16

THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNET’S NEST This Swedish adaptation of the final book in Steig Larsson’s trilogy brings Lisbeth Salander’s harrowing story to an end.

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What to do | Plan Bey

Alexandra Warde

Fadi Adleh

A PICKLE JAR AND A CARD Text AG JOY Photos RAYA FARHAT

Plan Bey in Mar Mikhael carries wacky gift items Branding itself as somewhere between a gallery and a bookshop, Plan Bey in Mar Mikhael offers products that are high in artistic and cultural value. Whether you’re looking for a funky gift or something just for you, Plan Bey’s products are all unique and exude a stylish Lebanese vibe.

Among the more interesting items featured are re-appropriated jars by Lebanese interior designer Alexandra Warde. What Warde has done is take any old jar of any size (jams, sauces, pickles) and, using collage, has covered them with artistic and colorful (and even kitsch) compositions of different themes – views of Lebanon, of religious icons, of flowers.

The series, called Kabees (Arabic for pickles – what

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many of the jars carried in their previous life), can be used as treasure containers, or as photophores – with a candle in them they magnify and give life to the collage and allow the stories that each carries to completely unfold. No two jars are alike in size or design, so each is truly unique, and expresses Warde’s “picturesque, bubbling imagination.”

Other options at Plan Bey, which make great gifts or souvenirs, include the “Non-Occasional Cards” by young Lebanese artist Fadi Adleh. The series of cards all carry original illustrations using traditional ink pen techniques, before being photoengraved and printed on a manual letterpress using pigment ink on rich and cotton acid-free art

paper. Although called non-occasional, the cards actually do celebrate occasions, just not typical, already over-commemorated events. Instead, Adleh has designed cards that mark a new full moon (Happy Full Moon) with a drawing of a moon amid clouds; to celebrate spring (Merry Spring) with an illustration of a sky with birds; to wish friends or loved ones happiness in their new abode (Happy New Apartment) with a drawing of a building and rooftop set up with lounging chairs; to take pleasure in the inclement weather (Enjoy the Storm) with a sketching of ominous clouds; and, to celebrate a morning joe (Happy first cup of the morning) with an illustration of a cup of coffee with steam emanating from it.

Dec 2011-Jan 2012

Bullets | Green

ECOBUZZ Text ZIAD GEDEON

Sometime in the not-too-distant future you might zap your dirty water clean in a minute, fly over to your neighbors for coffee in their sunny underground garden, buy them an artsy present made of fruit and control your home temperature from another continent 1. UNDERNEATH

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4. BAMBOO BEAUTY The limited edition Ever Manifesto Bamboo bag, designed by Sustainability Design Contest winner Laura Popoiviciu, features recycled cotton, bamboo linen lining and bamboo handles. The contest was sponsored by Gucci and the French Fashion Institute. The bag is available at select Gucci boutiques, including New York, Paris, London, Rome and Milan, and at gucci.com.

5. FLIGHT OVER THE CITY Is it time to say goodbye to the car and whizz from one Beirut high-rise to another with a Multicopter? Maybe not yet, but the technology is here.

This German invention has 16 propellers and takes off like a helicopter.

6. CLEAN UP BEIRUT From a spoiled culture of “throw it on the ground and they’ll clean it up” to the more proactive “I don’t litter,” one campaign is teaching the Lebanese to think differently. Just display the Ana Ma Bkeb sticker on your car, wear the T-shirt and start spreading the word. Google Ana Ma Bkeb to sign up.

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Gossip No. 16

It almost looks like an alien house from a ‘60s episode of Star Trek. This underground house, to be built in the British countryside, is as eco-friendly as it is stylish. The “building” interferes minimally with the landscape around it, encourages the natural biodiversity of the area and enjoys lots of natural sunlight with its sunken terraces and proposed fruit garden in its midst.

2. CRYSTAL WATER Marketed as a cool tool for when you go to exotic places, the SteriPen can actually save millions in Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Just pop the UV water purifying SteriPen in a glass of water for 48 seconds, and it will kill over 99.9 percent of germs and miniature monsters.

3. LIVING IN A CUBE Don’t tear down the forest to build your dream home, get a MirrorCube that blends in seamlessly and respects the environment. You practically can’t see this prefab dwelling unless you’re a bird, thanks to its infrared film. MirrorCube was conceived by Tham & Videgård Arkitekter of Sweden and boasts design-led interiors and glass-clad exteriors.

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7. PERFECT TEMPERATURE Although thermostats that regulate AC or heating are common in offices or homes, the Nest Learning Thermostat actually “learns” your preferences and adjusts itself accordingly. It takes a week for the thermostat to program itself, as it checks outside temperature constantly, using Wi-Fi connectivity and saving lots on energy. Built-in sensors even tell it when you’re in and out of the house to save on energy, and you can control it through the web.

8. CATCH THE WATER It might look like a cross between a pogo stick, a toilet tank and a garden light, but this amazing gadget captures moisture from the driest air and can water a whole farm if you have enough of them. AirDrop is powered by its own wind turbine, as well as solar power, and can easily be installed.

9. COLOMBIAN COOL Dos Uno Design of Colombia wanted to make designer furniture accessible for those who didn’t have loads of money, so they came up with some funky items made from recyclable material such as pipes, wood and wire. The firm is currently setting up an online platform to help with assembly and design.

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What to do | FOMO

YOU’VE GOT FOMO! Text LUCY GILLESPIE Illustration MAZEN KERBAJ

Do you know where you’re going to end up tonight?

The panic of knowing that somewhere, fabulousness is happening and you are not there but if you were, it would change your life, is the latest global affliction. FOMO (fear of missing out) is plaguing many social media users, who navigate tirelessly between Facebook, Twitter and YouTube and Flickr, on either their BlackBerry or iPhone, to find out what’s happening and where they should be at that particular point in time.

Hani was all excited about the closing party at Skybar. As the day approached, however, his mounting Facebook event list called to him. A beach party thrown by Tala, his ex-girlfriend, at Eddé Sands in Byblos, was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

He was still obsessed with Tala and trying to get her back. He also wanted to know if she was seeing another guy. If he went to Skybar, he would miss out on both the party and Tala. But he couldn’t skip Skybar either: it was going to be the party of a lifetime!

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Layla had made three separate plans for Saturday night. She’d agreed to go out with her BFF Maria to Mybar (to meet hot guys!), and she’d also accepted to go out on a first date with Samer, a 24-year-old banker with stuff sticking out in all the right places. Just to make sure she had a backup plan in case the other two fell through, she also agreed to go to a party thrown by her colleague Karim. When the fateful hour struck – and it was time to choose between all three – Layla decided to go out with Samer, but all during dinner (at Momo’s), she kept sending BBMs to Maria, asking if there were any hot guys at Mybar, and SMS after SMS to Karim to find out who was at his party, how long it would last and if she could still show up later. Samer was offended by her lack of attention, so he drove her home and never called her again; the party at Karim’s was over by the time she showed up; and Maria had picked up a beefy young stud at Mybar and was

waking up in unfamiliar surroundings when she finally checked her BlackBerry to find Layla’s frantic BBMs. Any of these sound familiar? If guilt about such seizings has been keeping you up at night, take comfort, friend, for you are not alone.

Potential is the sticking point of FOMO. These days, all information is available to all (in theory), which means that if you don’t use it, you’re just lazy.

Caterina Fake, lauded Aphrodite of the tech world, and co-founder of Flickr and Hunch, has much to say on the subject of FOMO in her blog. Her advice to fight these demons is to remember that social media can, and should, be used for good. And the best way to combat FOMO? Turn that phone upside down, zip it in a hard-to-reach pocket, or better yet – turn it all the way off. Yes, you can.

Dec 2011-Jan 2012

Bulletin | Wireless

TECHBYTES

Text GAELLE DALATI and ZIAD GEDEON

RETRO HURRICANE The Holden Hurricane was way ahead of its time in 1969, and it’s still stunning today. The car features a forward-swinging windshield to let you in, futuristic electronic digital displays and a Pathfinder system that’s equivalent to today’s GPS.

PICTORIAL BEST Imagine a camera that can focus on the image after it’s been taken! The Lytro Light Field Camera functions differently from all others. It captures millions of light rays including color, intensity and vector dimension to create the ultimate image.

CAFFEINE KICK Want a boost on the run? Forget the coffee stand and get yourself an Aeroshot. It looks like an asthma inhaler, but instead it gives you a shot of caffeine in powder form that dissolves in the mouth. Next thing you know, they’ll be making donut powder!

IMPROMPTU DJ Turn your laptop into a music machine with the Numark DJ2Go. Just plug the keyboard-sized gizmo into your USB port and bingo, you have a mixer with two plates, two deck controls and precise pitch control among other features. Perfect for an impromptu party!

SHOOT ‘EM UP If you’ve ever dreamed of machinegunning someone down, this is your weapon. It blasts a series of discs at you from far away and has targeting lights to zoom on your prey. The Nerf Vortex Nitron blaster is also ideal for jilted lovers.

LIGHT IN FLIGHT The Floating Lamp’s base looks like your grandmother’s side lamp, but the floating top in midair is futuristic indeed. Its genius is a result of electromagnetism that allows the shade to float over the base part, as if it were sliced by a thick laser.

PALAZZO ON WHEELS The Elemment Palazzo is the luxury limousine of the bus world. A sexy fly-bridge lounge pops out of the roof, and the couch transforms into a bar, while a private bedroom and bathroom ensure the ultimate escape. Remote video access enables viewing and climate control from anywhere on the vehicle.

SECRET SPY Send the Rover spy tank over to your neighbors or give it to your girlfriend so you can spy on her with either your iPhone or iPad. A hidden microphone and cam with infrared night vision will stream video and sound back to you! This spy device works from up to 60 meters away.

BLOGS

tlkabtmovies.wordpress.com Check out the latest movie reviews on this cutabove-the-rest blog by Lebanese film enthusiast and critic Anis Tabet.

Gossip No. 16

lagaellou.blogspot.com Accessory designer Gaelle Dalati’s blog focuses on the newest accessories and trends in fashion.

The blog also has plenty of tips and DIY projects.

mustapha-dance.tumblr.com Mustapha Dance is all about music. Created

by Lebanese DJ Basil Ghosn, the blog features the hippest and newest music on the web.

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Nightlife | Snapshots

BIG IN BEIRUT Photos BACHAR SROUR

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Dec 2011-Jan 2012

Event mania | What to do

DATEBOOK: HOLIDAY SPECIAL THROUGH DECEMBER 9 BEIRUT

THROUGH DECEMBER 23 ZAITUNAY BAY, BEIRUT

DECEMBER 30 BIEL, BEIRUT

DECEMBER 30 COPACABANA BEACH, BRAZIL

BEIRUT CHANTS

OPEN AIR CHRISTMAS MARKET

ARMIN VAN BUUREN

DAVID GUETTA

Beirut Chants, a series of musical concerts, takes place in several churches throughout Beirut in celebration of Christmas.

Zaitunay Bay hosts its first Open Air Christmas Market with 42 “chalets” selling handmade goods, accessories, crafts and tasty treats.

The biggest DJ in the world and king of the trance scene Armin Van Buuren will be in Beirut for an amazing preNew Year’s Eve bash.

DJ sensation David Guetta is the star headliner at this pre-New Year’s Eve party, set on the world’s most iconic beach.

DECEMBER 30-JANUARY 8 PLAYA DEL CARMEN, MEXICO

DECEMBER 31 BIEL, BEIRUT

DECEMBER 31 LONDON

DECEMBER 31 SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA

BPM FESTIVAL

BLACKOUT PARTY

NEW YEAR’S EVE AT EGG

HEDKANDI, THE GLITTER BALL PARTY

This massive 10-day festival features over 40 live musical events by the likes of Dany Howells, Steve Lawler and John Digweed.

Beirut’s BIEL is illuminated with LED lights and glow-in-the-dark elements for the city’s coolest New Year’s Eve bash.

One of the biggest party venues in London, the Egg welcomes 2012 with a dazzling Rio de Janeiro carnival theme.

With seven bars spread over three levels and views of the Sydney Opera House, this massive party features the hottest hits in trance and house music.

DECEMBER 31 SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA

DECEMBER 31 ATLANTIS, DUBAI

DECEMBER 31 LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

DECEMBER 31 LONDON

SEA OF DREAMS

DUBAI SANDANCE

CLEOPATRA’S BALL

TORTURE GARDEN BALL

This lavish New Year’s event draws inspiration from Burning Man and features performance art, singers, dancers and a costume party theme.

The Atlantis Hotel celebrates the New Year with a party on the beach that starts at 3pm and continues to the wee hours of the morning.

Grauman’s Egyptian Theater Courtyard is home to this event, which features Hollywood’s best DJs and an all-night open bar.

Put on your skimpiest bondage gear, grab a whip and head to the sexiest New Year’s Eve bash, featuring drag and bondage acts.

DECEMBER 31 NEW YORK

DECEMBER 31 BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA

DECEMBER 31 TORONTO, CANADA

DECEMBER 31 AMSTERDAM

DEADMAU5

NEW YEAR’S BALL

MASQUERADE 2012

NYE SILVER DISCO

The Canadian music producer and DJ lays down his hottest tracks at one of the most exciting New Year’s Eve events in the city.

Take a ride back in time to your carefree high school days at this eccentric prom-themed New Year’s Eve event.

Put your party masks on, and enjoy hors d’oeuvres, champagne and a massive heated outdoor patio at Club V’s hot masquerade ball.

The Sugar Factory and Electronation team up to host this New Year’s Eve party, featuring disco outfits and disco tunes.

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ACS Waterproof camper.com

CAMPER. Beirut souks, Souk El Tawileh Street. Beirut central district. Tel: 01 99 11 11 ext: 568