Gossip20 by Aishti

Aug-Sep 2012

No. 20

ONE NAKED SUMMER: SEXY BEACHWEAR BUSTING UP BEIRUT NEW GEN “IT” GIRLS: LENA, AZEALIA AND BITSIE BROOKLYN’S COUNTER-CULTURE WHERE’S THE HIPSTER NOW?

YOU DON’T EXIST UNTIL THEY TALK ABOUT YOU

WWW.AISHTI.COM

Available in Aïshti Downtown, Aïshti Seaside, Aïshti Verdun, Aïzone ABC Ashrafieh, Aïzone City Mall, Aïzone Beirut Souks, Aïzone ABC Dbaye, +961.1.991111, Dubai, Mall of the Emirates +971.4.3479333, Dubai Mall +971.4.3306442, Mirdiff City Center +971.4.2843007, Jordan, City Mall +962 65815670, Kuwait, The Avenues Mall +965 22598016

Directory

Okay, so you’re stuck in Lebanon for the rest of the summer. Should you just go ahead and hang yourself or is there a way to make the best out of this situation? We opt for the second scenario. Sure, Beirut is no St. Tropez, and the Lebanese coast is as far away as you can get from the sophisticated glitz of the Côte d’Azur, but wait, are we selling our Mediterranean land short? We have the hot beach resorts (Iris, Veer, Orchid, La Plage, Riviera), the mountain escapes (Faraya, Faqra, Bikfaya, Ehden), the shopping (ABC, Beirut Souks, Saifi

Village, Downtown) and, of course, more hip restaurants and bars than can fit in this entire issue of Gossip. So count your blessings, stop nagging and get your hot self to SkyBar, White or Pier 7. Heck, you could even go to Cassino while you’re at it. Your mere presence will turn any place into the sexiest spot earth. See you in October, wannabe hipsters!

OUR JUNIOR ART DIRECTOR MOVED TO LONDON. DO YOU WANT TO REPLACE HER? SEND YOUR CV TO REPLACINGMELANIE@GOSSIP-BEIRUT.COM ART DIRECTOR

JUNIOR ART DIRECTOR

ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT Melhem Moussallem, Gaelle Dalati, Pamela el Kahi

JUNIOR EDITOR

WRITERS Paul Cochrane, Alice d’Orgeval, LC Gates, Ziad Gedeon, Ruby Gotham, Augustin Léandre, Raphael Malkin, Sydney Reade, Shirine Saad, André Saraiva, Kristin Julie Viola

RESPONSIBLE DIRECTOR George Chahine

Laurent El Khoury Tala Habbal

No. 20 Aug-Sep 2012

COPY EDITOR

AG Joy

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

Natasha Dirany, Lucy Gillespie

Mélanie Dagher

PHOTOGRAPHERS Elisabeth Caren, The Cobrasnake, Raya Farhat, Jimmy Francis, Brian Hashimoto, Luis Sanchis, Bachar Srour, Matthias Vriens

PUBLISHER

EDITOR AT LARGE

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

ASSISTANT EDITOR

GUEST STYLIST Jennifer Eymère

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

STYLIST

PRODUCTION Fadi Maalouf, Anne-Marie Tabet

Tony Salamé Group TSG SAL Marwan Naaman Malak Beydoun

Serena Makofsky

Rawan Al Kayat Mouna Harati

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 961.1.974.444 gossip@gossip-beirut.com

6. do

F w ash h co e ion la lla n H ist in be bo & as th N l M rati M o aro co e l ov ais on ffi un pa ns ine emb on wi cia d th bl nt tru wi er Ma th lly e ac s i cte ll in rt fas an w o k n i i an M d b ncl sel n M hion nou rld u d ais asi d ec a -f nc re w on cs e t s rg or e jo hi i d i l te M lik ots tore ela. war th ced sh art e t of s a A d l eir ad in op pe n va ux n es M s, rf d o ila ur ex . w ar sk ec nl ble y t w w gie irts tly ine , .h la’s an m s d . c o ig m na tu re

7 H . &

TH OO

B at eiru B th ho t’s A de e p me ne N as co lac in we J O ne an rate e fe Ma st h I re ed ou d at nh ot N di stau to tdo with ure att spo T sa nn ra lig or y s a an t w als ndw er, h nt, ht u sm oun non . Na oul of o a ic as wh p i oki g a -sm me d f jav gr he an ich n b ng rti o d eel a. ea s an in se et are sts kin Ur rig Go t p d te rv we a ’ w g ba h ur lac va rna es en for or int nis t au e rio tio br c th k, er ta d to u n ea ou os as ior , St ha s d al k rs e w , ., G n e m fas es w el em g o sse enu t, l . T ho l ma ver rts. , i un he yz a s U ncl ch e, te rb ud an 01 am an in d .5 67 ing ista g .8 c is 11 up .

, op s sh va , e Ja ew vor ffe an n fla , co th eir n ch st e th e i ea p te or h ot m it com le, . ’ h lot w h p es ks a wn hic ap rri ou up do w ed be t S ng ol es, o, r ur iru rvi Co thi ng fo Be se er. oo ma and 87. he is m sm y, a .7 T rid, um ng err nan 99 G is s shi wb ba 01.9 th re tra rry s, f re ke s be ouk li aw t S str eiru B

. ingba 10 ch a D

s ok bo te nd no a ’s ce at ffi nd rom al gb r o s a f on in e o at ick ers n. , D m orm r p t p ve tio on ho , f ou an ati iza an ol, es e y eg re al eb o siz k el c on L ch of Ta s, en ers in or s ty os. ook ev r p ed t f rie b eb nd fo uc fec va om ot s a rs om od er a r c t n da ke s.c Pr e p e in olo ke gen stic ook ar m y c oc , a th teb co nk ky p oks wi s-no fu ir o ks at qu oteb boo ngb n te .di no w w w

TI A

TI M

es ar of l a F tion he orfu ian c T ol at olle a. s c a nd r T t c ian re nz s a ne u T tu ga rie . ig eb d ea or so ier es r d me el, f ed ces tel e d he na v in ac s a es d ds tra qu y a’ 4. an he u by se nk ian 88 eb unc ful d ed rts, d fu Tat 80. g L la lor pir ho an at 1.4 un tly co ins d s ar ly , 0 Yo cen nt, n, s an we sive Fil re bra tio se ach clu el vi llec res be ex Sin co k d ns, le er, sil afta ailab ent k av r C is aya T

Aug-Sep 2012

1. K

r ba d ’s , an rea ast l fé a kf fu or ca the rea uti do ed of b ea ut en e for a b e o ry op on n in larg . T the y . b 2 e ly e pe d w om O te s a lac ike ed .71 ne ec s. ca st p s l ar 00 ’s b ot lo oa re k ep .2 au ly sp nd e b r fi rin pr , 71 ce ick ng r a ac oo d ts au en u ni e sp ind ture sser nce e m s q e nn e le a pp di h an na e m C lé h ha d g, t d sig d d Cle C ost h an ldin a an rs, o an t., m nc ui re ide jit i S lu d b en a i sl mo Bak ol rd in n el ga e m amo Abd th n h. cin itsc K

8 . U R

News | Blast

RUMORS

Y ST

C co ool Y l sh la br O fa oe bor and U co ll, f br ati K R Va lor eat and ve s enz K I m n’s way ure Va hoe o h C en E s s a ns c as K an ra s and n a . T oll rec S d ho a ss he ect en wo e n or c io tl m . T et p tm olle n w y la en he a en ct it u . w sn tte t o ion h nc ww ea rn f s , a sup hed .k ks a on eve vai er s a en re th n lab k zo a e o br le ate .co va ri igh t m ila gin t his bl al ef or

AN IC

5 GE . T

L of oca M A f S te R co UB ada d in A fo m , B t S th L sp r st ple eir tre e c I V al ac ud x F ut et en I G so e o en rag ’s n an ter N re lor inc f t ts m ew d i o ’ Of sta ia J lud he o to c ent est n b f all f S ur ea es ld al s i fu et th ad an n’s a B l h s t rn we e at t. Y C lou rit om he ish en act St ou of n ish e. pe ed L io f g n ., H mi ee e/b Co Tak rfe ap AU , ju a m gh as a u i ct ar a s ra t n w e r c a n c i n g p l t m n d t , 0 e ll lle l, up ac en 1.7 ve as d th t e t 45 r l e B S h e j o h e . 5 av ac ow in 30 e ky b t . ho ar ar m d , e!

l, n re ica pa er ap m ck n. the d e A ba no , ke th id- eba road dec d n rs, la te d n L ain is a fit an i m ce ng m ut ual tore ing spa eati and e.co e O as s tl er r s s .a gl r c ond us et he the ww Ea fo c s b -m at lo w n n s se ra’ re le ’s c 6, ica ow it m ua nd n 36 er kn ed Ha -sq ls a me 48. Am rand pen on , 812 ane and 01.3 b s o ted ey p ’s a, ha oca stor ood men amr L o- w o . H tw t in es w ries ou s so u ho ces ac

. 12

e , t b ed no ch s ay laun end et r m s tr g lo ha ail an ke for co d n c li il an st ou or- dy na br le y rr ea N ic he coo . If mi et r m O raph or t the son nd, d g l.co E olog il col e of l sea -to-fi ls an hane INl’s H st na ar on ng fal hard rt nai ww.c SHhaneneweis by f comi n the n sho vy! w C e t p o o en th ut i he u nds r it ail b r t ha ea r n fo ur e, w ajo yo d m a sh me so

. EATS 11 P-UP

ed at re t c in an d e r, ur e ta riv by ge f L es ar d e f o t a r as ate as R che r se he a t ( ) h re e f an e , c om ve in . T ith e ur tim er f T uti nta ael , w , ch s sta of ain he c co h k g ay re od ont d c exe en Mik jun ttin alw d se y, n. up ri C an d h r . p- pe p d an itc a rde is ail so he 61 po ort p-u dda ner a k in M sca n th u d sea til t 5.9 he sh o a w es t di I n in n 94 T r a t. P . H y o tur a lo m els. me ly n u 03. fo eiru o Jr ivel fea of fro arr ent ent pe el, B ari ct ar, le ilt il b er urr y o ha M spe i B idd s bu o diff is c l sta Mik re sh e m e i rom a at il ar Su th itur e f nts th er w . M in rn ad ve od in ins fu ar m r in n fo nta eg b ge o Co n b e R ased up aso b p- se Po iny ra

Gossip No. 20

, ce fa il ur yr rS ,C y, ea jar , N aj ud add ed nd k N bo D ok e ba ar Ab ck Cro hes ck M os a , ro rs rl Sm m l T e be Ca y lbu Al tiv m d m t a e “ na e an s A u ik er d m ka a eb s l alt an ar sly ir d hit .com se f b e Z iou he es nd ne o li ev d t ur ba ba up i, E pr he eat ace Le ade ud wn nc h f urf m abro kno lau hic ears Y d tly s, w .n an cen ing ww re nd ” w La ills. P

6 H . A

Blast | News

Music | Azealia Banks

THE NEW QUEEN OF HIP-HOP Text RAPHAEL MALKIN Photos LUIS SANCHIS

Aug-Sep 2012

Azealia Banks | Music

Azealia Banks’ overnight success story is something of an inspiration. The 22-year-old went from being unknown on the hip-hop scene to a worldwide music sensation. Her video “212” has received over 15 million hits on YouTube, and the young rapper seems poised to join the ranks of hip-hop heavy hitters Beyoncé and Bon Iver. Even Kanye West admits to being smitten with the smoldering beauty: he famously follows her on Twitter. So why all the fuss? Banks’ hip-hop style is different from anything the public has heard before. Although Missy Elliott, Lil Kim and Foxy Brown paved the hip-hop way, Banks’ music is distincGossip No. 20

tive, because it’s more cheerful, casual and sweet. The young artist has shown that it’s not really necessary to rap with a frown and be provocatively dressed to gain respect and adoring fans in the music world. Banks has a certain sense of lightness, a joy that is welcome in a brutal world.

Music group The Scissor Sisters recently invited her to record a new piece with them, while Nicola Formichetti, the creative director of French fashion house Mugler, chose one of Banks’ songs, “Liquorice,” for his latest show in Paris. (Previously, Formichetti favored the outrageous Lady Gaga.)

The young artist started as a barrista at Starbucks in New York. At the same time, she was attending art school and regularly hitting the recording studios. Finally, her hard work paid off. Lady Gaga’s manager, Troy Carter, took the young rapper under his wing and helped her record her first album, which is due out this September.

Even star fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld is a big fan of the young artist: he recently invited her to perform at his Parisian mansion. “I am hip-hop. It’s what I’ve always been doing and what I will continue to do,” says Banks. “That’s what matters to me most.”

What to do | Advertising

SIGN OF THE TIMES Text AG JOY

ONE LEBANESE AGENCY IS BRINGING FUN BACK INTO AD CAMPAIGNS You’ve probably seen them on billboards across Beirut and beyond, or on Facebook, YouTube and other social media sites. They dare you to be brave, to live as if this were the “Last Summer on Earth.” “They” refers to the new media campaign for Lebanese Brew by Interesting Times, not just the advertising company behind the campaign, but the marketing of the brand as well. “We are not just about advertising, but about solutions,” says Jimmy Francis, the 30-year-old creative director, co-founder and partner of Interesting Times, the Lebanese agency launched in parallel with Lebanese Brew and their first major client. “We provide creative marketing solutions.”

For Lebanese Brew, the newest entry into Lebanon’s increasingly lucrative beer market, that meant not only being part of the brand’s promotional launching last year, but also its marketing and distribution, and taking charge of its entire identity.

teresting Times quickly secured work with other major clients as well, including Crepaway, Red Bull and Nokia.

“Last year, the brand was launched mainly using social media because the advertising and marketing budget was small,” says Francis. “This year social media still plays a significant role, but other media have been incorporated as well.”

With summer and the associated rise in beer consumption, there was pressure on Interesting Times to create a new campaign that would not simply match last year’s success, but surpass it. The four co-founders (Francis, Mo Alghossein, Ashraf Mansour and Wassim Bassil, who all previously worked together at a major advertising firm and are all in their 30s) and their team of media savvy talent have done just that.

Having received critical and popular acclaim for last year’s “Courage is Contagious” campaign, In-

Catch the “Last Summer on Earth” campaign on a billboard or social media site near you. Aug-Sep 2012

Lena Dunham | Citizens

I AM JUST A GIRL Text LUCY GILLESPIE

MEET LENA DUNHAM, THE 26-YEAR-OLD TALENT BEHIND HBO’S GIRLS

If you haven’t heard of Lena Dunham, you will. Soon. Catapulted out of college by instant-indieclassic film Tiny Furniture, she is now both cart and horse for HBO’s addictive, hysterically honest new show, Girls. A so-now spin on Sex and the City, Girls portrays the struggles of privileged 20-something young women, lost-and-found in New York. As “slaves to this city that doesn’t really want them,” they support each other through the trials and tribulations of on-set adulthood, unpaid internships and toxic relationships: “Hannah and Marnie are seeing guys, but the true romance of the show to me is their friendship,” says Dunham, who created Gossip No. 20

and stars in the show. For legions of millennials, Dunham is a refreshingly clear-eyed pied-piper, whose characters “have complete self-confidence and low self-worth…who believe they deserve something the world isn’t giving them,” who, like most of us, are works in progress. A native New Yorker, Dunham is a purebred pedigree artist, the daughter of photographer/designer Laurie Simmons and painter Carroll Dunham. Her mother’s Tribeca studio (and Dunham’s childhood home) houses a host of puppets and dolls (of all varieties – baby, Barbie and sex) that Simmons photographed throughout her career. There is something of these lifeless ciphers kept in storage, their blank

painted faces waiting to be wanted, in Dunham’s stories; at once beautiful, awkward, open and grotesque. Dunham’s charm is her painful honesty as she writes exactly what she knows. (Tiny Furniture is the story of a girl moving home after college, written upon moving home after college.) Thankfully, she also writes who she knows, including luxuriantlipped actress and muse Jemima Kirke (daughter of British rocker Simon Kirke), whose insouciant sophistry in both Tiny Furniture and Girls is reminiscent of a modern-day Marie Antoinette. Dunham’s gift for writing the right place at the wrong time makes her the best friend and coconspirator you always wanted.

Citizens | Shepard Fairey

GRAPHIC COUP D’ETAT Text AUGUSTIN LÉANDRE

SHEPARD FAIREY’S ART LAUNCHED AN AMERICAN PRESIDENCY Shepard Fairey is a contemporary graphic artist and illustrator. He gained international notoriety during Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign, when he created the “Hope” poster. The American artist sat down with Gossip to muse about his poster art.

. When did you start gluing your posters on walls? Do

you know how many you’ve glued all over the world? I started with self stickers back in 1989. Posters came later. In 1995, I was spending time in many cities, especially New York, Boston and Providence. I made millions of stickers, and I glued them onto billboards in many areas. The process was more important than the quantity.

2 Which are your favorite restaurants? In Los Angeles I love Little Dom’s and Farfalla in Los Feliz, Cliff’s Edgen and Malo in Silver Lake and El Compadre in Echo Park.

. Is it true that Barack Obama thanked you for your

gallery or on a billboard. I feel privileged to have been part of your art and to have your support. I wish you continued success and creativity. Sincerely, Barack Obama.”

. How many silkscreens have you sold?

sticker and credited it with helping him become president? I didn’t think he owed me the election, but he sent me a very cool thank you letter in which he wrote “Dear Shepard, I would like to thank you for having applied your talent to aid my campaign. The political messages described in your work have helped Americans understand that they can make a difference. Your images have a profound impact on people, whether they are in a

Of Obama? I sold 1,400 prints of the image “Hope” to finance the 300,000 orders I had received. I’ve made around 800 versions of “Obey Giant” since 1989. There are images for the street, for paper and others that are specifically created for a limited series on a specific paper and are for sale. I call this the “Inside/Outside” strategy. I had the chance to live off my art, and I support my artist friends as a result. Aug-Sep 2012

Shepard Fairey | Citizens

Gossip No. 20

What to do | Art festival

RETHINKING THE CITY Text SHIRINE SAAD

TRACK, A NEW FESTIVAL IN GHENT, BELGIUM, BRINGS ART TO THE STREETS Ghent is the historical center of the Flemish Renaissance, and its picturesque medieval center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city is also a bastion of contemporary culture: SMAK, its contemporary art museum, is internationally known for its risky curatorial choices, while Les Ballets C de la B is one of the most innovative dance companies in the world. Now the city is highlighting both its taste for cutting-edge culture and its quaint neighborhoods with Track, a new festival that brings a cluster of artworks to the city. “Track is an exhibition that serves as a tool with which to act, reflect, consider, discover, reveal, experience, contradict and enjoy the city, art and the public space,” claims the festival manifesto. The curators, Philippe Van Cauteren, artistic director of

SMAK, and Mirjam Varadinis, curator of Kunshaus Zurich, have chosen remarkable locations in the city center and have matched them with 41 artists. Their work is deeply rooted in the context of the city, while simultaneously raising global questions. “Track acts as a generator of dialogue, between the city, its inhabitants and its visitors. It interacts with different communities of all kinds and calls for participation,” continues the manifesto. “Through this exhibition, the visitor will not only be confronted with the city in its classical touristic format, but he or she will have the opportunity to discover the different faces of Ghent,” says Van Cauteren. Artworks range from the monumental to the

intimate, from the poetic to the political. Japanese artist Tazu Rous built a hotel room around the tower of the St. Pieters Station. In the seclusion of this space, the visitor comes face to face with a public monument. Turkish artist Ahmet Ögüt’s balloon sculpture, near the socialist Vooruit cooperative, is a reference to René Magritte’s floating rock in “Le Château des Pyrénées,” expressing the failure of a set of utopian ideals in a surrealist image. The pieces dotting the streets of Ghent are set to provoke thought, gut reactions and perhaps even action. Track is on view in Ghent, Belgium, until September 16. Aug-Sep 2012

24 hours | What to do

24 HOURS IN SEVILLE Text ALICE D’ORGEVAL

SPAIN’S BEAUTIFUL TOWN OF SEVILLE IS A SMALL, OFTEN OVERLOOKED TREASURE OF CULINARY DELIGHTS, CHARMING BOUTIQUES, ANCIENT ANDALUSIAN ARCHITECTURE AND SPLENDID SCENERY. HERE’S A YOUR GUIDE TO SPENDING AN ENTIRE DAY AND NIGHT IN SOUTHERN SPAIN’S MOST CAPTIVATING DESTINATION

10-11AM:

DELIMBO Half boutique half gallery, Delimbo is one of the first concept stores of its kind in Andalusia. Among graffiti-covered walls, owners Laura Calvarro and Seleka tell the story of the Seville rock scene through street art and films.1 Calle Pérez Galdós, 34.955.294.188, www.delimbo.com

11AM-1:30PM

SHOPPING AT LA IMPORTADORA We love the organized chaos of this boutique decorated by artist Rafael García Forcada, the owner and main exhibitor. You can find anything from casual dresses, shirts and sneakers to more elegant outfits. You definitely won’t leave empty handed. 2 Calle Pérez Gladós, 34.954.561.829.

2-3:30PM

LUNCH AT LA CANTINA Tiny La Cantina, with breezy outdoor seating, is famous for its tasty tapas, like fried calamari, cod croquettes, shrimp and skewers. Across the restaurant, the Mercado de la Calle Feria is Seville’s oldest and most authentic food market. 13 Calle Madre Rafols, 34.954.272.282. Gossip No. 20

4-6PM:

ART VIEWING To take in a little contemporary art, head over to the Centro Andaluz de Arte Contemporáneo, situated on the other side of Guadalquivir in an old ceramics factory. Take the time to get lost in the gardens between the groves and the industrial wasteland. 2 Avenida de Américo Vespucio, 34.955.037.070, www.caac.es

8-10PM:

EARLY DINNER AT EL CONTENEDOR Located in the Macarena neighborhood, El Contenedor is a cool restaurant that follows Seville’s life philosophy of only using local products and ingredients when preparing the inventive dishes. 50 Calle San Luis, 34.954.916.333.

10-11PM:

BEER AT BAR JOTA Bar Jota is famous for its beer. People come here for the golden brew and nothing else, particularly the Cruzcampo, served ice cold. Head inside, order your beer and once you have it in hand, go back outside and hang out with the rest of the people on the sidewalk. This is a great place to start your night. Avenida Luis Montoto.

11-11:30PM

DRINKS AT EL MUNDO El Mundo is a bit of a dive with a laid-back atmosphere. The bar/club is small but popular and features dance podiums in the back if you’re in a restless mood. Thursday is ‘80s night, featuring your favorite pop classics. 5 Siete Revueltas.

MIDNIGHT-3AM

CLUBBING AT ADUANA Aduana is one of Seville’s hottest nightspots. The resident DJ, varied performances and themed nights keep the crowds coming every weekend. The huge club is divided into two sections, with a main dance floor featuring house music and another featuring electro music. Corner of Avenida Raza and Cardenal Bueno Monreal, www.aduana.net

3:30-4AM

ADMIRE EL PARASOL Best discovered at night (or in this case just before sunrise), El Parasol is an architectural masterpiece (known as las setas or the mushrooms) with a huge undulating roof made up of thousands of pierced alveoli. The impression is that of a honey-colored sky. 18 Plaza de la Encarnación, 34.954.561.512.

Citizens | Philip Smiley

THE BIRDS AND THE BEES Text NATASHA DIRANY

PHILIP SMILEY’S WORK PULSATES WITH MAGIC AND HORROR A zombie-like girl with purple hair has a fuchsia bunny rabbit sitting on her head. A snail is crawling from one kissing mouth to another, leaving a trail on a tongue. Everywhere there are bees, monkeys, horses, spiders and other creepy-crawlies, and there’s so much woodland overgrowth you’re not sure if you’re in a horror movie or a fairy tale. This is Philip Smiley’s universe. At least on paper. Born and raised in the backwaters of Virginia, the illustrator left for New York and is now based in London, where he lives with his wife. “I definitely miss certain aspects of it,” he says about Virginia. “The air, the light and the space give it a distinct sense of place and overall mood that I’ve never

really felt anywhere else.” His work is full of obsessive, unsettling detail. Nature is given an urban eeriness – kind of like being led into a forest by Hansel and Gretel on your way to a house party. Clients such as Comme des Garçons, Burberry and Stella McCartney have fallen for Smiley’s imagination, which he describes as a timeless “third space,” somewhere between country and city life. He works by hand and in ink, but also produces sculpture, video and “life-size” installations. In one of his latest projects, “Hive,” he decked out East London bar/art collective Jaguarshoes with wall-to-wall insects and illustrations. The exhibition was an exploration of Smiley’s preoccupation with the “hive mentality.”

“Hive mentality is the dark side of collective consciousness,” he explains. “While it’s often perceived as a positive concept, group mentality in itself is seen as the basis for work in a team, or even a source of creativity, like ‘swarm intelligence.’ I wanted to carve out the other side to these ideas, like the loss or complete lack of individuality, once a being succumbs to the power of such super-organisms.” Honey drips from the space’s ceilings, honeycomb structures are wrapped around the wall and there are many, many bees – including a giant “queen.” “People feel as though they can circumnavigate the room and still feel cocooned within the work.” Aug-Sep 2012

Philip Smiley | Citizens

“Twas After Dread When Fortune Left” Gossip No. 20

www.aeronauticamilitare-collezioneprivata.it Available at all A誰zone stores, +961 .1. 99 11 11

Sarah Melki | Style

WEAVING FASHION Text SHIRINE SAAD

LEBANESE DESIGNER SARAH MELKI THREADS HER BOLD VISION OF STYLE Sarah Melki loves textiles. Thick tweeds, patterned leathers, ethereal silks, vivid tints. She learned to draw and sew during an internship at Maison Rabih Kayrouz, then went on to perfect her skills at Paris’ prestigious Studio Berçot, where she mingled with aspiring designers from the four corners of the world. During a six-month internship at Mahlia Kent, a company that creates weaves for the most important fashion houses in the world, one of the patterns she made was chosen by Chanel. Gossip No. 20

Melki then moved to New York to work at Proenza Schouler. “I love working for emerging designers,” says Melki, who moved back to Beirut this year to launch her line. “One learns much more than in an established brand. In New York I really learned the importance of business in fashion.” Melki, who is 26, is now at the helm of her own company and of the Espace M concept store (in Sin el Fil). She sells her one-of-a-kind collection, where she contrasts rich textiles – brocade, lace,

tweed, polished cotton – and sharp cuts (mini shorts are a favorite) for a sexy urban style. Melki still gets fabrics from Mahlia Kent and tailors dresses and outfits for special orders. She is also developing a line of accessories. Just don’t expect a red-carpet-style gown for your wedding: the designer is more likely to dress you in an architectural top and tiny shorts. “I’m tired of tight dresses and sequins,” says Melki. “I want my client to look different and feel confident.”

SWAN LAKE Photos MATTHIAS VRIENS Styling JENNIFER EYMĂ&#x2030;RE

Carioca bathing suit, Isabel Marant jacket, Louis Vuitton bag, American Apparel socks and belt

Aug-Sep 2012

Gossip No. 20

Carioca bathing suit, Gucci cape, Viktor & Rolf belt, Falke socks

Aug-Sep 2012

Calzedonia swimsuit, Les Petits coat, See by ChloĂŠ bag, American Apparel socks, Carven shoes Gossip No. 20

Dior swimsuit, Viktor & Rolf jacket, Falke socks, Carven shoes, A-Morir sunglasses

Aug-Sep 2012

Louis Vuitton swimsuit, Acne coat, Swildens socks, Carven shoes

Gossip No. 20

Calvin Klein bathing suit, Cacharel coat, Petit Bateau hat, Roberto Cavalli gloves

Aug-Sep 2012

Gossip No. 20

Princess Tam Tam swimsuit, Pucci coat, A-Morir sunglasses, Viktor & Rolf belt, Swildens socks, Carven shoes

Aug-Sep 2012

Bronzette bathing suit, Mulberry coat, Lâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Aurillac umbrella

Gossip No. 20

HOTTER THAN BEIRUT ASPHALT Photos BACHAR SROUR Styling MOUNA HARATI

YSL top, LL555,000; Paul & Joe jacket, LL1,530,000, Diesel shorts, LL293,000; Gucci loafers, LL1,230,000, Bottega Veneta sunglasses, LL780,000.

Aug-Sep 2012

Dolce & Gabbana shirt, LL570,000; Armani sunglasses, LL330,000

D&G top, LL480,000; Fendi shorts, LL420,000; Marc Jacobs shoes, LL578,000; Oliver Peoples sunglasses, LL885,000

Gossip No. 20

D&G top, LL405,000; Sundek swimsuit, LL225,000; Gucci loafers, LL1,230,000

Bottega Veneta sunglasses; LL780,000 Prada top, LL960,000; D&G swimsuit, LL510,000

Aug-Sep 2012

Neil Barrett top, LL540,000; D&G swimsuit, LL330,000; Oliver Peoples sunglasses, LL690,000; Gucci loafers, LL1,125,000

Gossip No. 20

Paul & Joe shirt, LL405,000; Dsquared swimsuit, LL450,000; Dsquared shoes, LL870,000

D&G top, LL855,000; Dsquared shorts, LL645,000; Givenchy belt, LL670,000; Versace shoes, LL1,410,000. Available at A誰shti stores.

Aug-Sep 2012

Foch Street 路 Aishti Downtown 路 Aishti Seaside 路 Aizone ABC Aizone Intercontinental Mzaar 路 Aizone Citymall

Alexander McQueen Linda Farrow

SHADED DECKS

Photos JIMMY FRANCIS Styling MOUNA HARATI

BEIRUT PARTYGOERS ARE SPORTING TRENDY EYEWEAR AT THE VERY HIP AND TOTALLY FABULOUS DECKS ON THE BEACH PARTIES IN BEIRUT. THE SUN GOES DOWN, BUT THE SHADES STAY ON

Linda Farrow

Dior

Oakley

Bottega Veneta

Dior

Aug-Sep 2012

D&G

Oakley and Bottega Veneta

Céline Giorgio Armani

Céline

Oliver Peoples

Gossip No. 20

Style | My week

MY FASHION DIARY Photos BACHAR SROUR Styling MOUNA HARATI

MONDAY

PRODUCT DESIGNER CARLO MASSOUD, 28, THINKS OUTSIDE THE FASHION BOX WITH A WEEK’S WORTH OF QUIRKY OUTFITS IDEAL FOR WORK OR PLAY

Marc Jacobs top, Prada Sport shorts, model’s own shoes

FRIDAY THURSDAY

John Varvatos shirt, Dsquared shorts, Toms shoes

Armani Jeans sweatshirt, Canali swimsuit, Toms shoes, Mykita sunglasses

Aug-Sep 2012

My week | Style

WEDNESDAY TUESDAY

Dsquared shirt, Marc by Marc Jacobs pants, Toms shoes

SATURDAY

Prada cardigan, Prada Sport shorts, Burberry shoes, model’s own sunglasses

Gossip No. 20

Prada shirt, Model’s own shorts, Toms shoes

SUNDAY

Model’s own top, Diesel shorts, Toms shoes

Style | Love bites

SUMMER STUDS ALL THINGS WE LOVE ABOUT THOSE SEXY CREATURES WE CALL MEN

MUSCLE MAN

Marc Jacobs and South Park have teamed up to create a cool, limited edition Muscle Man Marc doll that will be sold across the United States and Europe. We love everything Mr. Jacobs cooks up.

BALLPLAYER

For boys, uh men, who still like playing ping pong, the handmade Eleven Ravens ping pong table looks more like a piece of modern art than a toy.

NEVER LET THEM SEE YOUR EYES

Prada’s latest fall/winter 2012-13 accessories collection for men features rockin’ shades that are definitely ahead of the style curve.

BEST PLUM FORWARD

Why, hello there. What big feet you have. Do those Olebar Brown board shorts come with your lovely package?

RUN, FOREST, RUN REAL MEN BARBECUE

There are men who pretend to like grilling and for the rest, there’s the king of all grilling tools, the Stake 3-in-1 BBQ tool. The gizmo cleverly combines a spatula, fork and tongs into one manly contraption.

RIDE IN MY MERCEDES BOY

Japanese athletic brand Asics has a cool, new collection of stylish running shoes in various colors, ideal for avid runners and athletic hunks.

The new Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT is pretty hardcore. This supercar, available in November, comes in either a coupe or roadster version and boasts three different color combinations.

GET OUT OF MY CHAIR

Claim your space under the sun with this cool, no frills beach towel that says it all.

GIVE ME JUSTICE

“New Lands” is a radical new clip from electro duo Justice that pays tribute to sci-fi flicks like Escape from New York and Rollerball.

MELLOWING OUT

Cool down your summer with the smooth and spacey new tune “Fakuoy” from eccentric duo MellowHype.

BURGER FOR THE RICH LIGHTEN YOOR LOAD

Get your beer fix and avoid the totally unsexy beer belly look with the new, lowercalorie Almaza light beer.

LOUB IT UP

Christian Louboutin has just released an all-black leather loafer with black spikes for the über-stylish male.

New York City’s famous eatery Serendipity 3 is on the radar again for their extravagantly decadent $295 haute cuisine burger. Sink your teeth into the Wagyu beef burger infused with 10-herb, white truffle butter and 18-month, cave-aged cheddar cheese.

PLAY YOUR CARDS RIGHT

IN TUMI SEE

ON TOP OF KATE

Men can’t stop drooling over this year’s Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue model Kate Upton. Now, every pubescent boy and his father can literally ride the beautiful Kate: her image adorns new skate decks.

TIMES FOUR

Nixon’s new, futuristic-looking, digital Synapse watches come in gold, gunmetal, black and silver. They also sport a cool touch screen interface that can tell time in four time zones simultaneously.

WHIP IT OUT

Slice it, dice it, whip it out! Whether you bartend for a living or just want to impress friends, the Bottlefly Knife bottle opener will have you poppin’ bottles like a gangsta.

Assouline’s cool book, Poker, is full of everything you ever wanted to know about the card game.

Tumi’s latest hard-sided travel cases come in bright, playful colors. These babies are perfect for the studly summer traveler.

Aug-Sep 2012

Shopping | Style

FESTIVAL FEVER Photos RAYA FARHAT Styling MOUNA HARATI

STEAM UP YOUR WARDROBE FOR BEIRUT’S SCORCHING SUMMER FESTIVALS AND NONSTOP PARTIES

Maison Martin Margiela

J Brand

Marc Quinn

Ella Stone Noir

BEIRUT JAM SESSION

Balenciaga

B-Low The Belt

Giambattista Valli

Hollywood Trading Company (HTC)

B-Low The Belt Alice + Olivia J Brand

RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS

7 For All Mankind

Theory

Equipment

Hat Attack

Colors of California Gossip No. 20

Ella Stone

DECKS ON THE BEACH 41

Style | Shopping

GET YOUR HANDS ON IT Photos RAYA FARHAT Styling MOUNA HARATI

GRAB THE SEXIEST, FUNKIEST AND MOST FASHIONABLE DESIGNER ITEMS AT A FRACTION OF THE PRICE DURING THE SUMMER SALE SEASON

Dannijo

Carven Prada

Mara Hoffman Equipment Balenciaga

Carven Marc by Marc Jacobs

Balenciaga

Prada

Chloé

Dsquared

Balenciaga

Jimmy Choo

Marc Jacobs

Prada Chloé Theory

McQueen by Alexander McQueen

Céline

Paul & Joe Marc by Marc Jacobs Roberto Cavalli

Marc by Marc Jacobs

Céline

Marc by Marc Jacobs

Burberry

Marc by Marc Jacobs

Chloé Balenciaga Prada

miu miu

Aug-Sep 2012

Beirut Souks, Souk El Tawileh

Hollywood Resurrection The new film directed by James Franco Episodes at Youtube.com/7ForAllMankindJeans

Citizens | Derek Blasberg

A DATE WTH DEREK BLASBERG Text ANDRÉ SARAIVA

COZY UP WITH THE OUTSPOKEN FASHION WRITER Gossip took a walk through the jungle that lies just beyond the Six Senses Yao Noi Beyond Phuket resort with New York’s most worldly fashion editor Derek Blasberg. We got to pick his brain about life, friends and what makes a woman a lady.

Is gallantry what you discuss in your two books, Classy and Very Classy? Yes. I also talk about how real ladies are very rare in our modern world. Some of my friends are the definition of a lady! But hey, that said there are very few gentlemen left too.

How often do you go on dates? Define date. Does it have to be romantic, or can it just be a one-on-one dinner in a dim place with a few glasses of wine? If that’s your definition, I go on dates almost every night. But if you’re talking about romance, then it’s very rare. 2.

Let’s focus on your adventures with the many girls that are always around you. Well as you can see, I’m a real gentleman. 3. Is that why girls like you? Gallantry helps a lot.

Who are your best girlfriends? My friend Emma Watson is the first one who comes to mind. She’s been famous since she was nine and is the complete opposite of a child actress gone bad. She’s cool, caring, educated and so gracious. Those are rare qualities in Hollywood. In New York there’s Lauren Santo Domingo, who is also super chic, intelligent and elegant. My friend Dasha Zhukova, who lives in Moscow, is refined and influential. She created her own art magazine Garage Magazine, and opened a museum of contemporary art in Russia, the Garage Center for Contemporary Culture. But the best of the best is my friend Karlie Kloss, who makes me cookies when she’s not on stage.

What do you think makes a woman less of a lady? I don’t like women who talk on the phone while seated at the dinner table or the ones who are always late. And I’m not a fan of women who send naughty pictures to their boyfriends. 7. Have you lived in New York for a long time? Yes, since I was 18 years old. I graduated from NYU with a double major in journalism and literature. Then I got my first job at US Vogue – it was without a doubt more educational than all my years of study – and then they assigned me a column in Vogue Hommes International. 8. You have a lot of followers on Twitter, tens of thousands right? I have about 75,000. I think they’re mostly fashion students, American kids who, like me, have a point of view on art and fashion. It’s an industry that sells dreams. The world I lived in yesterday is very different than the one I am living in today. Aug-Sep 2012

Hipster | What to do

HIPSTER ANONYMOUS Text SERENA MAKOFSKY

SUDDENLY, IT’S WAY COOL TO HATE THE HIPSTER Penny meets the guy of her dreams at the laundromat. He wears clashing clothes and professes a love of kitten videos and needlepoint. It’s only later, in the refuge of her friends, that she realizes she’s hooked up with a hipster. One of the best episodes in the TV show Happy Endings has Penny’s BFF, Max, giving sage advice on how to be a hipster: “Hipster rule No. 1: Never try…Hipster rule. No. 2: Only like things ironically…Hipster rule. No. 3: Never show too much enthusiasm. Final rule: Everything is dumb. Someone says something you don’t understand, you just go ‘I’m over it’.” Gossip No. 20

That’s right, the hipster backlash has hit mainstream TV. It was only a matter of time. The warning signs were there; just peruse the brilliant photoblog Unhappy Hipster, ripping off the minimalist-modernist architecture spreads from Dwell and giving the images captions such as “Eames, Aalto – her most significant relationships were with dead designers,” and “The things that once so defined him – shag carpeting, Room & Board sofas, monogamy – now suffocated him.” It was way back in 2010 that Joe Mande scored a book deal for his Tumblog Look At This F*cking Hipster, with photos and captions of the tattooed,

pierced, mini-fedora’d and bearded. One reviewer took issue with the book’s blanket hatred of hallowed hipsterdom, stating, “I often see people who could be labeled as hipsters because of the way they dress and have this instinct to hate them, but when you talk to them they never seem like pretentious douchebags. In fact the only pretentious douche bags I run into are the hipster haters.” It looks like the hipster backlash is experiencing a backlash. Misunderstood hipsters could band together, from Greenpoint to Portlandia, and do battle with said pretentious douche bags. Or skip the battle and go straight to the after party.

Wireless | Calendars

WHAT’S HAPPENING, LEBANON? Text AG JOY

FIND OUT WHERE ALL THE ACTION IS Did you catch the beach party in Byblos last week? How about the open-air concert in Downtown Beirut? Or that exhibit at the art center? If you’re answering “no” too often to these kinds of questions, and “I didn’t hear about it” as an explanation for your absence, then, like the rest of us, you’re probably in need of a comprehensive calendar of events. Enter two new websites: lebtivity.com and www.shoufibilebnen.com, aimed at making sure none of us foregoes any event because of a lack of information. Shou Fi Bi Lebnen and Lebtivity are calendars of events in Lebanon, from workshops and conferences to exhibitions, music, nightlife, sports and more. For event seekers, it’s as simple as accessing the sites and searching by day, month or category.

In addition, Lebtivity allows event planners to create, promote and manage events online. It’s free. And, it’s user-friendly. Lebtivity is the brainchild of five young Lebanese, who come from different professional backgrounds – graphic design, human resources and web design and development – and who share an energetic enthusiasm for life and activities in Lebanon. Shou Fi Bi Lebnen was created as a result of the promotional summer campaign of the same name initiated by Aïshti and which ran from June 10 to July 10 of this year. Aïshti created the calendar to highlight Lebanon’s attractions and encourage would-be visitors to the country. The calendar was such a resounding success that the company decided to keep it online permanently.

What to do | Cartoons

MONSTER MASH Text SERENA MAKOFSKY

SLASHERS FREDDY KRUEGER AND JASON GET A HILARIOUS MAKEOVER Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees are household names in the world of slasher movies. But one twisted cartoonist mind has placed the disfigured dream stalker and masked murderer in a distinctly different genre, namely the bromance. Illustrator Rafael Koff got inspired while watching the 2003 thriller Freddy vs. Jason. “I began wondering what would happen if they got along in the movie, instead of fighting each other,” says Koff. “That eventually evolved into the mix of gore and cuteness of this cartoon series. It’s a weird type of humor, as most of my other projects.”

In his first illustration, he showed the pair taking turns at making snow angels while bathed in the blood of their victims. From these bloody beginnings, the series Freddy and Jason Have Fun was born. Koff says the snow angel image was “supposed to be a single cartoon and not a series at all. But the ideas for other situations such as the Lady and the Tramp one just started to come to me.” The response to these pieces demonstrates the public’s thirst for blood. “People really thought it was funny, and it quickly started to pop up in different

sites and blogs around the world. Something that is not usual for me, as I’m used to publishing cartoons in Portuguese and only see them on Brazilian sites. The lack of dialogue and the fact that the characters are known by everybody contributed to that.” Look for Koff’s skewed visions in his indie comic books and online comic strips, as well as his ongoing installments in his slasher rom-com series. “I’ll probably continue the cartoons for the Freddy and Jason series. Maybe it can become an independent book as well.” Aug-Sep 2012

Blogs | Wireless

YOUR FAMOUS BEST FRIENDS Text LUCY GILLESPIE

CHECK OUT THESE FOUR CELEBRITY BLOGS, AND LEARN ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR FAVORITE CELEB

Blogs, once infamous as URL caves to which the bitter retreated, are on the up and upcycle! Gwyneth Paltrow – whose blog www.goop.com set the standard for celebrity blogging – leads this industrious pack of VIPs, happy to help us into the inner-circle interface.

OLIVIA PALERMO www.oliviapalermo.com Socialite, model, fashionista and reality starlet Olivia Palermo has kept a strong cult following even after her show The City ended. With her über-cool lifestyle, fashion and design blog, Palermo shares her favorite style and beauty secrets, posts pics from fabulous trips to various cities around the globe and keeps us up-to-date on the latest trends from fashion week to fashion week. Who wouldn’t want to keep up with this mega-hot fashion icon and get inspired by her glamorous world?

Gossip No. 20

DIANNA AGRON felldowntherabbithole.tumblr.com and www.youmeandcharlie.com Call her Charlie, or Dianna Agron – anything but Quinn Fabray (her alias on Glee). This small screen starlet has a lot going on outside the box, with her tumblr focus on modern fine art and design. Her gorgeously curated blog is packed with fashion, wisdom and worldliness to inspire even the farthest out of highliving hipsters. Our favorite posts are the ones featuring Agron’s pet French bulldog Arthur and her visits to various contemporary art shows.

ZOOEY DESCHANEL zooeydeschanel.tumblr.com and www. hellogiggles.com Online magazine HelloGiggles, cofounded and curated by “adorkable” Zooey Deschanel, hits hot pop topics and provides endless distraction. From meme-cute pics, to just-in manicure tips and How-Tos on dressing for business (The Interview Suit) or pleasure (The Yellow Dress), to full features on true life experiences (Going Under the Knife – How to Be Bionic), HelloGiggles nicely hits the sweet-spot between substance, sass and style.

JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT hitrecordjoe.tumblr.com The indie-bred star of Inception, plus the epic Batman sequel The Dark Knight Rises, hosts a wild rumpus of off-camera projects, from producing short films, to hosting James Brown Funk jam funk-athons. He also has a word or two to say about the state of film today. Sexy and stylish, Joe (as he refers to himself on his blog) also posts recent pics of himself at red-carpet events, on movie sets and at various happenings. Check in to see the sites, or, if you’re in the neighborhood, take part.

What to do | Brooklyn

BROOKLYN

ARTISTIC BOROUGH Text LC GATES

ARTIST DUSTIN YELLIN IS CREATING A HIP NEW MULTIMEDIA SPACE IN BROOKLYN On a sweltering day in June, artist Dustin Yellin is sitting at a long table near the entrance of his new arts center, The Intercourse. He is a small figure in this cavernous space, but it was his idea, of both epic vision and scale, to turn this Civil War-era warehouse by the East River into an allencompassing artist’s hub: a laboratory offering exhibition space and residencies, lectures, classes, concerts, community events and hosting whatever other projects creep their way past the front doors. “The idea is to bring all disciplines under one roof whether it is music or science,” says Yellin.

Yellin found the home for his utopian arts center in a 24,000-square-foot former iron works factory in Red Hook, a quiet neighborhood in Brooklyn off the beaten path. “Red Hook feels like a fishing village. It is like being in the country, but still in the city,” says Yellin. Digging into his own pockets, Yellin is funding the entire renovation, but hopes an investor will eventually take over the reigns of the nonprofit and buy the building. Until then, he has his hands full with the construction of a fabrication lab, a recording studio and finishing up the out-

door sculpture garden. Architect Sam Trimble came on board to help balance the renovations with the historic preservation of the building. Even though the space is still a work in progress, three artists have already started their residencies, and in early June, Adam Green had a show of his paintings, works on paper and sculptures. The name of the arts center will likely raise some eyebrows, but Yellin is hoping to reclaim the word. “The Intercourse. It’s provocative, but at the same time, it boils down to what it is: a dialogue between people and mediums.” Aug-Sep 2012

Brooklyn | What to do

COUNTER-CULTURE CENTRAL Text LUCY GILLESPIE Photos BRIAN HASHIMOTO

A WORLD OF HIPDOM AWAITS ACROSS THE EAST RIVER

Manhattan was a helluva borough, until the scenesters fled across the bridge to Brooklyn. After a night in one of these native-secret neighborhoods, you can watch the sun rise over Manhattan as you mosey on back over the Williamsburg Bridge. ’HOODS TO HAUNT The Best of Brooklyn unravels down Bedford Avenue, in the heart of happening Williamsburg. Pick up a cup of home-roasted joe at Blue Bottle Coffee (160 Berry St., www.bluebottlecoffee.net). Follow your fashion sense to Artists and Fleas (70 N. Seventh St., www.artistsandfleas.com) for upscale vintage threads, art and antiques; then onto Catbird (219 Bedford Ave., www.catbirdnyc. com) for delicately quirky accessories. Sate your appetite at Smorgasburg (www.brooklynflea.com/ smorgasburg), a festive waterfront homage to the food-truck revolution. Eccentric vendors include AsiaDog (Asian-style hotdogs) Biteme (fusion cheesecake – try the strawberry balsamic) and Mimi and Coco (Japanese street food). New home of Anne Hathaway, DUMBO is exhibit A of Brooklyn’s substantial style. Hit up Zoe (68 Washington St., www.shopzoeonline. com) for millennial flapper frocks, straight from fashion week. Alternatively, Trunk (68 Jay St., www.trunkbrooklyn.blogspot.com) exhibits local designers’ happy-go-lucky florals and Gossip No. 20

billowing fabrics. If home accessories are your thing, you’re home-free amid the ethereal furnishings of Journey Home (72 Front St., www. journeydumbo.com), Modalito (10 Jay St.,www. modalita.com) or Steward/Stand (141-A Front St., www.stewartstanddesignstore.com). Grab an artisanal slice of Brooklyn history at Grimaldi’s Pizza (1 Front St., www.grimaldis. com), New York’s best-kept pizza secret.

MOVERS, SHAKERS AND MUSIC-MAKERS The ornate Bellhouse (149 Seventh St., www. thebellhouseny.com), lit by wedding-cake chandeliers and the fading light of a summer’s night, is a geek-chic hotspot. Any given night may include a close-and-personal Norah Jones concert, a Beauty and the Beast singalong, an all-out Hogwarts Yule Ball or simply a smashing lineup of New York’s finest forthcoming indie rockers.

EATING OUT AT THE IN PLACES Past the velvet-swathed entrance, Mesa Coyoacan (372 Graham Ave., www.mesacoyoacan. com) is a date-night treasure that holds all the pit-smoke elegance of Zorro’s secret bachelor pad. Heirloom tables sprawl against adobe walls hung with clutches of ancient family portraits. There is fare for all degrees of daring: the RiskAverse (lusciously sauced enchiladas de mole), the Frisky (tangy, plump pulpo ceviche) and the ThrillSeekers (salty grasshoppers served with mezacale).

Exposed brick walls strewn with folk art, hammocks, drum circles and a beatifically beautiful multicultural crowd set the tone at Bembe (81 S. Sixth St., www.bembe.us). Come on Friday for DJ Stefande, who flows classic Brazilian, salsa and merengue with brand-spanking Afro-beats and reggae, accompanied by a live (and kicking) drum circle.

Prime Meats (465 Court St., frankspm.com) is modestly hidden behind Carroll Gardens’ spectacular chain of dogwood blossoms. A mecca for seasonal eaters, this German bistro showcases all things smoked, brined or braised. The Kohlrabi salad provides a sharp palate-cleanser, making way for pillowy forkfuls of marrow and gremolata. Follow with the Colorado lamb stew, spiced with homemade merguez.

Fantasy fiction lovers will swoon at Deity’s (368 Atlantic Ave., www.deitynyc.com) neo-gothic entrance. The open courtyard is the place to be, and it’s where the spun sounds of DJ Eleven or Rich Medina float through the branches of the tree that is biblically lodged into the floor. Come to Galapagos Art Space (16 Main St., www. galapagosartspace.com) on Saturday night for the infamous Floating Kabarette, a burlesque variety show in this sumptuous scarlet dungeon of a lounge. Watch as the performers twirl, jiggle, vaudeville and vamp their way into your hearts.

What to do | Brooklyn

ON THE ROCKS Text LUCY GILLESPIE

BROOKLYN HOUSES THE SPILLOVER OF NEW YORK’S MULTICULTURAL SOUP, WHICH ACCOUNTS FOR THE WIDE-REACHING INFLUENCES OF ITS MUSIC SCENE

DINOWALRUS

Addictive and schizophrenic, Dinowalrus is indie’s answer to synthetic dance pop. A grab-bag of musical themes blend seamlessly into one another, with vocals as just another blip on the soundscape horizon. Tracks “Bead” and “Nuke Duke ‘Em” hit the psychedelic sweet-spot, as does 2010 album %, produced by Kanine Records. These movers and shakers (guitarist Pete Feigenbaum, synth and bassist Liam Andrew and drummer Max Tucker) have gotten around, with tours to the America’s West Coast and gigs at SXSW. dinowalrus.com

SUCKERS Coney Island cornball meets Eastern exotica in this bearded hipster trio, lauded by MTV as Breakout Band of 2010. Fairground waltz motifs and old-country folk tropes are beautifully emulsified with lingering strummed chords to create slow, idyllic sounds. Choral singing, whistling and the battle-cry lyrics in signature track “It Gets Your Body Movin’” showcase Sucker’s unique freeform flavor, reminiscent of David Bowie. Gorgeous new album, Candy Salad, debuted at SXSW in 2012, and is available on their website. suckersmusic.com

LUCIUS

The precision of The Supremes meets the deep mineral wells of Adele meets the bouncy outrage of Spice Girls in Holly Laessig and Jess Wolfe of Lucius. Wild leaps through musical space-time are the signature of their melodramatic gigs, with high-hair, heavy glamour and choral vocals to keep things consistent. The folk spiritual “Go Home” drips with languorous melancholy and velvet rage. Other tracks kick up their heels with an ‘80s pulse and videogame jingles. www.ilovelucius.com

LISSY TRULLIE

Lissy Trullie (who also doubles as the face of Chloë Sevigny’s clothing line) packs bad-ass bass pipes, falling neatly in line with new-age throwbacks to ‘80s androgyny, including Lady Gaga and La Roux. Heartbreak-heavy tracks “SelfTaught Learner” and “It’s Only You, Isn’t It?” pulse with unbridled acoustics. “Ready for the Floor” is already beloved as a last-ditch fight song for downtrodden Millennials. trullie.com

JEAN ROHE Jean Rohe’s decadent songs are drugs, flooding the listener with bouncy euphoria, hollow longing or a freewheeling, end-ofthe-road courage. Her tunes are rooted in narratives that find extraordinary moments within daily life. “The most powerful songs are always the most personally exposing,” she says. “Currently I have a lot of stories about my family bouncing around in my head and taking a crazy life of their

own.” Though not religious, Rohe is inspired by religious texts. “Umbrella,” for example, reinterprets the story of Noah. A global citizen, Rohe has traveled extensively in Europe and South America. “Through picking up languages, I learned about the music from these places.” A case in point: the buoyant “Red Rover,” with its calland-response chorus, is an example of the Cocol music of northeast Brazil. Rohe, who started with a trio, now

BLUE KID

Fiona Apple meets Kate Bush in a manic rush of bluesy adrenaline. Singer-songwriter Lydia Benecke sings exquisitely caustic lyrics (“sweet as arsenic”), while spinning tales of life on the edge in the Big Apple. In smart break-up ballad “The Dismemberment Song,” percussion and piano chords skip at commuter pace, off-setting sudden bursts of perfectly articulated pain. www.thisisbluekid.com/home.html

writes arrangements for eight instruments, ranging from drums and keyboard to accordion and ukulele. “I spend a lot of time on the texture of background sound. It’s the earmark of musical maturity.” Of course, the lyrics are paramount. “There’s a richness to the words. The music should enhance them.” Rohe will be releasing her second solo album, Lead Me Home, later this year. www.jeanrohe.com Date 2011

I AM MADE OF BELIEF. NOT BARRIERS

Available at A誰zone Stores T: +961 1 991 111 and Retail Sport Shops

ARE YOU MADE OF SPORT? ASICS.CO.UK

Nightlife | Buenos Aires

PARTY DESTINATION: BUENOS AIRES

Text LUCY GILLESPIE Photos THE COBRASNAKE

THE PARIS OF SOUTH AMERICA HAS A TASTE FOR SWEETS, STEAK AND LATE, LATE NIGHTS. DINNER BEFORE 11PM IS UNHEARD OF, SO DON’T THINK OF STEPPING OUT BEFORE THE WITCHING HOUR. STYLISH PALERMO PROVIDES AMPLE OPPORTUNITY TO SAMPLE THE FUN-LOVING SPIRIT OF BUENOS AIRES. START OUT AT ONE OF THE CITY’S LEGENDARY CLOSED-DOOR RESTAURANTS, THEN HEAD OUT FOR COCKTAILS BEFORE LANDING AT AN ALL-NIGHT CLUB. AND OF COURSE, NO OUTING WOULD BE COMPLETE WITHOUT A NIGHT OF TANGO!

LA CATEDRAL Refine your dance technique with a night of Argentine Milonga tango. You enter a ramshackle doorway in bohemian Recoleto. A woman takes your 30 pesos and sends you up a rickety staircase into a vast cavernous hall. The 9pm tango class theme is “Around the World in 80 Ochos,” where you take part in go-rounds with stiff-jawed Germans, bashful Irish charmers and blissed-out Argentine grandpas. Open dancing begins at midnight. Traditional rules of chivalry apply: expect to be propositioned. 4006 Sarmiento, Almagro.

CLUB 69 AT NICETO CLUB A throng of hipsters marks the spot of this happygo-grungy Palermo club. Inside, the trappings of identikit ‘80s vintage disco are nostalgia-inducing, from the black walls and fluorescent light-boards to the punk-rock-glam get-ups on the international crowd. Niceto Club dabbles in reggaeton, rock, pop, house, electronica, as well as an impressive roster of live-acts from The Buzzcocks to Kid Loco to Joanna Newsome. Thursday night gets two thumbs up for Club 69’s drag pantomimes. 5510 Niceto Vega, 54.11.4779.9396, www.nicetoclub.com

FRANK’S A trip to Frank’s is no small feat. After a clandestine RSVP process, a trick-wall phone booth opens to reveal a speakeasy sanctuary that is not for the faint of fashion. Lithe, exquisitely dressed bodies drape over jewel-toned chaise lounges or huddle around leather wingback chairs. Frank’s is a jewelry store of arm-candy accessories. Of the cornucopia of cocktails on offer, Winter Style (bittersweet and herbal) and White Lady (creamy dry citrus) are favorites. 1445 Arevaleo, Palermo Hollywood. Aug-Sep 2012

Buenos Aires | Nightlife

HONORABLE MENTIONS

JET LOUNGE Far from the madding crowd in cushy Costanera sits Jet Lounge, a locale exclusively for the hightoned and fancy. Boasting Buenos Aires’ strictest dress code, the club features plush leather booths and an achingly space-age décor that provide the perfect backdrop for native blue-bloods and jet-setting celebrities. Music is an alluring combo of house/electronica spiced with reggaeton and ‘80s pop. Come late (4 or 5am), and stay until sunrise. 4801 Avenida Costanera Rafael Obligado, 54.11.4782.5599. Gossip No. 20

CROBAR This megaclub delivers all necessary bells and whistles for a night of overstimulation. Once inside the gray hangar of an industrial cage, trapeze artists swoop wildly overhead while burlesque dancers shimmy, hypnotically twirling their tassels in the flickering strobes. Titanic guest DJs, including the likes of Tiësto and Armin van Buuren, spin before a crowd of locals, so you just might want to brush up on your Spanish. Marcelino Freyre s/n, Paseo de la Infanta, Palermo, 54.11.4778.1500, www.crobar.com.ar

THE ROXY LIVE For shiny party people with a hardrock soul, this flame-red club in the heart of Palermo provides the best of both worlds. Crash into the Rock Room to slide up against leatherclad head-bangers for kick-ass live rock, or shake your stuff on the next-door disco-floor. Best scene/ seen on Fridays and Saturdays. 5542 Niceto Vega, Palermo, 54.11.4777.0997, www.theroxybsas.com.ar PACHA Pacha is a must-see for guys or gals who need to check in on Facebook – and buy the T-shirt. Squeeze past the main atrium and head straight for the patio, where mellow tunes play for the sophisticated crowd. 6151 Avenida Rafael Obligado, 54.11.4788.4288. CAIX Wherever you spent Saturday night, Caix is the place to be come Sunday morning. Grab onto your friends – things get really giddy on the Lord’s day, as five floors are taken over by tranced-out, blissful partiers. Come for the house, stay for the Bloody Marys – and don’t forget your sunscreen! Complejo Costa Salguero, 1221 Avenida Rafael Obligado, 54.11.4805.6069, www. caix-ba.com.ar COCOLICHE Underground hounds flock to this hipster hangout that also enjoys cult gay status. Dancing stimulus hits the sweet spot, with the perfect balance of bright, spangly disco lights and pretty, ripped people. 878 Rivadavia, www.cocoliche.net

Music | Sae Lis’

BORN TO SING Text PAUL COCHRANE

WITH HER ENGLISH-LANGUAGE DEBUT ALBUM THE QUEST, SAE LIS’ SEEKS TO BECOME LEBANON’S REIGNING MUSICAL DIVA Three years ago Sae Lis’, aka Elissa Boustany, quit her day job to be a singer. “Creativity needs freedom, which you can’t get from a 9-5,” she says. It was a bold move for someone with no real background in music – she worked as a TV producer and holds a degree in movie production. Shrugging off the visual arts after a stint in the creative hotbed of Los Angeles, Sae Lis’ decided to explore her unrealized talents. “From my youth, I was always surrounded by music. My mom was a choreographer and she was always listening to music, from electronic to classical, to Bob Marley and Fairouz. She introduced me, without trying, to so many sounds. I never thought I’d be a singer, it came much later,” she says. Sae Lis’ musical journey is reflected in the title

And a musical quest it has been. When Sae Lis’ started studying and writing music, the result was unexpected. “It came as a discovery, and I was a little scared about that, as part of me is a little shy and I didn’t want to be exposed too much, to sing as if my heart were coming out. But I am fine with it now and want to share it.”

Sae Lis’ music cannot be described as a shy sound. Vocally she is being labeled as Lebanon’s equivalent of Adele, Amy Winehouse and Sade, due to her soaring, soulful voice, which comes across in tracks “The Way you Treat Me” and her pro-natural beauty track “Girlfriend.” Otayeck’s influence is also audibly evident, particularly in the strumming reggae riffs of “War Madness,” which is reminiscent of the late ‘70s “conscious reggae” – think of Bob Marley’s “War” – although without the thumping bass beats.

Sae Lis’ main collaborator and arranger, Mao Otayeck, who played guitar with the legendary Stevie Wonder and reggae star Alpha Blondy, has certainly pushed her musical talent. “When I sang with Mao, it opened my heart to a big voice,” she says.

The Quest is an eclectic musical cocktail that doesn’t have a unique sound or fall into any specific genre. Soulful pop perhaps? “Well, I don’t know of a soul singer in Lebanon that sings in English,” she says. “The second album may be soul, funk, reggae. I don’t know yet.”

of her debut album, released in May. “It’s called The Quest, as I’m on a quest about my origins, my sounds and myself,” she says.

Aug-Sep 2012

Albums | Music

SUMMER POWER Text SERENA MAKOFSKY

Green Day ¡UNO! Pop goes the punk band. In an interview in Rolling Stone, front man Billie Joe Armstrong makes no apologies for the sound shift on Uno, the first of the California band’s trilogy of upcoming albums: “We wanted something punchier, more power pop.” Lead single “Oh Love” proves that, even cleaned up, Green Day still has its garage band roots. 2013 will see the release of a pair of documentaries on the making of the trilogy and the band’s early days, featuring vintage footage. For more behind-the-scenes action, scan the series of trailers on YouTube showing the band making music and mayhem. PLAYLIST Muse THE 2ND LAW Things got strange when Matt Bellamy, lead vocalist for Muse, tweeted about the second law of thermodynamics. But then it got stranger, with the band making good on bassist Chris Wolstenhome’s promise to go “radically different” with this release – namely a track that interrupts the group’s space/prog/electro/orchestral kaleidoscope with straight-up dub step.

Brandy TWO ELEVEN The title of the songstress’ new release has symbolic import, representing her birthday as well as the date Whitney Houston, Brandy’s dear friend, passed away. “Put It Down” features Chris Brown, while Monica shows up on “It All Belongs to Me.” This release demonstrates the range of brand Brandy’s R&B, from ballads to danceable grooves.

Gossip’s Junior Editor Tala Habbal is

leaving the publication and moving to

the United States. As a parting gift to her many fans, she’s devised an edgy playlist filled with her favorite tunes.

“Foreign Language” by Flight Facilities

Dead Can Dance ANASTASIS Sixteen years have passed since this world music duo recorded an album, and the result is a strangely beautiful unfolding. Lush orchestration and poetic vocals have an eastern influence, reflected in the title, which means “resurrection” in Greek. Fans are calling Anastasis the best DCD album to date, less New Age than its predecessor Spiritchaser.

featuring Jess “Baker Man” by Soul Clap “Jet Plane” by Michael Brun “Baby I’m Yours” by Breakbot featuring Irfane “Chillin’” by Wake featuring Lady Gaga “New Day” by Alicia Keys “One More Night” by Maroon 5 “Let’s Go” by Calvin Harris

Teengirl Fantasy TRACER Tracer, Ohio’s electronica visionaries, have abandoned sampling, focusing instead on creating tightly crafted cuts that shift from chill to maximalist. Panda Bear, Romanthony and Laurel Halo take turns as guest vocalists. The deeply entrancing, and more than a little melancholy track “End,” stands out for its juxtaposition of pulsating electronic noises against sweet piano.

“I’m All Yours” by Jay Sean featuring Pitbull “Take You Higher” by Goodwill & Hook N Sling “Until We Bleed” by Kleerup with Lykke Li “Whistle” by Flo Rida “Take Care” by Drake featuring Rihanna “We Are Young”

Cat Power SUN From the opening slow groove of “Ruin,” the lead single, you’re back in sunny ‘70s California. It’s a pleasant respite for Cat Power, who spent recent months breaking up with her long-term boyfriend, chopping off her hair, hopping a plane to Europe and finishing production on this, her ninth studio album. The vocals are sexy, the piano vampy and the guitar down-and-dirty.

Gossip No. 20

by Fun featuring Janelle Monae “Video Games” (Clique Remix) by Lana Del Rey “Turn Me On” by David Guetta featuring Nicki Minaj

Citizens | Bitsie Tulloch

IVY LEAGUE ACTRESS Text KRISTIN JULIE VIOLA Photo ELISABETH CAREN

BITSIE TULLOCH IS A SEXY MIX OF BEAUTY AND BRAINS

There’s more to Bitsie Tulloch than meets the eye. The actress earned a double major at Harvard University before starring on shows like Quarterlife and Outlaw. She has since expanded her repertoire by appearing in the Oscar-winning film The Artist, as well as the TV drama Grimm, based on Grimm’s fairy tales. We chatted with Tulloch about how she prepared for her silent role, her favorite fairy tale and her passion for all things travel.

. If you weren’t an actress, what else could you see

yourself doing? I was, and still am, a total nerd. When I was younger, I wanted to be a civil engineer. Now I think I would say architect. In fact, once I head back to Portland, Oregon (which is a city with tons of bridges!) for season two of Grimm, I’m going to enroll in some classes. Just for fun – I don’t want a degree or anything – I just want to learn more about architecture.

. How did you prepare for your role in The Artist?

I watched as many silent movies as I could find, and watched anything Tarzan-related over and over again. I knew that the Tears of Love film-within-the-film was set in the jungle with

natives and quicksand etc., so I wanted to be as familiar as possible with the older movies that focused on jungle themes. But it was very important to me that I watch those silent movies because the inability to use words to express something changes everything. It becomes so much more about gestures, facial expressions and body language.

3 Did you expect The Artist to receive so much critical acclaim, including the Oscar for Best Picture? No, I didn’t. I signed on because I loved the movie and the script. I expected The Artist to be a huge art-house hit, but never thought it would have such broad commercial appeal. That the movie ended up going as far as it did is a true testament to the extraordinary director Michel Hazanavicius, and on a greater level, to the fact that the magic of movies is as alive as ever.

4 What appealed to you about the role of Juliette in the TV drama Grimm? I loved the idea for the show and was crazy about the pilot script, but initially I just loved the fact that of the six leads, Juliette is the only character who is not a cop, and not a creature, so if the writers wanted to use a “normal” person’s eyes

to observe all of the chaos, it would probably be Juliette’s. As an animal lover, it has been really wonderful getting to have all those cute animals for co-stars. So far I have shot with dogs, cats and horses. I’m really looking forward to the writers utilizing and further exploring the fact that Juliette is a veterinarian.

. Do you have a favorite fairy tale that you’d like to

see played out on the show? I would love to see how our writers interpret Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. Ideally, I would play Snow White, and the seven dwarves would be seven chubby puppies, but realistically, those dwarves will end up being gruesome little creatures.

6 When you’re not acting, what do you like to do for fun? Travel! I was fortunate to grow up overseas because of my dad’s job. We traveled a ton and moved around quite a bit, so the first thing I want to do when I get a break is travel. I wish I could teleport though – I don’t like flying. In the last three years, I’ve been to Spain, Italy (twice), France, Bermuda, China and Mexico. And this winter I will likely be traveling with friends to New Zealand and Australia. But Russia is biggest on my wish-list. I would love to go to St. Petersburg. Aug-Sep 2012

Pulse | Movie

LOVE, LOSS AND THE SIXTH SENSE Text RUBY GOTHAM

ON THE BIG SCREEN

CELESTE AND JESSE FOREVER If it’s good enough for David Arquette and Courteney Cox (no longer sporting the hyphenate surname of her soon-to-be-official ex-husband) then why not for Jesse and Celeste, the main characters in this cliché-defying dramedy? Celeste (Rashida Jones) and Jesse (Andy Samberg), although seemingly made for each other, are amicably divorcing – and dead set on remaining best friends. All is going according to plan with Jesse living in his artist’s studio behind the main house. But a wrench is thrown into this version of 21st-century domestic bliss when Jesse finds out a one-night stand has resulted in a pregnancy. Complicated feelings abound and type-A exec Celeste reacts by going on a mad dating spree. So how does it all end? We’re not telling.

LIBERAL ARTS

THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER

PARANORMAN

BACHELORETTE

This is a gem of a romantic comedy, written and directed by Josh Radnor, who stars as Jesse, a 30-something New Yorker. He returns to his college alma mater in Ohio to attend a dinner for a now-retiring professor, where he meets and instantly connects with 19-year-old co-ed Zibby (Elizabeth Olson). A long-distance romance ensues with serious wooing via letter writing (as in pen, paper and stamps).

This drama, based on the novel of the same name, centers around Charlie (Logan Lerman), a 15-year-old coping with the recent suicide of his best friend while falling in love for the first time and, eventually, uncovering a painful family secret. Guided by the older Sam (Emma Watson) and her gay stepbrother Patrick, Charlie is introduced to music, art and drugs – and what it truly means to be a friend.

Move over Haley Joel Osment: you’re not the only boy who sees dead people. The adorable and eccentric animated Norman has a mean sixth sense – and it’s up to him to save his small town from an age-old curse and a bevvy of zombies, witches, ghosts and other supernatural forces. From the producers of Coraline, this animated comic adventure is charmingly creepy and vastly entertaining.

The babe factor is off the charts in this comedy starring Kirsten Dunst, Isla Fisher and Lizzy Caplan. Playing type A, shallow and party girl respectively, these besties are bridesmaids for their frenemy Becky (Rebel Wilson), known as “Pig Face” in high school. That Becky is the first to the altar rocks the trio’s world – even as they dutifully (and nastily) fulfill their roles.

FLICKS TO DOWNLOAD

THE HUNGER GAMES

BLUE LIKE JAZZ

LEAVE IT ON THE FLOOR

WEEKEND

CHICO & RITA

VIRGINIA

Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) are forced to fight for their lives in a televised murderous Olympics of sorts.

Don waves goodbye to his Bible Belt Texas roots and all that entails, and heads to a liberal college in Oregon encountering, er, all kinds of “godless” behavior.

After he’s kicked out of his home, a young gay man finds solace with a group of dancing drag queens in this AfricanAmerican musical.

Heartfelt without the cloying sentiment, this romance between two men has universal appeal. Russell and Glen’s love is short but life changing.

The namesake piano player and singer in this Oscar-nominated film, set in 1948, focuses on the Cuban couple’s journey to succeed in music and love.

Jennifer Connelly plays a mentally unstable woman involved in a 20-year affair with the town sheriff. As her grown son searches for his dad, things get messy.

Gossip No. 20

What to do | iPad art

David Hockney’s iPad artwork

PAINTING BY THUMBNAILS Text NATASHA DIRANY

IS IT ART IF IT’S CREATED ON AN IPAD? Does a doodle on an iPad have the right to be in a gallery? It was a question raised after paintings created using an iPad app stole the show in David Hockney’s “A Bigger Picture,” a series of career-spanning landscapes by the British pop art star earlier this year. In the exhibition at London’s Royal Academy of Arts, the painter (who made the California swimming pool an international symbol of sex, serenity and success in 1967’s “A Bigger Splash”), placed oil paintings from the ‘50s alongside recent digital work, all exploring the Yorkshire countryside. “At first Hockney was fascinated by the possibility of capturing the changing elements of nature quickly, without having to stop and mix paints – the iPad offered all the colors he needed,” says Edith Devaney, co-curator of “A Bigger Picture.”

Hockney used the iPad as an “image-making tool,” excited by the realization that the lowresolution works could be printed on a large scale. Hockney may have upgraded it from a novelty to a bona fide art form, but he’s not the only artist to sing the iPad’s praises. David Kassan, a Brooklynbased figurative painter, likens it to a full color sketchbook that magically fits in his backpack and never runs out of pages. Kassan first used the app while traveling on the subway and at the airport. “The first really finished pieces were done as studies in different museums in Europe so that I could really understand some of the paintings that I saw. I learned so much from looking at the paintings for extended periods of time while painting on the iPad, that it has really made my traditional paintings much stronger.”

Other artists have seen their profiles skyrocket after publishing iPad works online. Digital visual artist Kyle Lambert‘s “iPad finger painting” of Beyoncé landed him on the singer’s homepage (watch the “making of” on YouTube for an easy sedative). There’s a big difference between posting a celebrity portrait on YouTube and Hockney’s reflections on the onset of spring, but that’s up to the user. The iPad is egalitarian – as simple and effective as pencil and paper. And it’s fast, too: an artist can exhibit his work worldwide with just a few clicks. The debate on whether iPad art is legitimate or not feels trite – photography did not topple the painting – what’s exciting is a potential for sharing that surpasses any digital, traditional or experimental form. Aug-Sep 2012

Bullets | Green

ECOBUZZ Text ZIAD GEDEON

NEW ECO-FRIENDLY IDEAS AND PRACTICES COULD TRANSFORM BEIRUT AND OTHER LEBANESE CITIES INTO ECO-FRIENDLY DESTINATIONS

BEIRUT IS AMAZING

The new Beirut is Amazing campaign plans to green the city by renovating Beirut’s parks and opening new ones. The city’s mayor teamed up with the private sector and NGOs to kickstart the initiative. Sanayeh, Sioufi and St. Nicolas parks as well as the Beirut Hippodrome are all on the makeover agenda.

ELECTRIC SPEED The Bolt Electric Motorbike produces 80 kilowatts of power through its dual electric motors, for a sleek, speedy ride. The Dutch developers, Springtime, also incorporated a cool LED effect and digital displays for some eye-turning appeal.

GROVE SKATEBACKS

A LITER OF LIGHT

Apparently, filling a bottle with water and bleach, then poking it through your roof, brings as much light as a 50-watt bulb. And it costs practically nothing. One caveat: it reflects the sun, so it only works in dark places during the day.

ECO FOOTPRINT

The more you walk the less pollution you’ll be spouting in the air. Hit the city streets with the Rayfish eco-friendly shoes, designed to reduce the environmental impact. These personalized sneakers are created from stingray leather, espousing a one-fish, one-shoe principle.

Mobile phones have truly changed our lives, but they don’t really carry any green credentials. This is where the Grove Skatebacks come in. Crafted from 100 percent recycled skateboard material, they stick seamlessly to the iPhone and can be removed without a trace.

BRANDED BIKE

The bike craze hasn’t caught on in Beirut, and maybe it’s because we all want to show off our prestigious brand-name cars. Well, here’s a brand-name bike by Delorean, a stylish, lean, mean machine by the makers of the iconic car. At $5,500, this bike is more expensive than most. But your Lebanese prestige factor remains intact!

GREEN CELEBS

What do Justin Bieber, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Leonardo DiCaprio have in common? They own outrageously expensive electric cars that keep greenhouse emissions at an all-time low and never throw clouds of exhaust fumes your way. Want to emulate a celebrity? Buy yourself a luxury electric car, and be the one to drive change among your elite friends.

Gossip No. 20

MIRACLE MICRO-LIGHT MIT recently unveiled a major new finding: the ultra-efficient LED, a micro-light that gives out more energy than it consumes. This means generators could become obsolete, as these lights have an incredible 230 percent efficiency rating. However, the technology is still in very early stages and has only been successful at the pico-watt scale.

SHARE A BEIRUT RIDE Rising fuel prices, a mediocre public

transport system and major pollution have encouraged the environmental club at the American University of Beirut (AUB) to create autopooling.com, the first carpooling concept in the country. Verification through Facebook ensures that carpool partners are legitimate. Other universities should definitely follow AUB’s lead.

Wireless | Seeqnce

MAY THE BEST IDEA PREVAIL Text AG JOY

IF YOU HAVE A GREAT BUSINESS PLAN, YOU COULD WIN ENOUGH MONEY TO GET STARTED! Sometimes a great idea isn’t enough. Without necessary support – financial, creative or business mentoring – no matter how much potential an Internet-related business plan has, the likelihood of getting it off the ground could be nominal. With the aim of reversing that trend, Seeqnce, an award-winning Internet startup accelerator based in Beirut, was recently founded by five businessmen/entrepreneurs. The process is straightforward: applications are submitted, interviews take place, and then a jury makes a selection of the most promising ideas, which takes place in August. “We used to custom solutions for entrepreneurs,” says co-founder Samer Karam, who, along with the other four co-founders and/or program directors – Maroun Najm, Fadi Bizri, Michel el Me-

ouchi and Mackram Raydan – is one of the final judges. “This is the first year where it’s structured in a way to target a wider group.” That it did. Seeqnce received 436 applications from across the region and beyond. From those, 24 to 32 will be chosen, says Karam, and Seeqnce will help build and accelerate those top-class startups. “We interviewed so many people from so many different backgrounds; it was like a melting pot,” says Raya Farhat, one of the judges of the interviews. As a photographer and art director, Farhat’s role was important for its creative contribution. “The ideas that stuck out were those that were innovative, trendsetting and original.” Two Internet start-ups that already have received Seeqnce support are Cinemoz, a website

devoted entirely to Arab entertainment, and ThinkGreen, a mobile app developed by a newly formed NGO aimed at promoting the protection of the environment. Although the majority of entries this year came from Lebanon (around 60 percent), any startup team or individual can enter, from anywhere, in any industry. The key is to be high-impact, early-stage entrepreneurs who believe they can create the next big web or mobile startup. Besides receiving a cash investment ($78,500), the startups get something equally important: six months of world-class mentoring and training. Visit seeqnce.com Aug-Sep 2012

Bulletin | Wireless

TECHBYTES Text SYDNEY READE

SOUNDS LIKE GENEVA A reference system in some legendary recording studios, the Geneva Model XL is a home and studio all-in-one sound system that was named best new product by Home Theater magazine. The sound system features six 100-watt, powerful class D digital amplifiers. www.genevalab.com/shop/genevasound-xl

HARD AND SHINY You’re never going to believe this. France-based nuclear agency Andra has created a sapphire hard drive designed to last – hold your breath – 1 million years! Inside the disk (the most expensive ever made), the data is engraved using platinum. www.andra.fr/international/ CARRY IT ALL You’ve been waiting for this one. CM4’s Q Card Case is a wallet and case for the iPhone 4/4S that combines superior protection, sophisticated style and pocket-friendly convenience. The wallet comfortably fits three cards (credit cards, IDs, etc.), plus cash. www.cm4.com

ECO-FRIENDLY MUSIC Wood that would have otherwise been burned or tossed in a landfill has been polished to a smooth satin finish to create the WoodTones earbuds. Offered by Griffin, these eco-friendly earbuds combine the aesthetic and acoustic benefits inherent in real wood, while allowing for excellent sound. www.griffintechnology.com

WINNING DUO The Duo bluetooth rechargeable mini speakers from DBest deliver powerful sound in an ultra-sleek package. The small speakers are ideal for wireless music streaming and feature a portable design with magnetic joining bases. www.dbest.co.uk

BEST OF THE BLOGS MAN OF ALL MEDIA

SKATEBOARDIN’ FUN

SUGAR AND CANDY, BABY

zawada.com.au

skartorialist.blogspot.com

www.fabsugar.com

Sydney-based graphic designer and creative director Jonathan Zawada posts his commercial work and his artwork on this streamlined blog. The young man’s work cuts across artistic disciplines, including oil painting, drawing, sculpture and installation.

Sam Ashley worships skateboards and he dedicates his blog to all men who skate. Updated every few days, the blog showcases photos of skaters and their boards in cities across the United Kingdom and beyond. Check out Ian Massry posing in Beirut.

FabSugar is a style blog with ever-changing posts. There’s useful advice, like “how to pair black and yellow like a pro,” and a “look of the day,” which showcases a winning total look submitted by one of the blog’s many readers.

FUN: SOME NIGHTS OFFICIAL VIDEO

SNL 50 SHADES OF GREY SKIT

KYLE’S MOM IS A BIG FAT B.

Fun had a massive hit with “We Are Young,” which was famously featured in the fourth season finale of Gossip Girl. Their follow-up, “Some Nights,” comes with a chilling clip set during the American Civil War. A visceral statement about the tragedies of war.

You’ve heard all about the sexsational book 50 Shades of Grey, but are you aware of the impact the erotic bestseller is having on your female entourage? Check out this uproarious Saturday Night Live/Amazon ad to find out!

From the film South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut, this hilarious clip features Cartman singing about his friend Kyle’s mom. According to Cartman, “she’s a big fat bitch, she’s the biggest bitch in the whole wide world.” It gets funnier every time.

YOUTUBE CLIPS

Gossip No. 20

Nightlife | Snapshots

BIG IN BEIRUT Photos JIMMY FRANCIS

Aug-Sep 2012

Event mania | What to do

DATEBOOK THROUGH AUGUST 11 VARIOUS CITIES

THROUGH SEPTEMBER 10 ESPACE KETTANEH KUNIGK, BEIRUT

AUGUST 3 CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

AUGUST 3-4 LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

COLDPLAY

THROUGH THE LENS OF

LOLLAPALOOZA 2012

HARD SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVAL

Fans around the globe clamor to get tickets whenever this British band announces tour dates. Catch them this summer and viva la vida!

A collective photography exhibition, Through the Lens of displays photos by Nadim Asfar, Fouad el Khoury, and Gilbert Hage, among others.

The massive destination festival features a stellar musical lineup, including B.O.B., Black Sabbath and Calvin Harris, to name a few.

This music festival has a terrific lineup of alternative electronic and rock acts, like Birdy Nam Nam, Datsik and Craze.

AUGUST 3-5 KATOWICE, POLAND

AUGUST 3-SEPTEMBER 14 SPORTING CLUB, BEIRUT

AUGUST 4-12 BROOKLYN, NEW YORK

AUGUST 16-18 KIEWET, BELGIUM

OFF FESTIVAL

DECKS ON THE BEACH

ART OF BROOKLYN FILM FEST

PUKKELPOP 2012

The alterative music festival, held annually since 2006, showcases over 100 acts like Andy Stott and Baroness across four gigantic stages.

Acts like Horse Meat Disco, Jerry Bouthier and Lindstrom sex up the summer, during seaside parties held on alternate Friday and Saturday nights.

This is the first film festival to showcase Brooklyn-based films and filmmakers. Films are screened at a 300-seat theater in Brooklyn Heights.

The second largest music festival in Belgium, this event is held outdoors in the woodlands of Kiewit. Check out acts like Björk and the Foo Fighters.

AUGUST 16-18 HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA

AUGUST 18-19 OSAKA AND TOKYO, JAPAN

AUGUST 24- 26 CHESHIRE, ENGLAND

AUGUST 31-SEPTEMBER 2 NEW YORK, NEW YORK

SSMF

SUMMER SONIC FESTIVAL

CREAMFIELDS

ELECTRIC ZOO

The Sunset Strip transforms into an outdoor celebration of music. Headliners include De La Soul, and Marilyn Manson.

Catch Japanese acts and acclaimed international names like Azealia Banks, Adam Lambert and Ke$ha at this two-city music festival.

Creamfields is one of the most massive parties around, with acts like Afrojack, Above & Beyond, Paul Van Dyke and Pete Tong.

The Electric Zoo festival features over 100 of the biggest names in trance, indie dance, dubstep and electronic music, like David Guetta and Tiesto.

SEPTEMBER 6 BEIRUT WATERFRONT

SEPTEMBER 6-8 ROME, ITALY

SEPTEMBER 19-23 MONTREAL, QUEBEC

SEPTEMBER 21 MGM GRAND, LAS VEGAS

RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS

INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

POP MONTREAL

IHEARTRADIO MUSIC FESTIVAL

The great alternative rockers perform huge hits like “Give it Away” and “Californication” during a one-night-only concert.

The Rome International Film Festival has become one of Europe’s leading film festivals and features two full days of screenings and parties.

Over 400 acts, like Andre Williams and Gotye, perform in more than 50 venues across the city of Montreal during this music and film festival.

This two-night extravaganza hosts mind-blowing acts like Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, Mary J. Blige, Rihanna, Shakira and Pink, all under one roof.

Gossip No. 13 20