Gossip07 by Aishti

07 JUn-JUl10

this one’s a blast PlaCebo hooKUP taKe beiRUt bY the hoRns PaRtY in ibiza You don’t exist until theY tAlk About You

l mzAAr · ABC AshrAfieh · CiTymAll · inTerConTinenTA un verD Ti Aïsh · iDe seAs Ti Aïsh · wn nTo AïshTi Dow AsCus 11 · DuBAi · AmmAn · mAnAmA · KuwAiT · DAm fAqrA · Aïzone BeiruT souKs · Tel: 01 9911

Aizone Music 50x35.indd 1-2

at Tunefork recording studios 5/20/10 3:44:54 PM

There is only one place to be this summer, and one city that universally explodes with passion, rage and young love. Beirut, city of madness, city of hope, city of glamour, is most exciting and most enticing during its hottest months, when all of us, residents and visiting expats, chuck our winter clothes and head for the beach in nothing but micro bathing suits and stylish flip-flops. Yes, there are beaches and resorts aplenty for the day, but also cool mountain escapes where umbrella pines stand guard under an eternally blue sky, and city rooftops that come alive at sundown to the heady sounds of live DJs, and special, once-in-a-lifetime parties organized by dynamos like Cotton Candy and Shout. All here, all in Beirut. Heaven is nowhere, but tonight is forever. Gossip

diReCtoRY Publisher Tony SalamĂŠ Group TSG SAL / editor-in-chief Marwan Naaman / creative director Malak Beydoun art director Laurent El Khoury / associate editor Natasha Tohme / assistant editor Tala Habbal / editor-at-large Serena Makofsky writers Thaddea Davies, Ziad Gedeon, Lucy Gillespie, Ruby Gotham, Ilze Hugo, AG Joy, Veronique Loger Michelle Merheb, Sophie Marzano, Sydney Reade, Kristin Julie Viola PhotograPhers Tinko Czetwertynski, Enzo, Raya Farhat, Benjamin Loyseau, Ilaria Orsini, Georges Sokhn, Martin Stroebich Bachar Srour, Tanya Traboulsi, Philippe Tyan stylists Mouna Harati, Amelianna Loiacono, Hala Moawad Production Fadi Maalouf, Maria Maalouf / resPonsible director George Chahine / Printing 140 el Moutrane st., fourth floor, downtown beirut, lebanon / gossip@gossip-beirut.com

The art of printing

5-11-2009

16:18

Pagina 1

www.armanijeans.com

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nightlife

PaRtY Destination:

The rumors are flying, the message boards awash with incredulity, but finally it is confirmed; the club known as El Divino has been overtaken by Pacha for summer 2010. Such investment into the goings-on of club venues on a tiny island off the coast of Spain may seem arbitrary, but this island is Ibiza; the most notorious of lush party destinations, where nightlife is religion, and its disciples are eternally devout. Ibiza town proper is the number one destination for seasoned partygoers. Hit up Base Bar along the Placa de sa Drasseneta to hear down-to-the-wire information on the evening’s best parties, then follow parades of pretty young things into Pacha, before heading to nearby beach Playa d’en Bossa – the only place to tan. Go west to San Antonio for mindblowing sunsets at Café del Mar, then get ready for a whole night of white magic on this most sanctimonious of isles.

ibiza

Pacha

Space

Ushuaïa Beach Club

Notoriously exclusive, with a VIP lounge to die for (or sell your soul for), Pacha offers la crème de la crème to the most particular of partygoers. This gold standard of Ibiza megaclubs hosts stellar back-to-back sessions with world-renowned DJs in the main room. Or, if you tire of standard house music, meander into one of the five other ornately decorated rooms pulsing Spanish pop, funk/jazz/soul or mellow vibes. And keep your eyes peeled – Pacha hides a healthy stash of secret guests and live acts for their devoted disciples. Avenida del 8 de Agosto, W www.pacha.com

Wild, untamed and beloved by world-class DJs Fatboy Slim, John Digweed and Carl Cox, Space holds a pedigree in over-the-top outdoor music experiences. Situated directly beneath Ibiza’s flight path, partygoers make a blissful Balearic welcome committee, raising their arms and howling to the incoming airplanes. Playa d’en Bossa, Sant Josep de Sa Talaia, T 34.97.139.6793, W www.spaceibiza.com

Drag yourself out of bed at 3pm and head on over to this secluded Elysian Oasis tucked away from the madding crowds of Playa d’en Bossa. You’re in for some serious pampering. Nab a sultry daybed draped with linens for a beachside massage, smoothie in hand. Sample the exquisitely prepared Italian menu, or perhaps fresh sushi, as the sun crosses the sky and melts into the horizon. Evening brings a blanket of anticipation at Ushuaïa, a bar that has perfected the art of mellow revelry. Although only open until 2am, Ushuaïa offers a full schedule of parties throughout the season. Carretera Playa d’en Bossa, in front of Hotel Fiesta Don Toni, on the beach, San José, T 34.97.573.4370, W www.ushuaiaibiza.com

HONORABLE MENTIONS Café Del Mar

A serene silence falls upon the terrace of Café del Mar, heralding the gorgeous overture of the Ibizan sunset. Wax poetical as the light catches glisters of ice in your glass of sangria. Then huddle up and plot the night ahead. 151 Calle de Ramón Muntaner, Eivissa, T 34.97.139.4437, W www.cafedelmarmusic.com Bora Bora

A megaclub for the stoically diurnal, Bora Bora hosts sun-soaked daytime sessions on the beach. Swing by in fancy dress, and be prepared for sexy summer tunes and some serious afternoon delight. Playa d’en Bossa, right on the beach, in front of the Jet Apartment complex. Es Paradis

Ibiza Underground

Amnesia

Much more intimate than the megaclubs, this authentic venue has a low-key house party vibe with peak capacity of only a few hundred. A guarded secret of islanders, seasonal staffers and jet-setters in the know, Ibiza Underground is hosted by resident DJ Justin Fields of the Talking Balearics. Swing by early on Fridays (10pm-4am) for a mellow taste of local flavor. Km 7 on the Ibiza to San Antonio road, San Rafael, W www.myspace.com/ibzunderground

Home to the legendary Cream and Manumission music sessions, Amnesia is a sanctuary for hardcore trance enthusiasts. True to its psychedelic hippie roots, Amnesia boasts a speaker capacity capable of giving a full-body sound massage and a brand new state-ofthe-art laser light show. Emerge from Monday night Cocoon sessions to the terrace to rub shoulders with luminaries such as Naomi Campbell, P. Diddy and the Dolce & Gabbana duo. 4 Carretera Enmig, Eivissa, T 34.97.119.8041, W www.amnesia.es

The décor alone is worth a visit – vast Roman columns, lush garden gazebos and freaky circus performers give this club the air of a post-apocalyptic paradise. Or if that doesn’t turn your head, experience the Fiesta del Agua, where the entire dance floor is flooded with 80,000 liters of water. (Bring your swimsuit separately.) 2 Salvador Espriu, Sant Antoni De Portmany, Eivissa, T 34.97.134.6600, W www.esparadis.com

[ Text Lucy Gillespie ]

citizens

MAD ABOUT MELROSE On Melrose Place, Michael Rady plays an aspiring filmmaker It’s a case of art imitating life for Michael Rady. After going from audition to audition, the 28-yearold actor landed a plum role on the CW’s Melrose Place – portraying an aspiring filmmaker looking for his big break in Hollywood. We chatted with Rady about all things Melrose Place, including his current cast members and rumors surrounding the show, not to mention his thoughts on the classic ‘90s show. Are you a fan of the original Melrose Place series? I wasn’t a watcher because it was a little bit before my time. My sister watched it. I’ve heard all of the crazy stories from working with some of the original cast members. I’m very interested in watching it. When I first got cast on the show, they didn’t want me to watch it, because they wanted to go in a different direction with it, but now I need to jump in and watch it. I have the DVD of the first season, and there are 34 episodes on it, so I’ll watch it when I have a free 34 hours. Original Melrose Place cast members, such as Heather Locklear, Josie Bissett, Daphne Zuniga, Laura Leighton and Thomas Calabro, have appeared on the show. What has it been like working with them? They are all so sweet and fun to work with. Thomas

Calabro is a total goofball. He’s always having fun and so is everyone who is with him. It’s interesting to watch him go from Dr. Michael Mancini to the goofy, bumbling guy that he is. And we all have a big crush on Laura Leighton. She’s motherly – in a great way. You were the first actor cast in the new series. How do you think you managed to land the part so early on? I think it was a combination of luck and good timing. I was auditioning as much as I could. I tested for the show and within a week, they gave me the part. It was pretty surreal. How easy is it for you to relate to your character? As a struggling artist, it’s definitely very easy. I guess you could say all artists are struggling, in a sense. But he is an artist in my industry looking for success, so I can certainly relate. In this industry, it can be quite a rollercoaster. There are rumors that Ashlee Simpson-Wentz got fired from the show. Is this true? It’s all gossip and rumors. They rework things on TV shows all the time, and so they decided that both her and Colin Egglesfield’s storylines were too dark for the show. They wanted the show to be a little lighter and a little more fun. Ashley and

Colin’s characters were the victims of that. It sent shockwaves throughout the cast. We were all sad, and we miss both of them. Do you and your fellow cast members ever hang out together off-set? Absolutely. We don’t hang out a ton because we are all so busy, but we do hang out at one another’s houses, or we’ll go to the back of a bar. None of us are wild, crazy partiers. We are all old enough to know how fortunate we are. You got your start acting in the film Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, which featured Blake Lively, America Ferrara, Alexis Bledel and Amber Tamblyn, all of whom have become major actresses in their own right. Do you stay in touch with any of them? Blake is the only one I stay in touch with. She is super sweet, and she has such a nice family. We had a great time when we filmed the sequel in Santorini. I keep in touch with her, and we hang out when I go to New York. What are your hobbies? I love to read, exercise, play Frisbee, travel, go hiking, be on the beach and surf. And, of course, you can run, read and surf all on the beach, so that’s ideal.

[ Text Kristin Julie Viola ]

citizens

Zena el Khalil first wrote in her widely read blog, Beirut Update, about seeing lots of “tiny, tiny papers” come streaming down from the sky one day during the 2006 war with Israel. “And then running to pick them up – why?” she asks now, her flower-print dress, painted toe nails and shiny, purple sandals answering the question before she does. “Because they’re pink, they were pink, you know?” While the caricatures on the pink leaflets carried a clear political message, their origin is shrouded in mystery. El Khalil is an artist, not a detective, so she has turned to canvas and the bright, feminine colors she loves in order to create the five large-size works that will dominate her upcoming solo show, opening June 30 at Espace Kettaneh Kunigk. “What I’ve done here with these pieces is similar to what I do with my others, basically taking something that is horrific and abusive and violent, and kind of ingesting it and then spitting it out into something that is quite harmless,” she says. “I have to take these things that are very scary and kind of make them friendly in a way, to find a balance.”

WARRIOR EMPRESS Glitter reflects light, and light is that greater force

The artist’s last decade, however, has been anything but balanced. She has suffered a divorce and survived a war; mourned a best friend lost to cancer; authored a strikingly candid memoir, Beirut, I Love You; founded Xanadu, an “un-gallery” space to support young Lebanese artists; and exhibited her own mixed media collages and sculptures in Italy, Germany, Beirut and Lagos, where she grew up. Her drug of choice? Glitter. “At the end of the day, glitter reflects light, and light is that [greater] force” that moves her to create, she says. “It’s an analogy.” In this thoroughly “modern tool,” El Khalil sees an incarnation of the gold leaf that illuminates Byzantine mosaics. “Soldiers are painted in pinks and purples, because I also believe that those colors really represent my generation [which] has grown up with MTV and consumerism,” she says. “We’re defined by the objects and the materials that we own” – whether iPods or Kalashnikovs – “and not by our inner spirit, our spiritual value.”

El Khalil’s unique fusion of ironic pop art with violent iconography caught the eye of Naila Kettaneh Kunigk during the artist’s last solo exhibition in Beirut, “I Love You” at Espace SD in spring 2006. “It was the first time I saw a very direct relation to the memory of the war,” says Kettaneh Kunigk, also the founder and co-director of Galerie Tanit in Munich. “You know we’ve had people working on it, but she really went right to the point [with] a mix of kitsch, a certain poverty and a very big love for all those victims.” Two years later, Kettaneh Kunigk sponsored what she calls El Khalil’s “first real European show,” a joint exhibit with Paris-based Lebanese artist Lamia Ziadé, “But, I Can’t Let Go.” Indeed, El Khalil still can’t and, lucky for us, she doesn’t have to. View Zena el Khalil’s show from June 30-July 31 at Espace Kettaneh Kunigk, Gefinor Center Block E, Clemenceau, Beirut, T 01.738.706.

[ Text Sophie Marzano

Photos Karen Kalou, Gigi Roccati, Rachel Tabet ]

Top two photos (small), left: “Soldiers” Top photo (large), left: “In the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Gun” Top photo, right: “Midsummer’s Day” Opposite photos (small): “Binge Drinking” and detail from “Binge Drinking” Opposite photo (large): “My First Diaper (My First Kiss)” Photo immediately below: “I Was Only Napping Under the Tree” Bottom photo, left: “Alice Has Just Left the Building” Bottom photo, right: “Soldiers”

music

PLACEBO ROCKS BEIRUT

Black nail polish. Pink eye shadow. Little black dress. The usual checklist of a Beiruti painting the town red with her gals. However, on June 9, it may well be the checklist of a certain male band member preparing to launch onto the stage at the Beirut Forum. Yep, Placebo is hitting Lebanon once again, sponsored by Aïzone. Six years after it made its first appearance at the Byblos Festival, the anti-establishment band is back to offer more soul-searching lyrics and musical extravagance to its Middle Eastern fans. Androgynous frontman Brian Molko (who spent part of his childhood in Lebanon) and bassist Stefan Olsdal have bid farewell to the drugs that made up much of the British band’s debauched 16-year history of hotel trashings and wild orgies, but their sound is no less energetic and emotional.

The band is back with more musical extravagance

With the addition of slickly tattooed drummer Steve Forrest (after the departure of Steven Hewitt), the band released its sixth studio album Battle for the Sun in June last year – audible evidence of Placebo’s progression since their self-titled debut album in 1996. It’s the flip side to Meds, their previous 2006 release, says Molko. “We’ve made a record about choosing life, about choosing to live, about stepping out of the darkness and into the light; not necessarily

turning your back on the darkness, because it’s there, it’s essential; it’s a part of who you are, but it’s more about the choice of standing in the sunlight instead.” Where Meds’ lyrics revolve around addiction and desperation, Molko calls Battle for the Sun “something with a bit more hope to it.” Best recognized for songs like “For What It’s Worth,” “Every You Every Me” and their cover of Kate Bush’s classic anthem “Running Up That Hill,” Placebo’s award for Best Alternative at the 2009 MTV Europe Music Awards is proof that their new album lives up to expectations. Continuing with the string arrangements that were introduced on Meds, Battle for the Sun sees the guys adding a brass section too, something influenced by their love of soul, reggae and the Beatles – although they sound very far from either. Always filled with introspection and self-awareness, and combined with Molko’s Anglo-American (sometimes high-pitched) voice, Olsdal’s raw guitar riffs and Forrest’s wild thrashing of the drums, Placebo offers anything but a placebo effect. Honest, deeply personal and thoroughly provocative, what you see is so what you’re gonna get. Catch Placebo on June 9 at the Beirut Forum.

[ Text Veronique Loger ]

ML GOSSIP NE 7Mankind.indd 1

25-01-2010 16:19:47

Seven store, Beirut souks, Souk El Tawileh, tel: 01 99 11 11 ext: 560 Also available at all A誰zone stores in Beirut, tel: 01 99 11 11

citizens

ITEMIZATION culture.” Forever freeze-framing scenes for his “library of influences,” Duval whips out his iPhone and shows me a pic of an Internet café sign he’s just passed: “Cyberia.” He’s still laughing! Many people associate him with fashion because of his collaborations with Paris’ Colette store – he helped conceptualize Colette Meets Comme Des Garçons – but Item Idem is more interested in brands, logos and advertising. The massive Chanel sign that he exhibited at Art Basel Miami (made to resemble the towering McDonald’s logo) comes to mind. “Maybe I’m a megalomaniac,” he confesses of his love for all things big. Which explains his love of architecture. In Lebanon on holiday, he found himself collaborating with New York’s Pin-Up magazine, photographing Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer’s 15 modernist buildings in Tripoli. “These could have been such amazing sites, but they were never finished, so it’s like a real ghost town,” he says of the Rashid Karamé International Fair. “Of course I love seeing old temples, but contemporary stuff – things like this that are linked to a living architect – are more my thing.” Sitting down to a cup of black filter coffee, Cyril Duval unzips his massive, orange bag to show me what he’s purchased during his weeklong stay in Lebanon. Instead of the usual Turkish coffee cup-and-saucer sets and cedar-wood key rings, Item Idem – as he’s known in the creative sphere – has stashed his bag with a rip-off army suit, Osama bin Laden mask, blow-up copy of a Jeff Koons bunny and loads of fake high-end branded perfumes. “It’s things like this that I like to document and source,” says the Parisian branding artist now based in New York. “Things that are relevant to a specific

The man is all about pop culture, working with anything from conceptual art, installations and words (he’s a great blogger and fan of Facebook), to industrial products and retail design. Item Idem may be the creative genius, but it’s Duval’s heart that’s beating for another trip to Lebanon. This being his first visit to the Middle East, Duval admits that he had a “stupid” idea of what it would be like. “I had only ever thought of Lebanon as a war-torn, tragic place. But I remember my father used to come here for work and would always say that it was like paradise on earth. I think he was right.”

Cyril Duval is known as Item Idem in the creative sphere

[ Text Veronique Loger

Photos Sebastian Mayer, Paul Mpagi Sepuya, Martin Stroebich, David Waldman ]

movies

It’s a new format, and it’s on the Web

ShANkAbOOT dElIvErS

With the click of a mouse, the pioneering Arab Web serial Shankaboot has gone from bold experiment to buzz-worthy Indie hit. Watch Suleiman’s efforts to promote his startup delivery service, Shankaboot, and win the heart of troubled singer Ruweida, but don’t stop there. Participate in the continuing storyline via online games, forums and polls. “Because it’s a new format, and it’s on the Web, we just felt a little more free to explore that medium and go a little bit crazy with subject matter,” says producer Katia Saleh, on her last day of filming the series’ second season in the Bekaa. The production team behind Shankaboot (www. shankaboot.com) – Saleh’s London-based Batoota Films in association with the BBC World Service Trust and with support from Zico House and the Welded Tandem Picture Company – only agreed to show the 11th and final five-minute episode of the show’s first season after 5,000 had signed up as fans on Facebook. More than a numbers game, it’s clear that viewers are responding to the story, the series’ smooth, modern delivery and Rayess Bek’s atmospheric score. “His music belongs to the streets and to Beirut,” says director Amin Dora. The creators have succeeded in assembling what Saleh calls “something that is very close to people’s daily life [and] the language that people speak on the street.”

The show is broadcast in colloquial Arabic with English subtitles – just click CC on YouTube. “The idea started as being a pan-Arab show to attract a pan-Arab audience,” Saleh says. The BBC originally approached her about creating an interactive, entertainment-based forum for young Arabs to meet online and discuss the topics that interest them, taboo or not. The series received initial funding for 30 episodes, but now they intend to do as many as 50. Increasingly high-quality film work is migrating online and adapting to the short attention span that characterizes the Web. Shankaboot is at the vanguard of this new trend in the Middle East. Its camera work is clean, natural and sophisticated. Its principal actors are attractive, appealing amateurs. And each episode ends on a note of suspense, a touch of melodrama that blends nicely with the show’s otherwise realistic milieu. So don’t be surprised, if someone asks: do you Shankaboot?

[ Text Sophie Marzano ]

movies

MONSTErS, MErMAIdS ANd A MOUSE Movies to watch

As they say, karma’s a bitch. And when a haughty New York teenager Kyle Kingston (Alex Pettyfer) who has it all – including a major mean streak – messes with the wrong girl, his worst fear comes true. His once good-looking face is made unrecognizable and ugly when Kendra (Mary Kate Olsen) casts a spell on him. And unless he can find someone to love him as he is within a year, he will remain a monster forever. Enter Lindy (Vanessa Hudgens), who winds up living with Kyle in Brooklyn due to a random series of events. Although the outcome of this modern and edgy take on the classic Beauty and the Beast is clear from the onset, watching Alex struggling with eighty-sixing his obsession with the superficial and discovering true love is entertaining just the same.

beastly

the Kids are all right

ondine

splice

the twilight saga: eclipse

It’s a charming comedy about your typical modern American (celluloid) family. You know, two photogenic, fast-talking teenagers (Mia Wasikowska of Alice in Wonderland fame and Josh Hutcherson) living in a boho-chic Los Angeles neighborhood with two devoted parents. Both of whom just happen to be moms, played by Annette Bening and Julianne Moore. The siblings’ search for their spermdonor dad shakes up the family dynamics.

Set on the gorgeous coast of Ireland, this modern-day fairy tale, written and directed by Neil Jordan, centers on Syracuse (Colin Farrell), a fisherman, and his 10-year-old daughter Annie. Their lives become “strange and wonderful” when a mysterious woman called Ondine turns up in their fishing nets one day. Annie believes the beauty to be a magical sea creature. Lovely storytelling is the foundation of this offbeat tale.

With this tagline: “Science’s newest miracle…is a mistake,” it’s no surprise that audiences at Sundance gave this scifi/thriller/horror film a nod of approval. Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley play two renegade genetic engineers who flip the bird to ethics when their clandestine experiments create a hybrid female creature with both human and animal DNA. She bonds with and rebels against her “parents” with deadly consequences.

Whether you’re Team Edward or Team Jacob, the third film in the Twilight series will not disappoint. (And, yes, both Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner are looking mighty fine.) The Cullens have returned to Seattle and Kristen Stewart’s Bella is happily reunited with her main vamp. But Bella’s close friendship with Jacob continues to be a wedge between her and Edward – and their antagonistic relationship could pose a threat to Bella’s safety.

new on DvD

June 15

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July 6

July 20

the secret life of the

toM & Jerry Deluxe

hung

creation

the girl with

Jersey shore: s1

aMerican teenager: v4

anniversary eDition

After Ray Drecker loses everything

A peek inside Charles Darwin’s

the Dragon tattoo

MTV’s reality show hones in on

Ben and Amy break up, and Ashley

Enjoy the classic antics of the

– except his sizable tool – he

personal life – where science and

A disgraced journalist and a

eight young adults spending the

still confounds her parents.

beloved cat and mouse frenemies.

decides to become a male escort.

religion collide.

hacker unite to solve a murder.

summer in Jersey.

what to do

24 hOUrS IN dAMASCUS no doubt about it, Damascus is booming. and, despite the numerous transformations and the new modern feel of many of the city’s neighborhoods, its more traditional character, age-old customs and charm have been preserved, even promoted. there’s much to see, do and experience in 24 hours, and all of it positively remarkable.

noon: check in at beit Zaman hotel There are over 20 boutique hotels in old Damascus, but Beit Zaman is among the most charming. The place consists of four old houses converted and connected, each with its own striking courtyard with the requisite fountain. From the rooftop terrace, you’ll get an incredible view of old Damascus. W www.beit-zaman.com 1PM: lunch at Down town

Take a taxi to Abou Remmaneh, about 10 minutes away from the hotel. The neighborhood has plenty of good eateries, and there’s some fine post-lunch shopping close by. Have lunch at Down Town, which serves up an array of fresh salads and an interesting selection of shakes and juices. If your appetite is heartier, you can try the Gemini Bar and Grill right across the street. Hands down the best steak you’ll get in Damascus, old or new. 2:30PM: abou remmaneh and shaalane

Damascus has undergone some transformations in recent years, with many new parks and gardens, large fountains, and a facelift to many neighborhoods. One of these is the newly popular Abou Remmaneh (and Shaalane). There are plenty of boutiques for women and men’s fashions – and just about everything else. Pop into Attitudes and check out the two floors (ground level for men and upstairs for women) of upscale imported fashions. Around the corner is Semiramis, an absolute must for every kind of Arabic pastry you fancy, especially the Damascus specialty, barazzek. You’ll end up tasting (and buying) much more than you had planned for. 4PM: art appreciation and a great cappuccino in Mazzeh

Once notorious for being home to Syria’s nastiest prison (the prison is now closed) Mazzeh is now a sought-after residential neighborhood. Check out Ayyam Gallery for their esteemed collection of local and international artists. A short drive away is Art House, with its own admired art gallery open to the public every afternoon from 4-8pm. After perusing the works of their featured artist of the month, pop into in the outdoor Chopin café. The cappuccino is divine.

5PM: ice cream at bakdash

11PM: after-dinner drinks at Z-bar

While Damascus’ Hamidiyye souk is well-known for every kind of bargain, don’t waste too much time here as there are better quality products elsewhere, even if slightly more costly. Instead, head right to Bakdash (about halfway down the main hall) for their famous milk flavored ice cream cones, dipped in pistachios. Don’t be intimidated by the hordes of people elbowing their way to the top of the queue; it moves quickly (if a little disorderly), and the reward is well worth it.

This rooftop bar in the Omayad hotel in Abou Remmaneh has become the hit of Damascus. With its black floor and walls, full sized mirrors and bar and salon-style seating, the Z-Bar is full every night with a clientele ranging in age from 20 to 60.

5:30PM: bab touma and bab sharqi Once you exit the souk, you’ll be in the Bab Sharqi and Bab Touma areas of the old town. You’ll be tempted by the rows and rows of newly renovated shops selling rugs, antiques, pottery, art and furniture.

MiDnight: nightclubbing at the Dome

Although it’s a 30-minute taxi drive away to the neighborhood of Dummar, the Dome is worth the drive. A converted 14th-century hammam turned restaurant/bar/nightclub, this ultra-trendy nightspot is where anybody who’s somebody in Damascus can be found dining, drinking and dancing the night away. 9aM: breakfast at beit Zaman

A few blocks before Beit Zaman hotel look for a sign leading up a small alley to Occasions Plus. This two-floor galleria features gorgeous and original custom-made furnishings and handmade home accessories. W www.occasions-plus.com

Stumble out of your room and start the day with an elaborate buffet offering all the makings of a traditional Levantine breakfast enjoyed in the calming atmosphere of the sun-lit courtyard. 10aM: st. Paul’s church in bab touma

On the way back to the hotel, pop into Ornina to see (and buy) hand blown glass objects, and Saloum, the oldest (and maybe smallest) wine seller in Damascus. Before heading back to the hotel to drop off your purchases, check out the newly opened Yook Design (about 200 meters past the hotel). There are three floors of custom-made Art Deco furniture; many newly manufactured to resemble traditional furnishings. The shop also has beautifully refurbished pieces, unique home accessories and a selection of artworks (from Ayyam Gallery). 7:45PM: Drinks at after 7

A few steps from the hotel is After 7, a small twofloor bar that has become trendy and hip among locals and tourists alike. You can sip on any kind of cocktail you desire, or try an ice-cold Barada, a refreshingly good local beer.

While old Damascus boasts many old churches, the small St. Paul’s church is unique both for its underground vaulted place of worship and its history. It’s on this site that St. Paul, who was formerly Saul of Tarsus and charged by the Jews to persecute the Christians, hid from the Jews after he converted to Christianity. 11aM: last-minute shopping victoria bridge area

near

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Just behind the Four Seasons hotel are many of Damascus’ high-end shops, including Aïshti and Aïzone. Here you’ll find the top designers – from the more classic to the bad boys (and girls) of fashion. W www.aishti.com A short stroll away is the famed Ghraoui, the awardwinning manufacturer and exporter of chocolates – especially bitter orange covered in chocolate – dried and sugar-glazed fruit, juices and jams. W www.ghraouichocolate.com

9PM: Dinner at naranj

This new and expansive restaurant, with its second-floor terrace overlooking the Victory Arch in Bab Sharqi, serves up delicious local cuisine. Along with the traditional mezze dishes and grilled meats, the mousabahet Naranj (mashed white beans and goat labneh served with black olives), makanek moutafeyeh (small sausages served in a powerful garlic sauce) and kabab karaz (kababs in a flavorsome cherry sauce) are fantastic.

[ Text AG Joy Photos Benjamin Loyseau ]

nightlife

Where’s the party? Beirut is nothing if not a party city. And as we speed into summer, event-planning companies up the ante in order to bring Beirut partygoers the best in alternative and underground entertainment. Three independent event-planning groups, the Beirut Groove Collective, Shout and Cotton Candy, are aiming to break free from traditional event-planning by carving out a niche in this booming and competitive local industry.

“The concept of our parties is all about pushing and bringing back the soul to the music scene in Beirut,” explains Rami Obeid, from the Beirut Groove Collective (BGC). “By this we mean genres like funk, soul, disco, rare grooves and some hip hop as well as the vinyl record culture.” Obeid and partner Ernesto Chahoud started the BGC, a unique concept in party planning, in the summer of 2009. “Ernesto and I are both DJs and have been for about 10 years now, and this is how we got into this,” says Obeid. “We do this because we feel there is a gap in the scene here when it comes to particular music, and we are here to fill it. “ Beirut Groove Collective’s Ernesto Chahoud and Rami Obeid

Shout’s Mo el Ghossein and Ricky Dakouni

Our events are loud, dirty, chaotic

After three years of successful parties in Batroun and Byblos that enjoyed massive success, Shout, another company making waves on the entertainment circuit, began organizing parties in Beirut at venues like Art Lounge, Basement and Ajram beach.

Cotton Candy’s Djette, Jimmy Francis and Karma Andraos

Ricky Dakouni, who founded Shout along with partner Mo el Ghossein, says that what his company offers is a different kind of entertainment. “The Shout crowd is your atypical party crowd. They are as eclectic as the music that attracts them.” Shout’s nonchalant party vibe is apparent in the way Dakouni himself describes their events. “Shout events are louder, dirtier and more chaotic, have bad service, cheap drinks, and sometimes we even run out of ice!” The DJ lists of Laila Sarkis, aka Djette of Cotton Candy, Beirut’s loudest bad girl DJ, have also become a trendy staple on the extravagant Beirut music and party scene. Cotton Candy (a joint effort between Djette, Karma Andraos and Jimmy Francis) is the ultimate in-demand event company for occasions as gritty as underground parties in rundown locations or as lavish as events at private beachside estates, rooftops and even luxury boutique launches. For Shout, Cotton Candy and BGC, the end goal is the same: to do what they love and share their innovative approach with Lebanon’s young and restless party animals. “It’s all about the music, the groove and having fun with it,” says Obeid.

[ Text Tala Habbal ]

what to do

pretty WIth a KNIFe Osaka band Shonen Knife tells it like it is in the lyrics to its pop punk hit “Cookie Day”: “There are many pretty things in life. Take it easy. Let it be.” These words could form the mantra of Beams, a lifestyle brand and fashion realtor now in its fourth decade of delivering pretty things to the fashion-hungry Japanese public. Beams recently broke new ground by opening CULTuART, a shop-within-a-shop, situated smack within Tokyo’s fashion-savvy Harajuku district on the third floor of the Beams store. The concept shop fills the need to represent the diverse innovations of Japanese designers, particularly those with urban, lowbrow and pop culture sensibilities. In other words, the pretty things at CULTuART come equipped with knives, delivering a sharper edge than Harajuku’s prevalent cutie pie “kawaii” subculture. The mash-up of urban surrealist paintings, graffitiinspired prints, designer hoodies, rare books, custom toys and tattoo-printed satchels means there is something for everyone here. The true target consumer, however, is “otaku” culture, which literally translates to nerd culture, though the term “riot nrrds” better captures the punky eclecticism of the boutique. CULTuART’s must-have items of the moment include Tadanori Tokoo’s original art, Modoka Morikawan’s limited edition plushy, Pucci lamps with stained glass shades and M1GO’s action figures coated in glow-inthe-dark paint. To maximize the shopping experience, CULTuART loans out iPods or apps for your iPhone that feature images of items in the shop and descriptions of the inventory and the artists behind the work. This tech-infused indie culture retail formula appears to be working. In a recent release party, CULTuART printed limited edition hoodies according to customer specifications. The management had to employ crowd control measures, requiring customers to make an appointment to select their hoodie design features.

Hey street boy, want some style?

In another single, “Cherry Bomb,” Shonen Knife poses the questions, “Hey street boy, want some style? Your dead end dreams don’t make you smile?” CULTuART resolves every street boy and girl’s conundrum with its well-edited mix of Tokyo pop style.

[ Text Serena Makofsky ]

wireless

DON’t BLOG ON My sKINNy J Everyone who’s anyone loves to hate hipsters these days. With hipster bashing photo-blogs popping up all over the Net, we went surfing to see which of these viral memes rule the roost. Unhappy Hipsters

Stuff Hipsters Hate

stuffhipstershate.tumblr.com Another hipster send-up that has recently scored a book deal. We all know what hipsters love, now you can read all about the things they hate. This list is long and intoxicatingly hilarious. It ranges from: Blondes (when have you ever seen a blonde hipster?), That you haven’t heard of the band they’re referencing (or – when you have already heard of the band they’re referencing), Athletic clubs (hipster bodies are slim but soft, and the intimation of pectoral muscles is wholly unacceptable) and that One Random Bro at a Show who dares to wear a Yankees cap and loose-fitting khakis to a Pains of Being Pure at Heart Show.

unhappyhipsters.com Featuring gloomy hipsters in pensive poses, this blog makes fun of pretentious architecture and design magazine editorials that feature homeowners looking utterly lonely within their hyper-modern minimalist edifices. It pairs photographs from architecture and design magazine Dwell with wittily melancholic captions like “Even with his back to the bordello lampshade, he felt dirty inside,” “She was one chopped salad away from inspiring a particularly gruesome episode of Criminal Minds,” and “Come Sunday, he escaped to the country to write overwrought poetry, and recline in an equally effete pose.”

y JeaNs

We all know what hipsters love, now you can read all about the things they hate Hipster Puppies

hipsterpuppies.tumblr.com Mix hipster mocking with the viral popularity of cute animals and you get this. See effortlessly coollooking hipster puppies posing in front of turntables, decked out in hoodies, oversized sunnies, black rimmed glasses and keffiyeh scarves. These mutts are way more sophisticated than your average pavement special drooler: Meet, Toki, “who doesn’t know why his band hasn’t taken off,” Wilson, “who will have you know that he can taste the difference between this and fair-trade coffee, thank you very much” and Rambo, “whose appreciation for the music of R. Kelly has rapidly evolved from ‘ironic’ to ‘genuine’ to ‘not at all.’” The blog has only been around for a few months, but already there’s a book deal in the works. If you liked this, also check out www.hipsterkitties.com.

Hipsters Have to Pee

hipstershavetopee.tumblr.com “When you gotta go, you gotta go. Even during photo shoots.” Have you ever noticed how hipsters always pose in photographs like they urgently need to take a leak? No? After checking out this blog, you’ll never be able to look at another party shot or street style blog in the same way again. Hipsters Have to Pee teems with shots of style-savvy hipsters posing in awkward “need to use the bathroom” poses – think knees turned inward, hunched backs, pained expressions and other tell-tale signs that nature is calling. Yes, we know it’s a tad juvenile, but it’s bound to make you giggle. ‘Nough said.

[ Text Ilze Hugo ]

music

FRESH POMPLAMOOSE About an hour before they were due to play a set at San Francisco’s Brainwash café-laundromat last November, Pomplamoose’s Jack Conte and Nataly Dawn grasped the full reach of the smaller screen. Hundreds of YouTube viewers gone gaga for this local indie rock duo’s playfully unselfconscious VideoSongs had converged on a venue intended to hold dozens. They filled the kitchen, blocked the sidewalks and stood on cars. One guy flew in from New Jersey; another drove from Arizona, all to witness the rise of a bedroom band unknown to all but their own parents a year and a half ago. While listeners gaped at them from inches away, Pomplemoose’s charmingly geeky twosome (with friend and drummer Carlos Cabrera) experienced first-hand the new medium’s capacity to draw fans and artists into a clinch. Before the concert date, but after they’d chosen the venue, a popular cover of Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies” made Pomplamoose sparkle like vampires in direct sun. Even after they played out their repertoire of original songs and covers, the crowd roared for an encore – no matter the overloaded sound system. That night, Dawn, 23, said, “Everything went wrong except for the audience.”

The duo sparkle like vampires in direct sun

The mainstream music industry regularly complains of the opposite problem, and where they’re stumbling, YouTube upstarts like Pomplamoose swear on fans’ loyalty. The major labels, Conte, 25, says, are struggling to figure out how to “sue people to scare them from downloading their music.” Whereas admirers are e-mailing Pomplamoose to ask them whether the band receives a better cut if they buy their mp3s via iTunes or MySpace. “People get invested in your careers and they want to help you, and they don’t want to rip you off,” Conte says. He and Dawn met in 2006 when they were students at Stanford University, and she opened for his band. “About two years into the relationship, we decided, alright, we can try making some music together,” Dawn says. That moment of first composition is recent enough to be ripe for reprisal. Conte picks up a guitar (one of dozens of instruments in his childhood bedroom-turnedstudio) and starts plucking the traveler’s riff that, then and now, inspired honey-and-molasses-voiced Dawn to sing: “O-o-oh Mary, I’m not coming ho-ome too soon.” YouTube spotlit the ballad “Hail Mary” on its main page, later named Pomplamoose to its list of 100 most subscribed channels, and recently invited them to be one of the first bands to join their new revenue-generating partners program, “Musicians Wanted.” No wonder they dropped out of negotiations with three major labels. Thanks to YouTube and mp3s, Pomplamoose has the means to international exposure and income that old school musicians gave up their equity to acquire. Will the experiment pay off in the long term? Who knows? While the juice is fresh, raise your glasses.

[ Text Sophie Marzano

Photos Beth Amann ]

style

LET VANINA BE HER NAME Tatiana Fayad and Joanne Hayek are childhood friends. For almost a decade now the girls have spent their spare time drawing and designing quirky jewelry, using old coins, buttons and vintage jewelry combined with odd bits and pieces. Most little girls love dabbling around with baubles, putting together bracelets and necklaces with wooden or plastic beads. However, only a precious few manage to put their creative ideas into practice.

We create jewelry that is different and fun “We wanted to create pieces that were different, just for fun,” says Fayad, adding that she and Hayek are inspired by films, books, nature, their city of Beirut and its people, as well as their own personal lives. At first, the young duo designed just for themselves, but then family and friends egged them on to share their quirky creations with others.

So, three years ago, with a little help from their parents and friends, their first collection was launched in the shop of Fayad’s mother, Eclat de Mode at ABC Ashrafieh, followed by an exhibition at the Mzaar 2000 resort in Oyoune al Simane in 2007. Their designs hit the spot with women of all ages, and the collection quickly sold out. Orders rolled in and the girls decided to set up their very own label. They called it Vanina. As luck would have it, the brand name for these so-truly-Lebanese designs was inspired by a tune from overseas. Vanina is the name of a song by Dave, a Francophone singer from Holland, and is a French-language remake of the 1961 hit “Runaway” by American singer Del Shannon. The girls describe their designs as “bijoux et caprices.” Jewelry is what they started off with, and it is still the biggest part of their collection. The caprices are the spontaneous collections that complement the jewelry: shoes, bags, dresses, T-shirts, belts and clutches. Each design is unique, and the creations vary from one week to the next. There is never a specific theme, and the duo creates according to whim reusing old bits and pieces found locally, or new stuff picked up abroad.

The duo is now exporting their designs to Europe, Japan, Canada and the rest of the Middle East. And they are hoping to extend to even more countries with what they call “the Phoenician syndrome,” keeping up the same spirit and enthusiasm they have had since the beginning. These girls are having real fun, and if you’re itching to get your hands on some quirky local designs they are within reach; prices range from $12 to $350. In Lebanon, Vanina creations are available at Cream in Saifi Village, BHV Mode in City Mall and Kulte by Kika in Verdun, among others. Fayad and Hayek are young – both are still attending university – but, with years of design experience under their belt, these gorgeous Lebanese girls have some sound advice for other up-and-coming designers. “Do it with love. Enjoy yourselves while doing it. Get inspired by everything that surrounds you. Have fun!”

[ Text Thaddea Davies ]

style

BEIRUT MEMORIES [ Photos Ilaria Orsini

Styling Amelianna Loiacono Hair Romeo Saad Makeup Christian Abou Haidar ]

This page: Tory Burch top, LL561,000; 7 For All Mankind shorts, LL470,000; Gucci hat, LL409,000; Gucci scarf, LL243,000; Celine bag, LL4,233,000; vintage belt Opposite page, top photo: Virginie Castaway top, LL470,000; ChloĂŠ shorts, LL826,000; Noir necklace, LL500,000; Diesel sunglasses, LL212,000 Opposite page, bottom photo: Sea Dress dress, LL795,0000; Fendi bag, LL985,000; Hat Attack hat, LL167,000

This page: Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent dress, LL674,000; Armani Jeans vest, LL432,000; Stella McCartney bag, LL2,461,000; Dolce & Gabbana shoes, LL856,000 Opposite page, top photo: miu miu dress and bag; Celine shoes, LL1,651,000; vintage sunglasses Opposite page, bottom photo: Iceberg top, LL591,000; Marc by Marc Jacobs skirt, LL538,000; YSL belt, LL720,000; ChloĂŠ sunglasses, LL659,000; Prada bag, LL2,249,000

This page: Manoush swimsuit, LL530,000; Dolce & Gabbana bag, LL1,174,000; vintage sunglasses Opposite page, top photo: Juicy Couture top, LL288,000; Diesel pants, LL394,000; YSL belt, LL720,000; Tory Burch bag, LL538,000; Prada shoes; vintage sunglasses Opposite page, bottom photo: Maison Martin Margiela shorts, LL370,000; Prada top; Marc Jacobs bag, LL2,113,000; vintage sunglasses. Available at A誰zone.

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Photos Tom Binns, Haute Hippie, Milly, Vince ]

[ Text Sydney Reade

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TA TR LK EN I A D B N’ S O UT style

style

MY PARTY SHACK [ Photos Tinko Czetwertynski

Styling Hala Moawad Makeup Christian Abou Haidar Location Beirut rooftop ]

style

Get these looks – and a whole lot more! – at Aïzone.

style

fASHion on THe RoCKS Rock icons like Janis Joplin and Joan Jett were the first to push female musicians’ hard fashion edge into the mainstream. Later, Gwen Stefani and Courtney Love took over the global fashion mantle. Here are four acts that are now subtly influencing international style.

[ Styling Hala Moawad ]

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She was lead singer for The Kills and then founded The Dead Weather – and through it all the raven-haired rocker established her very own fashion attitude, complete with a demonic flair. 1. Balmain boots, LL225,000 2. Armani Exchange top, LL485,000 3. Manoush jacket, LL1,215,000 4. Marc Jacobs sunglasses, LL485,000 5. Hat Attack hat, LL120,000 6. Markus Lupfer jacket, LL218,000 7. Virginie Castaway top, LL175,000 8. Marc by Marc Jacobs jeans, LL599,000 9. Balmain sandals, LL2,589,000 10. Kain top, LL175,000 11. Ela Stone bracelet, LL409,000 12. Sunjoo Moon vest, LL727,000 13. Balmain bag, LL3,437,000

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nATASHA KHAn

She calls herself “Bat for Lashes,” and what an appropriate stage name. Dark, broody and seen only under the cover of night, this British musician and singer is a style icon in her native Britain. 1. Marc Jacobs bag, LL3,929,000 2. Juicy Couture earrings, LL220,000 3. Manoush vest, LL886,000 4. Manoush T-shirt, LL417,000 5. Cesaré necklace, LL538,000 6. Hervé Van der Straeten bracelet, LL375,000 7. Hale Bob top, LL265,000 8. Manoush pants, LL585,000 9. Minnetonka boots, LL220,000 10. Isabel Marant shorts, LL826,000 11.Marc by Marc Jacobs dress, LL674,000 12. Ela Stone necklace, LL409,000 13. Helmut Lang T-shirt, LL620,000 14. Marc Jacobs bag, LL720,000

6 10

5 13

9 4

8 1

lA RoUx

If you’ve never heard of La Roux, you haven’t been tuned in. The androgynous duo (Eleanor Jackson and Ben Langmaid), create tunes inspired by ‘80s pop icons – and they dress like the punk era never ended. 1. Marc by Marc Jacobs trench, LL780,000 2. Isabel Marant bag, LL1,128,000 3. Sunjoo Moon jacket, LL885,000 4. Pin Up Star swimsuit, LL682,000 5. Virginie Castaway jumpsuit, LL364,000 6. True Religion tank tops, LL129,000 (each) 7. Balenciaga sunglasses, LL515,000 8. Etro shoes, LL689,000 9. Marc by Marc Jacobs shorts, LL341,000 10. Juicy Couture jacket, LL599,000 11. Tom Binns bracelet, LL818,000 12. True Religion jeans, LL356,000 13. Vintage pendant

3 9 7

1 2

Uffie

Uffie was born in Britain, raised in Hong Kong and now lives in Paris. Her style is an amalgam of influences from all three lands: the girl’s a bomb all the way. 1. Ice by Iceberg dress, LL803,000 2. Dsquared necklace, LL379,000 3. Junk Food T-shirt, LL106,000 4. E.vil tank top, LL220,000 5. Balenciaga clutch, LL1,628,000 6. Marc Jacobs bag, LL447,000 7. Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent dress, LL674,000 8. Dsquared skirt, LL727,000 9. Nike sneakers, LL240,000 10. Chloé sunglasses, LL630,000 11. Unusual Riders helmet, LL576,000 12. miu miu shoes, LL1,053,000. Available at Aïzone.

style

right between the eyes

Lynn wears D&G sunglasses, LL364,000

Jad wears vintage Ray Ban sunglasses

Jad wears Gucci sunglasses, LL546,000

Carine wears Balenciaga sunglasses, LL515,000

Farah wears ChloĂŠ sunglasses, LL689,000

Edward wears Diesel sunglasses, LL130,000

Edward wears Marc Jacobs sunglasses, LL288,000

Farah wears vintage sunglasses

Lynn wears D&G sunglasses, LL364,000

Carine wears Marc Jacobs sunglasses, LL273,000

Jad wears D&G sunglasses, LL508,000

Farah wears ChloĂŠ sunglasses, LL599,000. Available at AĂŻshti stores.

[ Photos Bachar Srour

Styling Mouna Harati ]

style

all things For a long, hot, seXy suMMer

luv the sea

Pierre & Friends may lack the glitz of Beirut’s resorts, but the Batroun spot is still our favorite place to hang and watch the glistening bodies of windsurfers as they ride the waves.

beach read

If Sex and the City 2 is just not enough Sex for you, grab Candace Bushnell’s new novel The Carrie Diaries and find out what Carrie Bradshaw was like in 1979, when she was a 17-year-old virgin and hopeless romantic.

trunks tiMes two

Dsquared’s swimsuits for men are the musthave item of the season. Choose the baggy trunk or the tight briefs – if you proudly want to show off that package.

yuMMy drink

Passion fruit is the “it” fruit of summer 2010. Ask for it in mojitos, margaritas or any other cocktail drink you crave.

Mykonos break buttered bod sandals to snag

The braided sandals from Cynthia Vincent are what all fashion-forward girly girls will be wearing to the pool – and to pool parties – this summer.

Get that sultry golden tan at the beach, but be sure to moisturize immediately afterward. Body lotions rich in shea butter (available at The Body Shop and L’Occitane) are best.

When the Beirut summer gets to be too much – and you know that it will! – fly to the Greek island that’s put the “n” in naughty. Seven days in Mykonos will rev up your party engine.

electro beat

They’re the superstars of summer. Hot Chip released their hottest album ever, One Life Stand, earlier this year, and are now burning the airwaves with “I Feel Better.” Check out the totally awesome video.

Party on the sand

beach bag it!

Your beach bag says as much about your sense of style as your tiny weenie bikini. Grab the latest one from Marc by Marc Jacobs, and fill it up with sunscreen, sunglasses, sodas and all the other “s” stuff.

a table in the sky

We all know Sky Bar, but here’s a reason to get reacquainted all over again: the place has been completely renovated. Want to see what the new décor is all about? Book a table, pronto!

Oceana in Damour still has no equal for hot ‘n’ heavy beach parties. Come here around noon, drink, tan and snooze all day – and leave at sundown to get ready for an allnight party in Gemmayze.

bieber bangs

There’s only one haircut for dudes with attitude: Justin Bieber’s “Eenie Meenie” bangs. The do is so popular that hairdressers in the United States are now charging $150 to style your bangs just like Bieber’s.

nails that screaM one hut suMMer

Book one of the Riviera hotel’s ultra-exclusive beach huts for the day (about $250 on weekdays and $300 on weekends), complete with its own Jacuzzi, and watch your peeps turn green with envy. You’ll have to reserve at least one week in advance, so get cracking!

Neon nails are back with a vengeance! Try Pink Parka (a wild fuchsia pink) or Bright Tights (a mad orange), both by Essie.

be Merry

Ah, Merry Cream! This soft serve treat (that usually comes in chocolate or vanilla or a pretty swirl of both) is what Lebanon’s summer is all about.

style

down the rabbit hole Alice-inspired fashion dominated throughout spring and into summer

Since the release of Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland this year, Alice adoration has gripped the globe. Fashion is plunging down the rabbit hole with fervor; and even though the trend seems to have already gobbled up a whole plate of EAT ME cakes, it still hasn’t hit the ceiling. Trend forecasters agreed that Alice will be 2010’s “it” girl and the folks at Harper’s Bazaar proclaimed it one of the top 20 trends for 2010. It made LA Times’ list of 2010 fashion forecasts and Trendhunter.com also predicted that nostalgia marketing (from Alice in Wonderland photo shoots to storybook jewelry) will rule the roost this year. Alice-inspired fashion dominated throughout spring and into summer. Designers like Christopher Kane, Louise Goldin, Donatella Versace, Sue Wong and Zac Posen all channeled Alice in their collections, while Wonderland window displays took over shop fronts across the globe – most notably Parisian department store Printemps, which enlisted famous designers like the late Alexander McQueen to create custom-made, one-off Alice dresses for display during Paris Fashion Week. These dresses set the stage for a surreal scene that saw mannequins wearing spooky bunny masks and posing in between oversized teacups and monstrous toadstools.

In April (when the film was already making its way to DVD Stores), fashion darling Chloë Sevigny starred in a fanciful Alice in Wonderland-inspired shoot for Harper’s Bazaar Russia, and Flare magazine’s fantastical “Fantasy Land” fashion shoot featured weird tea parties and boys in towering hatter-esque headgear. Want to channel this look? The trend is girly, ethereal, romantic, whimsical and steeped in escapism – think pretty dresses in Alice blue, pastel pink and nudes with lots of tulle, ruffles and frills; blood-red heart prints, shoes worn with socks and a touch of Victorian charm. Pair this with a statement Alice band or bow band, à la Victoria Beckham, or Gossip Girl’s Blair Waldorf. For the brave, designer rabbit ear headbands are also big news (and we can thank Louis Vuitton for that). The Alice micro trend forms part of a bigger fairytale fashion trend, featuring storybook classics like capes, cloaks (and even crowns, if you count Vivienne Westwood’s fall/winter collection). So channel your inner Red Riding Hood, Prince Charming or favorite

Ladyhawke character with a flowing cape or cloak, and complete the look by taking your pick from heaps of Alice-inspired jewelry released in time for the film (from official film tie-ins from Tom Binns and Swarovski to quirky delights like the Alice Drink Me Bottle pendant by TrashAndTrinkets). Finish the look by doing up your eyes with Urban Decay’s limited edition Alice in Wonderland Book of Shadows eye palette and painting your nails in bold, brooding tones from OPI’s Alice in Wonderland nail polish collection. Shades include Mad As A Hatter, Off With Her Red, Absolutely Alice and Thanks So Muchness.

[ Text Ilze Hugo

Photos Vivienne Westwood ]

music

you will be saved “When I first started out, the only thing I wanted to do was to experiment. I was not at all obsessed with forming a band, let alone selling any albums,” says 31-year-old Ziad Saad, founder of Lebanese band Pop Will Save Us. Unless you are a devout fan of the Beirut underground music scene, the name will probably mean nothing to you. But, over the past three years, since the release of their eponymous album (pictured left), the intensity and visual impact of their performance has made the band a real innovative element on the local scene. Once the far-out name has been digested, the man behind the EP sleeve has to be tackled. Born and bred in Beirut, Saad began strumming the guitar strings at 12, without any formal training. Growing up, his passion was to watch movies and to listen to music. He listened to artists ranging from the Beatles to the experimental Robert Wyatt, ex-drummer of Soft Machine, and was spurred on by jazz. He went on to experiment with synthesizers and piano and then studied cinematography at the Académie Libanaise des Beaux-Arts (ALBA). Saad had the opportunity to fine tune his skills at an avant-garde institute, the Academie Schlosssolitude in Stuttgart, Germany, where he was invited to

Pop Will Save Us is a real innovative element on the local scene

collaborate with Benedikt Schiefer, on drums, and Thilo Kuhn, on synthesizer. The Pop Will Save Us EP was born in Kuhn’s precious studio, a mix of totally unpredictable sounds, which is what makes it so unique. The results are electronic-based acoustic music sounds, sounds created working with just a few instruments, three musicians on guitar, synthesizers and drums. “Raw sampling,” says Saad. Pop Will Save Us has been performing live since 2007. Last summer they performed in Marseilles, France, at the Mars Attack bash. Since then, Saad has joined forces with his 29-year-old brother Jihad, and together they are looking for a drummer to make up a threesome. Creative and productive, Saad also teaches scriptwriting and directing at ALBA and presents his projects as a visual artist at various Beirut spots. “I’m not out on a mission to change the scene. I just want to do something different, something that feels right for me. To be honest, I don’t really worry too much if a song will be a hit with the audience or how it ends up sounding.” Describing his own style as eclectic ranging from psychedelic to punk – even trash! – Saad has no illusions of grandeur. He doesn’t even put a price to his music’s message. “Art and culture should be accessible for everyone, which is why we openly share our songs on our website,” he says.

[ Text Thaddea Davies

Photos Tanya Traboulsi ]

style

Picture PerFect?

Britney Spears caused quite a stir when she leaked her unretouched photograph We are living in a fairy-tale age, an era in which Photoshop can turn any frog into a prince and Alice doesn’t need to eat little cakes to shrink a dress size or two. With an airbrushing wand, imperfections are wiped away and new realities are constructed – all by the click of a mouse. Fifty plus pop queens grace magazine covers looking like bright-eyed 20-yearolds, and on movie posters and ad campaigns flatchested actresses (like Keira Knightley) sport perky bust lines in varying sizes. But consumers are growing increasingly tired of smoke and mirrors; and across the globe the public is lobbying the media to herald the end of the Looking Glass-era. Over the past few months, a handful of gutsy celebrities and brave magazine editors joined the fight to bring “natural” back – and in a world where plastic is still king, this is causing quite a stir. Most notably, Britney Spears caused quite a stir last April when she leaked an unretouched photo of herself posing for the Candie’s label, complete with bruised legs and a generously proportioned derrière. The anti-airbrushing revolution has been a long time coming – with some notable Photoshop mishaps paving the way for a brave new imperfect world. Back in 2003, a curvy Kate Winslet took up the torch when she complained about images of her sporting skinny, stick insect legs on the cover of GQ. But the debate really hit home when a slew of Photoshopfree magazine covers started hitting newsstands.

Pretty-boy celebrity Brad Pitt had more tongues wagging than a Playboy centerfold when he appeared in all his natural, wrinkled glory on the cover of the February 2009 issue of W magazine. Then French Elle went on stirring the pot by featuring famous faces – Monica Belluci, Eva Herzigova and Sophie Marceau – sans makeup or Photoshop on their cover. Vogue Hommes International followed by running an editorial photographed by Hedi Slimane in which ‘90s male supermodels appeared minus makeup or Photoshop, while Sadie Frost posed nude and Photoshop-free for the January 2010 issue of UK Grazia magazine. Harper’s Bazaar America also jumped on the bandwagon with supermodels going super-natural for their September 2009 issue, and Australian teen magazine Dolly made a brave leap into unretouched territory with their “airbrush-free” issue (in which un-airbrushed photographs were marked with a Retouch-Free Zone stamp). The question remains: does this pull toward antiairbrushing have teeth or is it just a fleeting fad? Will consumers tire of the titillation of seeing reality in all its gory glory and harp back to the comfort of glossed-over flights of fancy? Will the trend pave the way for more photos of real women gracing the pages of fashion glossies, and will it really help body-conscious teens to come to terms with their mirror image? Only time will tell.

[ Text Ilze Hugo ]

wireless

TECHBYTES i’m game

Mac Diamonds

Speed cruiser

Mix and burn

Your iPad can take on a new “old” life with this! Just slide it into the iCade and play all the ‘80s games that you love, like Space Invaders and Pac Man. It’ll give you precision control and a 10-watt USB power adapter for charging.

This could be the ultimate VIP laptop. The limited edition Macbook Air Supreme Ice has a 25.5-carat diamond “apple” on its cover, complete with 53 diamonds, along with full platinum casing, all for a mere $213,000!

James Bond would love this vessel. The Marion Hyper-Sub speeds over the water at 74 kilometers per hour. But it can also dive below water as far down as 76 meters and avoid radar detection.

Yet another reason to grab an iPad. The Mixr DJ mixing app will have you mix, reverse and scratch tracks to your heart’s content. Easy interface and fabulous music library included, making you an instant DJ at any party.

back to your Origins

Peugeot wheels

Project this

Retro chatting

The gaming laptop of the gods has arrived. With Intel Core i7 extreme processors, HDMI sockets and an 18.4 HD widescreen, it doesn’t get any better than the Origin Eon 18. Not for now, at least.

Peugeot figures it’s time to reinvent the wheel. Well, the bicycle wheel for starters. Its carbon-constructed B1K prototype race bike has no chains, while the driver lies low to reduce drag and improve balance.

Some think it’s a tiny UFO from a retro design-oriented planet, but it’s really a strong, wireless, high-def projector that works without a wire for three hours. The OO Wireless HD projector also comes with a full touch-screen remote control.

Sometimes we just want to sit by the bed and chat on a regular phone like the good old days. The Desk Phone Dock lets you turn your iPhone into just that, a nicely designed bedside or desktop phone with speaker phone mode.

Feels like vinyl

Smell a rat?

Mystery caller

Scales to love

True audiophiles know that vinyl just sounds so much better, so DaVinci Audio Labs have created the ultimate record player with silent bearings, ultra-stable drive chassis and zero noise and vibration. Hail the (expensive) UniSon MK II.

It looks like it can maneuver a spaceship, but instead the RAT 7 Cyborg plays awesome games. It’s very high-tech in its grip, whether you palm it or claw it, with three pinkie grips and palm rests, twin eye laser sensors and customizable weight.

Go ahead and answer your cell phone. Nobody will know it’s you. The voice changer headset can be plugged into your cell phone and disguise your voice à la Charlie’s Angels with a touch of a button.

Not only will the new Wi-Fi scales reveal your weight, they’ll calculate your fat and lean mass, then beam it all to your laptop (or iPhone with the right app) to analyze your body composition and track your progress.

citizens

VISIONARY INCENDIARY Malcolm McLaren got away with nearly everything Malcolm McLaren, the impresario whose Svengali-style management of the Sex Pistols and other musicians earned him the nickname the Godfather of Punk, died of cancer on April 8, 2010. He left behind a legacy of visionary projects in the worlds of punk, performance and fashion. Raised by his grandmother in a North London neighborhood, McLaren credited her with teaching him “To be bad is good...to be good is simply boring.” McLaren took grandma’s advice to heart. He hooked up with designer Vivienne Westwood and opened Let It Rock, a clothing boutique at 430 Kings road. They sold Elvis-style suits and shirts with Edwardian collars to outfit art school hooligans. The shop became ground zero for a new type of London hip, but McLaren pushed the boundaries further. He spied a biker wearing a jacket with the slogan, Too

Fast to Live, Too Young to Die, and stole the phrase for his boutique’s new name. The shop’s new incarnation featured biker gear à la Marlon Brando’s rebel in The Wild One, attracting the attention of Iggy Pop and bands such as the Strand and the New York Dolls. McLaren soon felt the pull to mess with success. He changed his boutique’s name to SEX and sold bondage wear and sex toys. Police raided the shop twice, which just fueled McLaren’s fire. When a green-haired punk named John Lydon showed up at SEX one night, McLaren had him sing along to Alice Cooper’s “I’m Eighteen” on the store jukebox. Lydon did miserably, and McLaren instantly signed him on as lead singer for the Strand, which later became the Sex Pistols.

Yet McLaren got away with nearly everything. In a rant he wrote in M magazine he urged, “Let us all scream now, BELIEVE IN THE RUINS!” Building things up to knock them down inspired him. He said, “There are two rules I’ve always tried to live by: turn left, if you’re supposed to turn right; go through any door that you’re not supposed to enter. It’s the only way to fight your way through to any kind of authentic feeling in a world beset by fakery.” John Lydon/Johnny Rotten captures the sentiment in the lyrics to “God Save the Queen”: “Don’t be told what you want. Don’t be told what you need.” McLaren broke through boundaries and broke the rules, and made the most of it. His visionary spirit lives on.

[ Text Serena Makofsky ] McLaren went on to start many new trends, among them pirate chic, which the band Bow Wow Wow used, and the buffalo gal ensemble of sheepskin skirts, hairy pants and gigantic hats that prompted an Italian Vogue reporter to warn, “Malcolm, you’ll never get away with this.”

what to do

HAIL TO THE CAB

The black cabs, one of London’s best-known icons, have now hit the streets of Lebanon. The fleet of London Taxi features the TX4 models, supposedly the newest and the latest, in black, and fitted out with modern technology, brought over to the Middle East by National New Dawn, a Lebanese-British company. Ten black cabs were launched on April 1, and white versions will be arriving soon, in addition to a limited quantity of pink ones. And, if all goes well, a convoy of 150 cars is expected to be on the road by 2011.

London Taxis certainly stand out in Beirut

These brand-new, shiny cabs certainly stand out in the maddening crowd of disheveled beaten service taxis on the prowl in Beirut. Equipped with 17-inch screens and Wi-Fi connection on the go, they make it possible for travelers to make the best out of their time spent on congested roads. And they are a heaven-sent for anyone physically challenged and who knows how difficult – or impossible – it is to get into a regular cab. The fleet is equipped with ramps and swivel chairs allowing easy access for passengers with special needs or in wheelchairs. The cabs also offer credit card payment facilities – this is great for international travelers who arrive in Lebanon without any local cash in hand. Quite a challenge lies ahead for Lebanon’s black cabs: London taxi drivers were voted top in a survey and described as the friendliest and safest cabbies on the planet. Plus, black cabs are the quintessence of what’s best about London. They are considered traditional and yet so hip, classy and are available to everyone on the streets of London. So will London Taxi manage to uphold the image and fly the flag, side by side, with the colors of Lebanon? Rabih Dib, corporate communications manager at National New Dawn is confident that the cabs of London Taxi will appeal to “anyone who would like to travel in a safe, convenient, professional and luxurious manner.” Maybe the drivers could put on a cockney accent to add authenticity? London Taxi, T 09.854.370 and 09.854.360, W www.nndleb.com

[ Text Thaddea Davies ]

green

CRITICAL CONDITION Cycling fans meet once a month and go all around Beirut

With its traffic-choked, narrow streets; aggressive, horn-happy drivers; and devil-may-care motorcyclists, Lebanon’s capital could easily be among the worst cities in the world to bike, but the cycling enthusiasts who form Critical Mass Beirut say it’s all about safety in numbers. Since October, a varied group has been meeting in Sanayeh garden at noon on the last Saturday of every month for a two-and-a-half-hour ride that takes them all around the city, drivers beware. “You don’t feel that, oh, this area might be too dangerous for me,” says organizer Ruba Mourad. “You’re in a group of people, and we’re always watching out for each other.” The Beirut bikers might start in Downtown, then ride up Banks street and through Gemmayze, navigating Corniche al Nahr and continuing on to Mathaf and Corniche al Mazraa before heading back. “I needed the people around me to convince me that I wasn’t going to lose my life,” says frequent rider Dina Dabbous. Critical Mass now brings together bikers in more than 200 cities across the world, and its aims vary from making the urban jungle more bicycle friendly to celebrating the unique joys experienced from atop a bike. The rides can’t be confused with organized bike tours because, traditionally, there is no leader. “Whoever goes upfront can lead the way,” Mourad says. The local chapter arrived on the heels of an American biking enthusiast Deric Gruen, who passed through Beirut as part of an ongoing round-the-world bike tour. “Beirut is one of the most auto-oriented cities I’ve spent time in,” Gruen wrote in an e-mail message, but he saw the potential of bikers to transform the city for the better as residents become more aware of them. The group welcomes new riders to accompany members on informal afternoon and weekend rides. The challenge now is to publicize their activities beyond Facebook and build its numbers so as to more effectively take over the streets. “We end up being like mosquitoes around the cars,” Mourad says. So when they meet other bikers on the road, they react spontaneously and energetically: Join us! Join us!

[ Text Sophie Marzano ]

music

TuNED INTO SummER

albuM PReviewS

hinDi ZahRa hanDMaDe

Born in Morocco and based in Paris, Hindi Zahra grew up on Gnawa, folk, reggae, traditional African rhythms and Egyptian melodies. These influences snake through her easy, jazzy pop. Her debut album contains 11 spare ballads, the perfect vehicles for her Billie Holiday-esque voice. The cut “Beautiful Tango,” has a touch of swing, but the vocals are pure blues. Zahra ups the ante in “Oursoul,” alluding to her past as a backup singer for a hip hop band, but adding her trademark soulful singing. Deceptively simple, Handmade opens up with repeated listens, revealing its lyric poetry. PlayliST JOhn & Jehn TiMe FOR The Devil

France’s duo generates lo-fi rock laden with enough angst to tread near Goth, but with a dance floor sensibility keeping it within the constraints of edgy pop. Time Out calls the band “a pop-noir wonder,” likening them to XTC and the Psychedelic Furs, but the romantic underpinnings of the couple’s performance on cuts such as “Oh My Love” give the music a more hypnotic, sultry quality.

DuM DuM GiRlS i will be

Lead singer Dee Dee describes the Dum Dum sound as “blissed-out buzz saw.” At 30 minutes, the recording generates a brief sonic ruckus, with retro pop groove rather than heavy hardware. Catch guest appearances by Nick Zinner (Yeah Yeah Yeahs) on “Yours Alone” and Brandon Welchez (The Crocodiles) on “Blank Girl.” Reverbs give the track “Jail La La” surf rock flavor.

CROOkeRS TOnS OF FRienDS

Better late than never. This hotly anticipated debut album from Milan’s hip hop/house duo arrived a year late. Twenty tracks feature guest appearances by 25 musicians, one of the most notable being Miike Snow on the funky cut “Remedy.” Song after song, the energy does not subside, resulting in a fusion of hip hop and techno that keeps the rave going until dawn.

ThRee 6 MaFia lawS OF POweR

The name may have changed, but the attitude stays the same. Three 6 Mafia, aka Triple Six Mafia aka Backyard Posse, didn’t rest on the laurels of its 2005 Academy Award for best song (“It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp”). Laws of Power has the group churning out southern fried rap, but tracks such as “Feel It” veer toward techno, thanks to guest production by DJ Tiesto.

MiCky GReen hOnky TOnk

“TL” (True Love), the groovy pop single on Aussie singer Micky Green’s sophomore album, has set French nightclubs afire. Vintage keyboards and horn backup give the one-time model’s basic pop music sound more complex arrangements. Don’t expect to hear any rodeo music or country anthems on Honky Tonk – the album title refers to Green’s expression for going with the flow.

Ziyad Makhoul, aka McCool, is a theater performer at heart who was accidentally sucked into journalism. He is a political analyst for Lebanon’s L’Orient-Le Jour and has his own program on Radio Liban. 1. “Blonde” by Guesch Patti 2. “Bizarre Love Triangle” by New Order 3. “For Wanting You” by Marianne Faithfull 4. “I’m Deranged” by David Bowie 5. “In the Sun” by She & Him 6. “J’aime Regarder Les Mecs” by Polyester Players 7. “Je Ne Vous Aime Pas” by Françoise Hardy 8. “Le robot et la Marguerite” by Charlotte Rampling 9. “Mister Iceberg” by Serge Gainsbourg 10.”Momma’s Boy” by Nancy Sinatra 11. “Paradise Circus” by Massive Attack, featuring Hope Sandoval 12. “Polaroid Cocaine” by Ingrid Caven 13. “Reviens Mon Amour” by Benjamin Biolay 14. “Troisième Sexe” by Miss Kittin 15. “Twist in my Sobriety” by Liza Minnelli

Available at all Aizone Stores In Beirut +961.1.991111

citizens

VOLTURI VIXEN Justine Wachsberger makes breaking into Hollywood look easy. The actress appeared in just two minor films before scoring the part of Gianna – the receptionist to the Volturi – in the box-office smash hit The Twilight Saga: New Moon. We chatted with the rising star about all things Twilight, including her heartthrob co-stars, as well as the mania surrounding the series. From the looks of her emerging career, Wachsberger is one talent to watch. You graduated from the University of Southern California (USC) in 2006. Were you always intending to be an actress, or did you have any other career plans? I always wanted to be an actor. However, due to the unpredictable nature of this industry, I decided to attend USC and get my Bachelor’s degree in communications. How did you manage to land such a coveted role? I think a lot of it is luck. I also have been enrolled in acting classes for as long as I can remember, so hopefully I was prepared! But I feel very lucky to have landed a coveted role so early on in my career. What’s it like being a part of Twilight? I will always be grateful for the roller coaster ride this has been – huge thanks to all of the Twilight fans. It has been an amazing journey. I doubt that many movies can create such a buzz around every character in the film, even the ones with smaller roles! Are you a fan of the book series? I definitely think Stephanie Meyer wrote four amazing books, and the world she created is extremely captivating. I am a fan!

Wachsberger is one talent to watch

Does the Twilight cast hang out off-set? Personally, I do hang out with a lot of cast members. You create a bond with them while on set, and you are thrown into a world that not many people understand. I have made some great friends from being a part of this film. How was it working with hot Hollywood stars like Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson? They both are very sweet and talented people. It was a privilege to work with them. If you had to pick a side, would you choose Team Taylor or Team Robert? Team Rob! Will you be starring in Breaking Dawn? Nothing is set in stone yet, but I am hopeful!

You were raised in both Paris and LA. Did this upbringing have an impact on you? It gave me a broad understanding of both cultures and shaped me as a person. I am grateful to be bilingual and to have lived in such different parts of the world. What do you like to do for fun? I hang out with friends, train at Barry’s Boot Camp, and I also like shopping and reading. What are your favorite movies? I love American Beauty, The Hurt Locker, The Lovely Bones and Memento.

[ Text Kirstin Julie Viola ]

citizens

friends in New York inviting Tabet to a neighborhood bar to play a drinking game called Beirut. The game involved throwing ping-pong balls in cups and, depending upon where the balls landed, team members drinking a beer. Nobody could tell Tabet why the game was called Beirut, until he found himself interviewing Duane Kotsen, the president of Lehigh University’s Theta Delta Chai Fraternity. According to Kotsen, “The game got its name based on an analogy between ping-pong balls flying across the table and landing on the opponent’s side, and an idea that the United States should bomb Beirut as a result of the casualties in the area.”

FOSSIL FUELED

For the video portion of his installation, Tabet spliced his interview with Kotsen with narratives about the drinking game, press feeds, diary entries by journalists and historic documents. He set about “finding objects that would help me tell stories. They become social artifacts, ways of documenting the recent past.” He chose a pingpong table onto which he superimposed a cartographic map of Beirut, including the airport where Marines were stationed. He inserted shot glasses into the ping-pong table, alluding to both the drinking game and craters that form the geology of Lebanon. One of the screen shots of the video reads, “If you played Beirut, you got

The suitcase was, for Rayyane Tabet, a symbol of safety Suitcases of different sizes sit in an austere setting of white walls and bright light. What they have in common is that they are encased in concrete. The work, “Fossils,” is Lebanese artist Rayyane Tabet’s meditation on a childhood memory, sleeping with packed suitcases bedside in case a military attack demanded immediate departure. The 27-year-old artist says: “The suitcase, which is often associated with a transient or nomadic living situation was, for me, the symbol of safety and stability because built structures were most vulnerable at times of conflict.” When Tabet exhibited “Fossils” at Galerie Sfeir-Semler in 2006, no one predicted Israeli warplanes were about to bomb Beirut. “While the piece started as a introspection of a past event, it suddenly became an object of the present.” He decided to add layers of concrete to “Fossils” for ensuing exhibits, to recognize continued acts of violence in the world. While not every Tabet piece features actual layers of material, his installations always contain layers of meaning. His work, “How to Play Beirut,” began with

bombed.” Tabet describes how his layered piece inspires confusion, visually and linguistically. “Two people can be using the same words – Beirut and bombed – and it can mean two different things.” Tabet uses his art to relay stories, particularly stories that may have slipped through the cracks of time. His quest to divine hidden stories compelled him to research the Trans-Arabian Pipeline Company, which oversaw a pipeline extending from Saudi Arabia to Sidon in Lebanon. Tabet explains, “The pipeline was intended as a utilitarian tool, it was designed as a bypass. Once defunct and forgotten, it has acquired the potential to become a storytelling device.” He draws upon his training in architecture to recreate models the company displayed at trade shows, using them “to understand the spaces in which the pipeline went.” His subterranean journey along the route of the pipeline marks another attempt to represent the layers of matter and time that obscure an object but also evoke compelling stories.

[ Text Serena Makofsky

Photos Rayyane Tabet ]

green

ECOBUZZ A green motorbike that once guzzled gallons of oil but is now emissions-free, an office right by the sea and an electric birdhouse? These things may seem far-fetched, but thanks to technological breakthroughs, they’re now yours for the taking.

1. The greenest bikes Passing by a junkyard inspired the owners of Colorado-based Blindspot Cycles to transform old motorbikes into zero-emission vehicles. The bikes are rescued from the grave and resurrected to run up to 80 miles per hour without exhaust fumes and noise pollution. Anyone can bring in a favorite bike and have it converted into an electric gem say the owners. Then you just plug your vehicle in the socket to recharge, and you’re ready to go.

2. Seaside all the way Could this be the ultimate solution to eco-friendly and cheap real estate by the sea? WaterSpace has created the award-winning H2Office for work and play. That said, some buyers are fitting them out as homes too, and all for less than $100,000. There’s an upper deck and a working area, as well as a kitchenette. It’s almost like having your own little yacht that just happens to stay in the marina. Buy one and tow it to any little port, and you’ve got yourself a new pad that’ll also be the life of the party.

3. Am I sleeping in a box? They’re snazzy, Zen and artsy, and they’ll let you grab some shuteye at airports for a decent price. There’s no need to check into expensive airport hotels anymore now that you can rent these eco shacks by the hour. The sleep boxes, designed by Russian firm Arch Group, are a bit larger than their Japanese predecessors and have enough room to let you work on your laptop. Dubai airport is supposed to get a few dozen soon, so watch out for them in the near future.

4. Light as a bird What a great way to get rid of bugs! The Oooms Solar Birdhouse has a solar panel on the roof that lights up the bird stick when it starts getting dark. Our feathered friends then check in to their high-tech motel and feast on the bugs who are attracted to the light – an ingenious way to keep the eco-system in balance and add a few chirps to your deck or garden. The birdhouse is made of Asian eco-friendly Meranti wood and designed in Holland.

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5. A cat’s life Everyone loves a cozy chalet, and it doesn’t get much better than this – at least for your beloved cat. You can unpack the flat package in minutes and set up a cutesy chalet – made of 100 percent recycled cardboard – to create a little villa of sorts complete with cardboard carpet and moose-head door. Watch out though, if your pet is in a playful mood, he or she might chew it to bits. Then again, the beauty of recycled cardboard is that you can just order yourself another chalet when the current one gets worn out.

6. Environmentally Puma Here’s one more reason to love the Puma brand. The company is changing all its packaging and distribution system to reduce waste, CO2 emissions, energy and water by as much as 25 percent. There’s also a 75 percent reduction of paper in the works, pertaining to all Puma offices, stores and warehouses, plus increased use of organic cotton among other eco-friendly materials and practices.

7. Black market After living in the seedy side of LA near MacArthur Park, with abandoned shopping carts strewn all over the streets, Ramon Coronado decided to recycle these iconic carts and make a statement with them. He created his own line of shopping-cart furniture, which he aptly called “Mercado Negro,” Spanish for Black Market. The resulting plastic furniture turned out to be quite funky, complete with chair, table, lamp and swing. Totally relaxed yet urban at the same time!

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citizens

PAINT A PATH TO FREEDOM

Eli Abu Merhi examines themes that remain taboo It took Eli Abu Merhi several years and a circuitous journey before he discovered his penchant for art. The 28-year-old Lebanese painter first studied to become a lawyer (graduating in 2006), and even practiced law for two years before he gave it all up to go back to school, learn all he could about design and embark on a serious artistic career. Even though Abu Merhi is passionate about his paintings, he admits that it all started as a hobby less than two years ago. “I started expressing my feelings through my paintings,” he explains. Abu Merhi strives to explore themes that, to a certain extent, remain taboo in Lebanese society, like homosexuality, sexual freedom and the limitations placed on women. In “The Hand,” for example, the chest of a chiseled male disappears under wild brushstrokes of pinks and blues, while his hand, painted in green, appears to both rest on his thigh and reach toward his groin at the same time. The colors and relatively upbeat emotions of “The Hand” give way to a more somber and enigmatic stance in

“Couple,” which showcases two sexually ambiguous figures next to one another, one on a light background and the other on a black background. “You can’t tell if they’re men or women,” says Abu Merhi. “The feeling is one of communication, contrast and freedom.” The sexual subtext is most apparent in “Matador,” in which a naked man blends seamlessly with a charging bull. Is the bull attacking the unclothed figure? Are man and beast melding to create one superhuman animal? All this is left up to the viewer. These three paintings and others were part of the “Somewhere Beyond” exhibit, held at Zico House near Hamra, last May. The solo show featured 17 of Abu Merhi’s paintings, all done in mixed media, including acrylic, gouache, charcoal and watercolors. The young painter also had a number of exhibits in Beirut last year, as well as a recent sold-out show in Jordan.

[ Text Michelle Merheb

Photos Martin Stoebich ]

nightlife

BIG IN BEIRUT

] Photos Phillipe Tyan [

what to do

DATEBOOK June 2-14

June 9

June 12

June 17-19

sydney Film Festival australia Enjoy over 200 new films, parties and film workshops at the most prestigious event of its kind in the country.

placebo beirut Forum Aïzone sponsors Placebo’s Beirut concert. The band performs tunes from Battle for the Sun and their new album Covers.

governor general rugged sporting club, beirut Governor General Rugged and Alice Harper perform their mix of dancehall, reggae, hip hop, dub and dubstep.

sonar barcelona, spain Cutting-edge electronic culture covering music, art and film is celebrated at this three-day festival.

June 24

June 27-July 4

July 3

July 7, 10-11

mika baalbeck Festival Relax, take it easy. Mika sings for all big, beautiful women – and the men who love them – at his Baalbeck concert.

extreme sports week voss, norway Get your adrenaline rush at this event featuring skydiving and mountain biking – plus live music and parties every night.

pink martini beiteddine Festival, lebanon This multilingual band mesmerizes audiences with beats and ballads from their latest album, Splendor in the Grass.

rockwave Festival athens, greece The big-name acts headlining this hugely popular rock event include the Black Eyed Peas and Fatboy Slim.

July 9

July 16-18

July 17 (la), 24 (ny)

July 18-24

mashrou’ leila byblos Festival, lebanon The Lebanese pop phenomenon take the ancient seaside city by storm during their one-night performance.

lovebox london Hip-hop impresario Dizzee Rascal, Roxy Music and Grace Jones will perform at the dance music extravaganza.

hardFest la and new york M.I.A. headlines the two-city electro event HardFest: HardLA at the LA State Historic Park and HardNYC at Governors Island.

reggae sumFest montego bay, Jamaica Showcasing the best of dancehall and reggae music, the festival also offers delicious Jamaican food like curried goat.

July 20

July 26

July 27-30

July 31

gorillaZ byblos Festival, lebanon The British virtual band, created by comicbook artist Jamie Hewlett, perform tunes from their new album, Plastic Beach.

archive byblos Festival, lebanon Formed in London but based in Paris, Archive is on a massive summer tour to support Controlling Crowds: Part IV.

Zorro the musical beiteddine Festival, lebanon This musical brings together the talent of over 70 artists, the beats of the Gypsy Kings and a colorful theatrical ambience.

mike rigler karantina, beirut The DJ will bring the house down with his thrilling dance-floor tunes, like “Beirut Nights,” at Roger Moukarzel Studios.

L E BANON

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13 7 E L M O U T R A N E S T R E E T