Issue no. 11

SPRING/SUMMER 2013

Uncensored 11

UNCENSORED 11

AED 40 QR/SR 40 KD/BD/OR 4 LBP 16,500 USD 11

SPRING/SUMMER FASHION THE LITTLE BLACK JACKET AMATO EXCLUSIVE DANNII MINOGUE FASHION FORWARD DUBAI DRESSED TO KILL CHERYL TIEGS DIDO ADONIS HOW CENSORSHIP EVOLVED HISTORICALLY SICK OF THE ARAB SPRING VIKTOR UDZENIJA MEHRYL LEVISSE FRANZ SZONY RINAT SHINGAREEV

IN.SIDE IN.NEWS

IN.SHOOTS

22 JUST IN BREAKING STORIES

106 HELHEIM 118 DARK MOON 126 FASHION FOR PASSION 138 ADAM 146 PURPLE RAIN 152 THE WALL FLOWERS 162 POP

IN.FASHION 30 FASHION WEEK LAS VEGAS ROLLING THE DICE IN STYLE! 32 THE ICONIC LITTLE BLACK JACKET CHANEL’S TIMELESS, GENDERLESS CREATION IMMORTALIZED 40 GREGG BARNES KINKY BOOTS 42 DRESSING TO KILL THE BLONDES FALL/WINTER 2013 LINE MEETS EGYPT’S REVOLUTIONISTAS 82 GIRL POWER DANNI MINOGUE AND TABITHA SOMERSET-WEB’S PROJECT D LONDON 86 CHERYL TIEGS PUT THE ‘SUPER’ IN ‘SUPERMODEL’ 88 FASHION FORWARD IN DUBAI

IN.FEATURE 92 GLITTERING DRESSES, POP PRINCESSES AND MAKE-BELIEVE THE FANTASY WORLD OF FURNE ONE & AMATO HAUTE COUTURE

IN.FOCUS 172 CENSORED HOW CENSORSHIP EVOLVED HISTORICALLY 174 LEBANON’S ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE CAN IT BE SAVED? 178 I’M SINGLE – LIKE SINGLE, SINGLE.

IN.MUSIC 180 THE VOICE OF THE HEAVENS DIDO ON HER NEW ALBUM 186 THE MUSIC OF ADONIS THE THRILL OF GROWING UP, THE MELANCHOLY OF LETTING GO, AND THE DISILLUSION WITH IMMORTALITY

IN.ARTS 194 RINAT SHINGAREEV ON ART, MODERN ICONS, AND FASHION 202 PHOTOGRAPHER FRANZ SZONY UNDER THE MICROSCOPE OF FASHION DESIGNER STACEY BLANCHET

210 THE OBSCURITY OF THE HUMAN FORM MEHRYL LEVISSE ON ART AND WITCHCRAFT 220 PAINTING WITH LIGHT THE FIRST ARAB FEMALE CINEMATOGRAPHER 222 WHERE THE COOL KIDS ARE DUBAI’S EMERGING ARTS SCENE DRAWS CROWDS

IN.DESIGN 224 VIKTOR UDZENIJA ONE ON ONE WITH ARCHITECT AND INTERIOR DESIGNER

IN.LOCATION 232 MUSIC HALL REDEFINES DUBAI’S CULTURAL ENTERTAINMENT 234 THE ACT DUBAI THEATRE DINNING EXTRAVAGANZA

IN.TALKS 236 ALICE EDDÈ ON BAGS, BEACH AND BEING A POWERHOUSE 238 ALEXANDRE VASSILIEV AND “COCO CHANEL’S MYSTERY” RUSSIA’S FASHION LUMINARY COMES TO DUBAI

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IN.NEWS

SHADOWING

LADY DIOR The release of the Lady Dior Spring-Summer 2013 campaign let’s you sample some spectacular visuals that charm you with their intensity.

Gorgeous as always is French actress and Dior ambassador Marion Cottilard, who dons various creations from the brand’s pre-fall collection, all interestingly in a dark colour palette.

Cotillard’s almost-black garb makes for an interesting contrast with the bright-coloured Lady Dior bags, rightfully keeping the enviable accessory in the spotlight. In a game of shadows and light, photographer Jean-Baptiste Mondino capitalises on the mysterious aura set by Marion’s styling team. With slicked back hair in various up-dos, the actress channels an edgier version of Hollywood glamour, complete with deep makeup hues and a strong, straightfaced expression at all times.

KARLIE KLOSS

FOR HERMÈS All-American beauty Karlie Kloss features in the Spring 2013 Hermès catalogue as photographed by David Sims. Kloss wears a series of the brand’s iconic scarves as dresses paired with classic leather gladiator sandals in looks envisioned by stylist Beat Bolliger.

LOUIS VUITTON

ALMA CAMPAIGN

Though Karlie Kloss is used to owning the spotlight, Louis Vuitton’s new Alma handbag is the real star of Spring/Summer 2013. Causing quite the stir at Paris Fashion Week, the Alma handbag has broken away from the Louis Vuitton main collection to land its very own ad campaign. Set to roll out across May issue magazines this week, the Alma commands the arms of supermodels Karlie, Daria Strokous, Jac Jagaciak and Iris Strubegger, while sitting pretty upon famous bridges in New York, Paris and Shanghai.

BOTTEGA VENETA

LAUNCHING CERAMIC JEWELRY LINE Bottega Veneta is launching a line of jewelry in partnership with historic German ceramics manufacturer KPM. The lineup, consisting of white and gunmetal ceramic cameos depicting traditional motifs such as cupids, adorn a large pendant necklace, ring and earrings and will launch in stores for fall.

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CHANEL RELAUNCH PREMIÈRE WATCH As it marks its first quarter-century, Chanel’s Première watch has never looked younger. The French fashion house is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its first ladies’ timepiece with a chic and playful new take on the chain strap design, which was originally introduced in 1987.

Chanel unveiled the collection, due to hit stores in early April, at its store on Place Vendôme — the square whose octagonal shape was the inspiration for both the case of the Première watch and the stopper on the Chanel No. 5 perfume bottle. Nicolas Beau, international director of watches at Chanel, said that after experimenting in recent years with pearl or ceramic-and-diamond straps for the Première, the creative teams at Chanel wanted to refresh the original look of the watch.

MARC JACOBS

NEW HONEY Marc Jacobs is launching a brand new fragrance, Honey, this summer. Joining existing scents Daisy, Dot and Lola, the bottle is a reimagining of Jacobs’ Dot design - with striped bee-like butterflies in the place of Dot’s spotted ladybirds. A sweet, floral scent with notes of green pear, mandarin, honeysuckle, peach, vanilla and - of course - honey, the new fragrance was created with perfume house Firmenich. A release from the fragrance’s manufacturer Coty describes Honey as, “The height of irresistible charm,” thanks to its playful design and summery scent.

Honey will be available from this summer as an eau de parfum, shower gel and body lotion.

The ad campaign will feature a hero shot of the bottle, rather than a celebrity or model face.

HERMÈS JAEGER-LECOULTRE LAUNCH CLOCK

VALENTINO

CELEBRATES MILAN DESIGN WEEK WITH CAPSULE SHOE COLLECTION Valentino celebrated Milan’s Design Week in April with the introduction of “Rockrunner,” a limited edition men’s shoe capsule collection. For the occasion, the fashion brand revisited its iconic spring/summer 2013 camouflage sneaker by adding touches of neon pink, yellow, green and orange. Sold exclusively at the company’s Milan flagship, the “Rockrunner” will be the highlight of a special installation decorating the store during design week.

Hermès and Jaeger-Lecoultre have unveiled their first joint project in more than three decades, rekindling a historic partnership in fine watch-making. The two luxury brands have created an Atmos clock with a hand-blown and carved enamel and crystal casing produced by Cristalleries the Saint-Louis, a subsidiary of Hermès. Craftsmen were on hand at a presentation in Paris to detail the making of this latest iteration of the Atmos perpetual motion mantle clock, which celebrates its 85th anniversary this year.

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IN.NEWS

CHANEL N°5 EAU DE MUSÉE

Discover Chanel N°5 in all its couture chic glory at the Palais de Tokyo, in an exhibition dedicated to Chanel’s iconic perfume set to arrive at the Paris museum from May 5 to June 5, 2013. Presenting exclusive works of art, photographs, films and archival pieces, Chanel N°5’s legendary world is set to exhibit in a very unique retrospective at the Palais de Tokyo in Paris. From Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel’s inspirations to reinterpretations of the scent by her artist friends including Cocteau, Picasso and Apollinaire, nothing has been overlooked in this comprehensive show.

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LVMH’S

JOURNÉES PARTICULIÈRES LVMH Group is pleased to invite the general public to the 2013 edition of the Group’s open day event, “Les Journées Particulières”, which will take place on the 15 and 16 of June. This follows the success of the first edition of Les Journées Particulières, which attracted more than 100 000 visitors to 25 unique sites across France and Europe for a behind-the-scenes glimpse of LVMH brand sites and craftsmanship at work.

This year more than 40 sites will open their doors across France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and Poland.

This will include several from the previous event, such as the studios of Christian Dior, the family home of Louis Vuitton and the workshop at Asnières, where the bespoke shoes of Berluti are made. New sites, which will be opening their doors to the public for the first time at Les Journées Particulières this year include: the production site of Guerlain in Orphin (Rambouillet), Louis Vuitton’s workshop in Marsaz, the Numanthia Vineyard in Spain, Acqua di Parma in Italy, the workshops of Zenith, TAG Heuer and Hublot watches in Switzerland.

SHOE OBSESSION WHEN GOOD HEELS GO FAR

The Shoe Obsession exhibition at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York comes to an end mid April, but for those who missed out, the university’s associated publishers Yale University Press are set to release an eponymous book at the end of the month. The publication features the most creative flights of fancy and gravity-defying shoes from the last 12 years designed by Manolo Blahnik, Christian Louboutin and more of the biggest names in the shoe industry. We’ll be fawning over 150 exceptional shoes, from Noritaka Tatehana’s incredible teetering pointed ballet shoes to Prada’s flaming sandals, stopping off with the infamous Chanel gun heels. This one-of-a-kind collection was assembled

by Colleen Hill, director of the Fashion Institute of Technology and museum accessories curator.

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IN.NEWS

DIOR

ADDICT GLOSS SWATCHES Dior is shaking up that quiet mid-season period between the spring and summer collections with a gorgeous new launch: the Dior Addict Gloss. Described as “a declaration of love for fashion”, the collection of 24 couture, high octane lip glosses create a mirror-like effect on the lips.

Bolder, brighter and more long-wearing than its predecessor the Dior Addict Ultra Gloss, the new formula has the texture of a crystalline gel, with micro-particles and spheres of hyaluronic acid, which plump and hydrate for a full-lipped effect. There are three different textures: Shimmer, a spectacularly glittery collection with a high shine finish; Pearly, a softly illuminating texture blended with fine, mother of pearl particles; and Pure, a bright block of color with a variety of finishes, from milky to translucent.

ROBERTO CAVALLI OUD EDITION Roberto Cavalli Oud Edition is presented in 2013 as a luxurious, haute couture edition of the original Roberto Cavalli for Her from 2012. It is described as bold, rich and exuberant way to celebrate the glamour of this house.

DOLCE & GABBANA

THE ONE DESIRE EAU DE PARFUM There can often be a little bit of a fragrance lull in the run-up to the big summer launches. So IN Magazine was suitably delighted when Dolce & Gabbana announced the launch of The One Desire Eau de Parfum, the latest addition to their pillar fragrance ‘The One‘. And it’s not just a brand new scent, fragrance fans; it’s rich, decadent and voluptuous, which is a rarity for this time of year.

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GUERLAIN

LA PETITE ROBE NOIRE

As charming and romantic as the City of Lights, Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire Eau de Toilette brings Parisian joie de vivre to life. Always chic, and always charming, it is the perfect balance of romance and temptation.

JEAN PAUL GAULTIER

MISS DIOR

Dive into freshness with the Jean Paul Gaultier Summer Eau de Toilette, a limited edition fragrance for men. This summer, the bottles are adorned with a tattoo look, drawn in ink like calligraphy. The resolute form of Le Male highlights its athletic body and reinforces its masculinity. While, the iconic Classique bottle is in flora and fauna from an imaginary world come to life on its sensual curves.

Miss Dior Eau de Toilette was designed by Dior Perfumer-Creator François Demachy like a stroll through a blossoming garden.

The same Couture style and the same theme are prolonged from the original Miss Dior to this new opus: a chypre accord, which is enlivened with a springtime spirit.

SUMMER EAU DE TOILETTE

EAU DE TOILETTE

PAUL SMITH

SUNSHINE EAU DE TOILETTE FOR MEN

Embrace summer with the Paul Smith Sunshine Eau de Toilette for Men, a bright and fresh fragrance for men and the sweetness of summer with the Paul Smith Sunshine Eau de Toilette for Women, a fruity fragrance with bright character.

The design of this year’s Sunshine revisits the famous Paul Smith stripes: a fusion of transparency and color that captures the vivacity of summer.

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IN.NEWS

BEYONCÉ

FOR H&M Beyoncé Knowles is the new face of H&M. The singer stars in the Swedish retailer’s new high summer advertisements, modeling a series of bikinis, swimwear and beachwear inspired by her individual style. The singer also gave “personal input on the pieces seen in the campaign”, confirmed a representative for the brand.

The print and billboard images - which see her reclining on beach sun lounger and posing in swimwear by the sea - were shot by Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin in the Bahamas earlier this year. The adverts will introduce the star: “Beyoncé as Mrs Carter in H&M” - tying in with the name of her upcoming world tour.

“I’ve always liked H&M’s focus on fun affordable fashion. I really loved the concept we collaborated on to explore the different emotions of women represented by the four elements - fire, water, earth and wind,” said Knowles. “It was a beautiful shoot on a tropical island. It felt more like making a video than a commercial.”

YVES SAINT LAURENT

TIE-DYE NAIL POLISH YSL are bringing a little tie-dye hippie chic back in fashion but this time for your nails. The first ever polishes to contain three tones in one bottle, each is composed of a solid, a sparkle and a clear gloss. One can either slide the brush out smoothly for a dip-dye gradient effect or shake up the bottle for a different look.. YSL’s La Laque Couture Tie & Dye Top Coat Collection comes in coral, pink, purple and blue.

MICHAEL KORS

COSMETIC RANGE Using the fashion house’s DNA ‘sporty, sexy and glam’, Michael Kors has announced a new beauty line-up for women everywhere. Using the three key words to categorize products, each segment will offer a customized fragrance, lipstick, lip gloss, and two nail polishes. The beauty line is set to launch in August.

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DIOR

BIRD OF PARADISE

The new Dior Summer 2013 Bird of Paradise Collection is absolutely one to die for. Inspired by Christian Dior’s passion for color, the new collection tells the tale of an exotic faraway land, and once again the face for Dior Cosmetics is gorgeous Daria Strokous. For the occasion, the legendary 5 Couleurs case is coated with shimmering pigments, inspired by the golden reflections of a peacock’s feathers. Nail varnishes are offered as a duo, for a coordinated manicure on hands and feet. The Jelly Lip Pen carries the names of colors that allude to paradise: Copacabana, Carioca, and Gaïa. Dior Skin BB Cream appears for the very first time in a sun cream version, with the power to prepare, enhance and prolong natural tanning, all throughout the year.

THOMAS PINK

TO UNVEIL NEW WOM E N’S LI N E The U.K.-based brand, best known for its men’s shirts, will unveil a new women’s wear concept in New York that will be introduced to customers at its retail stores in late August. The redesigned 60-piece line centers around the white shirt but includes skirts, jackets and slacks as well.

Thomas Pink has experienced significant expansion since being acquired by LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton 10 years ago, recently moving into South Africa and India and adding men’s tailored clothing to its mix. It currently operates more than 90 stores around the world.

Women’s wear, which was introduced at Thomas Pink in 1992, has grown to represent around onethird of the brand’s sales. But the offering has always been a second-class citizen to the core men’s range.

“When we started doing women’s wear at Thomas Pink,” said creative director Florence Torrens, “it was all about women wearing their husband’s, boyfriend’s or significant other’s shirts. They loved the looseness and ease.” She said the new collection will play off that vibe. “We went back to the original idea of a slightly oversize shirt,” she said, adding that the new collection was inspired by iconic shirt wearers such as Diana Vreeland, Katharine Hepburn and Fitzwilliam Darcy of “Pride and Prejudice” fame. “We put them all in a pot and came up with this,” she said.

The shirts are designed to work with everything from jeans and loafers to business suits and tuxedo jackets and incorporate “form and function and frivolity,” Torrens said, noting that some of the shirts include feminine touches such as lace and details such as a pink button for the top closure.

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IN.FASHION

The Iconic

Little BLACK JACKET

Chanel’s Timeless, genderless creation immortalized

Chanel’s iconic Little Black Jacket has a prominent place in fashion history. The legendary and complex designer has created a timeless piece that transcends gender boundaries, passing trends, and all forms of dress, from the casual to the chic. Chanel’s masterpiece has now been immortalized in the book The Little Black Jacket: Chanel’s Classic Revisited by Karl Lagerfeld and Carine Roitfeld.

In the book, celebrities and close friends of the House have modeled their interpretation of the LBJ. People like Keira Knightley, Diane Kruger, Carla Bruni and Carole Bouquet took time out of their busy schedule to shoot in Paris in the couturier’s studio in January 2013.

“Mademoiselle Chanel was able to make this piece iconic just by wearing it. She built up a character around her life story and her attitude. The source of inspiration for the jacket was rather unusual,” says Lagerfeld, “Mademoiselle Chanel took a liking to a Tyrolean jacket with four pockets and a braid trim that was worn by staff at the Baron Pantz Hotel in Austria. So it was actually a men’s jacket. Just as she borrowed tweed from the Duke of Westminster and jersey from Boy Capel, she took this piece and fashioned the ladies’ equivalent of a men’s two-button suit.”

The models in the book were styled by Carine Roitfeld, who says, “It was just amazing; people came from all over the world, from as far afield as Japan, Los Angeles and London to be photographed by Karl. Everyone played along enthusiastically with his game of transformation.” In some of the pictures in the book, CHANEL’s iconic jacket appears in a very simple or classic way, while in others, the sleeves have been cut off, it is worn inside out or it has been transformed into a headdress. “That’s the wonderful thing about this garment: it’s as versatile as a denim jacket, yet infinitely more elegant”, explains Roitfeld.

Lagerfeld continues to explain, “The jacket has changed: we’ve developed it, and updated its proportions. The model chosen for the book is the most classic one, which is the closest to the original jacket Mademoiselle Chanel created. It’s the equivalent of jeans or a white shirt. It really is the piece that goes with everything, suits everyone and is appropriate anytime. It works by night or by day, and can be casual or dressy. It’s quite the miracle! Everyone always talks about the little black dress, but there’s also the little black jacket!”

Lagerfeld’s portraits blur the lines between generations and nationalities: Zhou Xun, Charlotte Casiraghi, Kirsten Dunst, Vanessa Paradis, Yu Aoi, Uma Thurman, Sarah Jessica parker and Yoko Ono, all wear CHANEL’s uniquely timeless and versatile little black jacket in their own special way.

Georgia May Jagger used it to set off her sexy rock style, Alice Dellal effortlessly made it part of her neo-punk look and top model Freja Beha used it to dress up as a seductive nun.

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Sarah Jessica Parker

Astrid Berges Frisbey

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Daphne Groeneveld

Sandro Kopp

Saskia de Brauw

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Charlotte Casiraghi

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Zhou Xun

IN.FASHION

KINKY BOOTS

Gregg Barnes AND The 7-Inch Heel for Men

Kinky Boots is a classic Cinderella story of reinvention and transformation. Based on true events, the story of a struggling English shoe factory that puts itself back in the black by ditching classic brogues for high-heel boots made for drag queens has inspired a film produced in 2005, and now a Broadway musical premiering in New York City. Cindy Lauper, who wrote the music and lyrics teamed up with Harvey Fierstein who wrote the script.

To Lauper, the show’s music is about the “human condition.” For the song “Sex Is in the Heel,” though, Lauper drew on her fashion experience.

“It’s about wearing heels that lift you, not looking like a flat tire,” she said. “And the fact that stilettos are an ‘ism,’ I learned that a long time ago.

“I LOOKED INTO THE SHOE WORLD TO SEE WHAT EVERYBODY WAS UP TO — FENDI, WESTWOOD, PRADA, LOUBOUTIN, EVERYBODY.”

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Making Kinky Boots indeed kinky is Gregg Barnes, the Tony Award-winning costume designer whose credits include designing for Follies and Legally Blonde, is perhaps best known for designing for extreme showmanship.

“I looked into the shoe world to see what everybody was up to,” explains Barnes, “Fendi, Westwood, Prada, Louboutin, everybody. I tried to make our own vocabulary. It was a huge amount of development, which paralleled the story — they have to hold up a man, and not just walking on the runway.

They have to dance.” What initially seemed like a daunting feat, creating 7-inch stilettos for men to dance in them, soon turned into a masterpiece.

The shoes featured in the show are made by two companies, T.O Dey and Phil LaDuca. “Every Broadway musical has those two guys make custom shoes,” says Barnes, “part of the challenge is that very often the heel on the Broadway dance shoe has a bigger base. The floor on the stage has tracks, and if you have a stiletto heel, you could get pinned on stage.”

“A LOT OF THE SHOES… LOOK CRAZY AND SASSY BUT THEY’RE VERY, VERY CHEAP. WE WERE AFRAID TO USE THOSE SO NOBODY WOULD GET HURT.” However, part of the story is for the characters to be in stiletto heels, so the traditional big base stage heels were out of the question. As a result, the set designer had to re-imagine the stage, and not have any grooves in it. This allowed Barnes to experiment with all kinds

of stiletto heels, “Then we found that the men couldn’t balance on the true stiletto heel we made,” Barnes recounts, “so we did a lot of tricks with the platforms. I had this shoe made where the heel cup extends to look like a seven-inch heel.”

Although Barnes didn’t seek a shoe-fatory to salvage, to mirror the story of Kinky Boots, he did use shoes made by companies similar to the original factory in the story, the shoes he bought “look crazy and sassy but they’re very, very cheap. We were afraid to use those so nobody would get hurt.”

The total number of boots in the entire play may be too many to count, in the finale number alone there are 22 pairs of boots!

So how did the cast handle the crazy amount of shoes, let alone the crazy heels? “Many people in this show, including women, if you asked, ‘When you dress up, how high a heel do you wear?’ they said, ‘I never wear a heel.’ Here, we have a play that’s about putting on a stiletto boot,” says Barnes, “we have men up there that obviously have never had a pair of high heels on, and some of them are wearing the highest heels in the show. They really rose to the challenge. There is a lot of physical therapy that goes along with wearing those dance boots.”

In true artist spirit, Barnes too tried on a pair of the high stiletto boots, “It was so uncomfortable. I was ashamed. I thought about all of the years I’ve been putting poor women in four-inch heels and just thinking, ‘Oh, this is easy. Anybody can do this.’

It was a good lesson for me.”

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IN.FASHION

DRESSING TO

KILL

THE BLONDES FALL/WINTER 2013 LINE MEETS EGYPT’S REVOLUTIONISTAS

Words by Jadd Tank

In recent headlines from Egypt, female participants in the revolution have become victims of an unfathomable crime - sexual harassment. This uproar is bringing out a truth about the revolution that many didn’t see, such as the words of Ahmad Mahmoud Abdullah - owner of private television channel “Al-Ummah” - who placed the blame of sexual harassment on the participation of women in the revolution, deeming them devils, and having no shame and no fear. Taking the misogynistic slur even further, Abdullah said that women activists participating in the Tahrir Square protest were not there for reasons of revolution rather they were there to be sexually abused because they wanted to be raped.

Well, these women are surely not devils and they are key players and participants in Egypt’s important shift of power back to the people, and furthermore they are not showing fear, especially as they walk the streets with weapons such as batons and knives to defend themselves. This visible display of power is crucial as it opposes the aims of the perpetrators: Instead of hiding behind closed doors, these women continue taking to the streets and this time, they are armed.

Now, it is important to note that an act of defense does not solve the problem as long as those in offense are not held accountable. In other words, women shouldn’t have to defend themselves from rape; men must stop doing it in the first place, and be held accountable. However, until that day comes, these brave and courageous women show power and strength in their collaboration to defend themselves from the inhumane acts set against them.

So what is causing these men to sexually harass women, especially at a time when a country’s unity acts as the protagonist targeting the eradication of corruption within the government? While interviewing a group of young men on the Qasr al-Nil bridge, BBC’s Bethany Bell heard one young man say, “If the girls were dressed respectably, no-one would touch them... It’s the way girls dress that makes guys come on to them. The girls came wanting it - even women in niqab”.

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WOMEN SHOULDN’T HAVE TO DEFEND THEMSELVES FROM RAPE; MEN MUST STOP DOING IT IN THE FIRST PLACE, AND BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE.

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It is interesting to note the emphasis on fashion within this statement. Apparently, the choice of attire is directly related to an “invitation” for men to sexually harass women. Now, this is probably just one factor to take into account when uprooting the source of rape, and it is definitely not the woman’s fault for dressing a certain way, as her choice is hers to make. However, it brings up an interesting relationship between fashion and politics. If these men are going to assume a correlation between what a women wears and what a woman wants, and if these men aren’t going to change this near-sighted approach to interacting with their fellow female revolutionistas, then maybe a blatant statement can be made by what these women choose to wear. As the young man says, “The girls came wanting it- even women in niqab,” it is made clear that even when women are dressed in what most people see as either modest attire or outfits that makes them invisible, they are still seen as sexual objects.

THERE SHOULD BE NO REASON FOR A MAN TO ASSUME THAT A WOMAN’S ATTIRE IS STRICTLY AN INDICATION OF HOW SHE WANTS TO BE SEEN BY A MAN. So, hypothetically speaking, maybe a more symbolic approach to fashion may ward off these sexual misogynists.

For example, an A-line skirt dress with kitchen knives printed on it such as that found in The Blondes 2013 Fall Line. Or what about shoulder pads as seen in Gucci’s 2013 runway.

If dressing according to what may turn a man “off” is what is needed, then maybe consulting Leandra Medine’s site titled www.manrepeller.com would provide apt suggestions.

Medine defines “Man-Repellers” as “outfitting oneself in a sartorially offensive mode that may result in repelling members of the opposite sex.

Such garments include but are not limited to harem pants, boyfriend jeans, overalls (see: human repelling), shoulder pads, full length jumpsuits, jewelry that resembles violent weaponry and clogs. If you find this relation between fashion and preventative measures to sexual harassment obscure and even silly, it is because it is.

There should be no reason for a man to assume that a woman’s attire is strictly an indication of how she wants to be seen by a man. A woman should have complete freedom with her outfit choices. Claiming that a woman, no matter what circumstance, was “asking” to be sexually harassed and raped, is a pathetic attempt for men to hide from the truth: Women and men are equals, one is not the object of the other.

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THE AMAZING LACE Delicate lace has always had a prime spot on the runways, but for spring, designers opted for a heavier hand that ranged from guipure to crochetlike versions that were polished and feminine.

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1. BOTTEGA VENETA | 2. CARVEN | 3. OSCAR DE LA RENTA | 4. ROBERTO CAVALLI | 5. VELENTINO | 6. VERA WANG

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SEE IT THROUGH Whether demure or va-va-voom, lacy or paneled, sheer looks were all over the Milan runways.

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1. DOLCE & GABBANA | 2. JOHN RICHMOND | 3. BOTTEGA VENETA | 4. ALBERTA FERRETTI | 5. NO.21 | 6. GIANFRANCO FERRÉ | 7. ETRO | 8. EMILIO PUCCI | 9. MAX MARA | 10. GUCCI SPRING/SUMMER 2013

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FOR THE FRILL OF IT ALL Ruffles took a modern turn on the runways, leaving behind the romantic frou and adding a dramatic flair for day and night.

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1. MARC JACOBS | 2. CHLOÉ | 3. BALENCIAGA | 4. GUCCI | 5. GIVENCHY | 6. JW ANDERSON

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JEAN FREQUENCY From Fifties skirt suits to tattered five-pocket jeans, the spring collections were full of a great array of denim interpretations.

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1. DSQUARED2 | 2. HOUSE OF HOLLAND | 3. JUST CAVALLI | 4. DKNY | 5. MIU MIU | 6. BALMAIN | 7. TOMMY HILFIGER

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EAST SIDE STORY

As fashion month comes to an end, it’s clear that many designers looked to Asia for their spring inspirations, sending out kimonos, traditional Japanese workman’s pants and plenty of dragon motifs.

Traditional culture never looked so chic.

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1. JEAN PAUL GAULTIER | 2. AQUILANO RIMONDI | 3. DRIES VAN NOTEN | 4. EMILIO PUCCI | 5. ETRO | 6. EMILIO PUCCI | 7. HERMES | 8. PRADA | 9. JOHN GALLIANO | 10. PRADA SPRING/SUMMER 2013

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FANCY PANTS While always full of dramatic gowns, this season’s couture collections included some standout pants, adding a cool and young vibe for night.

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1. CHANEL | 2. ALEXIS MABILLE | 3. ARMANI PRIVÉ | 4. ATELIER VERSACE | 5. BOUCHRA JARRAR | 6. JEAN PAUL GAULTIER | 7. DIOR

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DSQUARED2 Working within a limited palette of black, white and navy blue, the collection demonstrated an edgy, rock twist on what is a consistently sartorial aesthetic. This was strengthened further by the intended focus on accessories. Chains, belts and various hats were the finishing touches applied to many of the looks, adding some definite style.

Whilst some every day pieces made an appearance, it is evident that this collection is driven towards after dark styling, ideal for the clubs or late night bars. The intelligent use of denim within tailored looks is both visually interesting and wearable. Although such a strong style may not be suited for all tastes, the collection acts as an ideal example on how accessories can finish a look perfectly.

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GIORGIO ARMANI There is growing proof that the goal that many Milan based designers has set for themselves for this summer is to bring a modern elegance to the casual world of sportswear dressing. The menswear maestro Giorgio Armani took up the challenge with gusto in his Emporio Armani collection.

The designer found a way to give an easy nonchalance to double breasted blazers in traditional fabrics of herringbone and Prince of Wales. Cutting them in loose shapes that follow the line of the shoulders rather than enhancing it.

The pairing of the jackets with shorts, cut tennis length or just above the knee, also helped to relax this classic business staple. The melding of the two modes of dress was equally at work in the construction of the ensembles.

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JEAN PAUL GAULTIER If there’s one thing Jean Paul Gaultier is good at doing, it’s revisiting his greatest hits. In this season he really revisited them in a collection that was an ode to all the pop stars of the Eighties who have influenced fashion – and, more importantly, Gaultier’s fashion. The show went on to list a roll call of inspirations: Abba, Annie Lennox, Boy George, David Bowie, George Michael, Grace Jones, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Sade, Prince, Marilyn Monroe.

Essentially, Gaultier had plundered their wardrobes and put his own stamp on them. The clothes to an extent were a little superfluous as male dancers struck a pose or busted a move and a groove suitable to each and every icon and the clothes that did come were just as you’d expect: an homage to such stars, pretty much word for sartorial word. In fact, this was less a fashion show and more a concert - fashion press up and out of their seats to sing and dance along to favourite sartorial soundtracks.

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MARC JACOBS The stage set was a row of mirrored doors, which opened one by one to let models walk out. And when they did, they were all wearing the same thing: stripes. Well, they almost all were. But the overwhelming impression from this collection was of ‘60s-inspired monochrome geometry and a boldly focused vision.

It wasn’t retro.This was ‘60s modernism with an emphasis on modern: mostly separates, no trousers, but rather smart little matchy-matchy outfits of coat and dress or skirt and jacket, often with a coordinating bag and shoes. Sometimes there was just a tunic top, paired with knickers and heels. There were a lot of long sleeves, falling hemlines and ruffled necklines. These were, in short, proper clothes worn with a lot of attitude and a little rock’n’roll.

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NINA RICCI Black, crimson and midnight blue, combined with flowing mint, white and cream dresses astounded the audience in Paris. The majority of the collection was classic and elegant. Full-fringed silver dresses and sheer polka dot chiffon tops stood out from the rest.

The outfits were accessorised with detailed gold jewelery, which complimented the tailored black pieces. Cutaway dresses and sheer, midnight blue tops gave the collection some excitement, in addition to the subtle use of polka dots. A good use of different fabrics also worked well, contrasting silks skirts and neoprene dresses.

The show ended with a shower of petals, reminiscent of a Parisian winter’s snowfall; however, this collection concluded as anything but cold. A truly magical finale.

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IN.FASHION

MEN’S WEAR TREND

PRINTS

Here are the key trends from the Spring Men’s Shows in London, Milan and Paris.

KENZO

JONATHAN SAUNDERS

CANALI

RICK OWENS

EMPORIO ARMANI

GIORGIO ARMANI

DRIES VAN NOTEN

DOLCE & GABBANA

PLEATS

SOFT TAILORING

BURBERRY PRORSUM

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CHIC ATHLETIC

HERMÈS

LOUIS VUITTON

E TAUTZ

GUCCI

SALVATORE FERRAGAMO

DIOR HOMME

ERMENEGILDO ZEGNA

ANN DEMEULEMEESTER

SUMMER COATS

COLOR

PRADA

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Sprin Collection by Coach

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IN.TRENDS

Marni

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Salvatore Ferragamo

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Alexander McQueen

Dolce & Gabbana

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IN.TRENDS

Alberta Ferretti

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Chelsea Paris

Christian Louboutin

Stuart Weizman

Monique Lhuillier

Jimmy Choo

Nina Ricci

Boudoir Beauties Accessories designers are taking cues from the bedroom for spring with a lineup of lingerie-inspired looks.

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IN.TRENDS

Kenzo

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Jimmy Choo

Matthew Williamson

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Stella McCartney

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Serpenti Green acetate sunglasses with multicolor enamel dĂŠcor.

Serpenti black acetate sunglasses with white, black and gold enamel dĂŠcor.

Evening pochette in pink satin embroidered with purple beads and crystals. Pink enamel jewelled clasp.

Evening pochette in green satin embroidered with pink coral beads and crystals. Green enamel jewelled clasp.

Bulgari

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IN.TRENDS

Professional and affordable make up brushes for the women on the go was Anna de Leon’s main objective. Her extensive experience in the business prompted her to launch WOMAN by Anna – brushes. An elegant package of 15-piece set that comes with personal guide on which brush to use, for what purpose and most importantly a lead to which part of the face.

Anna de Leon is a make up artist and stylist who has been in the business for over 15 years. She started her career under the Premier Make Up Artist of Chanel in New York, Raul Francisco. A true disciple of Beauty and Fashion, Anna studied Fashion Styling at the prestigious Istituto Europeo di Design in Milan, Italy. The brush set is currently available online. www.annadeleonmakeup.com

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Michael Kors

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IN.TRENDS

Carolina Herrera

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INMAGAZINEME.COM

DAILY AT YOUR FINGER TIPS

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Glittering Dresses, Pop Princesses and Make-Believe IN MAGAZINE DIVES INTO THE FANTASY WORLD OF FURNE ONE & AMATO HAUTE COUTURE Words by Danna Lorch

Photography TINA PATNI Hair & Make-up GENE GINNO ALDUCENTE Models LOUISA NORTHCOTE, ANASTACIA AND ELENA POSTOLACHI

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Furne One is darling couturier to the pop kingdom’s reigning princesses, and yet his showroom is located on the second floor of Al Hanaa Centre, a decaying mall in Satwa—a blue-collar neighbourhood in Dubai known for its meticulous tailors and tiny Indian cafeterias.

The mall’s outdated furniture is mismatched and rundown. Trapped in garish wedding gowns, plastic mannequins look out from shop windows with the vacant eyes of brides stood up at the alter. A Chinese acupuncturist and a hair salon both stand empty of customers, the employees waiting bored inside, playing on their cell phones.

Casual in a black t-shirt, leopard print deck shoes, and a patchwork shawl, Furne One paces outside his workshop, speaking inaudibly into his cell phone. I recognize him immediately by his quirky hair; loose curls dyed a bright ginger, springing playfully in every direction from his head.

In a soft voice, he invites me to follow him, explaining sheepishly that he has rented this space for ten years and because “We started here. We cannot move now because our local clientele knows this place.” I quickly learn that no matter how big his reputation has grown, this man values loyalty to his clients and friends more than almost anything else.

Born in the Philippines, Furne immigrated to Dubai fourteen years ago to launch his line, Amato Haute Couture, and cannot see himself permanently based anywhere else but the melting pot Emirate that he says, “Spoils me with inspiration.”

The Amato line first gained international recognition when it was worn by supermodel Heidi Klum, who invited Furne to guest design for Germany’s Next Top Model in 2008. At Top Model he was introduced to singer/songwriter Katy Perry, and in subsequent years to other A-Listers like Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber.

When Katy Perry began appearing in his custom creations at events ranging from the MTV Music Awards to her sold out California Dreams tour, Amato’s popularity exploded like one of Katy Perry’s fireworks across the fashion world’s sky, celebrities and GCC “it” girls alike suddenly coveted his signature pieces.

He opens the smudged glass door to the Amato showroom and I follow him blindly, first through a darkened hallway made to look like a garden path, tall urns of fake roses and murals of famous French grounds discernable only in silhouette.

He brushes through a pair of velvet curtains, flips on a light and suddenly I have been transported to Furne’s fantasy world—an enormous panelled room, painted bubblegum pink, lit with antique chandeliers, and the best part—row after row of his sparkling gowns to explore.

He keeps walking, oblivious to the little girl inside of me clapping her hands frantically in delight, wanting to do nothing but play dress up for the rest of the afternoon, twirling in circles to admire the meticulous beadwork, the rustling of skirts, the length of trains. Most of the dresses glisten with hundreds if not thousands of hand sewn crystals or beads. There is a unique element of movement to his creations, even when they are hanging in wait for the next party.

Furne parts two pocket doors to reveal a salon, and casually collapses onto a black velvet chaise, gesturing me to a matching bench.

A glass coffee table in front of us is piled high with magazines, each one featuring a celebrity dressed in one of his designs; a bejewelled Jennifer Lopez smiles up at us approvingly. We sit there in awkward silence for a second, trying to read one another. I am immediately struck by his shyness and real vulnerability. Crossing his arms and legs as if to protect his body from the assault of my questions, he actually looks a little nervous to begin the interview.

His secretary serves me coffee with milk and I am surprised to taste simple Nescafé rather than the sophisticated European espresso I had expected. Part of Furne’s charm is that although he designs for divas (he refers to them like old friends by their first names: Jennifer, Nicki and Haifa) he is not a diva himself — He can’t list rival fashion houses and doesn’t have many close friends who are fellow designers. His intimate team consists of a cousin who serves as a secretary, and his childhood best friend turned personal assistant. He calls the black t-shirt the male equivalent of every lady’s LBD. “If I find one I like and the fit is okay, I buy twenty of the same shirt. It’s like my uniform.”

“WHEN KATY PERRY BEGAN APPEARING IN HIS CUSTOM CREATIONS AT EVENTS RANGING FROM THE MTV MUSIC AWARDS TO HER SOLD OUT CALIFORNIA DREAMS TOUR, AMATO’S POPULARITY ALSO EXPLODED”

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Furne regularly turns down glamorous invitations and avoids most red carpet appearances. He says, “I really enjoy going to a party if it is with a friend, like Katy Perry, who is a very genuine, positive girl. If I am not out with good friends, I’d rather stay home. Maybe it’s just my age, because I used to stay out all night when I was younger, get two or three hours of sleep and wake up fine the next day.”

He claims to be immune to public praise and criticism, explaining, “I make a collection [only] to please myself,” and describes his growth as a “constant learning process, only ever aimed at attempting to one up his own previous collections.” His self-esteem is quietly fierce and so it makes sense that Furne describes “The Amato woman as confident in herself, “ My woman is unafraid afraid of the dictates of fashion. That’s why I love Cate Blanchett. Check out her red carpet. She experiments. She doesn’t care if she makes a worst dressed list, as long as she cares about wearing that dress. She isn’t a clone. “ He may be drawn to winter settings in Salzburg and Versailles for “gray skies and gloomy climates,” which mirror his own quickly changing moods, but his favorite place of all is actually home in Dubai, where he loves to spend days off in bed, ordering no frills takeout and watching his beloved Tim Burton films over and over.

He explains that inspiration for entire collections comes to him when he is alone like this, his brain working subconsciously while his body rests.

Sometimes he goes weeks without feeling inspired, and then in a burst of creativity, conjures up an entire collection over a single manic night’s effort. Other times his assistant is bewildered, when just as a collection is nearing completion, Furne looks sideways skeptically, frowns, then demands that the whole look be demolished and rebuilt in a different style.

Although he dreams of going global with a ready to wear collection sometime in the future, at present Amato Haute Couture only creates custom one-off pieces—each dress takes two weeks to one month to turn out. More than ninety skilled artists hand create the garments in the workshop next door to the showroom.

It’s a long way from Furne’s first days as a designer, when as a young child, he would watch in awe as his mother and grandmother, both fashion-lovers, got dressed to attend high society events. Inspired by their style, he announced that he would grow up to become a designer in a country that at that time didn’t have a single fashion institute to its good name.

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Crediting hard work and determination, Furne taught himself to sew clothes first for his dolls, later for his sister, and now for Katy Perry. When I pump him for the details of designing Perry’s California Dreams concert tour costumes, he modestly refers to the project as, “a collaboration” between Amato, Perry, and her stylist team. While conceiving the costumes, he listened to her music nonstop, riffing off her playful and upbeat style: “You see, when Katy told me that she was doing this concert tour, she had the concept in mind already. It was going to be candy themed. I followed her stylists’ descriptions of how the tour would look, feel and so forth. From that concept I made the designs, they suggested some small modifications, and then I went to America for the fittings.”

“THE AMATO LINE FIRST GAINED INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION WHEN IT WAS WORN BY SUPERMODEL HEIDI KLUM, WHO INVITED FURNE TO GUEST DESIGN FOR GERMANY’S NEXT TOP MODEL IN 2008” Again and again he mentions “Tim” [Burton], whom he has never met, but is his greatest influence.

Amato’s most famous show to date, It’s Alive, debuted in 2012 at Los Angeles Fashion Week and was a “little Edward Scissorhands and a little Frankenstein.” There is something insect-like about the show’s feel, and watching it, one feels almost as if a new, fierce race of butterflies has conquered the runway. Models saunter with flippant confidence in metal headdresses, masks, wings, or spikes, their makeup bold, their shoulders sharp, the runway snapping wildly with electricity, threatening to blow a fuse at any second. Yet, their strong looks are feminized by exaggerated hips crocheted of lace, their dresses embellished by the most delicate of beadwork, and crystal detailing.

A little naively, I ask Furne if in all seriousness, he has seen clients wear an entire look, masks and all, on the red carpet or to a wedding in the region. He actually laughs out loud and says “Of course not! It’s just a fantasy. When I present a show, it’s not about who will buy the clothes afterwards. I create the show to be a unique experience that anyone who attends will always remember. I’m inviting them into my world.”

HELHEIM

Photography NIKOLAI DE VERA nikolaidevera.com Stylist FRANCIS URRUTIA Grooming IMANE Model DANIEL - FUSION NYC

Button Up PAUL SMITH Pearl Bow Tie MADAME GOT ROCKS Blazer NINH COLLECTION Trousers JEAN PAUL GAULTIER Boots ARIAT

Shirt NINH COLLECTION shirt.

Suit Jacket VALENTINO Hooded Jacket ALEXANDER MCQUEEN Trousers JEAN PAUL GAULTIER Boots ARIAT

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All clothing NINH COLLECTION Boots ARIAT

Button Up NINH COLLECTION Suit Jacket CALVIN KLEIN COLLECTION Trousers JEAN PAUL GAULTIER Boots ARIAT

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Pearl Tie MADAME GOT ROCKS Button Down RALPH LAUREN Blazer VALENTINO Trousers VERSUS Boots ARIAT

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DARK MOON Photography NIKOLAI DE VERA nikolaidevera.com Photography Assistant ALLISON SPECKETER Stylist FRANCIS URRUTIA Hair & Make-up IMANE Model APRIL - WILHELMINA NY

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Headpiece L.A. SHIRO Dress BARKSDALE Ruffle Collar L.A. SHIRO Necklace JUDITH ARAN CREATIONS

Headpiece L.A. SHIRO Dress BARKSDALE Body Suit JUDITH ARAN CREATIONS

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Headpiece KRISTIN COSTA Dress BARKSDALE Jacket CACHE Trousers LA SHIRO

Headpiece MARIE SAINT PIERRE Jacket MARIE SAINT PIERRE Leather & Lace Jacket CACHE Dress JUDITH ARAN CREATIONS

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FASHION FOR PASSION Photography YOSHIMICHI SAIKI Assistant EISAKU MINAKATA Stylist MAYA KAWAKAMI Stylist Assistant CHIE KAKIZAWA Make-up NATSUMI NARITA USING M.A.C PRO Hair FUMI NOYOSE USING SHU UEMURA ART OF HAIR Models RIO - MODEL’S1 (BROND HAIR) & YANA - P@FM

LEFT Blouse MOTHER OF PEAL Trousers CO|TE Bracelet PEBBLE LONDON RIGHT Shirt WON HUNDRED Trousers TOPSHOP Bracelet LEE RENﾃ右

LEFT Dress KILIAN KERNER Head Piece RACHEL TREVOR MORGAN Gloves THE SHOP RIGHT Dress THE PRETTY DRESS COMPANY Head Piece PHILIP TREACY Bracelet SWAROVSKI CRYSTALLIZE

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LEFT Top TOPSHOP Trousers DAY BIRGER ET MIKKELSEN Bracelet PEBBLE LONDON RIGHT Pullover J.W. ANDERSON Trousers CACHAREL Scarf TOP SHOP Earrings LEE RENﾃ右

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LEFT Shirt HEMYCA Trousers PAUL & JOE Head Piece RACHEL TREVOR MORGAN RIGHT Lace Body GANNI Trousers PAUL SMITH Choker ATSUKO KUDO

LEFT Sleeveless Jacket LIMI FUE Top TOPSHOP Trousers DAY BIRGER ET MIKKELSEN Belt FELDER FELDER RIGHT Shirt GENE Top LIMI FUE Trousers PAUL & JOE

LEFT Coat CACHAREL Shoes MO SAÏQUE Ring PEBBLE LONDON RIGHT Dress PAUL SMITH Lace Lingerie ALÖE Hat RACHEL TREVOR MORGAN Boots MO SAÏQUE Bracelet PEBBLE LONDON

LEFT Dress GESTUZ Gloves THE SHOP Necklace SWAROVSKI CRYSTALLIZED Shoes MO SAÏQUE RIGHT Jacket DAY BIRGER ET MIKKELSEN Jump Suit PAUL & JOE Scarf PAUL SMITH Gloves THE SHOP Shoes CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN Earrings PEBBLE LONDON

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LEFT Dress DAY BIRGER ET MIKKELSEN Head Piece RACHEL TREVOR MORGAN Boots MO SAÏQUE Black Lace THE SHOP RIGHT Dress FELDER FELDER Head Piece RACHEL TREVOR MORGAN Shoes MO SAÏQUE Black Lace THE SHOP

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LEFT Jacket TOPSHOP Lace Body MARINA QURESHI Trousers PAUL & JOE Boots MO SAÏQUE Bracelet PEBBLE LONDON RIGHT Jacket TOPSHOP Lace Lingerie ALÖE Ring PEBBLE LONDON Trousers DAY BIRGER ET MIKKELSEN Shoes MO SAÏQUE

ADAM Photography SPECULAR Assistant NICOLA WRIGHT Stylist ADAM COWIE Model ADAM COWIE - STORM

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Shorts ZARA

Jacket & Top ZARA

Suit TM LEWIN Top ZARA Glass Bench CATE WATKINSON

Top ZARA

Jacket ZARA

Suit TM LEWIN T Shirt ARMANI

PUR PLE R A IN Photography NEIL WALTON Stylist SLEIMAN DAYAA Hair & Make-up KATHARINA SHERMAN Model CHLOE CAMPBELL - LIFE MODEL MANAGEMENT DUBAI

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Jacket IRO

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Jacket GEMY Shirt IRO

Shirt IRO

Shirt IRO Gloves MONCLER

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Photography KRIS MICALLEF Illustration NADINE NOKO Make-up TAMARA BURR Hair CHRISTIAN PISANI Jewellery PIPPA TOLEDO Featuring IRA MELKONYAN & MATTHEW SALIBA

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IN.FOCUS Uncensored. Even without context this word has a strong air of secrecy and intrigue around it. When you hear this word what usually comes to mind is revealed, exposed, uncut, uncovered, uncontrolled, bare, naked… truth. It captures the attention, making you think you are about to find out something sensationally new or previously hidden.

According to Collins English Dictionary ‘uncensored’ means not having been banned or edited; all the editing and corrections are carried out by a censorship authority - moral, political, military or corporate depending on the information being censored.

It is unclear when the first censorship occurred historically, although this probably dates back over 100,000 years to the initial development of language. It has been suggested that the first recorded censorship occurred briefly after the invention of writing. A more definitive case of ancient censorship occurred with Socrates, who was sentenced to drink poison in 399 BC for promoting his philosophies. The struggle for freedom of expression is as ancient as the history of censorship.

Today there exist higher controlling bodies, in various capacities, which deliver information to the public and set rules for communication.

CENSORED CINDERALLA Over 700 variations of the Cinderella story have been collected in nearly every language worldwide, though a loose first century version recorded by Greek historian Strabo is often considered to be the oldest written version of the tale. It is also one of many famous fairy tales collected by the Brothers Grimm and first published in 1812. In Grimm’s version when all the sisters try on a gold slipper, the first step-sister is encouraged by her mother to slice off her big toe to make the shoe fit. The other step-sister is convinced by her mother to cut off her heel to fit the slipper. Once the prince finally marries Cinderella, the step-sisters follow along in the wedding procession hoping to gain favour with Cinderella.

Unfortunately for the duo, Cinderella’s helper-doves pecked out their eyeballs leaving the poor step-sisters, “Condemned to go blind for the rest of their days because of their wickedness and falsehood.”

The censored and most famous adaptation of this tale skips telling these bloody details and still manages to prove a moral point that wickedness and falsehood will be always punished.

P I H Y S L R L O A

C S I N R CE STO

I W H O H LVED

ds Wor

by

ac olov G Julia

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EVO

Regulatory bodies are in place to control obscenity, child pornography, and hate speech, to protect children, to promote or restrict political or religious views, and to prevent slander and libel for the sake of maintaining healthy and happy society. You can say that censorship is set to serve a good cause for society, but is it always the case?

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FROM RUSSIA WITH CENSORHSIP In another example of censorship, the former Soviet Union maintained a particularly extensive program of state-imposed censorship. The main organ for official censorship in the Soviet Union was the Chief Agency for Protection of Military and State Secrets generally known as the Glavlit. The Glavlit handled censorship matters arising from domestic writings of just about any kind—even beer and vodka labels.

Glavlit censorship personnel were present in every large Soviet publishing house or newspaper; the agency employed some 70,000 censors to review information before it was disseminated by publishing houses, editorial offices, and broadcasting studios.

No mass medium escaped Glavlit’s control. All press agencies and radio and television stations had Glavlit representatives on their editorial staffs. All the information was filtered according to Soviet Union foundations and the purposes the regime served.

The collapse of Soviet Union led to an exposure on a grand scale of all previously censored information. There was serious damage caused by forced censorship to the generation which had to catch up in a hurry with all the new information.

“NATIONAL BORDERS ARE MORE BLURRED ONLINE: RESIDENTS OF A COUNTRY THAT BANS CERTAIN INFORMATION CAN FIND IT ON WEBSITES HOSTED OUTSIDE THE COUNTRY.” ONLINE & UNCENSORED In the days of the Soviet Union it was easier to control the information but today with the Internet it becomes almost impossible. In November 2007, “Father of the Internet” Vint Cerf stated that he sees government control of the Internet failing because the Web is almost entirely privately owned. The issues associated with Internet censorship are similar to those for offline censorship of more traditional media. One difference is that national borders are more blurred online: residents of a country that bans certain information can find it on websites hosted outside the country. Thus censors must work to prevent access to information even though they lack physical or legal control over the websites themselves.

This in turn requires the use of technical censorship methods that

are unique to the Internet. Unless the censor has total control over all Internet-connected computers,total censorship of information is very difficult to achieve due to the underlying distributed technology of the Internet. Nevertheless, blocking remains an effective means of limiting access to sensitive information for most users when censorsare able to devote significant resources to building a comprehensive censorship system.

A BBC World Service poll of 27,973 adults in 26 countries, including 14,306 Internet users, was conducted between 30 November 2009 and 7 February 2010. The head of the polling organization felt, overall, that the poll showed that, “Despite worries about privacy and fraud, people around the world see access to the Internet as their fundamental right. They think the web is a force for good, and most don’t want governments to regulate it.” The poll found that nearly four in five (78%) Internet users felt that the Internet had brought them greater freedom, that most Internet users (53%) felt that “The Internet should never be regulated by any level of government anywhere,” and almost four in five Internet users and non-users around the world felt that access to the Internet was a fundamental right, (50% strongly agreed, 29% somewhat agreed, 9% somewhat disagreed, 6% strongly disagreed, and 6% gave no opinion). We are all familiar with this saying ‘information is power’ and power is nothing without control. So, censorship in this case has always been the gatekeeper of all the information circling around the world but it looks like this flow inevitably breaks free of control and becomes unstoppabl. But, most importantly uncensored regardless of all the efforts to control it.

“TODAY THERE EXIST HIGHER CONTROLLING BODIES, IN VARIOUS CAPACITIES, WHICH DELIVER INFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC AND SET RULES FOR COMMUNICATION.”

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IN.FOCUS

LEBANON’S ARCHITECTURAL CAN IT HERITAGE BE SAVED? Words by Suzanne El Wattar

What is Heritage? Is it a long old family tree? Is it ancient spells of voodoo magic? Is it a story of a hero in a time of war? Is it a stone? An old brick? An ancient home? What are we today but a bunch of memories, mistakes, and stories? What are we without a home, a childhood, a heritage?

In the year 2010, Giorgio Tarraf and Naji Esther, started a Facebook group titled “Save Beirut Heritage.” Tarraf explained to us the kind of danger the city’s heritage is facing today, “In the 90’s, an initial census counted 1600 traditional homes and buildings in the greater Beirut. Today, we estimate the number to be close to 300 remaining standing structures. With the Ministry of Culture, we helped review 250 demolition permits and stopped the demolition of 150 buildings that were set for demolition in the past year alone. So in the past year, we would have lost almost a quarter of the remaining architectural heritage of Beirut.”

The city of Beirut is architecturally diverse, which varies from old to new, from modern to traditional; but soon enough the glorious past of the city might be gone along with the memories of those who witnessed it. Walking around the city streets, you might not take notice of the scale of danger we are facing.

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From Gemayzeh Street to Hamra, you could smell old homes, mansions, and gardens. It reminds you of the reason why you fell in love with the city in the first place. Then you reach the concrete jungle, from downtown to the waterfront and all the way to Ashrafieh, long buildings with modern architecture, small rooms, and dollar signs everywhere. We all heard our grandparents’ nostalgic memories of fountains, gardens, and sunlight’s vivacious existence in every home. Soon enough, our nostalgic memories would be about how we were able to look out the window and actually see the sky!

It could be old, it could be new, but what is part of our heritage?

Tarraf elaborated on how to classify a building as being a heritage structure, “There are different factors to consider. The age of the building is one of them. The materials used, is it stone or concrete? Or a mixture of both? It could also express a certain architectural area; which makes it significant to our identity and history. There are millions of factors that could help classify the building; you can’t specify one or two, but we can say that it should embody our heritage and our history in one way or another.”

The 24 year old, biology major, is not an expert on architecture nor history, but like many others, Tarraf is expressing his internationally recognized right to object to any matter that could jeopardize the city he lives in. He explains, “We used to live in a beautiful old building that was owned by my grandfather, on Lebanon Street in Beirut. After the civil war, all the buildings the government took all the buildings downtown, including my grandfather’s properties.

Unfortunately, he had no choice but to sell the only building he had left. That was my home, my childhood memories, and my vision of Beirut.”

“Since then, I discovered this Facebook group that was already started by Naji Esther, (founder of Save Beirut Heritage). Naji used to live in an old gorgeous building as well, he also had to evacuate so that some investor would demolish the building and build a new modern one,” he says.

The building was more than amazing; it was one of a kind.

Esther couldn’t let this happen, so he met with the minister of culture at the time. Mr. Salim Wardeh immediately issued a decree that demanded the revision of every demolishing permit by the ministry of culture to evaluate and decide whether this building is a heritage one or not.

“THERE ARE MILLIONS OF FACTORS THAT COULD HELP CLASSIFY THE BUILDING; YOU CAN’T SPECIFY ONE OR TWO, BUT WE CAN SAY THAT IT SHOULD EMBODY OUR HERITAGE AND OUR HISTORY IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.” “The decree is helpful of course, but it’s not enough!

Lebanon is one of the counties in the Arab world that has no law to protect heritage homes and venues,” Tarraf states.

At this point, you can’t help but wonder why the Italians, the French, the Americans and many more, where smart enough to preserve their heritage and at the same time invest in high end sky scrapers and modern architecture; while the Lebanese government simply doesn’t care?

“The people, who happen to rule our country, are the same people who invest in the country. A law preventing them from expanding their real estate investment in the capital is simply not profitable; hence they will never apply it,” Tarraf says.

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“IN THE 90’S, AN INITIAL CENSUS COUNTED 1600 TRADITIONAL HOMES AND BUILDINGS IN THE GREATER BEIRUT. TODAY, WE ESTIMATE THE NUMBER TO BE CLOSE TO 300 REMAINING STANDING STRUCTURES.”

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This ugly truth has been an obstacle that the organization of “Save Beirut Heritage” has been facing while presenting a law draft to solve the problem. “We have worked on a draft that is inspired by the law that already exists in the Lebanese constitution (but kept in the drawer), with a few adjustments that guarantees an investor a certain compensation percentage in return for not demolishing an old heritage property,” he elaborates further. The year 2013 should be a busy one, the organization is planning to present their law draft and find a way to be taken more seriously with their cause.

“A country that doesn’t respect its past has no future,” Tarraf passionately states, “the day a law that protects the few heritage venues left in the country sees the light, is the day we can finally celebrate and rest to know that any demolishing of a heritage home is a crime to be punished for.”Until today, Tarraf drives by Lebanon Street with a broken heart and a

tearful eye! The home he adored so much was taken from him, just like hundreds of others. At the end of the day, Tarraf’s dream and vision of Beirut can only be met by the support of others. “Facebook likes, and objecting comments, are great but we need more action!” Think of an old home as if it’s your identity, would you let anyone take it away from you? “I take pride that I am able to help my city’s heritage. I know that I didn’t keep silent while a concrete monster devoured my beautiful city of Beirut. Money is no match to that…”

“A COUNTRY THAT DOESN’T RESPECT ITS PAST HAS NO FUTURE. THE DAY A LAW THAT PROTECTS THE FEW HERITAGE VENUES LEFT IN THE COUNTRY SEES THE LIGHT, IS THE DAY WE CAN FINALLY CELEBRATE”

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IN.FOCUS

I’M SINGLE – LIKE SINGLE, SINGLE. Words by Ashley Cadzow

The grueling dinners with my “taken” friends have been occurring more frequently than ever as the bud that was my irresponsible adolescence blooms into an equally irresponsible adulthood. “How have you managed to stay single for so long?” my friend pesters, wine in one hand, boyfriend’s metaphorical balls in the other. I make for my glass – shit, it’s empty.That painstakingly drunken night left me pondering: How have I stayed single for so long?

I’ve come to the conclusion that my actions could be turned into a list of tips and tricks that I have discovered over the years.

So, dear reader, here is a list of my top ten foolproof (wo)man repelling tactics:

01

Hey, you know that that fun-loving, sassy, slutty-after-yourthird-drink personality that you have? Don’t mask it, even if it makes you seem more appealing.

02

What’re your opinions on current issues and politics?

Bring them up! Blurt them out before you order appetizers and you can guarantee your relationship will elegantly grow into oblivion.

03

Surround yourself with people who are in miserable relationships, it’ll turn you off completely. It also makes for a great night out – cheaper than a movie, more drama than The Real Housewives.

04 05

Get drunk. Recent studies – that may or may not have been associated to my life - have shown that nine out of ten people you drag to bed whilst inebriated are mistakes.

Spend your entire weekend as a roaring wino for the guaranteed loss of any meaningful romantic connection.

06

Pursue that special guy/girl who doesn’t and will never love you back. Darling, chase them for years! Change yourself to be their ideal mate, lose a few friends on the way too while you’re at it. They still won’t want you.

07

Over share. Sharing is caring, honey! “Oh, my, God! My ex totally took me here on our first date!” Brilliant conversation starter.

08 09 10

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Pick out those flaws! Unnecessarily aggressive evaluation of your potential lover is key. Un-ironic use of emoticons?

Pick-em. Getting upset when you don’t text back after 10 minutes? Pick-em honey!

Tell everyone you love the single life! The more you say it, the more believable it begins to sound.

Apathy is key. Leave the comfort of your own home as little as possible and you’ll be sure never to meet that special someone. You’ll develop a hot, bright relationship with your laptop. It’ll never make excuses to miss a date.

Develop a healthy loathing for all men/women. Cats provide the purrrfect substitute for this final tip. They come when they’re hungry or want cuddles, then they go F*@#K the neighbor. Not dissimilar to men, but cats are cuter.

UNCENSORED

IN MAGAZINE

BIANNUALLY IN YOUR HANDS

IN.MUSIC

THE MUSIC OF ADONIS

THE THRILL OF GROWING UP, THE MELANCHOLY OF LETTING GO, AND THE DISILLUSION WITH IMMORTALITY Words by Nahla Samaha Photography by Charbel Saade

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The feeling of, “I just discovered this cool new band from Lebanon,” might quickly disappear when you realize that errr… you didn’t. In fact, you’ll feel less of a trend-setter and more of a crazed fan when you find that “this cool new band from Lebanon,” is trailblazing and surpassing even their own expectations. Enter Adonis. A pop-folk music machine, driven by a love of Lebanon, a sick lyrical talent, and ecclectic musical arrangements. An intelligent combination that not only pulls at your heart string, but tugs at the roots of your mind. Lead singer Anthony Khoury tells IN Magazine what it is like to be part of this group of musicians putting Lebanon on the world music map.

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It seems the story of the band’s creation was more of a right-place-at-the-right-time kind of tale, rather than a premeditated decision of, “Okay, let’s start a band.” How did it all come about?

It all began when Joey our guitarist and I started writing songs together back in university, for the fun of it, putting music to my Arabic texts. When our songs started taking shape, we looked for other musicians to help us arrange, perform and record them. Out of the many talents we collaborated with, my brother Fabio, who is the bassist, and his friend Nicola, our drummer, remained to form with us the core line-up of the band.

From the moment Adonis was created, what has life been like?

Nothing much has changed in how we go about our day, we still do music in every spare minute we can find; now we just do it in a more organized way. On another note, being part of Adonis naturally had a huge impact on our personal development, each in his own way. In general, it gave us a sense of purpose, and invaluable lessons in teamwork, persistence, self-confidence and friendship.

Your music relies heavily on lyrics, as it does on musical composition, but some would say even more lyrically-driven. What are some of the general themes you like to explore through your lyrics?

Since I write most of the lyrics, our songs tend to deal with issues I’m living at the time of writing. Our first album was very spatial in its references, talking mostly about the things and places of the city, reflecting a stage of my life where I was mainly focusing on my formation as an architect. Now, as I’ve graduated from university a couple of years back, I am faced with other life conflicts that drive me artistically: the never-ending tensions of our socio-political climate, an uncertain future, identity conflicts, etc… On a more interior level, the thrill of growing up, the melancholy of letting go, and the disillusion with immortality.

Adonis’s music definitely borrows from various Western genres and eras, as well as from music of the Arab region. As a band, and as individuals, what are your creative inspirations?

We have extremely different musical influences and backgrounds as a band. We all listen to pretty much everything we get our hands on, but we all have in common a passion for all that is local. Joey has a Melhem Barakat fetish, I listen to hours of Um Kalsoum a day, you’ll probably find old Wael Kfouri CDs in Nicola’s car and Fabio has an affinity for Arabic religious chants.

How much of a collaborative effort is the song writing?

The way it happens is that I usually write the lyrics for a song, then read them to the guys. If everyone likes them, we sit together and write the music for the track. It’s a very dynamic and intense process. We have most of our fights – and also most of our bonding – when writing a song. Sometimes it takes five minutes, sometimes it takes weeks. Sometimes we stay together until we have the song ready, others we let sleep for a couple of days until one of us comes up with something sexy enough to turn the rest on.

The name of your band is based on the small town of Adonis in Mount Lebanon. Why ‘Adonis’? And have you explored the origins of the name?

The name Adonis actually came from the title of a song we had written before our band even had a name, Stouh Adonis. The song is inspired by summer nights I used to spend with my friends on the roof of my parent’s house in Adonis, drinking beer and talking about the future.

The song resonates really well with us and captures us like no other the essence of our music. We felt we had somehow found an identity after writing it, so we decided to call our band after it.

Your music has been compared to that of Mashrou3 Leila and that of Meen. Do you have any thoughts on those comparisons?

We love both bands, and are happy to be often placed in the same category, although both are older and have accomplished more than us. The comparison is only based on the broad image: independent, pop/rock, Lebanese, Arabic lyrics, etc…The difference lies in the sounds, backgrounds, the issues that are addressed and how they’re dealt with, the musical influences, inspirations, and so on. That’s why, even in a country as small as ours, each band has its own fan base, and resonates with different tastes.

Many critics describe your music as Pop-folk/folk fusion. Do you agree with the broad description?

How would you describe it if you were a music critic and not part of the band?

We try to stay away from the word ‘fusion’. Pop/folk is a fair categorization: we borrow a lot from our local folklore, in song structure, rhythms, scales, etc… If we were to self-reflect on our first album – something we do excessively, sometimes obsessively – we’d say that the very chaotic process of writing and recording it created a result that could’ve been more consistent and more finished. Still, it is our baby, it was done with heart, and, at the end of the day, that is all it takes for people to listen to it, talk about it, connect with it, despite all of its flaws.

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“NOT ONLY IS SOCIAL MEDIA THE KEY OF OUR SUCCESS: I DON’T KNOW HOW WE WOULD’VE MANAGED TO GO ON WITHOUT IT.”

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Your music first garnered popularity on a wide scale on Facebook. How instrumental is social media to your success and your growth?

As an independent act, in a country where all media and productions are very commercially oriented and where the state is completely absent when it comes to supporting artists and musicians, our only platform is the Internet. Social media allowed us to reach people in Lebanon and abroad that we would not have reached otherwise. Not only is social media the key of our success: I don’t know how we would’ve managed to go on without it.

Who are some of the artists and musicians you collaborated with on your album Daw L Baladiyyi?

One of the main pillars of Daw L Baladiyyi is producer Fadi Tabbal, who worked with us on the composition and arrangements of the songs since day one.

Saxophonists Stephane Rives and Jose Feghali, drummer Carl Gerges, violinist Alice Howick, producer Najib Saab who worked with us on the track “Sawt l Madini”, singer Tina Yamout, in addition to Patrick Dleptany and William Bou Hamad who, at the time, were part of the main formation of the band.

Your second single release, “Ma Kan Mafroud” sees a collaboration with singer/songwriter Tina Yamout.

Tell us about that.

I know Tina from university and have always been in love with her voice. After college, when we started the band, she showed a lot of interest in our music. The version of “Ma Kan Mafroud” that’s on the album was recorded as a trial to see how her vocals would fit in the song, but her rendition was so emotional and flawless that we decided to keep it as is.

Is international success something that you as a band strive for?

We’re aware that the ‘weight’ of our songs comes from their lyrics. Our music would lose a lot of value without the words it vehicles. In that sense, it was never a plan for us to go ‘international’ because we knew from the start that we are doing text-oriented music, only truly accessible to those who speak the language. However, we love nothing more than getting messages from Arabic-speaking people all over the world, saying they feel that our music truly connects them to their roots.

Have you taken your music outside of Lebanon to other countries in the Arab region?

Not yet. We’re getting many offers, especially from Arab countries, however we’re waiting to release our second album before going on tour.

What is your ultimate dream city/location for an Adonis concert for you?

In Adonis, but with international festival standards: perfect location, perfect stage setting, perfect sound, light, backstage, etc…

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Rinat Shingareev

On Art, Modern Icons, and Fashion Words by Julia Golovacheva

Rinat Shingareev is a young artist, born and raised in Russia. He started his arts education very young at the tender age of 6, and then continued in Italy where he graduated with honours from the Fine Art Academy, and now lives in London, UK. As a successor of Pop Art, Shingareev depicts famous and powerful people from our generation in his work. His work does not advocate any political or religious ideas, he simply observes and captures the reality that surrounds him in his own signature style, which already brought him recognition around the world. IN Magazine had the pleasure of meeting the artist for a one-on-one where we discussed Russia, art, and more.

Madonna

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Queen Elizabeth

Tell us a little about your family life.

I’m an only child and my whole family is my mother. She always believed in me and in my art and supported all my projects. Also, she is my chief advisor and is the first to view my new work. My father was an architect and also a great lover of art. Unfortunately, he died when I was very young but I have very warm memories of him.

Despite the fact that I was very young, I still have pretty clear memories. It really was difficult but at the same time a very interesting period in the history of Russia and I’m very glad to have witnessed the events of that time. I’m not sure that Perestroika has influenced on me personally as I’ve seen all these things through the eyes of a child and could not fully appreciate the seriousness of these events.

But your busy schedule must interfere with family time…

What was going to art school at age 6 like?

I visit Russia rarely but every time I am able to go, I’m happy to see my family and friends. It’s a great pleasure to return to my hometown and re-visit familiar places. Long distances between my family and friends and I is practically erased thanks to social media such as Facebook, Skype etc.

You were born in a very interesting and challenging era in the Russian history – Perestroika, collapse of Soviet Union, the end of Cold War. How did these changes affect you as an artist?

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In Russia, the education system is constructed in such a way that first of all you should have a basic knowledge. If you are interested in art education you must also attend art school in parallel. My day was something like this, in the morning I studied in secondary school and in the afternoon at the art school. Of course it was a double load but I didn’t see the difficulty I attended both schools with pleasure.

Prince Charles

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Barack Obama

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George W. Bush

You studied art in Florence, the home of Renaissance art, but managed to emerge as a successor of Pop Art, how did this happen?

During my studies at the Art Academy my attention was focused mainly on art, design and fashion. But in spite of that, I also took a course in classical art, which later also influenced my formation as an artist. If I had to chose a specific era that I admire most, it would have to be Early Renaissance and in particular the work of the artist Sandro Botticelli.

Your signature style is now world-renowned, how would you describe it?

I try to follow the latest trends in fashion, design, show business and politics and I try to tell our history through the most successful people in these spheres. I don’t stand still and I am constantly looking for more interesting and bold ideas and thereby, trying to develop not only my art, but the genre as a whole. I just want my art to create a following and for my characters to become icons and inspire people to do great deeds.

What is your formula for success?

My formula of success is a healthy way of life and full dedication to my work. Only this way I can achieve all my goals and realize my ideas. I very much enjoy sports and can’t imagine my day without art. Andy Warhol, “The pope of pop art” hold views about art and a philosophy of life that are very close to mine. I think he is one of the most successful contemporary artists who changed the world of art.

What is your relationship like with the subjects of your work?

One of the greatest advantages of my art is an opportunity to meet with famous people including politicians, businessmen and representatives of show business. I met many of my work’s subjects. I also received a lot of compliments. Among the latter were the compliments from the President of Ferrari Luca Cordero di Montezemolo.

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Nicki Minaj

Warhol is quoted for having said, “I’d rather buy a dress and put it up on the wall, than put a painting, wouldn’t you?” He was also described as a modern dandy. Do you follow fashion at all?

Do you express yourself through the way you dress?

A person is primarily judged by the way they look or dress. It’s a great pleasure to deal with someone who looks good and is fashionably or originally dressed. In any case you really feel good when you emit positive energy, that’s when you attract people.

Your art has reached the masses through T-shirts and hats, tell us about that…

It was a very successful experience. All the items depicting my work have been sold out in just a few days. Even during my studies at the Art Academy I was very interested in fashion design. I have long wanted to try my strength in this area and I’m very glad that people liked my ideas. In the future I will definitely be back to this experience and I will continue my experiments in fashion.

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You create paintings, you have your own blog, you exhibit your own work in Europe. You run all sorts of projects at the same time.

Tell us about the team that stands behind you.

There are four persons in my team. They are the most close and loyal people. Besides the long friendship, we also share a love for art. I’m sure that with time our team will grow, but at the moment we are able to professionally cope with all tasks and reach all our goals.

When can we expect your solo exhibition?

At the moment, I am working on my big personal exhibition. It will be a spectacular and special show. By nature I’m a perfectionist and I carefully oversee every detail of the event because I want my work to be presented in the best way possible and to leave unforgettable impression. My first solo show will probably be held in Milan but also I would like to repeat it in London.

Frank Ocean

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IN.ARTS

PHOTOGRAPHER

FRANZ SZONY

UNDER THE MICROSCOPE OF FASHION DESIGNER STACEY BLANCHET Words by Stacey Blanchet [Blanchet Designs] The studio and the subject are ready. The stage is set with everybody and everything on stand-by. The lights go up, the camera points and clicks. Behind the camera is a genius that has made many a page come alive for readers, taking us on a journey we only thought possible in our dreams. A great photographer will elicit a response, or a reaction from his audience. But what makes a great photographer, great?

Franz Szony grew up in Nevada. As the son of a casino manager, he attended all the different shows that came to town, and was eventually deeply affected by the elaborate costumes he grew up seeing. He enrolled in art class at the tender age of five, and as he got older he studied the history of photography, and the techniques of other photographers. Immersing himself in his art, Szony was able to perfect his own style, one that would set him apart from other photographers.

After closing of Szony’s first show in Los Angeles, and after rapping up shooting for fashion designer Furne One’s perfume campaign, I met with Szony to give IN Magazine an exclusive insight into the artist’s work. As a fashion designer, I was quite keen on taking a journey into his artistic mind.

IT’S ALL IN THE TECHNICAL DETAILS What are your go to cameras?

My first camera was a 1959 Nikon F. I now solely shoot with a digital Hasselblad.

What type of lens do you use?

I shoot mostly with a good ole’ 80mm

What is your photographic process before your photos are exhibited or given to clients?

Most of my process is secret to me. It is pretty similar to most artists. I have a disturbingly close relationship with my printers, as any photographer should.

What does the photo need to have for the Franz Szony touch?

The photo needs to be grounded in having no sense of time or place. It also must always have a story.

What do you think is the most important equipment that a photographer should own?

All the most expensive equipment in the world won’t make a good photographer. Aside from any equipment, the most important piece in a photograph is an amazing subject. This can completely, and I mean completely, make or break a photograph.

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GETTING DOWN TO BUSINESS What is your five-year plan, and how do you fund it?

My father asks me this same question, ha-ha. I’ll never shortsell myself as an artist. I work very hard at what I do; no artist should ever give away his or her work for free. Too many people will take advantage of this. In the past, I’ve learned this the hard way. All I can say is I’ll keep on keepin’ on.

How do high profile designers manage to hire you?

I have no manager, nor do I have a marketing team, although I will say I was blessed with an incredible mom who helps me unconditionally. If you combine the law of attraction with persistent work, amazing things will happen. I’m truly blessed and grateful to the people who have come into my life and have given me wonderful opportunities. It wouldn’t be unnatural seeing me standing on my driveway at midnight, staring up at the sky and giving gratitude to the Universe.

What do you think is important to make your business more successful?

Know who you are and represent that with every project you do.

What are your rules when engaging with clients on their photography campaigns?

Although I’m quite flexible, and respect the terms a client gives me before a shoot has begun, I am also very clear that I don’t enjoy being micromanaged. My number one rule: abide by our contract.

Any advice for aspiring photographers?

Find your vision. Educate yourself in what you want to know.

High school for me was basically 4 years of shit I didn’t care about being shoved down my throat. The more you learn about your craft and the “greats” who came before you, the more you can take control of your own personal vision. Be inspired by other artists, but never copy them directly. Find a technique, or combination of techniques that is personal to you. If you find another artist has gotten there before you, respect that, and push yourself even further to find something that’s unique to you, and only you.

What are the common business mistakes?

Mistakes? Give me a few more years and Ill let you know.

Or better yet, hopefully I won’t!

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LETTING THE CREATIVE JUICES FLOW How do you begin your process? What inspires you?

I always begin my process with sketches, eventually leading up to a final blueprint rendering of what the photograph will be. At the moment, the concept of “tragic love” inspires me. Turning pain into beauty, and throwing in a punch of humor. I can feel this changing lately, and I’m keeping myself open to the flow.

How would you describe the type of photography you do?

I like to think of my photography in terms of fashion. My fine art photography is my couture, and customer-commissions are my ready to wear. However sometimes these cross paths, and my customer commissions want the fine art, this is almost always in the form of advertisements. My fine art photography (like couture) is entirely my vision; it represents the fantasy and the unattainable. It is also very expensive to create. For the paying costumer, they usually want a photograph better tailored to their vision with a more attainable budget.

“IF ART IS RE-CREATED AND CHANGED, THEN EVERYTHING WOULD BE MODERN AND NOTHING WOULD HAVE HISTORY, WITH ITS FLAWS AND ALL.” At what stage are you with your career goals?

I feel like I was just born, the very beginning.

What is your biggest regret and why?

No regrets. This word should be banned. Every choice we make, good or bad, takes us to the next step.

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Where do you prefer to shoot, on location or in-studio?

Definitely in the studio. I like creating every element in the photograph. This way, there is no actual location of the photograph, it only exists in the image itself. There’s something magical to that.

What photo have you taken that you wish you could do all over again?

Although I’ve wanted to re-create photos from my earlier years of photography (7-8 years ago), I feel that would be a royal slap in the face to those photos. An artist shouldn’t try to re-create what they’ve already created unless they want to bastardize the beauty of their original piece. Art should always reflect who the artist is at the time they make it. If art is re-created and changed, then everything would be modern and nothing would have history, with its flaws and all.

How long do you think it took you to make it to your current professional level?

I’ve only felt like I’ve “stepped into my own” over the last four years I’d say, and I am still learning with every shoot. Although, who’s to say I wasn’t at a professional level when I was five years-old? Professional art is completely subjective.

With the Internet and social media so prominent, how do you think it has effected photography?

Social media and the Internet have been good and bad. Good for any artist in terms of exposure. Their effect on photography?

Well, it’s amusing how many people claim to be a photographer for the mere fact they purchased a nice camera. I say that without a hint of sarcasm. I promise! Ha-ha.

What type of artist are you?

A happy artist!

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IN.ARTS

THE OBSCURITY OF THE HUMAN FORM MEHRYL LEVISSE ON ART AND WITCHCRAFT Words by Nahla Samaha

The son of Italian immigrant parents, both of whom were photographers, it wasn’t surprising that Mehryl Levisse was bitten by the photography bug at a very young age. His portraits of human bodies whose purpose has been transmogrified makes him somewhat of a contortionist. IN Magazine chats with Levisse, and talks human form, art, and witchcraft!

Your work seems to have complex narrative? Is that the intention behind the scenes you create?

Where did you grow up? How has your childhood and family influenced your photography journey?

How do you come up with what some critics have called “absurd” environments?

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You place the human body in obscure environments, and strip it of its “conventional” purpose… what statement are you trying to make about the human body?

The body for me is not an end but a beginning. It is the beginning of other things, the body is moldable and shapeable material to the ideas I want to give to it. The theory of evolution of Darwin goes to this direction and allows me to think of the body such as we know is again going to evolve.

I live in the North of France. I took a studio in the city of Charleville-Mézières after living in Lille and Paris. I have also lived in Casablanca for two years, 2011 and 2012. I am the son of Italian immigrant parents. My inspiration comes from my story, from family houses, and from the shooting lodges we would go camping in when I was growing up. My family and my real-life experience are the center of my work, my universes is fed by this personal mythology.

I possess a big collection of objects of all kinds, wallpapers, carpets, pillows, curtains, trinkets, taxidermies, skulls etc. By the way my first art book Le Cabinet des Rustiques, which has just been published, shows a part of this collection. I create my environments with these elements. Some of them come back through different photos, which creates a link in my work. I build each of these environments according to the body, or I imagine the body according to the space.

Did you study photography? Or are you self-taught?

Tell us about Confidences Sous Tapisserie, what was the process that led to that installation?

I did not study photography. I completed an art license in the Faculty of Arts and then a Master’s degree in Contemporary Art. My parents were both photographers, so I became familiar with photography from a very young age. On the other hand, I don’t consider myself a photographer, but rather an artist. Photos are not the work but are the track of what happens in the intimacy of the studio.

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Effectively. My work tells a complex, private, intimate story, which before being universal tells my personal story. It is fed by literature, by mythological figures, of music, opera, general news, tales, real-life stories etc.... All these things are digested and re-transcribed in a new narrative that elicits thought. All the photos are connected to one another, and build a story where each picture is a new chapter.

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Confidences Sous Tapisserie shows a private space in the heart of a public place in which the spectator is invited to get involved as if he was at home. The environment is constituted of old furniture, which reminds us of the inside of our grandparents’ home. Some of the furniture in the installation is in my pictures and creates a material reality.

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“MY WORK TELLS A COMPLEX, PRIVATE, INTIMATE STORY, WHICH BEFORE BEING UNIVERSAL TELLS MY PERSONAL STORY.”

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“I MET MOROCCAN WITCHES WHEN I WAS IN CASABLANCA… THAT MOTIVATED ME TO STUDY THIS AND TO MEET SHAMANS, WIZARDS AND OTHER BOATMEN OF SOULS. What have been the most interesting audience reactions to that installation?

A woman fell asleep on the sofa during the exhibition.

In general, how do people react to your work? Are they perplexed? Moved? Uncomfortable? What is the general feedback you receive from viewers of your work?

I receive many sorts of reactions. Some people are perplexed by what I show them. Others feel uncomfortable and prefer to leave the exhibition. There are also people who think that I am psychologically sick. But most of the time people are fascinated to know that everything presented is fabricated, while they have the impression that everything in photos is real. Somewhere in a timeless space the character is condemned to replay the same situation eternally.

What or who inspires you to create?

Absolutely everything, but the story of my family first and foremost. Also music, art, opera, mythology, politics, witchcraft, science, history, general news, literature, theater, cinema, human beings.... Life.

What has been the most life-changing project or work you have done?

My first project named Circus Sideshow is a series of fifteen photographs of portraits of “Freaks.” This series presents a dynasty from the circus. Members of my family represent the different generations of this dynasty. It is an important series because it was my first photographic work in which I decided to build my environments. I don’t show this series anymore because certain members of my family, like my grandmother, have passed away since I completed this project.

What artists, past or present, across all art forms, whose work you admire? And why?

Matthew Barney. His work is complete and complex and presents an extremely personal universe which speaks to me and for who I have a huge respect. I think that very few artists have ever arrived at this stage of reflection and quality in their work.

Is there any profession or field that you would like to explore?

In the arts or otherwise?

I am planning on studying something different, in another field, working on studying a subject in another domain. I would like to take a course in esotericism and the black arts, (the occult). I met Moroccan witches when I was in Casablanca and went to meet sellers of grigri, potions, and spells in Marrakesh. It’s been a great experience that motivated me to study this and to meet shamans, wizards and other boatmen of souls.

© Images Courtesy of Mehryl Levisse and Galerie Coullaud & Koulinsky

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PAINTING WITH LIGHT

THE FIRST ARAB FEMALE CINEMATOGRAPHER Words by Suzanne El Wattar Some people eat hundreds of roaches while others French kiss for days. The list of things people are willing to do in order to break a record is endless. To Muriel AboulRouss, all she had to do was to paint with light. To the first Arab female cinematographer, cinematography “Literally means writing with the light.”

As a child, AboulRouss admired inspirational figures like Bruce Lee and Gandhi. Since no University granted a degree in heroism, she opted to study Law and Translation, “Law because, I wanted to protect my rights and the rights of others, and Translation, because I love languages. If I could learn a new language every year or so, I would…”

One day, while on campus with her mother, a building caught her eye, “It had graffiti art all over it, everyone was dressed in a cool gipsy way, and it was calling my name”. The more people told her that this was not the place for her; the more she felt like this is where she belonged. “I just fell in love with the building and the people”.

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Years passed and one thing led to another, and AboulRouss found herself working as a cinematographer. “Since my first year in college, I would carry the equipment and the camera, and do everything with my own hands, this was exactly what I wanted to do, I found myself doing cinematography by chance.”

Five years after her graduation, AboulRouss became the first female cinematographer in the Arab world. Causing such a milestone had never crossed her mind, “It doesn’t matter to me if I was the first woman cinematographer or the 100th, what matters is my work and my passion.” When I asked her if she had something to say to empower or inspire woman she bluntly replied, “No. Words don’t matter; I prefer that my work and life inspire people rather than any words I would say.”

While I was on my way to meet with AboulRouss, I had no idea what to expect. The interview lasted about two hours, in a café near her apartment, in Ashrafieh. I would check on my cup of green tea every now then, as if it was an hour-glass. The less I had left in the cup the less time I had with her.

When I asked her to describe the moment she felt most proud in her career AboulRouss said, “It was the night of the Namur Film Festival closing ceremony, I was in Beirut at a local pub with some friends, and Georges Hachem (Director of the feature film Stray Bullet) was at the award show in Belgium. I had sent him a text to ask him if we had won an award, but he replied saying, “Maybe next year.” Shortly after, he texted me saying, “Call me, you just won best cinematographer.”

“I remember that I started crying out of joy, I started hugging everyone I know or don’t know. It was one of the most amazing moments of my life,” she recalls passionately.

“FOR ME, TEACHING IS NOT ABOUT TEACHING A TECHNIQUE, IT’S BRINGING OUT THE PASSION INSIDE PEOPLE… MAYBE I CAN GIVE YOU EXERCISES TO HELP YOU REALIZE THAT YOU HAVE A TALENT. FOR ME IT IS A REASON TO LIVE FOR.” Stray Bullet was not the only award-winning film AboulRouss worked on. The 39 year-old cinematographer worked on many award winning projects like the movie Falafel with Michel Kammoun, Marcedes by Hady Zaccak, Gramma a Thousand Times by Mahmoud Kaabour and the Emmy award winning web series Shankaboot by Amin Dora.

“Today I can tell you that the climax of my career was Stray Bullet.

Not because the movie won best cinematography among many other awards, but because I evolved and learned a lot from Georges Hashem. I was mature enough to understand this experience and execute the work like I did.”

Even though AboulRouss, is a great cinematographer, her work doesn’t define her, “I am a teacher, and I work as a cinematographer.”

Teaching is a way of life to AboulRouss, “For me, teaching is not about teaching a technique, its bringing out the passion inside people.” She strives to reignite the dreams and passions of her students, “Maybe I can give you exercises to help you realize that you have a talent. For me it is a reason to live for.”

AboulRouss recently created Cine-Jam, a workshop she designed, organizes, and conducts. The one-month workshop takes the participating students on a journey of self-discovery, “This workshop defines what teaching should be like. That is, a relation with 8 individuals, that allows us to trust each other and dig deep into our thoughts. It’s the chance to be creative without judgment, limitation, or rules. I don’t ask anyone to be a genius, I ask people to believe in themselves. During the workshop you will know for sure what your talent is and what you want to do with it; or you will discover that none of this intrigues you and you are not talented in this domain and maybe opt for a different direction. Both ways it works, you will be allowed to rediscover yourself. The only rule is to be yourself and use images and sounds to express who you are, with no judgment whatsoever; there is no right or wrong.”

“IT DOESN’T MATTER TO ME IF I WAS THE FIRST WOMAN CINEMATOGRAPHER OR THE 100TH, WHAT MATTERS IS MY WORK AND MY PASSION.” This generous and passionate artist even offers free consultations, “Anyone from anywhere can contact me, we agree on a time and meet to talk for a while.” And with that, ended what was a truly inspiring interview. It’s probably safe to say that AboulRouss did fulfil her childhood fantasy after all, and became a hero herself.

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WHERE THE COOL KIDS ARE

DUBAI’S EMERGING ARTS SCENE DRAWS CROWDS Words by Danna Lorch

They’re the new culturati—well educated, well groomed, 30-40 something’s, a mix of locals and expats, demonstrating a public interest in cultural events. The latest social craze among Dubai’s young professionals is to be seen attending an art opening with a group of friends. It’s often hard to tell if the crowds are more interested in the art, the complimentary canapés, or the society photographers snapping party shots to print the following week in local magazines. Eavesdropping, (as writers instinctively do), on conversations at several recent openings, I could only pick out a 2:5 ratio of groups actually discussing the art. After asking around, it turns out that most of these bright young things do have opinions about the art, but are too afraid to articulate them out loud. “I don’t know enough about art to offer a critique,” was a popular refrain. In trend-obsessed Dubai, no one wants to offend anyone else, so although the art is truly worthy of commenting upon, many people choose to keep their personal views to themselves.

There are two major art hubs to choose from in town—Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), or Al Quoz. Either way you go, it’s compulsory to turn out in your quirkiest, edgiest attire to demonstrate that you are a legitimate artistic type. Thick-rimmed black spectacles, cardigan sweaters, brightly colored trousers and bow ties are suggested for males. Thick-rimmed black spectacles are advisable for women too, but only the leggy types who are blessed with high cheekbones and can pull off the extra hardware

A Million Times by Human since 1982 at Design Days Dubai

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while still managing to look thin in the face. Otherwise, a vintage statement frock, ankle boots, and a carelessly draped scarf are de rigueur. You can leave the couture at home, darling. To impress this crowd you need to stand out as a unique individual, and refreshingly, money has nothing to do with it.

DIFC hosts regular art nights that mainly attract private sector executives who work in the surrounding office buildings. They turn up fresh from meetings, ties and top buttons unfastened, with cash to burn on champagne cocktails at nearby watering holes. The spaces are high rent showrooms for selective galleries that wish to expose the business community to art.

Many of the pieces displayed could be quickly snatched up as corporate art for boardrooms or lobbies. The newly established Magazine Shop gives Fortune 500 types the feeling of going momentarily hipster, by lubricating them with gourmet coffee and imported independent magazines, then getting them to perch on short wooden stools.. DIFC‘s art scene is anchored by the heavyweight presence of Christie’s Middle East, the fabled auction house. If well established, easy on the eyes people and art are your scene, then stick to DIFC. The real excitement in Dubai’s emerging art world lies across town in the dusty warehouse district of Al Quoz. Hidden behind Times Square among auto shops and industrial factories is Alserkal Avenue. Conceived by the Alserkal family, locals who

are well known for their contributions to the arts, Alserkal Avenue is a former marble factory complex that has been transformed into more than 20 galleries and other creative spaces concentrated within a one-block radius. Vilma Jurkute, the approachable Communications Director at Alserkal Avenue, explained that when someone finds the area they feel as though they have unearthed a hidden gem. This feeling of discovery is the true character of the place and will never change.” Even though it has been around since 2007, Alserkal is still hard to find— cab drivers have never heard of it, the metro doesn’t stop nearby, and the entrance gate is discreetly marked. There is a free pamphlet called the “Art Map” which is available in cafes and tourist spots that leads to Alserkal, much in the way that treasure maps guide pirates through unfamiliar jungles to waiting chests of golden coins. When you do at last locate the area, you feel smug.

Mr Abdelmonem Bin Eisa Alserkal, Developer of Alserkal Avenue and patron of the arts, told IN Magazine, “The integrity of the district, its synergy among businesses: from contemporary art galleries with international acclaim to the car shops and factories is what creates an integrity and dynamic like no other. Alserkal Avenue is live, it is organic, always changing and evolving.

It is important to keep up with a change and growth around us, meeting the expectations of our community.” The area is poised to double in size by 2014, with construction beginning shortly.

New galleries are constantly springing up in the area and it has quickly become a regional arts hub in which collectors can view pieces from the UAE, Iran, Syria, India, and Pakistan. Dubai’s geographic location combined with its efficient trade regulations make it simple for gallery owners to import artwork even from countries that major collectors would have trouble accessing due to political situations.

The most exciting part of the emerging arts scene is that it is young and blossoming quickly.

Dubai is one of the only cities in which anyone can attend an exclusive opening and boldly walk up to the artist himself, shake hands and ask questions and offer congratulations or even a bold critique. I recently attended the Ayyam Gallery’s opening of Syrian artist and filmmaker Ammar Al Beik’s exhibition, Boya Boya Boya, which was cleverly inspired by the traditional shoe shining kits used to polish men’s shoes on busy city streets. Al Beik actually mingled with the crowd and introduced himself to everyone who attended. It was intimidating to speak to the artist. I don’t have a degree in art history. I’m not a buyer for the Guggenheim. I’m not even Arab.

But after a minute or two of real anxiety, I realized that none of that matters. The point is to be interested in the art and to approach it with open curiosity and offer an honest critique. Dubai’s art scene is still emerging and there is space available for everyone’s voice to be heard, from that guy in the cardigan with the strange hair to the Sotheby’s educated photographer.

“THE LATEST SOCIAL CRAZE AMONG DUBAI’S YOUNG PROFESSIONALS IS TO BE SEEN ATTENDING AN ART OPENING WITH A GROUP OF FRIENDS.”

Art Dubai

“THERE ARE TWO MAJOR ART HUBS TO CHOOSE FROM IN TOWN—DUBAI INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL CENTRE (DIFC), OR AL QUOZ.”

Art Nights at Gate Village

“THE MOST EXCITING PART OF THE EMERGING ARTS SCENE IS THAT IT IS YOUNG AND BLOSSOMING QUICKLY.” SPRING/SUMMER 2013

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