RJmag 7

fall winter 2011-12

RJMAG RECTANGLEJAUNE

fallwinter201112

THE STYLE REVIEW FOR MEN

by RECTANGLEJAUNE

the

WIRED issue

Socialmedia the new Eldorado of marketeers Techsavvy the latest gadgets dresslike

dial H for hitchcock seductiontips

the art of indoor picnic wiredspecial

inspiring bloggers

scan me with your smartphone!

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Contents >RJfallwinter2011/12 04 warm winter essentials 14 Style department's mix'n'match 22 HAMPTON shoemakers 28 Tied up!

34 Dial H for Hitchcock 61 Geek Chic 74 Cuff links collection >coverstory 46 Social Media Special 55 Twitter glossary 56 Inspiring bloggers >seductionfilespecial 66 Indoor Picnic >moodcolumn 75 Adriana's virtual sex life

the

WIRED issue

Creative director: MAYA METNI Photography: Imad el KHOURY Styling: Julien ABBOUD Contributors: Soha Yammine Adriana Lebbos Joseph Alam Kat Asmar Tania el KHOURY

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warm

WINTER wishes Art direction MAYA METNI Styling JULIEN ABBOUD Photography IMAD EL KHOURY

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MIX'n' MATCH

Our style department's picks of the season.

patchwork tartan cotton shirts

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cotton check shirt v-neck wool pullover sport jacket wool knitted scarf

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100% cotton poplin shirts

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collector 100% cotton heavy jersey patchwork embroidered sweatshirts

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Heavy jersey cotton sweatshirt, double stoned denim, genuine leather belt, Hampton shoes

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cotton striped shirt lambswool pullover denim jeans Hampton shoes

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Italian collar cotton shirt 100% silk tie 2 buttons wool blazer Hampton shoes rinse wash jeans genuine leather belt

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Introducing HAMPTON SHOES RECTANGLEJAUNE boutiques will now have in exclusivity the beautiful handmade HAMPTON footwear.

Three generations of traditional shoemaking expertise make the HAMPTON models a must, whether in the casual or classic collections.

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TIED TO important matters...

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Art direction MAYA METNI Styling JULIEN ABBOUD Photography IMAD EL KHOURY

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100% cotton heavy jersey RJ sweatshirts with below: Samsung Galaxy TAB 7�

Android 2.2 OS Froyo Video & Voice Calls Full HD Video Player

and right: Samsung Netbook N150

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>cover story

We are social by nature.

We like to talk, communicate, share ideas, knit networks.

We like to establish and keep contact. We’ve done that in our real world even before we became homo-sapiens. And now that we have created a parallel virtual world, we have found new ways to knit social networks on the world wide net, the aptly-named “social media.”

Social media is a term coined (probably at AOL, a pioneer in online usage) sometime in the early to mid-1990’s to designate the new tools technology now offers that allow more efficient networks among users of the net: Linked-In, Facebook, Twitter are only the most popular and widely used such examples…

SOCIAL MEDIA

A not so virtual reality

by Soha Yammine

World Wide Networks Facebook and Twitter are the culmination of more than 30 years of work. Social media is now possible because a computer in 1971 was able to send an email to another computer – sitting right just a few meters away. Seven years later, exchanging data over telephone lines became possible with something then called the Bulleting Board System (BBS – not to be confused with our modern-day BBM!). The real breakthrough came when Geocities was founded in 1994, allowing users to create their own websites, the web’s first social networking sites. In 1997, two inaugurations were introduced on the market: AOL launched its instant messenger and sixdegrees.com allowed users to create a personal profile and a list of online friends.

Outrun by the rapid and unharnessed growth of several decades, the .com bubble burst in 2000, in one of the largest market crashes registered in stock market history.

Web entrepreneurs went back to their drawing boards, marking a momentous shift in the way the industry evolved.

Launched in 2002, Friendster was the first to offer online, real world connection. In just three months, it had three million users – at that time, that represented one in every 126 internet user worldwide. Myspace followed in 2003, and was followed in the next several years by the likes of LinkedIn, classmates.com, Netlog, etc.

Another revolution came in 2004 with the introduction of Facebook, which was originally meant to connect the students of Harvard University. More than 19,500 students signed up within the first month of its launching. Within four years, Facebook overtook Myspace as the leading social networking site. Twitter was introduced in 2006 and the latest, Google+, which got 20 million users within three weeks.

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The new Eldorado of marketers Advertisers were not long in realizing the advantages of communicating directly with their target audience on such personalized platforms. In the advertising world, “social media” has become synonymous with building direct, personal relationships between companies and their individual customers.

It does what the telephone, direct mailing, print advertising, radio, television, and billboards used to do up until now. The ease with which anyone in the world can now be reached is a boon to advertisers and offers an unlimited numbers of opportunities – the only limitation is a company’s imagination and inventiveness.

Marketers rave about these new social media because they are now able to talk to individual customers in their own language and on their own turf. Advertising over social networks is easy, cheap (compared to the exorbitant prices of above the line advertising), and more effective. By reaching consumers on their favorite communication platforms, advertisers enhance their consumers’ experience at all touch points in the buying process, thus maximizing communication impact.

Advertising on social media is also more targeted, as people who click through to a given website are defining themselves as potential customers.

But social media’s biggest strength certainly is advertising by referral – “word of mouth” is still the best advertising tool, and when friends “share” advertising content (or product information of any other kind), they are indeed becoming the best advocates of that brand.

Interacting Responsibly In their eagerness to benefit from this new advertising opportunity, companies can become over-zealous. Spamming their audience with too many emails and too many tweets can have the reverse effect – they will simply be blocked or filtered or “unfollowed.” Social media officiandos (those Facebook and Twitter addicts, bloggers, and SEO users) want to be heard as much as they want to listen to advertisers.

After all, social media are designed to “socialize.” As Darine Sabbagh (see page 56) keeps reminding marketers: “Visibility does not equal brand leverage.” Only “valuable content and value added in the community create a positive brand image that will eventually lead to more conversions.” And since “in the online world, any activity performed by a company leaves a lasting footprint in the world wide web,” companies should be careful what they do put out there.

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>cover story

SOCIAL MEDIA RJ links up After having been on Facebook and Twitter (@RJleb) for some time now, you can also join us on our blog http://blog. rectanglejaune.com to find out about our exclusive fashion news updates, insider tips, and special promotions and giveaways.

We have installed two giant screens in our new flagship store in ABC Ashrafieh – along with brand new shop fittings and concept! Our customers can check our FB page and like us, or read our twitter timeline while shopping.

We’ve also integrated a QR Code campaign into our online marketing strategy. All you have to do is scan the QR code (below or on the cover) with your smart phone and become a fan. Show us some love as we unveil several new exciting projects!

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100% cotton striped RJ shirts with: Galaxy SII phone

Android OS 2.3 4.3"- 8.49 mm Super thin- Dual Core 1.2 GHZ , Camera 8 MP with Led Flash - 2 MP Front Camera

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>tech savvy

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RJ winter 2012 shirts with: Samsung PL120 (Double Screen Digital Camera)

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>tech savvy

RJ checked shirt with: Samsung Camcorder C24

10X Optical Zoom, Schneider Lens, 2.7'' DIS Digital Image Stabilizer

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100% cotton heavy jersey RJ sweatshirt with: Samsung Nx11 Professional Camera

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>tech savvy

100% cotton striped RJ shirts with: Samsung Nexus S

Android 2.3 OS Gingerbread

Many thanks to:

BO CONCEPT www.boconcept.com

>twitter glossary tweeps: Twitter users that follow each other tweeple: Twitter people, Twitter members, Twitter users tweet(ing): the act of posting on Twitter tweetup: A tweetup is an event where tweeples meet in person via: This can sometimes be used in place of RT @: The @ sign is used to call out usernames in Tweets, like this: Hello @RJleb! When a username is preceded by the @ sign, it becomes a link to a Twitter profile. See also Replies and Mentions DM (direct message): private tweets between only the sender and recipient. Tweets become DMs when they begin with "d username" #FF: stands for "Follow Friday." Twitter users often suggest who others should follow on Fridays by tweeting with the hashtag #FF handle: A user's "Twitter handle" is the username they selected mention: Mentioning another user in your Tweet by including the @ sign followed by their username is called a "mention" RT: To retweet, retweeting, retweeted. The act of forwarding another user's Tweet to all of your followers. timeline: A real-time list of Tweets on Twitter. hashtag: The # symbol is used to mark keywords or topics in a Tweet. Was created organically by Twitter users

and

SAMSUNG www.samsung.com for their support in this particular feature

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Inspiring BLOGGERS

We've always had a thing for bloggers, and we've always shared our best links with you. But this particular "wired" issue called for particular blogs... Enjoy!

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Scan QR code with smartphone to access Darine's blog

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http://theidentitychef.com/ Darine Sabbagh describes herself as curious, sarcastic, interested in capturing and sharing the fascinating flavors of the world... Passionate marketer & traveler, firm believer in SEO (" search engine optimization"), wishful thinking & chocolate. >How long have you been blogging/tweeting?

I have been blogging for around 5 years, previously on a personal blog and then two years ago started The Identity Chef because I felt that no one was writing about the challenges of online marketing in the region. It was also about the same time that I started tweeting @sdarine and became hopelessly hooked to the online world. >Is your blog your job or your hobby? And is it fulfilling your expectations?

It started as a hobby and an attempt and sharing and exploring ideas about online and social marketing in the region, which was almost nil at the time. It is still a hobby now, but it has indeed brought in many interesting projects, contributions and collaborations. >Did your blog contribute to change/evolve an issue?

Well I certainly hope so, but can not boast of any great accomplishment. The blog has received some media coverage and interest on subjects I blogged about at times. What hits close to home for me was a post I have on my blog about a new brand that I discovered which does not have a proper website, and to this day I keep receiving requests for shipments and orders for their products in my contact sheet. But, I would really feel that my blog accomplished something important if I hear that its content helped a company improve their marketing. >How do you handle negative comments?

I think negative comments are a blessing when they are constructive and challenging, I love to go back and forth in a good discussion. However, if a comment is offensive, rude or biased I have a policy for editing these comments, clearly stated on the blog, but still showing that they were there, in case author wants to write a better one. I only moderate comments after they are posted, to keep an open conversation. Interestingly enough, I find that posts with negative comments and controversial ones get the highest numbers of visitors. >Where do you blog and tweet from? What is your favorite tool?

I am plugged in at all times into everything and anything with WIFI, moving from one device / location to the other, its one crazy life within the Matrix. Still, disconnecting at times and enjoying the real world is just as important. >International blog(s) that inspire(s) you?

This may seem a bit bizarre, but I love going through street style, fashion, home decor and technology blogs, I rummage through them before going into the marketing blogs. My favorites are Post Secret, Sea of Shoes, Penelope Trunk's Blog, Unpluggd, but in fact I have too many feeds in my Google Reader, most of which are favorites that have been combed through over the years. >Last but not least: Do you think social media is the new Eldorado of marketers?

During the gold rush, everyone was trying to secure a good piece of land with good resources crossing long distances and harsh conditions, social media and online marketing is just as much of a fight for good real-estate, but it is much easier and accessible and brands that are there first and learn about the communities are the ones that have the potential to harness the most out of it.

Some brands are doing it pragmatically, others haphazardly and some are just confused with the gold fever, undeniable it is a fascinating transition for all marketers.

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http://thefoodblog.com.au/

For Middle Eastern food lovers, followed by thousands around the globe, and written by Lebanese-born-bred but Sydney-based Fouad Kassab.

Great recipes, beautiful photos and wonderful stories: definitely an inspiration...

>How long have you been blogging/tweeting?

I started blogging in November 2006 - as far as I can tell, I'm the first Lebanese to start blogging about Lebanese food.

(Tweeting since 2009 @thefoodblog)

>Did your blog contribute to change/evolve an issue?

I don't really write about issues - I try to avoid conflict and politics and prefer to keep the focus on food. Over the past few years, the image of Lebanese people in Australia has suffered - I try to improve their image and alter the perception through my work and writing. My Australian readers have gained much insight into Lebanese culture and food, and that has been very rewarding.

I am also an advocate of local food and have written against genetically modified crops and supermarket foods. >How do you handle negative comments?

I treat my blog like a dictatorship. I am the master of all. If I don't like a comment, I don't publish it. That said, things are usually civilized and I don't have much need for censorship. >Where do you blog and tweet from?

What is your favorite tool? I'm a sofa blogger and I tweet from my iPhone. I also love my digital camera.

I have a lovely Nikon D90 and a 35mm f1.8 lens which gives me fantastic results. I also got a new macbook pro recently - I don't think there are any laptops with the build quality of a mac.

>International blog(s) that inspire(s) you?

I like Fuchsia Dunlop's blog on Chinese food www.fuchsiadunlop.com, Johanna Kindvall's visual foodblog http://kokblog.johannak.com, Cannelle et Vanille for amazing food styling photography http://cannelle-vanille.blogspot.com - and though she doesn't write as often as I would like, Stephanie Wood's Elegant Sufficiency has a great style in writing http://elegantsufficiency.typepad.com.

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Scan QR code with smartphone to access Fouad's blog

>Is your blog your job or your hobby? And is it fulfilling your expectations?

I started off to have a creative outlet, a place where I can document traditional lebanese recipes and any new ones I would invent myself. It started off and remains as a hobby, but it has generated many interesting outcomes and paid work. I love my blog and it certainly fulfils my expectations.

http://pauseart.tumblr.com/

Coffee and cigarettes breaks can severely damage your health.

But this design and art blog by talented Hala Moubarak has no side effect!!

Scan QR code with smartphone to access Hala's blog

>How long have you been blogging/tweeting?

I started my first blog http://un-cri.blogspot.com/ in april 2010. I wrote from time to time for L’orient le jour, and then my brother suggested I start a blog so i could reach as many people as possible.

I then started tweeting @HalaMoubarak and the #PauseArt adventure began through the « links » I tweeted ; I am an interior designer and always looking for new sources of inspiration... My second blog http://pauseart.tumblr.com/ was born with lots of encouragement from my followers who wanted all my links to be archived somewhere… >Is your blog your job or your hobby? And is it fulfilling your expectations?

It is a hobby… taking more and more time and energy but always from the heart.

It is fulfilling my expectations every single day. I am meeting amazing people, and learning about all sorts of cultures. >Did your blog contribute to change/evolve an issue?

Yes.. that’s why I carry on. I believe Art and Culture can change the world. >How do you handle negative comments?

I try to keep calm and carry on.. I sometimes get violent comments for no reason in particular. But I guess I cannot please everyone! >Where do you blog and tweet from?

Everywhere, anywhere.. I always have something to say. >What is your favorite tool?

My laptop… >International blog(s) that inspire(s) you?

We have excellent bloggers here in Beirut: Chroniques Beyrouthines, Mazen Kerbaj Blog, Le cœur à droite.

And also from around the globe: Café Thawra, the onion, yes they can, avec nos gueules...

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http://www.joesbox.me/

Joe's blog is a result of anything & everything happening in media, marketing, branding, photography, design... But his most famous posts are his intelligent critics of advertising campaign.

>How long have you been blogging/tweeting?

I have been blogging since 2007 /tweeting @joesbox since 2009 and overall the experience is really awesome!

>Did your blog contribute to change/evolve an issue?

My blog gives me and everyone a voice that potentially can be heard; it is a very powerful tool. And yes some posts made a real impact specially that I am living in a country where I can say almost anything I want . >How do you handle negative comments?

Controversy posts get me some negative comments and that’s totally fine. I can say whatever I want on my blog, readers can express freely their points of view as well.

We all know that you can’t please everyone … >Where do you blog and tweet from?

What is your favorite tool?

I always blog when I am on my desk, but I tweet using all the tools. >International blog(s) that inspire(s) you?

I read a lot of international blogs with different topics: http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/ http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/ http://boingboing.net/ http://kottke.org/ - And the one that inspired me to start my own blog: http://seenbymaya.blogspot.com/

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Scan QR code with smartphone to access Joe's blog

>Is your blog your job or your hobby? And is it fulfilling your expectations?

It is a full-time hobby-job that keeps my mind busy...

GEEK CHIC Well? You've seen it: Geeks are the new rockstars!

So put on those glasses and get this startup on the move...

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>geek chic

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>geek chic

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Mini Loste and Chorizo

St Marcellin St Felicien

Brie de Meaux aux truffes

Petit Basque

Manchego Artesano Parmigiano Reggiano

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>seduction special

Pleasure to your palate: Awarded Ch창teau Belle-Vue with its voluptuous complex nose and sensual Ch창teau Marsyas enrich and ennoble the Lebanese wine horizon.

Coeur de Neuch창tel

the art of INDOOR PICNIC We say: forget hip restaurants and seduce her with the perfect delicatessen instead!

Aim for quality not quantity and inspire yourself by this sexy midnight feast and its exquisite tidbits.

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interesting

LINKS

>RJ 2011-12 cufflink collection

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>Adriana's moodswing

Oh

>Poke. >Like. >Ping... how i miss the good old phone ring!

Summer was just around the corner, not only outdoors, but also on the Net. Profile pics on facebook started losing clothes, and users started to show their six-pack. Sometimes, the swap was so obvious and so frequent that it made me wonder if I am logged on facebook or a random dating network.

Truth is the flirting factor is turning into one of the key dynamics of FB. Lonely, single or in a committed relationship with a lustful eye longingly gazing toward greener pastures? As long as there’s been an Internet, people have used it to get action - from the ancient days of ICQ and IRC to today’s facebook.

Yes, there was a time when most men believed that the women they were talking to in chat rooms were most likely called Bob in real life. But hey! Things have changed! Gone are the days when blind dates used to turn into horrible experiences. I remember meeting Fred (name changed to protect the not so innocent) through hi5 and getting on pretty well, until I met him. Fred was 160 with over-sensitivity and Napoleonic ambitions (otherwise known as short man syndrome). Don’t get me wrong, I’m just 167cm on a good day. What I mean is, with facebook today, it is uber easy to see the other person’s evolution from a toothless 7 year old to the adult that he became.

In any case, there sure is a lot of flirting going on in the Facebook sphere. With friends of friends at your fingertips, who wouldn’t want to surf for dates or “open” relationships that might eventually turn into oh-so-common and oh-so-convenient “it’s complicated” facebook statuses?

My ex boyfriend's facebook profile listed him as "in a relationship" and he had some pics of us in his albums. One morning I typed in facebook's web address on my laptop, and it pulled up his.

(Apparently he had not logged out last time he used it.) There were messages back and forth between him and a girl who looked like a retired porn star.

He had messaged her saying "Hey you sexy sweet thing!" and she had replied suggesting an encounter on the same eve (which explains why he had to leave early that night).

Ok now, let’s move to BB. But before I start let’s just get one thing clear. Guys: Let me tell you now in unequivocal terms, “babes you on BB?” is not a valid pick-up line, especially if you are wearing an open shirt that reveals a necklace that’s peacefully resting on a little jungle.

The thought of living without my Blackberry does indeed scare me, the fact it scares me scares me even more and I have to remind myself that we were born without WhatsApp, BBM, Twitter, and here we are. Born. Proof that traditional methods of ‘would you like to go for a drink?’ worked with our parents. They weren’t BBM’ing each other about the swinging 60's, changing profile pictures to advertise themselves on the social networking meat market.

Call me old fashioned but you can’t go wrong with a smile, compliment, a cute pick-up line (just for laughs), a bit of good old charm, and a simple invitation for a drink, lunch or dinner.

And man do I miss waiting for that post-first date phone call!

A.L.

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