RJmag 8

RJMAG RECTANGLEJAUNE

springsummer2012

THE STYLE REVIEW FOR MEN

by RECTANGLEJAUNE

beachFUN new swimwear & shirt collection popartFUN tribute to Warhol dresslike

great musicals traveltips

bella Italia scan the QR code &

WIN a trip to ITALY!

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Contents

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>RJspringsummer2012 04 Blue Beach Fun 14 Collector Shirts 2012 19 Tribute to Warhol Collection 28 Polo Fun 32 >Swimwear special Launch of the RJ swimsuit and Towel collection 40 Five great dads 54 >dresslike The Musicals 52 >RJcause The LEB Polo story 66 Accessorize!

>funspecial 12 Road trip to South Italy 18 Warhol's Brillo Boxes 51 Laughter Yoga Fun 61 Meet the team, episode 1 65 Win a trip to Italy!

70 Adriana's shopping spree 71 Franchising

the

Fun

issue

Creative director:

MAYA METNI

Photography: Imad el KHOURY Styling: Julien ABBOUD Contributors:

issue 8 • SS 2012

Adriana Lebbos Ghassan Koteit Joseph Alam Kat Asmar Tania el KHOURY Ziad Habib

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Blue

Fun

Art direction MAYA METNI Styling JULIEN ABBOUD Photography IMAD EL KHOURY

Phew!

We thought summer would never come!

Now that the Sun is finally here, we decided we wanted some FUN! Fun is relaxing, Fun is constructive & therefore creative

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blueFUN

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blueFUN

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blueFUN

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blueFUN

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Road trip to SouthwithItaly RJma g Âť

land s ... in Pana re a, A eo lian Is

.. .B ea ut ifu l B lue d et ai ls

.. .C ap o Vat ic an o B ea c h

Trop ea

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South Italy' s Calabria & Sicily are much less traveled than Rome, Tuscany or Milan.

However, there are some hidden gems that surely make the M editerranean very proud!

You now have a chance to discover by yourself: CHECK facebook.com/RJleb , "like" and join the draw!

»

ac h Trope a seen from th e be

Calabria » th e med ieva l to w n Catosnienghza , t

Rag us a

Ladyb irds on the Etna

Sicilia »

Agritu rismo Gigliotto and its fruity wine...

Strom boli Volcano Stromboli is one of the most active volcanoes on the planet!

It is very well seen from miles away, and people actually call it "Lighthouse of the M editerranean".

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y e b e r e h

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blueFUN

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POP art fun

You all know Warhol's Marilyns, Campbell Soups and Coca Colas... But Do you know his Brillo Boxes?

Artist James Harvey designed the Brillo boxes when the company needed a package redesign, and when he walked in to Warhol's exhibit at the Stable Gallery on April 21st, 1964 - he saw it being displayed as art!

Harvey had separated his commercial art work from his real art, where Warhol, also a commercial artist at the time, integrated the two.

Warhol famously recognized these consumer objects as the most elemental creations of our society.

By refusing to separate fine art and commerce, Warhol turned Harvey’s Brillo box into "Brillo Box".

While Harvey laughed it off, the Graham Gallery (who represented his work) sent out a press release stating “What’s one man’s box, may be another man’s art.”

That day at the gallery Warhol was selling the autographed Brillo Boxes for $300, whereas one of the latest sales of an original Brillo Box, approved by Warhol Authentication Board, went for 150.000 $ . Fun indeed!

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popartFUN

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popartFUN

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popartFUN

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popartFUN

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popartFUN

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Polo Fun

poloFUN

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poloFUN

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Beach

Fun

Introducing the new RJ swimwear collection Art direction MAYA METNI Styling JULIEN ABBOUD Photography IMAD EL KHOURY

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beachFUN

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beachFUN

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beachFUN

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beachFUN

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They're always here for us, they're our role models; every one of us has a story to share about his special dad.

A small tribute from RJmag.

e Dad!!

Numb er On

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Navy

Dad

greatDADS

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greatDADS

Green

Dad

Every free minute he has, you find him in the garden or hiking...

Nature has no secrets to hide from the RJ Green Dad!

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Rock'n'Roll Dad!!

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More like your big brother, this guy knows all the chords!

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greatDADS

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greatDADS

Business

Dad

He's between flights and not always near, but he's definitely an expert on stock options, start ups and conference calls!

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greatDADS

Gourmet

Dad

Who makes the best "macarons" in town?

Why it's my Gourmet Dad for sure...

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laughterYOGA

Laughter Yoga Fun

Laughter Yoga is a complete wellbeing workout launched by Dr. Madan Kataria from Mumbai, India, in 1995, with a handful of persons. Today, it has become a worldwide phenomenon with more than 6000 Social Laughter Clubs in about 65 countries.

Laughter Yoga combines Unconditional Laughter with Yogic Breathing (Pranayama). Anyone can Laugh for No Reason, without relying on humor, jokes or comedy. Laughter is simulated with eye contact and childlike playfulness, it soon turns into real and contagious laughter. The concept is based on a scientific fact that the body cannot differentiate between fake and real laughter.

One gets the same physiological and psychological benefits. We tried and (enjoyed!) a session with Sabine Jizi, founder of Laughter Yoga Beirut, and couldn’t help ask for more: > So what triggered this? Did you wake up one day and decide to become a Laughter Yoga teacher or did it happen by chance? It all happened by chance. I came across the term "laughter yoga" while I was reading an article on day and was intrigued by the term itself. As I began researching about it, I found out that it's been booming in the entire world except for the Middle East area. I thought it would be a fantastic new concept to introduce here in Lebanon, so I immediately signed up for a Certified Laughter Yoga Teacher Training workshop in Horn-Bad Meinberg (Germany) held by Dr. Madan Kataria himself, and just went for it!

>Is it picking up well in the country? What kind of people are joining you? I couldn't be happier!. It has been growing more day by day! I have laughed with all kinds of people; from different backgrounds, nationalities and age groups; teenagers, children, middle aged people and elderly. Besides the weekly session I hold, I also run sessions in corporate companies with managers and employees, schools, universities with teachers, staff and students and with patients in hospitals. Everyone benefits from laughter!

>Is there an age or budget restriction? No firm restrictions, only kids under the age of 8 are normally difficult to control.

In the weekly sessions I hold, the fees are minimal, just to cover the rent. As for the sessions in companies, ..schools etc, fees depend on the number of attendees, the duration and the frequency of the sessions.

>We did feel a major stress relief during the session. Do the benefits last more than during the session itself? What is the recommended frequency of Laughter Yoga classes?

The benefits do last after the session, some people feel the joy and positivity flowing for days and days. You'd be surprised with how many benefits laughter offers. In fact, the more we practice laughter yoga, the more and the easier laughter becomes a part of our daily lives, it becomes more than just an exercise routine, and its enormous spiritual and health benefits really start to sink in. After all, who would mind laughing every day?! No body can ever have enough of it!

>Where should RJmag readers contact you to know more?

RJmag readers can join the Laughter Yoga Beirut fanpage on www.facebook.com/laughteryogabeirut to stay tuned on upcoming sessions, news and events. They can also follow us on Twitter @Laughteryogabey and they can always contact me by mail sabinejizi@gmail.com.

Thanking the RJ team for a great laugh!

I look forward to laughing with RJmag readers :)

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CHEER LEBANON

& MAKE A DIFFERENCE with RJ!

This summer, make a difference & buy the LEBPOLO by RECTANGLEJAUNE: 20$ per polo will go to local NGOs working on more than necessary projects that help create a cleaner, healthier & prettier urban environment.

Polo is in limited edition, and exists in kids & adult sizes.

Follow the outcome on www.facebook.com/RJleb

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Musical Art direction MAYA METNI Styling JULIEN ABBOUD Photography IMAD EL KHOURY

Fun

We at RJ, are suckers for musicals!

Vintage Hollywood Glamour is always a style winner & our RJ stars danced with spirit for Ginger, Gene, Fred & Audrey...

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meettheTEAM

RJmag is 4 years old!

It's big time for you to go behind the scenes and meet the team...

Let's start this first feature with our creative director, Maya Metni When did you know you wanted to work in design?

I think I always did. Even when I didn't ;-) At school I won 3 years in a row the yearly carnival with my class: when I look back at it, it pretty much consisted in art directing and creating the concept for the whole thing!

Where did you get your inspiration then?

I was practically addicted to SmashHits UK and ELLE France, so there you have it: a mix of Brit' Pop and French Flair !

And now?

Everywhere! On the streets, in what see or read, blogs, music, films, old or new, classic art or street art... It could be something I studied a long time ago mixed up with day to day situations.... My culture is very eclectic, I do not snob anything. Plus, it is always an advantage to talk 3 or 4 languages like all Lebanese because you are then exposed to all these different cultures and lifestyles...

I know I sound like a teenage groupie, but it is this passion that drives me!

The day I will stop yearning to do things with my own hands or wake up at 2 am thinking of a shoot or a project, I will shift to something else.

Will that day happen?

I don't know... When I see people like Paul Smith or Sonia Rykiel so passionate and more modern or creative than a thirty year old designer, It makes me very happy.

What if you won the lottery?

I would keep on doing what I'm doing except I'd definitely travel every weekend...

You can follow Maya's musings on her blog mayametni.com and tweets @mayametni

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shirtESSENTIALS

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WIN A TRIP TO ITALY!!!

Are you a fan of our facebook page?

Do you follow our tweets?

If you're not, you might miss out on BIG FUN! RJ has been on Social Media for more than a year; however we invite all existing and new customers to follow us via social networking sites: If you are on Twitter or maybe spending more time on Facebook, now it’s a good time to join us, because we have loads of exciting projects coming, and the first one is this great trip to Italy!

Italy has always been an inspiration to us here at RJ, and everytime we visit Pitti Uomo in Florence or the Milan Fashion week, we come back with sparkles in our eyes.

We want you to fall in love with Bella Italia as well, so the big draw will take place when we reach 7000 fans!

Share it with your friends 'cause the sooner we reach the target, the sooner you can win your dream trip!

We also use Twitter, Facebook and our blog for exclusive fashion news updates, insider tips, travel guides, special promotions and giveaways: > You will be among the first to learn what's coming up in our new boutiques > You will be updated on the latest fashion trends > You will have the ability to share your thoughts and comments on any article, photo or video we post Once you’ve "liked" our page, you can enter the draw and you might be our lucky winner!

So why wait, “Like us” on Facebook, “Follow us” on Twitter and enjoy the RJ lifestyle!

facebook.com/RJleb

twitter.com/RJleb

blog.rectanglejaune.com

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Accessorize!

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Accessorize!

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Shopping Fun

When the going gets tough, thetough go shopping..

This week has been especially tiresome, stress inducing… bordering down right depressing. So what do I do when feeling the blahs? I hit the malls!

I love to shop. There, I said it.

Anyone surprised? No? Didn’t think so.

I am a firm believer in the benefits of retail therapy.

I love the feeling of renewal that I experience when I purchase something new. It doesn’t have to be something expensive. But there is no doubt it makes me feel better.

“Retail Therapy” was first used as a term in the 1980s in the Chicago Tribune of Christmas 1986: "We've become a nation measuring out our lives in shopping bags.”

Back to my addiction. With a plastic bag of "pick and mix" gummies in my hand and spring around the corner, here I am scrolling the stairs of the mall, imagining my new summer wardrobe in hues and textures… when suddenly I run into a friend of mine, bouncing under the weight of her bags.

After the regular weather report /small talk, she tells me that she is still out of job, but that she'd rather be indebted to several banks than cut her shopping sprees.

They don’t call it retail therapy for nothing.

This is what happy shoppers confirm, even in the middle of the crisis.

Even in time of financial instability.

According to Layale, “when I shop FOR ME, I am in a bubble, my thoughts race into how I will wear what I got and what is missing to have a perfect look. When I am done shopping, it’s like an addict who had his dose after a while.”

Men tend to agree. “Shopping is a healer... whenever you buy something new when you’re feeling blue, it will change your mood... you even wake up happy the next day,” says Rodney.

Escapism, retail therapy or shopaholism, no matter what they call it, I call it a harmless pick-me-up that makes us all feel good!

And now that fun in the sun is about to start, Stop calculating and indulge in buying!

A.L.

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RECTANGLEJAUNE franchising opportunities To wrap this issue, Nicolas Faure, franchising manager at RECTANGLEJAUNE, gave us a few business tips about the advantages of being an RJ franchisee...

> In the current economical situation, is Franchise a strength or a weakness?

A strength, for sure. We can observe indeed that becoming a Franchisee for the time being is a better solution to resist the economical crisis.

A recent survey issued by the LFA (Lebanese Franchise Association) proved that the bankruptcy rate for franchisees is always lower than independents traders, worldwide speaking. > Why is that?

As a franchisee you benefit from the brand awareness and equity of the franchisor.

No need to create your brand, to invest big amounts in marketing...

You will also be supported by the franchisor in terms of training, marketing, products, IT system etc, in order to optimize your operation system and your commercial strategy. You will benefit his experience and his know how.

The strength of the franchise network is always an added value to enhance and develop initiatives, strategies, and improvements between the franchisees themselves and within the network.

They benefit from each other’s experience all year around and share their improvements. > What are the advantages of an RJ Franchisee?

I would like to say, first of all, a continuous support from RJ structure to the RJ Franchisee.

This is by the way the main issue to be assessed by the franchisee when he wants to enter into a franchise agreement. Indeed, an RJ Franchisee is never alone. We are always here to help, advise, monitor and optimize the RJ Franchise activity and profitability.

We have at our disposal talented and dedicated people, plus 24 years of experience within the market. > What are the best world markets for a brand such as RJ? The regional market to begin with. RJ was created 24 years ago in Beirut and it is nowadays a pledge of quality, success, trendsetting in our country. It benefits from a very high brand awareness. In terms of development strategy, we also plan to develop our business within the Middle East (we are already present in Dubai), the Mediterranean area, and the Far East, the new Eldorado of retailers. > Who is the ideal customer of RJ? A mature, elegant, self-confident and active man. > Finally who is the ideal franchisee for RJ? I would like to say a small or middle size retail company with very good operations and access to prime locations.

For more info on franchising please contact : nfaure@rectanglejaune.com jdaher@rectanglejaune.com

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jdaher@rectanglejaune.com

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