> Pages from RJmag 10, published next week

This season we decided to stay home for summer and shoot right here in our beautiful neighborhood, Mar Mkhayel. Did you know it's one of the prettiest corners of Beirut?
We started at the charming Villa Clara hotel, then we moved to Frosty Palace, and after that, off to the magnificent stairs by Paint Up!

The second day we shot the swimwear at the sandy beach of Okaibeh, with a section about all the hand signs in Beach Volleyball...

And if you feel like a sneak peek at the making of, here you go:



And read the whole mag here:

> Superb art direction: Suit & Tie, Justin Timberlake & Jay Z

Well I thought we start the week end in style!
Two weeks ago, Timberlake released this beautiful work...
Now I may not be a fan, but regardless of the music, this is what i call a perfect art direction job...
The subtle lighting, the choreography,  the little details, and of course the clothes.
And guess who's behind this, I've just been researching: well it is none other than Mr Tom Ford, whom else?

Well Bravo, very stylish Monsieur Timberlake, Monsieur Ford et Monsieur Jay Z!

Reminds me of our photoshoot from last year, check the images below & the full post: here.

> restaurant identity: The Hangout Beirut

I recently had the chance to work on an interesting project: the visual identity of the yummy place I now hangout in all the time ;-) _ The Hangout !

First this is the logo:

...inspired by this lovely detail in the wrought-iron shed:

Here's a look at the inside of this beautiful mediterranean house:

I worked on the prints of course,

and on the art direction of the food picts,

And last but not least, on the facebook communication that you can follow here, which is really interactive & smart, + it enhances our heritage in a fun way...

So next time you're in Beirut, be sure to check out The Hangout: ask for the Gourmet Burger and a glass of Château Qanafar, you'll thank me later...

> New Guide " Beirut Revealed " by Carole Corm

The year ended + the first month of 2013 is well on its way and I even didn't have the time to share this beautiful new guide with you!
325 rich pages by Beirut based journalist and Monocle correspondent, Carole Corm,
& Photographer Nadim Bou Habib.
A little peak at the content proves that it is not your regular basic guide, and even I, the unconditional Beiruti, found many tips!

And there are very interesting contributions about various subjects,
like Gregory Buchakjian's piece about the Beirut Art World:

And Ghassan Koteit's piece about Beirut & Film:

and last but not least ;-) a small contribution by MM ( me!) the foodie, Carole was so generous to include me in the local insights, amidst great Beirut figures like Chef Hussein Hadid, or Rabih Kayrouz to say the least, so I'm really happy and I hope you enjoy my tips!

Click here for the Daily Star's review about the guide.

> Unleash your inner artist!

This funky place was born because of Aline's passion for arts and crafts, and her dynamic quest for inspiring leisure time for herself, her friends and kids... She couldn’t find what she was looking for, so she created it, the perfect haven for art lovers.
A hobby for starters and now a chain of art lounges & cafés, "L'Atelier Art Lounge" has a strong visual identity (that's where i came along), which you can spot not only on the prints but also on the wall coverings and architecture. Have a look:

A quiet moment for you to paint, an evening with friends, a fun birthday celebration or even art classes? All there: like their page for more.

> My greeting e-cards 2012

Well just got 2 minutes away from the holiday rush to show you these, just like I did last year!

>New funky packaging!

I've been sharing art direction and print posts for quite a long time, so I thought why not show you some other stuff as well...
From time to time i am asked to create a new packaging for a product, and this I tell you is really fun work! Of course it should follow the brand guidelines and target but even when it's a casual chic brand like RJ you can have a blast!

Take this for example, it's the latest cylinder box we did for the swimwear collection:

Or this: It's the birthday lunch box of L'Atelier Art Lounge, which is a café and workshop that celebrates arts for all ages...

And last but not least, a project which has not yet seen the light, but I certainly hope it will one day, 'cause it's my favorite: The Champagne bottles of Point Bulles restaurant of chef Karim Haïdar...

Voilà! 

Now I know the three projects are very different, but do you recognize my touch in all three? 

> Pages from RJmag 9, the Celtic issue

As announced previously, we shot RJmag 9 in Brittany and I promised I'd show you some pages so here you are... Concept, art direction and styling by myself (Maya Metni!), photography by Imad Elkhoury, along with a great team to help us! Thank you all for making this possible.

Click here to check the whole mag.