Beirut & the Four Seasons, a Passionate Love Affair

It's not the first time I am challenged to work on an amazing project for the Four Seasons Beirut; you've already had a glimpse of the video installation I did for the Roof two summers ago.
Only this time I've been asked by Christian Klaus their amazing F&B director to design: "An In-Room Dining Menu, which is not an In-Room Dining Menu"! "... Hmm, Pardon?" My eyes asked.
"Well, I want a book about Beirut, but not Ministry of Tourism Beirut, I want YOUR Beirut."
WOW. Is there a better brief you can get from a client? I mean, God knows I am passionate about my city, but could I let go? Put all my passion and guts into this book?
I did. And I invited Ghassan Koteit to capture this journey and take you on a 24 hour ride "Through Beirut"...

This is how it starts:

And here are a few of the pages:

After the ride, you have the menu on a thicker and more sensual aquarelle paper:

And it ends with a map of all the spots covered in the book, inviting the reader into the inner soul of my intricate complicated contradictory but oh-so beautiful city...

The book was just published this week, an exquisite farewell gift to Christian who's moving forward to FS San Francisco as Hotel Manager; may you inspire as many people there as you did in the last three years. And huge thanks to Four Seasons Beirut for this opportunity to design one of the most beautiful projects of my career.

> Postcard Christmas Tree

Every year since this beautiful paper tree, this BD tree and phone line tree, we challenge ourselves with the girls to find a funky Christmas Tree idea... Last year they wanted a more traditional tree (hence the white branches) but cool decorations.
So we decided to decorate it with all our postcard collection: from our travels, our painting exhibitions, drawings etc.. So we had Tuscany, Lisbon, Alsace, GB, Hopper, Kertesz etc mixed and shuffled altogether.
More mainstream than the others but full of emotion... right?

> Art Directing Lebanon

Lebanon & I have a very passionate affair, we fight a lot, but we can't live one without the other
'cause what can I say? When it's love it never varies!

And one thing I absolutely adore, is when clients ask me for work related to Lebanon...

So Happy Independence day to all the optimists and "poptimists" out there ;-)

And this too:

> Have all trendy french fashion brands become one?

That's my impression actually!
There were these bespoke "petites marques françaises" with each its own identity, but now every time I flip through a magazine or look at billboards or shop windows, I feel they've all "united" into only One look! One pause! One haircut! (or two actually...)
I mean c'mon guys have you no imagination at all? Of course we love each one of you equally, and we LOVE your difference; I feel like I'm lecturing my little girls here...

Am I right or is that just an impression?

> SneakPeek: BOOKS & MEN RJmag11 published next week

Men who read are sexier.
Books are sensual.
And wandering in the worlds of fictional characters is definitely our kick!
Have a wee look at RJmag 11, inspired by Oscar Wilde, Sherlock Holmes, intrepid Lebanese publishers, old friends and old books...

Concept & creative direction: Maya Metni, Photography: Imad El Khoury, Styling: Julien Abboud, add to that the wonderful work of all the RJ power team.

More here.

> Fresh & sunny, from the RJ archive

I bumped into these today ;-)
They were from the time I didn't have a blog, a twitter account, pinterest and the likes but I decided they were worth sharing. Photos by Roland Poux, styling by Bernard Martinez, art direction, design  & doodles by myself...

> Scotland & other stories...

My summer was intense, so intense I did not post anything, sorry 'bout that!
SO to apologize, here's a mix-mix-schuffle of tidbits and a wee look on the Highlands!

It all started with a quick weekend in Paris where the highlights were a beautiful exhibit at La Pinacotheque, to see Tamara de Lempicka, the amazing art deco colorist...

&... other stories, which opened a few months ago; a lesson in retail, style, display and design:

Shifting on to more art deco in Glascow now, at the GSA (Glascow Scool of Arts) where we had a guided tour of the Charles Rennie Mackintosh Building... Simply AMAZING.
Students are so lucky to live and learn in this space...
And we had a high tea at the Willow Tea Rooms, designed by Mackintosh as well. I simply love those Glascow fonts don't you?

And  as promised, a wee* look on the Highlands (Mull, Skye, Staffa, Tobermory, Oban, Inverary, the Lochs...) to finish and relish:

*Wee is the cutest little Scottish word, it actually means (and sounds!) "little".

Photos by myself and Ghassan Koteit.