> Shooting in Cinque Terre

From one Jaune Catalogue to the other, I have been busy working on the vlog, and one exciting project you'll soon here about all launching in a few weeks. but today It's time to share the Summer 2019 JAUNE campaign, all shot in Italy, inspired by the beautiful mediterranean villages of Cinque Terre.

Watch the video to discover the beautiful footage and why we chose this destination:

> My favorite AQUA spots around the world

A quick round up of the world's best places to dip your toes.. or not, 
as some of them are quite cold! But all are definitely BREATHTAKING!

> Have you tried these Lebanese wines?

It's no secret I am a wine lover and have been so for many years, ever since I met Salim. There are more than 250 wine labels in Lebanon, more than 60 wineries, young passionate winemakers who are changing the scene, terroirs as varied as our people, 10 million bottles produced and 5 million exported and many gold medals, every year! 
Watch this video to discover a few of them, and different ways to drink them, like for example the "Rosé en Piscine":

 

Wines mentioned in this vlog:
http://atibaiawine.com
http://www.domainedestourelles.com
http://www.domainedebaal.com
http://chateauqanafar.com

> Marseille est une chanson!

With similar vibes to Beirut and a few other mediterranean metropoles, Marseille has nonetheless its own particular lifestyle... No wonder a lot of Lebanese feel at home there! Passing through for a couple of days before our journey to the Luberon, we've witnessed quite a dose of adventures ;-)
Watch for more...

> Archi-Walk in Badaro

One of the sexiest aspects of Beirut is how it varies so much from one neighborhood to the other, and despite our barbaric destruction of old heritage, you might still fall in love on a hidden street corner...
Follow me with Naji Assi, Architect & Professor, to discover Badaro's little gems:


If you liked the video, you can use this map, prepared by the Arab Center for Architecture, to go on your own little walk ;-)

> Al Musiqa at the Paris Philharmonie

Music has always been at the heart of my life since the very beginning: as a toddler dancing with my dad to the sound of his vinyls, as a teenager fascinated by indie rock & new wave, and then as an inspiration for photo shoots, slogans, captions... I truly believe Music has saved the planet from going totally mad...till now ;-)
Let's celebrate it together with my review of the wonderful exhibition currently held at the Philharmonie de Paris.
Watch for more!

> Accessories that rock !

One question I'm often asked: "Where did you get that necklace?" 
I really never go over budget with my accessories, but i simply love a piece that tells a story.
Each time I find a piece that's bold, wherever that might be, even on a street stall, I buy it and wear it with a simple outfit so that it shines on its own... 

Watch the video to discover some of my favorites like Karma, Issorya, Elsa O and Riwaya...

> Lisbon Stories

Ever since I saw Lisbon Story by Wim Wenders I fell in love with this beautiful city! And each time I revisit, i find new places and spaces... Here are my favorite spots since I know a lot of you are choosing Portugal as a destination this summer!

As you see, we were lately for a JAUNE shooting so I'm happy to share part of the work here, done in Caparica:



Last but not least you can still win a trip to Lisbon with Jaune: Check out the details here.

"On the road" fashion editorial ~ RJ sneak peek

You've read the book, or at least seen the movie...

If I ever want to travel through the US, it is merely for a road trip on the Mystic Iconic Route 66, but only as Jack Kerouac described it. Maybe because this time is long gone, or was never real... maybe because it only exits in our imagination and in the poems of the Beat Generation.

Here's our Kerouac inspired shoot, on a route you all know, in a valley not so far from here...
Enjoy!

Thanks again to all the RJ team & to Imad El Khoury, this editorial was shot in difficult conditions.

> Firenze Success Story: Mercato Centrale

Last month we visited Pitti Uomo in Firenze, and I wrote a post about the brands that caught our attention. However the visual and gastronomic explosion that marked us forever was ~ DRUM ROLL~... IL MERCATO CENTRALE!

(logo and identity by Almagreal, representing the central location of the mercato)

This Iron and Glass building was created in 1874 by Giuseppe Mengoni, who designed as well the famous Galleria Vittorio Emanuele in Milano. For its 140th birthday, Umberto Montano and Claudio Cardini gave this San Lorenzo Covered Market its glory, bringing people back to this vibrant city landmark, with traditional shops that give the artisans the center stage.

Following this idea, every booth is hosted by its star artisan, with his name and caricature illustration by Jonathan Calugi, who caught the character of each person so perfectly.

Here is a small animation by Simone Brillaleri of one artisan for example:

Amazing isn't it?

The food of course compeets by far with the most famous restaurants in Florence, not to mention that it's for a bargain! I had the best pasta and arancina tradizionale with a delicious Aperol Spritz, for around 20 euro...

I leave you now with a few pictures of the identity in the website, magazine, place etc...

Ecollo qua! Bravo a tutti, direttore, architetto, designer, animator, illustrator...good job!

Don't miss it if you're on a trip to Italy and i know a lot of you are planning to this summer...

UPDATE!!! Thanks to this post I've just discovered that the talented Lebanese Stephanie Richa worked with Jonathan Calugi on the identity during her internship in Firenze! BRAVISSIMI!

> TOKYO FEVER : RJ new catalogue blossoming soon

I cannot hold back anymore, i have to share this with you...
The new RJ catalogue is an ode to Tokyo, its manga culture, its smashing color palettes and its vibrant lifestyle!

Kawaii, isn't it?

> From one season to the other: RJ minimag

This post means that I took too much weeks off from blogging, and I'm here to fix that!
I've got a lot to show you and will try to do that at least once very week.
Let's start with the new RJ catalogue for which I worked on the concept and art direction:

Warm colors, lots of blue, black and navy denim, as well as a lovely sweater collection...

Shot at Imad El Khoury Studio, Bouyouti & the Shouf Cedar Reserve.

Full Catalogue here:

#FashionFriday: Caroline Issa, an Iconic Style Muse "with a Lebanese Twist"

Don't you just love the expression "Lebanese Twist", used, re-used and re-reused to sell you sweets, mezze, crafts, businessmen & politicians?.. Well today I simply want to express my fandom!
Take a look at this beauty:

Caroline Issa, founder of Because London & editor of Tank magazine, grew up in Montreal with a Chinese mother and Lebanese-Persian father. I know, far fetched, but hey... I'm proud!! And I love this cosmopolitan mix that many Lebanese have, Beirut-London-Paris-Montreal-NYC... French-English-Arabic-Italian... It's the mixture that enriches. 

There are many influencers of Lebanese descent in fashion, but what Caroline represents is this fresh self confidence to pull up any color-texture-shape combination and still look dazzling, because she is so at ease with who she is, or at least that's what she conveys.

She has been a Londoner for more than 10 years, and that doesn't surprise me: London is such a versatile city, combining both history (like Paris) and dynamism (Like New York) which makes it the perfect capital for Tank & Because London.

Caroline is a daily source of inspiration for fashionistas around the globe, simply check google, tumblr & pinterest; but also for women entrepreneurs & pioneers of the fashion industry, as you can read here , here & here...

In conclusion? *sings* Tu es l'As de Trefle qui Pique mon fashion sense, Caro-line...

photos via the sartorialist & candice lake

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.