> Art Direction Behind the Scenes

You always ask what I do for a living; well, I create moods and stories for publications, events, fashion editorials and video shoots. Here's the latest one I directed for Kerkor Jewelry inspired by the Far East. Press play and enjoy!



My earrings are by Elsa O
My necklace is by Rouge Pasteque

> My Favorite 2018 Series

If you check my archive you'll know that my favorite series last year were The Young Pope, Sherlock and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. 
I have a whole new batch for you to binge-watch this summer. Check the video for more...

> Creativity on budget: Monoprix!

It's not the first time I talk about it, but this concept is still successful years on: Havas have created for Monoprix a systematic packaging that is everything but boring! Watch the video for more and don't forget to read the labels next time you shop there ;-D

> Scarf styles!

I wanted to name this post "Scarf Face" 
but Lea & Joe were going to kill me ;-DDDD

So why do my friends call me Madame Foulard? Because it's an essential in my wardrobe... Scarves can be tied in 101 ways and change your outfit from top to bottom. Watch the video to discover scarves... seen by maya ;-D

> 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...

> Plastic is NOT Fantastic

It's that time of the year when we are almost always outdoors, in picnics, barbecues, parties... and the last thing we want is dishwashing! So what do we do? We use disposable plates and cups :-(
I am just saying that instead of plastic that lasts thousand of years in our environment, simply use paper... 
One thing i forgot to mention in the vlog: you can also use wooden cutlery instead of plastic as well.

Brands featured: Rana Salam

Disclaimer: All names and brands i feature in my vlog are my own favorites, when the post is sponsored, it will be mentioned.

> 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 ;-)

> Aperitivo tips: how to mix your perfect summer drink!

When June hits, Aperitivo becomes the highlight of the day: finding the perfect spot to meet with friends around the best spritz & cocktails!
To get the best mixology tips for my go-to drinks, I met with Souhad, Campari/Aperol Ambassador at The Malt Gallery. Watch the video for more: 

> 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.

> Unusual Gifts from Beirut with Love!

Here it comes! Tourism season! But what should you take back from Beirut other than the usual trio artisan-arak-nuts...? Follow me through the streets of Mar Mkhayel to discover the addresses mentioned in this vlog: Maria Halios MHD: https://www.mariahalios.com Mellow: https://www.facebook.com/MellowHomeCo... Plan Bey: https://www.facebook.com/PlanBEY/

> BLOG is DEAD!

> ALWAYS ROCK ON!

As part of my collaboration with Kerkor Jewelry and Imad Elkhoury this year, i worked on two projects:
The Spirit of Seasons launched at the Malt Gallery during Beirut Design Week, of which I will reveal to you a piece each month of the coming year...

And Rock On! Which was their annual Christmas celebration:

For this, inspired by Heavy Metal concerts and Rock festivals, we actually shot Elissar's hands many times with front and back lights;
front like a music stage and back to shine on the jewelry pieces... And we layered them altogether as you can see.

The best part of all this was the active participation of every guest in the event, from the youngest to the oldest, and from the most traditional to the craziest one (me?) (!) So cheers to the Lebanese people, you surely know how to party!!!

Our annual Christmas event

A post shared by Kerkor Jewelry (@kerkorjewelry) on Dec 15, 2017 at 4:23am PST

Painting the Roofs of Paris in JAUNE !

Thrilled to share with you our latest work for JAUNE, the Lebanese Men's Style brand!

"Les Toits de Paris" campaign was done as a guerilla-shooting in Paris and would not have been possible without the flexibility of the small (but GREAT) team: Jonathan Caillat as main model & producer, Imad El Khoury as photographer & videographer, myself as art director & film director, backed up of course by the JAUNE style & production team represented by their manager Joe Daher who was so cool he did not even mind ironing the outfits ;-)
Hats off also to Daniel Baradie as well who always does wonders with our rushes...

I leave you with my favorite images from the lookbook:

If you like the clothes, they are available in all JAUNE shops!

> Pool Beauty Essentials

Summer heat, beach parties, inflatable donuts (!)... here we are again!
As much as I love the SSF trinity (Sea, Sun, Fun not Sacred Saint Family;-), my skin though tanned, dries quickly, my hair looks awful with chlorine and mostly I can never put anything to enhance my look except waterproof mascara... Right? WRONG!
I had the chance to work on the latest issue of Samoa Tendances and now I'm the Pool Yodaaaaaa:

 Well yes Samoa have lots of pool friendly makeup and a huge palette of colors!

So here's what you do: 

1- You read the mag online here

2- You shop the looks online on Feel22 and you get them straight to your door in 24 hours

3- You get a super discount, simply by adding my code MAYAMETNIFEEL22 !

This Velvet Lips page above is actually my favorite; It really embodies what I always say about Art Direction: be it a huge conference, a fun event, or simply art direction on a photo shoot followed by a neatly designed page, if you're doing it right you get the same adrenaline rush...

Summer 17 Tendances marks our last collaboration this year with Samoa. You must have heard of the #Samoa40andFAB campaign, the blogger collabs, the fun online management with JoesBox... We really enjoyed this opportunity and look forward to new adventures.
Till then, stay cool while you're twisting' by the pool!
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> The Young Pope & other delicacies

Forgive me Father for I have sinned, I lust after Jude Law in fabulous new series The Young Pope !

An excellent venture between Canal, HBO & Sky, The Young Pope, directed by my favorite "regista", Paolo Sorrentino of infamous "La Grande Bellezza" and "Youth", gathers an impressive cast of creme de la creme actors from France and Belgium (Cecile de France, Ludivine Sagnier) Italy (Silvio Orlando) the US (Diane Keaton, James Cromwell)...

 ...and Her Majesty's very own Jude Law, although he plays the  first American and youngest pope! He is so much into his role that you almost forget he ever was British! (Remember my guest post about Brits invading Hollywood?)

Now what would you expect this series to be? A mix of Moretti's Habemus Papam and House of cards? Well yes and no, or rather just a teeny weeny bit. The truth is that it is the most refreshing work I've seen in a movie or TV series in the past 5 years or more!

The amazing contradictory devilish-yet-pristine half-god-half-human played by Jude Law is so intense and palpable in just a silence, a look, or an unpredictable riposte; the various complex characters are divinely played as well and the writing of Sorrentino is simply top notch. Eye/Ear candy I tell you...

And did I mention the music is to die for?

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Let's make this post a "café gourmand" now shall we?
I'll share two other must-see series, and I've really chosen for you ones that have only a few episodes ;-)

Now I do not have an accent fetish, don't worry, i am actually more of a sapiosexual, hence.. Season 4 of the amazing Sherlock, starring 
my other favorite Brit, Benedict Cumberbatch. Oh we did not define sapiosexual? Why, aroused by wit of course! Or should i say elementary? BBC One's finest :

Last but not least, the most ironic one of all: 
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend: a hilarious series about a hot shot lawyer from NYC who goes back to nowhere, i.e. West Covina CA, chasing after her long lost teenage boyfriend... With parody songs that put every insane situation into notes and lyrics, curvy Rachel Bloom will make you cry of laughter ;-)

So there you go! Now you know what to do if you don't want to stroll on the corniche or hit those white slopes...

Addiction risk, beware...

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> Behind the scenes of #Samoa40andFAB

This campaign has been so overwhelming, and with so many highlights that I don't know where to start!!

Samoa Cosmetics has been on the Lebanese market for 40 years! 

I discovered it when i was a kid in my mom's vanity, and was always amused by the image of the samoa woman, confident and cheeky at the same time... Then the years passed and somehow it was always part of the scenery, but in a more demure way.

Therefore i was more than excited when Samoa reached out to me for the #Samoa40andFAB campaign!

So i unleashed my glitter and sparkles and had fun all the way!!

Creating the image of the campaign and the whole set of packaging...

Collaborating with Joe for the online strategy, we sent 40 countdown gifts with a daily personalized message to beauty and fashion bloggers across the country, and i loved playing Mr Darcy !

We also added a Style page to the Samoa Website, where you can check the latest trends and how to match them with your makeup:

And the official campaign launch happened at Memory Lane, where we had even more fun than our guests:

The next surprise is a blogger collab for the holiday season, but I will not reveal it now: keep following Samoa's insta and fb for more. Also, make sure to share your favorite product with the #Samoa40andFAB hashtag for a chance to win the fabulous collector box or even the FAB PARIS TRIP!!

> JAUNE Pop Memories FW 2016-17 campaign

Here it is!!! Our latest work for the JAUNE campaign!

With huge thanks to Chasper Sarott, who welcomed us in his unique flat. It was a pleasure to shoot between those exclusive artworks...

And a round of applause also for Tarek Chemaly who collaborated with us on many levels this season; his pop collages were the perfect setting for the fall winter collection:

You can check the full catalogue here, or simply let yourself immerse in our mood with this short clip:



Cheers to the dream team: Imad, Joe, Tania, Ghina, Bechara, Carole, Gheith, Daniel... and myself, creative director ;-)


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