Posts filed under ‘One of a Kind’
Social Media – The Magazine
Pleasantly surprised, I came across this dashing new magazine at Virgin (ABC Ashrafieh) the other day:
I didn’t know there was a social media magazine (in print, at least) out there and much more surprised to find it here. It was the last issue on the stand (sorry guys) but no doubt we’ll be seeing more of it soon if demand for it increases. You can also download an only version of it for $2.99 from their website if you’re extra-antsy to check it out right now.
The much-used expression “don’t judge a book by its cover” actually doesn’t apply to magazines. Had it not been for the graphic and colorful cover, I wouldn’t have spotted it out of the rest of the technology magazines there. I also liked that they feature the artist who drew the cover inside – this issue’s featured artist was Derek Yaniger (@derekart).
The content of the magazine are also interesting, covering in this issue in particular “Looking Your Best in Social Situations”, “Social Shopping Trends”, “Trending Topics for 2012″ and my personal favorite “The Five Biggest Stories in Social Media in 2011″. That article listed in #1 the rise of the Arab Spring revolution and the role social media played, even when the government tried to cut that form of communication:
“Ironically, government efforts to crack down on social media may have led to an increase in public activism in Egypt, as people who could no longer follow the unrest via social media took the streets to find out what was going on.”
Long live social media.
Having come across this magazine got me wondering: why don’t we have a Middle Eastern social media magazine too? We surely have enough activity, bloggers and twitterati (or is tweeps? I never know the right term to use) in the region. The Arab Spring also proves that we’re able to use social media to its utmost potential, so why not have something out there as a reference for future trends and social media topics here?
Hopefully someone reading this will get inspired to do so (and please make sure it has a cool cover and nice design layout).
Now although I realize that a magazine about something so largely based on online activities might seem ironic, but there’s a certain appeal to having information presented to you in printed form and in your hands to read at leisure. It transforms the medium into something more humanly accessible, especially in this day and time when we’re bombarded with emails, links and blogs all day long. Taking an online break with magazines keeps you in the loop but in a more relaxed way (also why I strongly believe magazines and books will never get extinct).
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Check out The Social Media Monthly to read the full articles on the topics I mentioned and more.
How to Wear “His” Shirt
Growing up, my dad’s old shirts were always the ideal smock for art class. At the start of every school year, my mom would rummage through my dad’s closet and pull out a shirt that he wouldn’t miss (or maybe she didn’t like that much on him, so this was an excuse to get rid of it nicely). That shirt would as a result be sacrificed in the name of “art”.
With days of art classes long behind me, I’d forgotten the potential of men’s shirts for more than just a smock – well, until today. I came across this great video that demonstrates several creative and fashionable ways to wear men’s shirts:
Below I’ve included a few snapshots taken from the video itself for a quick reference:
"How a Girl Should Put a Man's Shirt"- Preparations for Outfit #1
"How a Girl Should Put a Man's Shirt"- Outfit #1
"How a Girl Should Put a Man's Shirt"- Preparations for Outfit #2
"How a Girl Should Put a Man's Shirt"- Preparations for Outfit #2
"How a Girl Should Put a Man's Shirt"- Outfit #2
"How a Girl Should Put a Man's Shirt" - MY FAVORITE!
So next time you’re in the men’s section of a clothing store or come across a shirt left behind by your boyfriend (or ex-boyfriend), tie it up, wrap it up and wear it with style!
Styling Sabah
Sabah’s former stylist lives in the port-side part of Tripoli, in the quiet part of town where the winding alleyways with hanging wooden shutters and netted baskets smell of fish long after the morning catch. I didn’t believe him at first but if a shrine is any proof of his devotion to the icon, then his little shop serves little more than just that. It’s a museum of that signature flowing blonde hair that one can recognize from a mile away with that painted on make-up that will remain as frozen in time as the woman herself.
I entered the shop to took a look after spotting all the photos on the glass outside. You wouldn’t think much of the shop from first glance. Although I’m not a fan of Sabah, but like entering any museum, you can’t but walk out with some sort of appreciate for the life she’s lived after seeing it unveiled this way..
Not thinking much of it at the time, I wonder now why they parted ways and who’s been styling Sabah since Nicholas..
The Secret Life of … Lebanese Lingerie!
I’m not sure if you’ve come across a copy of Malu Halasa and Rana Salam‘s “The Secret Life of Syrian Lingerie” (published a while ago) but it’s truly something and lately with all the Bras for a Cause bra production stuff going on, it manages to make a steady appearance on my studio coffee table for reference (and a good laugh).
What’s ironic to me is how it’s always the most conservative countries in the Arab world that tend to have the most outrageous undergarments. Some of the designs in the book that the two ladies found in Syrian Souk el Hamadiyeh are simply ridiculous – panties with a plastic phone (one missed call my place, two missed calls your place?), plastic birds glued onto the bra cups and a toy scorpion in “certain places” where obviously no scorpion should ever be! This is one of those things that you need to actually see to believe how outrageously hilarious some of the designs can be and it’ll always be followed by the unavoidable “Who would actually wear this?” (that you probably don’t want an answer for).
I didn’t have to travel to Souk el Hamadiyeh, or even Syria, to find some similar lingerie set. They found me right here in Lebanon and were actually given to me as a sort of practical joke from a lingerie producer I met. Guess the Lebanese lingerie market has it’s own secret life too:
Have you been naughty or nice? 
S&M meets the "Sesame Show"
Fluffing feathers..
Ya Jaggal.
The past few times I’ve been out taking photographs, I’ve run into men that fit into that typical stereotypical male image people like to refer to as “jaggal”. Trust me, I don’t mean it as a term of endearment or find them jaggal-like in my eyes, but rather that they possess that attitude of macho where no other word fits better.
Each of the three photographs below were taken in three different cities in Lebanon and it was made very clear from the moment I saw them that they “own this town” (how true that is is certainly debatable) and enjoy the attention they get for being a bit over-the-top in their style. Try and prove them wrong (I don’t recommend it). It’s interesting to see how these men are individually very different, yet possess some very similar and unique features.
Note: This will be an on-going photography/social project for me as “jaggals” are always interesting characters to document. Keep posted for more muscles, long hair and bling-bling.
