November 29, 2011

A "Cosy", Eccentric Apartment



While I was in Beirut, I attended the shooting of “Doctors”, a Lebanese program where three permanent doctors on the show discuss general concerns about health, fitness and well-being.

The shooting took place in an appartment in Dbayeh, behind the MTV building and it was chosen for its close location but also, because it had an original, modern look.

I savoured how well black, red and white harmonized in one same place.


The appartment belongs to two young siblings. One of them, 25, has decorated it all by herself using nothing but her personality combined with a touch of originality. 


The cosiest part of it all was the little "TV" room next to the main living room where you can chill and play some video games in a chilled, relaxed setting; without forgetting, the little bowl of chocolate under the table in case of a sudden craving. 


Then, the kitchen. As it is a "youngsters" home, the kitchen is not spacious for big gourmet platters. Rather, it is an American Kitchen big enough to bake a Betty Crocker cake or to grill a toast; maybe some pasta too! One detail was striking (for me) more than everything else: the drainer was located in a cupboard on top of the kitchen sink so the water can drop directly into the sink. This way, space is saved on the table and water remains where it belongs!



Even so, my favourite in the house is the dining room. It was perhaps the first thing I saw when I got into the apartment. It reminded me of a setting I could have seen in Disney's Alice in Wonderland cartoon: Black and white wallpaper, alternate black and white "cushioned" chairs, a metallic chandelier, a red bar with transparent chairs and the detail that kills: the red and white mushroom behind the bar. 



I believe it is one of the most stylish houses I have seen from a close perspective. One of the cast said: "How can I concentrate with so much red"; I guess it's a matter of taste. Chaos was always my thing and I believe this house is a blend of chaos and sweet harmony. 



November 28, 2011

My new awesome glasses


Yes. I dared to buy them. 

Yesterday, I went to my optician to have my eyeglasses straightened and was looking around at aviator glasses and decided to buy a pair. I looked through Rayban, Galliano, Trussardi, Tod’s, Gucci and many other high-street brands. They all seemed so common; I decided to not buy anything and keep my money for a future Christmas shopping spree. 

BUT: As I was leaving, I saw them: shiny, different and yet quite cheap Marc by Marc Jacobs: something between Aviator and hippie style. It was infatuation at first sight. 

 I wore them and they looked superb! Love at second sight. It was definetely a good buy!

Usually, it is cool to be eccentric. I tend to stick to basic stuff in terms of clothing and buy very extreme jewelery, glasses, wallets, scarves etc.. Nothing makes me more comfortable than a cotton black dress accompanied by a huge necklace that can’t remain hidden, tiny swaroswski earings and a huge ring. 


Flashy accessories are easy to combine and makes simple clothing look original. The same goes for my new Marc by Marc Jacobs glasses: I may be wearing a simple grey jogging suit but still, there was some style!


November 23, 2011

Beirut


Beirut's Marina by night


Beirut. I am back in the town that has taught me to live and have fun, where everyone is friendly and smiley. It is the town where I studied and spent hours on the American University of Beirut’s main gate to get things done for my next classes (which were usually starting within the next 30 minutes). At night, it is where I discovered alcohol: mainly red wine, white wine and the effect of both mixed together.

It hasn’t changed a bit except for the few more skyscrapers built within the last couple of years. Even clubs have remained unchanged (very few additions were made to the list).

So here I am in my 19th floor bedroom looking outside the huge glassed window and staring at it all. It’s so beautiful. At night it looks like a super developped Western country that has been thrown into the Middle East by mistake. I really love the topography of it all and frankly, if there weren’t more cars and more people than what the country can handle, I would easily live there.

The appartment rocks: My mother has done a wonderful work in making it minimal, modern and at the same time very cozy with a technologically developped living room (extremely important for every young generation’s wellbeing, thanks to my father). I spent hours during the day (as all my friends work) watching series, sipping coffee and listening to the pouring rain.

At night we used to go to several bars / pubs. My favorite was “Angry Monkey”. You HAVE to go to Angry Monkey in Gemmayzeh, a wooden, cozy yet again spacious pub. I loved the food (we had sushi with Rice Crispies on top!), the drinks, the bar and the music. JLP, an emerging Lebanese Rock band, was peforming live; as a rock fan, I was very into the whole atmosphere. The place was packed with people ranging from 20 to 40 years old; so there was a variety of people to observe.

The wooden crafted bar
The Rice Crispies Sushis and the Mini Burgers: Angry Monkey's specialties

In general, when something goes awfully wrong and you want to get out and have a lot of fun, forgetting everything in the world and change settings, the best place to be is Beirut along with one or several best friends.

PLUS: I love the fact I get to shop Tax Free (given the fact I live in Greece). As soon as I get to the airport I give my receipts and get back the taxes on my new stuff! Awesome feeling…   

Soldiers rehearsing for November 22nd: INDEPENDENCE DAY!

November 15, 2011

My new Gadget Pet

Ipod buddy availabe at Virgin Beirut for $99.00

Given the fact I have been in Beirut for the past two days in a plain, dull room, I decided to buy me a little gadget to spice things up. What you see in the picture is my new Ipod / Iphone charger / player! It is so cute I really thought I should share it. It cost $ 99.00 and plays music quite loud despite the small speakers it has (its eyes) whereas his mouth lights up every time you use the remote (yes, it also has a remote). The ears are the best part: they actually are buttons you gently press to adjust the volume.
   

November 10, 2011

HIGH FASHION MEETS LOW PRICES

 After few months of waiting, IT is finally here.


The “Versace for H&M” collection has been revealed yesterday at NewYork’s Pier 57 and will be available in stores and online starting November 19thEvery once in a while, H&M makes high – low collaborations with top designers such as Karl Lagerfeld, Stella McCartney, Matthew Williamson, Sonia Rykiel and Albert Elbaz. This year, it was Donatella Versace who found an interest in the concept of selling her designs at affordable prices, reaching a greater audience.

Donatella Versace with daughter Allegra
The night opened with the “Versace for H&M” fashion show. Front row celebrities attended such as Blake Lively, Jessica Alba, Uma Thurman, Linda Evangelista, Jennifer Hudson, Nicki Minaj, Prince but also young designers Christopher Kane, Alexander Wang, Joseph Altuzzara, Anna Sui and others.

                        Nicki Minaj, in Versace for H&M              Jessica Alba, in Versace for H&M

 
                  Uma Thurman, in custom Versace by H&M/Blake Lively and Helena Christensen (front Row)

The show started with a “beat” song repeating throughout the show the very same phrase: “my house, my rules, my pleasure”. An assortment of black and gold dresses, perhaps the prettiest ones out of the whole collection (that I will have in mind on my next shopping spree) made their entrance in the low-light room; they are simple, yet glittery and brings back memories from the eighties and nineties fashion show. Afterwards, there was a lot of jungle - inspired clothing, prints on black etc. It is not my style but I definetely enjoyed watching this mix of rainbow colours. The show ended with gold glitter and metallic dresses looking beautiful on the catwalk but I am not sure I would ever dare to wear them. In my opinion, the only bad thing about the show was the menswear. 
 
                              Leather Dress $299                                  Leather Jacket $ 299, Skirt $ 69.95

 
               Skirt $129, Top $39.95, Jacket $299                                Pants $129, Tops $69.95       
                         
 
                           Leggings $29.95, Mini Dress $ 149                                Dress $129  


                                   Dress $149                                                       Fur Gilet $69.95                                                     
                                     Dress $299                                                                                    Dress $149                            
At the end of the runway show, Mrs. Donatella went out to greet the crowd and guided her friends and guests to the after party: a room where a disco ball was hanging from the ceiling and palm tree wallpaper (again, jungle – inspired) was covering the whole place. To top the whole extravagance, crazy yet awesome rapper Nicki Minaj and eccentric legend Prince performed live.

Finally, after the runway, the party, the show and all that jazz, it was time for some hardcore shopping in a designated area full of “Versace for H&M” clothes. Ugh, I truly wish I was there.  

November 7, 2011

A POEM TO END THE DAY..


http://www.firstgatedreamer.com/images/20100909021105_dsc_6344-one-way-love.jpg

Whenever you need me,
I am always there for you,
In my eyes you can see
Passion and love going through

What do you give me in exchange?
Everything that can make me blue
Many lies combined with rage,
That really makes me see flu.

Shall I continue satisfying you
Or shall I leave and ignore you too?
There’s nowhere else I would be okay,
In your arms I feel I’m safe.

There is where I want to lay,
Every day and every night,
After every single fight,
There is where I want to sway.

You may say I’m an ignorant,
You may say I better go pray,
This love was an incident,
But it’s too late to walk away.

November 6, 2011

MIRROR MIRROR ON THE WALL WHO IS THE HAPPIEST OF THEM ALL?


"I Like the way it hurts", she whispered to him softly.
When cold invades the place, everyone breaks up and hooks up again for spending the winter cozy by the fireplace with their partner. But are they really in love?

I’ve come to realize that men often remain in a relationship out of pity or boredom. Women on the other hand remain in it out of habit, to boost up their confidence or have someone to nag at night. And then, they both are caught up in the whole social pressure that ends up being nothing but a superficial love life.

They may not talk anymore and may have drifted apart and forgotten the meaning of the “I love you” phrase.  In the world we live, each one of us is so confused with our ego, we forgets there is someone close by that is waiting with his / her arms open to save him / her. And that someone is not always the person you are socially and emotionally associated too. If you are lucky, it may be and in that case you don’t have to look for him / her.


Couples get used to having sex; Love and passion and all those popping hearts around you two will eventually go away. And what remains? Respect, most importantly. When looking for your soul mate, you are looking for the one who will hold your hair when throwing up, squeeze your hand when hurting, kiss you softly letting you know tomorrow will be a better day, the one who will bear your baby. A life partner should know where you come from, how you have been raised; He should never dare verbally or physically violate you. If he does and yet you see the good in him, either make him a better man or change countries.

23.6% of Greek women declare that she knows  a woman from their related and/or friendly environment that it has suffered or is suffering from incidents of domestic violence from the spouse/intimate partners
In theory, we all know that. We all believe that respect within a couple is important, essential and vital (three words that mean the same, but repetition won’t hurt) but what happens when our theory and practice start growing apart? That is, when you know you are seeking respect, but remain with someone who doesn’t give you any.  

I don’t know. Really, I don’t know. A friend of mine went to Guadeloupe for six months to get over his break up with his fiancé after she cheated on him. Another one is seeing a psychotherapist for over two years now. Others lock themselves up until they feel they can love again. There are other extreme cases where people (mostly women) attempt to end their life. It depends on the strength we have and most importantly, on how much we know about emotional competence.

Beautiful women tend to fall madly in love with weird, ugly, scary and socially awkward men. This, I don’t get it. I know the feeling, I have done it too long time ago, but I still don’t get it. A woman may have everything to feel comfortable in her skin and mind (i.e.: financial support, a career, a home, family, friends, etc.) and yet, she feels the need to be loved by this ONE man that has proven he is not the actual ONE; But she believes he is helping her with her confidence boost.

Masses tend to label us according to the way we see ourselves; The stronger we feel the more they respect us
It’s a cruel world out there and human relationships are becoming harder. You never know who to trust, who is your friend and who is taking advantage of you. So when it comes to romance, it is even harder. And the only people you can turn to are your friends, the ones you have known since school and that have confirmed they are truly awesome. Even so, when it comes to choose between the boyfriend and the friends, we often go with our emotional instincts and pick the boyfriend.

We women must start to play it a bit smarter and put some boundaries on what is asked by our dear man or future lover. It’s all about education. Start cutting yourself some slack, feel the power invested in you and act out. If he leaves, he never was there; if he stays, he will be the father of your child.

Imagine you are in the situation where all the bad things of a relationship happened to you: He acted like a jerk and you are now coping with the betrayal, the violence or anything else he might have done. First and foremost, I will start by the cheesy: “You live and you learn”. Next time it won’t happen, you would have pulled the trigger before he opens his mouth.
YOUR Happiness is what makes you wake up in the morning with a smile.
In order to learn, you must first leave. Get rid of the old ruins and start building a palace of your own. You probably won’t miss him; you will miss the person you thought he was.

La crainte du danger est mille fois plus terrifiante que le danger present (Daniel Defoe in Robinson Crusoe)
The fear of danger is a thousand times more terrifying then the danger itself.
You have to understand that by losing this one man, one love or one whatever-it-was-you-had, you are gaining a new social life, more time with your friends, more time with your own self and most importantly the chance to meet a person worth your time with a whole new dimension to it.

ONE is a lonely number; but at least, you are on top.
Cheer up. Really, stay positive and think further about every situation you are in. If I were to give one word of advice: Drink to all those nights that turned to mornings and all those friends that turned to family; it will probably keep the darkness away for a bit.

Friends are like angels: you don't have to see them to know they will prevent you from falling.



November 4, 2011

TO UGG OR NOT TO UGG


The picture is taken by my super good friend Tina ;)

This year again, there is no way out from the Ugg paranoia. You will either love or hate them. Personally, I adooooore them and believe are super comfy. I even bought a grey pair when I was in London; there were made of “Mongolian sheepskin” (don’t tell the animal protection people I sort of feel some guilt about it, it even came with a guide on how to brush the fluffy fur) and it is so cute!

In “alternative” fashion, Ugg, the short version of “ugly”, is synonym to winter. This brand is discussed for years now. In New Zealand and Australia it is popular since the 1970s. In the States it emerged 20 years later; finally, in Europe, it became a hit in the 2000s, even in trend we get to be the last!  

A hit indeed: Every european female citizen has to own a pair of these boots; even if they are not labeled Ugg per se, it HAS to be something similar (less expensive too) such as Ew, Love Australia or those brands you can find in Camden Town, London that cost barely 15 pounds (regardless if you can’t walk a meter wearing them as your feet gets displaced withing the very lightly made material).

One thing people tend to often ask is why Ugg boots are so ugly and yet so expensive. Well, it is very simple: Sheepskin. This material, used for the inside has exellent insulating properties and is also resistant to flame and static electricity. It is so soft, many even advise you not to wear them with any socks as it is smooth and hypoallergenic (I’ve tried it and no, it did not not smell afterwards).

So why do people hate them so much? I don’t really know the answer to this but one thing I know is that there was a lot of energy given by the world to express their hater for the brand (i.e.: the Uggcitrin video, hate mail, forums etc.). The urban dictionary states: "The most retarded fashion trend of 2003 - 2004".

Frankly there is no label that can replace the pairs of Uggs I have. Minnetonkas? It is by far the ugliest thing I have ever seen (unless they are worn by Kate Moss of course), especially the moccassins; Pocahontas must have misplaced them in the Amazone where a very ambitious designer found them during the civil war and decided to make a trend out of it. Oops, wait, I like some of them. I was just looking now at the much fringed black, knee ones! But still, I turn my vote to Ugg.

Please help me here.. It's purely manufactured for her!
Australia Luxe Collective? It is a very new label (founded in 2003), as expensive and still, not the original hardcore Ugg boots. They look EXACTLY the same it is crazy; I wonder where the copyright lawsuit is.   

 Moo? P-leeease! Just because they are sold on Net-a-Porter doesn’t put them in the “pretty footwear” category. These are really, really ugly.

To cut the story short people, wearing Uggs is not a sin and definetely not a fashion no-no (as long as you don’t wear them to clubs), as long as you are NOT a man (capital IOU) and know how to wear them and what to wear them with.

November 2, 2011

HALLOWEEN IN FASHION

The truth is I would love to write about Halloween and discuss the amazing costume party I would be going to in my witch or vampire costume.

But here’s the thing, there is no Halloween in the country I live in. Is it considered too American? Well, I have no idea why is it not a popular holiday; it brings out the fun and the trick or treat concept that can only be appreciated.

So, we have to wait until carnival (sometime in February) so I can actually write about costumes, parties, weird people walking down the street etc. But again, it is not quite the same as the actual hardcore Halloween.

Even so, As I love to dress up and get to be in a glamourous, yet “scary” costume, here are some of the runway styles that I would definetely think about for my Halloween in the States; yes, it is on my list of things to do: go to Texas on Halloween (as it seems to be the place where thrillers are born). Those looks are from big hit designers’ fashion shows but are totally “Halloweeny”:
    
                                             Lanvin Fall RTW 2011               Professor Minerva McGonagall

 
                                         Marchesa Fall RTW 2011                     Red Riding Hood


                                    Marchesa Fall RTW 2011                       The White Queen

                               Alexander McQueen Fall RTW 2011               The Ice Queen

                                 Marchesa Fall RTW 2011                                      Maleficent 

                                         Nina Ricci Fall RTW 2011                     Alice in Wonderland 

                                              Marchesa Fall RTW 2011       Tim Burton's Corpse Bride 

Vivienne Westwood Anglomania Fall RTW 2011   Constance (American Horror Story)

                                       Marchesa Fall RTW 2011                                 Cruella De Vil

   Vivienne Westwood Anglomania Fall RTW 2011                           The Joker 

            Alexander McQueen Fall RTW 2011                                     Catwoman 

                       Nina Ricci Fall RTW 2011                               The Wicked Witch of the West 

                                 Alexander McQueen Fall RTW 2011               The Raven Queen