2018-10-31

BYBLOS SUR MER - Lebanese Dining By The Sea

Greeted and welcomed by some oversized Phoenician statues at the entrance, the award-winning BYBLOS SUR MER delights your palate with its authentic Lebanese specialties by the sea at the InterContinental Abu Dhabi. mylifestylenews writes.


Set against the backdrop of the sea and the marina, BYBLOS SUR MER is an additional add-on of a separate maison from the InterContinental Hotel in Abu Dhabi within leisure walking distance.  With a pleasant stroll along the marina’s board walk towards to the seafront, BYBLOS SUR MER awaits your arrival to delight your palate for a traditional Lebanese dining experience.


The maison is “guarded” by a few oversized Phoenician statues at the side of the main entrance, but by entering through the glass door, a warm greeting by the hostess at the indoor entrance awaits everyone arrival. Above the entrance waiting lounge is a semi-spiral glass and metal steel stairway which leads you to the upstairs bar and lounge area with eye catching lanterns with a light bulb design motif. These hang freely in a straight line down from the duplex high ceiling juxtaposing the framed shisha pipes mounted to the wall, which immediately takes you to the mood of the journey of the Orient.


With a prior reservation, we were immediately identified and escorted to the restaurant straight away instead of having any pre-drinks at the upstairs lounge. BYBLOS SUR MER is widely spread out with a separate section for the non-smoking area on a small lifted platform up to the right, with three minimalist stained glass windows drawing natural light from outside of the marina, which creates an understated elegance and cozy environ to the entire corner of the restaurant.


Some modern twisted design wall panels painted in gold are contrasting the wood carving upper windows and yet setting well with the brownish yellow sphere glass hanging lamps and the matching water tumbler on fresh white table linens.


Classy yet elegant, BYBLOS SUR MER ambience is certainly without much of those busy tourist joint restaurants design or over displayed with traditional ornaments, it is genuinely tasteful here. Leading to the centre of the restaurant is a small stage together with a dance floor where traditional Lebanese music plays on weekend evenings. Looking up to the hollow pyramid beamed tower is where it houses the upstairs bar and lounge with the access from the entrance stairway.


A small wall of fame hanging a few Lebanese celebrities and societies photos enlightens the ambience in the restaurant and large floor to ceiling doors surrounding the dining area also leads to the outdoor terrace by the sea offering sunset views out to the Gulf of Arabia.


BYBLOS SUR MER serves lavish authentic Lebanese food, from its spectacular variety of mezzeh plates (equivalent to a meal by itself) which is always a good start and a traditional way to experience and also to explore Lebanese cuisine. From Hummus (Chickpea puree with tahini and olive oil), Moutabal (Char-grilled eggplants puree, pomegranate and tahini), Labneh Phoenician (Tomato, olives, green onion, olive oil and basil), Innabiyeh (Stuffed vine leaves with tomato and pomegranate dip), Ajami (Egg plants puree, fried eggplants, molasses and walnuts), Tabouleh ( Mixed parsley, tomato, mint, onion and olive oil, fine white burghul), Fatouch (Oriental vegetable salad with sumac bread, walnuts and molasses) to hot mezzeh like Makenek (Lamb sausage with oriental spices and lime), Sujok (Spicy lamb sausage, tomato and onion Provencal), Jwaneh (Chicken wings, corianger, garlic and lime juice), Kasbeh W Rouman (Pan-fried chicken liver with pomegranate molasses), Shawarma Bil Katayef (Shawarma-flavoured spare ribs, tahini with onion and blushed tomato)……just to name a few are already enough to fill your stomach before main course is served.


From such a tradition of a Lebanese way of putting their food on the table, you can’t question how warm and proud they are to present to their guest from the freshest produce they have to offer from their kitchen. Such hospitality makes you feel that you are very much welcome when you are invited to a Lebanese dining table.


One can’t be too greedy especially when so much mezzeh lies ahead before the main course is served. So, a Machawi Mchakaleh (Mixed grill platter of a variety of meat: taouk, lamb tikka, kofta, lamb chop) is ideal to further sample the Lebanese delights and not having any room for other Grilled seafood or chicken dishes which was very much tempting when we saw it served at the table beside us.


Every time when we opt for Lebanese food, especially a good and generous one, we always leave not only with a happy face but also a happy stomach as we always over indulge with its delightful and sumptous spread as well as being spoilt by the choice. Since its opening, BYBLOS SUR MER has been well-received by all gourmands visiting Abu Dhabi that is certainly a dining experience worth savouring. Do ask for a chilled glass of arak – preferred in star anis flavor that will make the best digestive for the most satisfying meals in the evening.


Tried & Tested:
Location: 4/5
Design & Decor: 4/5
Food & Beverage: 4.5/5
Service: 4/5
Value For Money: 4/5
Experience: 4/5


Highlights:
Mezzeh Selection


King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud Street, 
PO Box 4171, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Tel: +971 2 666 6888


Reviews are based on actual day of visit and experience. mylifestylenews reserves the right of final decision in case of any disputes. All images are photographed by mylifestylenews team without any photoshop enhancement and are the property owned by mylifestylenews unless otherwise stated.

GIVENCHY AW2018 The Night Noir Advertising Campaign

This season Clare Waight Keller celebrates the thrill of where the night may lead. The in-crowd is heading to a party at a secret address. Getting there is about having the right GPS coordinates and the right look. Once inside, there’s more going on than meets the eye.


The Givenchy Night Noir AW2018 campaign photographed by Steven Meisel under the direction of Clare Waight Keller celebrates stolen moments, captured on the fly. It’s an edgy scene somewhere vaguely underground. Black and white images echo Berlin in the mid-Eighties, yet are very much of-themoment, staying true to Clare Waight Keller’s latest Givenchy ready-to-wear collection of the same name. The secret location could be anywhere, someplace in a fringe neighborhood of Paris, London, New York, Tokyo or Shanghai. Lovers seize the intensity of an instant, alone in the crowd. Givenchy’s inherent duality appears as couples give it all up during a night on the town: there’s freedom in the turbulence of a dance floor, high voltage seduction, revelation and concealment, stolen embraces. At sunrise, it will all feel like a dream. Real or imagined, the mystery remains.


Creative Director: 
Clare Waight Keller

Photographer: 
Steven Meisel

Models: 
Karolin Wolter
Sohyun Jung
Veronika Kunz
Massima Lei
Alexis Sundman
Tamy Glauser
Hamid Khodja
Antoni Jankiewicz
Henry Kitcher
Xu Meen
Wellington Grant

2018-10-30

BRIONI x Pierce Brosnan AW2018 "Tailoring Legends" Advertising Campaign

 Brioni reveals Pierce Brosnan as the testimonial for the AW2018 ‘Tailoring Legends’ advertising campaign. A longtime friend of the House and one of Hollywood’s most iconic actors, Brosnan embodies and reinforces the brand’s bond with the movie industry.


The collaboration between Brioni and Brosnan started in 1995 when the brand famously dressed the actor in ‘GoldenEye’, the first movie to star him as James Bond, and continued for all of his 007 movies to today.


Captured in Los Angeles by photographer Gregory Harris, the black and white images portray Brosnan in the brand's finest tailoring and ready to wear highlighting his effortless elegance and charisma, attesting him as an indisputable ambassador for the brand.


2018-10-29

Prada Presents The Delivery Man

Celebrating a new classic, the Prada Cahier handbag, The Delivery Man is a filmic project comprised of a trio of cinematic vignettes, created and directed by acclaimed filmmaker Ryan Hope. The name Cahier is derived from the French for ‘notebook’ – itself a repository for ideas, a collective collection of different stories, and different realities. Here, that notion has inspired three distinct but interconnected narratives, titled Midnight Request, Woman’s Best Friend and Priorities of Love.


The films star the Academy Award-winning actor J.K. Simmons as the eponymous, enigmatic hero, our delivery man, alongside Pom Klementieff, Sasha Lane and Bahia Gold – a cross-generational selection of talent, epitomising the distinct identities that comprise Prada women.


Toying with notions of suburban unreality, and urbane sophistication, the stories unfold via three chapters, each charting a different valiant attempt by the delivery man to ensure his precious cargoes reach their final destination, despite pitfalls and obstacles along the way. One takes place in a nightclub; another a Hollywood Hills mansion with overly protective guard-dog; the third in the Delivery Man’s own home, for an unexpected twist. Playful, subversive, unexpected, they ultimately end with a universal life lesson on the value of family, home and love.


Throughout, the two constants are J.K. Simmons as the protagonist, and the delivery itself – the Prada Cahier handbag. In each of the film shorts, the immediately-identifiable brass-bound, calfskin Cahier becomes a cadeau, a gift gratefully received in any circumstance and explored through its different stylistic iterations.


These films explore both variety and universality, the appeal of contrast and contradiction, and a singularity of desire. The power of fashion both to differentiate, and to unite. It also underlines that the Prada Cahier is a delivery that is always welcomed.


MOSCHINO [tv] H&M Fashion Show


MOSCHINO [TV] H&M FASHION SHOW
Paris Jackson, Frances Bean Cobain and Miles Richie were among the guests at the high-energy MOSCHINO [tv] H&M show and after-party. H&M and MOSCHINO’s Creative Director Jeremy Scott invited an audience of celebrities, international editors and influencers to a billboard-filled catwalk lit up like Times Square in New York.


The casting featured the Hadid siblings on the runway, wearing pieces from the MOSCHINO [tv] H&M collaboration and legendary model Naomi Campbell closed the show. The front row included Kiersey Clemons, Leigh Lezark, Coco Rocha and Bebe Rexha, all dressed in looks from the collection. Designer Marc Jacobs was also in the fashion event to celebrate the collaboration.


The models entered the catwalk by a street-scene staircase reminiscent of an old New York musical. They then walked round the catwalk much looking like a street, the very place where Jeremy loves to see people wearing his designs.


"The MOSCHINO [tv] H&M collection is a gift to my fans and I wanted to give them the most MOSCHINO collection ever. I tried to include all the ingredients you would expect from one of my shows - cartoon couture mixed with a streetwear vibe doused with hip hop worthy amounts of bling bling to create a totally MOSCHINO look,” says Jeremy Scott, Creative Director MOSCHINO.


“We had so much fun being transported to Jeremy’s MOSCHINO world at the MOSCHINO [tv] H&M show. It captured the positivity, sense of humour and joy that is in every single piece of the collection,” says Ann-Sofie Johansson, Creative Advisor H&M.


Make-up for the MOSCHINO [tv] H&M show was by one of the world’s most legendary make-up artists, Pat McGrath, who used H&M Beauty to create the looks. The beauty look for the show was created by the legendary Pat McGrath using products from the H&M Beauty line. To complement the collection, the make-up look was strong and glamorous, focusing on graphic winged liner for the eyes and luminous skin.


As soon as Jeremy took his bow wrapping up the fashion show, the billboards framing the catwalk rose to reveal Grammy winning producer and artist Diplo on the decks, ready to get the party started. An exclusive MOSCHINO [tv] H&M pop-up store was also revealed, giving guests the chance to be the first to own a piece of the collection.


Throughout the night, guests were invited to literally step into the MOSCHINO [tv] H&M world with an augmented reality fashion experience. Guests put on H&MOSCHINO branded Magic Leap One and stepped into a giant TV set to experience the collaboration in a whole new way. All tech features have been created by Warpin Media.


MOSCHINO [tv] H&M is a collection that clashes the energy of the street with pop culture, glamour, playfulness and humour. MOSCHINO’s creative director Jeremy Scott has created a collection for women and men, as well as accessories and some special pieces for dogs. MOSCHINO [tv] H&M will be launched in selected H&M stores worldwide, as well as online, on November 8.



2018-10-26

MICHAEL KORS Fall 2018 Advertising Campaign

The new campaign offers a modern take on the designer’s iconic jet set sensibility. Inez and Vinoodh, the first new photographers to shoot the brand’s advertising in more than a decade, capture model Binx Walton traveling via private jet, the setting as intimate as the styling is personal. The images frame the brand’s signature glamour and essential ease in an irreverent, relaxed manner, evoking the essence of jet set today.  The clothes and accessories embody “the joy of fashion,” says Kors. “The collection is about the pleasure of personal style for women who love getting dressed.” Wardrobe classics - a handknit Fair Isle sweater, lush faux fur jackets, a romantic, rose-print dress are given luxe and unexpected twists, then combined in an exuberant mix of florals, tartans, animal prints and stripes. Accessories, including mixed-media treatments of the Bancroft bag and boots and slides in leopard- and zebra-print, heighten the eclectic sensibility that characterizes the collection. “I wanted to capture the relaxed attitude that is today’s answer to jet set glamour,” says Michael Kors of the Fall 2018 Michael Kors Collection ad campaign, photographed by renowned Dutch photographers Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin. “Inez and Vinoodh, with their love of travel and fashion, were the perfect collaborators for this Fall campaign.”

SALVATORE FERRAGAMO AW2018 Advertising Campaign

Suffused by a dynamic and diverse new spirit, a peerlessly exquisite historical Italian house suddenly echoes with life, laughter and youth again. For AW2018 Salvatore Ferragamo presents neither one Ferragamo woman, nor one Ferragamo man - instead inviting a broad community of models to reflect the glorious multiplicity of today in a patchwork of characters under the creative direction of Paul Andrew. Shot by Harley Weir and featuring Stella Tennant, Shanelle Nyasiase, Rianne Van Rompaey, Xiao Wen Ju, Piero Mendez and Edoardo Sebastianelli, this milestone Ferragamo campaign represents a fresh page in the house’s remarkable history.


The new ‘Ferragaristocracy’ as imagined by Andrew is defined by its commitment to progress - because to embrace change is the key to success in contemporary culture. Andrew says: “One of the original inspirations of the collection featured in this campaign was the Duchess of Devonshire - a formidable personification of old-school elegance and privilege.


And her grand-daughter Stella inhabits that refreshed persona with an effortless grace. But in 2018 you don’t have to be to the manor born to have a compelling and stylish manner about you. Curiosity, taste and a breadth of vision - not a narrowness - is what counts today.”  Punchy colour, rich texture and flowing deformalized silhouettes punctuated with Andrew’s signature Ferragamo shoes, boots and accessories - starring the new Ferragamo Studio bag -  make up the grammar of Ferragamo’s revived visual language.  Harley Weir deploys her realist’s eye and analogue authenticity to present an imagined house-party whose guests hail from across the globe. What's brought them together?The newly-rebooted Salvatore Ferragamo aesthetic as defined by Andrew in partnership with Menswear Design Director Guillaume Meilland. 


Andrew says: “I want Ferragamo to assert a distinctly special voice. The best way to do that is to be collaborative, inclusive and open - which is why I’m so excited to be working alongside talents like Guillaume, Harley, and this powerful cast of models. Together we’ve found a harmony that truly reflects the bold and positive change that’s afoot at Salvatore Ferragamo.”


Agency: 
Laird+Partners

Photographer: 
Harley Weir

Creative Direction: 
Paul Andrew

Talents: 
Stella Tennant 
Shanelle Nyasiase 
Rianne Van Rompaey 
Xiao Wen Ju 
Piero Mendez 
Edoardo Sebastianelli
Stylist:
Jodie Barnes

Casting Director:
Piergiorgio Del Moro

Hair: 
Jimmy Paul

Make-up: 
Thomas De Kluyver