SPRING/SUMMER 2011: D&G Floral, Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci

Fresh, floral and colorful for her, simple chic and très Plaid for him, here is a look at the new D&G spring summer 2011 ad campaign with Zuzana Gregorova, Keke Lindgard, Julia Turenkova, Jessica Clarke, Mariana Idzkowska, Tobias Sorensen, Simon Nessman and Alexandre Cunha photographed by Mario Testino.

SPRING/SUMMER 2011: Calvin Klein, Hugo Boss, Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors, Miu Miu, Tommy Hilfiger

Lara Stone & Alexander Johansson photographed by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott for CK Calvin Klein Spring/Summer 2011 Campaign.

SPRING/SUMMER 2011: Burberry, Chanel, Fendi, Ferragamo, Guess, Guess by Marciano, Girorgio Armani

Here’s the Burberry Spring/Summer 2011 ad campaign, shot on Brighton beach by famed fashion photographer Mario Testino. This is the first ever evolving campaign for Burberry, new cast members will be revealed every month. the first pair are models Cara Delevingne and Jacob Young. Besides Burberry Prorsum new ads also feature Burberry London, Burberry Brit and Burberry accessories.

Winter TV 2011 Preview

After a lackluster fall with few (if any) truly quality breakout hits and several unfortunate cancellations, will the midseason bring networks and viewers better luck? Look ahead at all of the major new shows coming in the new year. — Television Without Pity

Live to Dance (debuts Jan. 4, 8 PM, CBS)
What Is It: The soft-hearted people at CBS clearly felt bad for Paula Abdul after her exit from Idol, so they've given her a show that is at least somewhat more in her wheelhouse. She's producing and judging this dance competition that basically sounds like So You Think You Can Dance, except there are groups as well as soloists. Don't we already have America's Best Dance Crew for that?
Should You Watch?: Probably not, but curiosity might merit a peek at one episode... or more.

Episodes (debuts Jan. 9, 9:30 PM, Showtime)
What Is It: A British couple are set to bring their hit show to America, but when they get to Hollywood, they're forced to replace one of their talented theatrically trained actors with a larger than life version of Matt LeBlanc.
Should You Watch?: Sure. It's from the creators of The Class and of the shows from Friends stars debuting this winter, this is by far the better one.

SPRING/SUMMER 2010/11: Balenciaga, Givenchy, Hugo Boss Black, Lacoste, Max Mara

Gisele Bundchen and Yuri Pleskun photographed by Steven Meisel for the spring summer 2011 Balenciaga campaign. The point of this collection is all about teddy boy-meets-punk masculinity and something the French call "garçon manqué" aka tomboy. 

Movie Review: BLACK SWAN

Natalie Portman stars as Nina Sayers, a young ingenue whose desire to be cast as the lead in her company's ballet performance of Swan Lake was suddenly granted. The vulnerable and repressed Nina is the perfect choice to play the part of the virginal and innocent Swan Queen. Unfortunately, Nina lacks the passion and wild side to personify Swan Queen's deceitful twin sister, the Black Swan. The two qualities which are possessed by a newcomer named Lily (Mila Klunis). Rounding up the casts are Vincent Cassel as Thomas Leroy, the demanding director who uses sex to direct his dancers; Wynona Rider as Beth Macintyre, the embittered former star who is forced into early retirement; and Barbara Hershey as Erica Sayers, Nina's domineering and controlling mother who lives vicariously through her daughter because she sacrificed her career in order to have Nina. As the pressure to be perfect builds, Nina tries to lose herself in the roles but soon the line between reality and fantasy blurs and indivisibly makes everyone she crosses paths with her enemy, even herself. In the end viewers are left to find out which is real and which is imaginary.

At first glance, the movie seems just like your usual psychological thriller about a mentally unstable girl with paranoid delusions. However, the script cleverly elevated the storyline beyond just drama and thriller to comprise other genre and theme such as body horror and sexual awakenings. Yes, the catty competition  aspect between two rival dancers is generic, but it is still pretty irresistible. Furthermore, the script utilizes the characters as metaphors for different constructs of Nina's psyche. There is Nina, the submissive  and confused part that serves as the point of entry for viewers. Then there is Lily, the darker side who tries to steal the spotlight and by doing so feeds the paranoia. The mother as the voice of critiques that pushes Nina to be perfect all the time. And Beth, who struggled to retain her star status after her fifteen minutes were up, a scenario Nina fears will be happening to her sooner than expected.

The movie contains some genuinely earned scares and cringe inducing moments that had me at the edge of my seat for the whole 1 hour and 40 minutes, which is not an easy feat to accomplish as I've had my share of scary movies in the past. To say that this movie managed to knock the living daylights out of even a hardcore horror fan like me is not an exaggeration. Much of the success of the frights could be contributed to the musical scores composed by Clint Mansell. The scores successfully enhanced the daunting and eerie ambiance of the movie but still beautifully classic at the same time. The scores actually reminds me of classic noir and old horror movies such as Psycho.

Portman's performance as Nina is as captivating as it is flawless. It was apparent that this role is the most physically demanding one out of her career and she managed to pull it off gracefully. We have always known that Portman is a very talented actress and possesses a lot of range when it comes to emotional performances, but this role also gave her the opportunity to showcase her skill as a dancer and  let us see how devoted she is to her crafts and as a performer. How that girl hasn't even won an Oscar yet is beyond me. Mila Klunis' role is different than what she used to play, however she holds her own and managed to steal some scenes from under Portman. Klunis' performance successfully makes her character a perfect foil to Portman's. Complex on many layers, darkly disturbing, and acutely intense, Black Swan is a movie that once it grasps you, it never lets go. A definite must-watch.

Social House 2nd Anniversary Party: A Magical Journey to Majestic Middle East

The invitation

On Friday 10th December 2010, for one night only Social House had been transformed into magical land of Middle East for the celebration of its 2nd anniversary party. In conjunction with the Grand Opening of Social House Dubai, Social House Jakarta went all out in bringing the exoticism and mysticism of the majestic Middle East for cosmopolites and glitteratis alike to experience. The place was divided into two areas: the theater and the club in compliance with the evening's program.
 

The exclusive party spoiled your senses, starting by tickling your taste buds with delightful choices of exotic Middle Eastern food, especially crafted by the executive chef Aldo Volpi, and a special cocktail. The party moved on to feast your eyes as belly dancers seductively sashayed around the room brushing past fashionistas dressed to the nine in Arabic attires. The fashion in harmony with the lavish decors brought the scene to life. Then they took your breath away as James Galea, Australia's #1 magician, performed his tricks in the Social House Theatre. As the night sizzled and frizzled like desert heat, the party climaxed by musing guests' ears to DJ Aaron Ross' toe-spinning inducing beats in the Social House Club.

The signature cocktail of the evening, named Ruby Red Dust

Belly dancers

 The theater with stage upfront

The club

 The f. Vodka bar

The party was like a performance on its own as guests were spotted strutting across the room for the obligatory cheek-kissing between friends and then carefully maneuvering the room as not to bump into frenemies. Highlight of the evening, however, was definitely James Galea's performance as he charmed the audience with his card tricks and wicked sense of humor.  James infused the party with his youthful presence and the much-need laughter, in an otherwise a lackluster event. James Galea's laid back style -performing in tees,  jeans, and sneakers- and his devil-may-care attitude was definitely a nice change from the increasingly theatrical and buttoned-up conventional magicians sprouting up these days. With his effervescent personality, James Galea managed to make cool seems so effortless.

Supporting the event were Dunhill, HSBC, Vodka, Coca-Cola, and Corona. Ismaya Group once again have proven themselves to be the leading hospitality and lifestyle company. Pocketing another a successful event under its belt, signs of the terrible-twos were nowhere to be found, in fact the future of Social House as a fine-dining establishment in Jakarta looks gleaming. Anyone who's anyone were present to celebrate its birthday and many of them would probably agree that it was a pretty memorable night. 

James Galea

PRINCE HOUSE: The Best Margherita Pizza Can Be Found Here

Kelapa Gading is like a mecca for food lovers. You can find almost every kind of food there. Just take a stroll on the boulevard and within minutes you'll find yourself bombarded with various establishments from those specializing in local cuisines to Asian, and western. Looking for something more specific? You can always hop to the La Piaza for more choices. With the vast array of options, it is easy to get confused when picking a place to eat. I'm sure the thought process of a lot of people goes like this: Tried that, bored. Haven't tried that one, but not in the mood. Tried that one and it was eww. And start over. Don't even let me start on when we're arguing with our eating partners. Choosing a place to eat, sometimes can be a chore in when you're in Kelapa Gading. 

So, I was driving around the boulevard looking for a place to eat. Then I spotted a place that piqued my interest. Located next to a flower shop was Prince House, a restaurant specializing in Belgian Waffles and Italian Cuisines. I've always had a weakness for waffles , so it was no surprise when I suddenly found myself standing in the front steps. The place was small and simple, almost like a diner. On the inside, it was conjoined with the flower shop next door which gave the place a little bit of charm.

Assortment of waffles on the display.

The specialty here is the waffles, available sweet and savory. We got right down to it and ordered one of each. We didn't forget to also try the pizza. And for the drink, I had a green tea gelato shake.

 Gelato Deluxe White (22.8K). Two pieces of waffle, strawberry gelato, white chocolate, and almond.

Classic Parmigiana (24.8K). Waffles served with breaded chicken breast, cheddar cheese, mixed salad, french fries,and homemade neapolitan sauce.
 

Medium Margherita (49.8k). Pizza with cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese, and Neapolitan sauce.

Greentea Milkshake Gelato (19.8K).

The gelato on the Deluxe White Waffles was nothing special, but the waffles themselves were really good. They were crisp, just the way I like them. The Classic Parmigiana was rather generic and kind of difficult to  be eaten with utensils. When I sliced through it with knife and fork, the whole dish fell apart. I guess it was meant to be picked up with hands like eating a hamburger. Both of the waffle dishes were not bad and I felt like I got my money 's worth.

The pizza itself was Oh My God! I feel like I could write a poetry about the pizza. It was by far the best Margherita Pizza I have ever tasted in my entire existence. The pizza reminded of a passage in one of my favorite books: "Eat, Pray, Love". The passage describes of a legendary pizzeria in Naples, Italy, and ever since I read that book, I have always wondered what their pizza would taste like. The passage really best describes the pizza I ate and it goes like this:

"The dough, it takes me half my meal to figure out, tastes more like Indian naan than like any pizza dough I ever tried. It's soft and chewy and yielding, but incredibly thin. I always thought we only had two choices in our lives when it came to pizza crust--thin and crispy or thick and doughy. How was I to have known there could be a crust in this world that was thin and doughy? Holy of holies! Thin, doughy, strong, gummy, yummy, chewy, salty pizza paradise."

I really think I've found that pizza here, in this place! When I read that passage in the book, this is how I would have imagined the pizza to taste like. In my opinion, the success of the pizza could also be attributed to the homemade Neapolitan sauce. The garlic and onion flavors really came through and it elevated the dish from being another standard cheesy, salty pizza.

I loved the waffles and the pizza. Prince House is definitely a place worth checking out when you're looking for a place to eat in Kelapa Gading area. I'm tempted to try out other stuffs on their menu, maybe another type of pizza and the pasta. I haven't gotten the chance to try the pasta before. I often find myself craving for their waffles and the pizza, but I just live so far from Kelapa Gading and rarely visit there, but I will definitely return and I am looking forward until the time comes.

Prince House
Jl. Bulevar Kelapa Gading WA2 No. 12
Kelapa Gading Permai
Delivery (Kelapa Gading Area Only): 021-98299537
www.princehouse.co.id
princehouse@ymail.com