Style
second
Issue #25
The best of Second Life clothing, hair, skins, accessories and more
PLUS: Architecht Square Postcards Mini-Guide Turning Japanese Bleeding Edge and more!
THIRD ANNIVERSARY ISSUE
contents
Fresh Faces 10 Bleeding Edge 12 Architect Square 20
issue 25
14 Second Style Turns 3! Violet McGinnis looks back at 3 years of Second Style. 24 Second Style Stylies Who won the coveted Stylies awards this year?
Mini-Guide: Swim Wear 30 Postcards 46 Second Style Interview: Glaa Phoenix 54 Digital Waves 74
32 Height of Summer Surarin Piek brings you summer looks. 52 Style Icon: moo Money Violet McGinnis interviews the fashionable moo Money about her style and second life.
Turning Japanese 76 60 Retrospective Vivianne Draper shows us fashion through the years of Second Life
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editor’s note S
econd Style Magazine has been around for three years! I was thinking earlier about just how long three years is. In July 2006, Second Life’s concurrency of users maxed out at 35,000 people. Flexi prims skirts were still new and novel. There were no facelights yet, and Windlight was still a dream. The first Hair Fair would happen in 2006 and fashion shows were a new thing. Second Style has always featured the cutting edge of virtual talent, showcasing the advancements in content creation. I was struggling for a way to convey just how big a deal a third anniversary is in Second Life, since SL is a place where time passes so quickly. I turned to the first issue and found that Josie Hamilton’s first Publisher Note still rings true:
“
Born from the idea that there is an overwhelming amount of decorations for your avatar, Second Style hopes to be a guide to the best that Second Life has to offer. The focus is on showcasing products and designers, as well as photographers and their models. We hope to become a resource for the designers themselves. A way for them to see what others are doing and to raise their own bar...” And that’s still what we strive to do today. In our third anniversary issue, Violet McGinnis shows us how Second Style has evolved over the past three years. James Schwarz looks at the histroy of street wear. Vivianne Draper writes an amazing feature about female fashion in Second Life from April 2006 to June 2009. We also present the Stylies, our yearly award for achievement in all areas of Second Life content. Since it’s also our first Summer issue of 2009, Ana Lutetia brings us swimsuit fashion and Surarin Piek photographs an amazing Summer photo-spread. Amika Jewel takes a gander at the Drowsy sim in Summer. Lordfly Digeridoo is featuring some amazing beach houses, while Dancien Graves takes us surfing as well. I hope you enjoy Second Style’s third anniversary issue.
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The best of Second Life clothing, hair, skins, accessories, and more
Publisher, Editor-in-Chief Advertising Sales and Senior Layout Designer HeatherDawn Cohen Managing Editor Iris Seale Assistant Manager Iris Ophelia Advertising Assistant Felicity Blumenthal Senior Staff Writers Ana Lutetia Staff Writers Graciana McMillan Amika Jewell James Schwarz Dancien Graves Vivianne Draper Lordfly Digeridoo Brigitte Belgar Violet McGinnis Guest Columnists Uma Cewalin Surarin Piek Founder Josie Hamilton CONTACT US: http://www.secondstyle.com (PDF version) Story ideas: editor@secondstyle.com Comments: letters@secondstyle.com Ad Sales: sales@secondstyle.com
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Issue #25
fresh faces Dona Flora By Ana Lutetia
* Donna Flora * Bo rio
* Donna Flora * JASMIN
* Donna Flora * MAR
Bo Rio is just one of the many colorful choices that you can find at the store. It is a cocktail dress with a broomstick skirt and a bolero jacket with a jewellery piece. You can wear it without the jacket and it also looks amazing and eye-catching.
Jasmin is a patterned set with a draped prim skirt with a flower on the waist belt. Modern yet with a retro feel as well as versatile. You can choose, for the bottom, to wear only the skirt or the wide legs pants or even both as I picked it. The beautiful necklace is included in this ensemble.
Margot can be acquired dress and they are so 2, with mini skirt seem a Springy/Summery l pearled colour with th and the gorgeous pr bow make this a sexy in one.
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Squinternet Larnia joined SLÂŽ in June 2008 and by September 2008 she already had her first shop opened. Her designs are mostly hand drawn and on occasion she takes pictures of a RL tea cup or an old party scarf to get the textures she needs. Squinternet inspiration comes from her memories like old movies, her grandmother, fables and even a skirt she wish she had. Dona Flora is a big and bright store filled with all of the outfits, accessories, shoes and hair created by Squinternet since she started. All of Donna Flora attire is sold with transfer permissions which are perfect for gifting.
RGOT 2
* Donna Flora * CRIS
* Donna Flora * SANDRA
d as a gown or cocktail old separately. Margot med more perfect for look. The sweet pink he generous neckline rim skirt with the big y and classy outfit all
Cris with its prim flowery skirt wouldn’t go unnoticed. This dress is a surprising cocktail dress with a beautiful flowery skirt. Cris flows from the tube top into a big prim skirt and a delicate waist sash with a flower matching the flowers on the skirt.
Sandra is perfect for a more casual yet stylish look with a tube top, puffed high waist skirt and flowery patterned leggings. The roses in the skirt are delightful and give this garment a modern look.
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A look at three years of men’s street fashion By James Schwarz
2007: Earthbound Neutral colors, organic textures; a whole carefree effortless look that came with the advent of the going green revolution. Browns, greens, whites and general earth tones were the staples of this trend, accessorized with wooden beads and synthetic leather sandals. Thermal: Pig – Thermal Shorts: Whippet & Buck – Harris Shorts Sandals: Arai – Sandals Hair: Armidi Gisaci – The Grammar
2008: Synth City With elements of electronic music and synthpop; shutter shades, and multicolor sneakers come hand in hand to form this trend which smells of Nu Rave, the 80’s and Kanye West. Shades: Glow Studio – Shutter Shades day version Shirt: Ninikoboy – Big Tree polo Shorts: Ninikoboy – Rollup Pants redcheck Shoes: Urban Bomb Unit – Drunks Hair: Dejavu – Cateye
2009: Taking Back Yesterday Comeback of the classics; crisp oxfords, dockers, suspenders, homburg hats and browns and blacks, made contemporary with more current accessories. Hat: Apollon – Homburg Hat Shades: Shade Throne – Addicted Shirt: Schadenfreude - White Oxford Shirt Loose Bowtie: Part of Hoorenbeek’s Tux Pants: Bagley – Chords Bag: Sera Korea University – Freebie Bag Shoes: Hoorenbeek – Docker Shoes Hair: Uncleweb - Al
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Second Style Turns Three! by Violet McGinnis
Second Style is turning three this issue, which is ancient by any Second Life publication and blog standards. Most only last a year, maybe two.
without Second Life designers and residents. When the first issue hit the stands, Second Style already had distribution kiosks set up all around Second Life.
A behemoth dressed in pink tulle, Second Style started from “the idea that there is an overwhelming amount of decorations for your avatar.” Second Style was born from digital fashion and has stayed that way, thanks to the firm-handed guidance of staff like founder Josie Hamilton, Director of Operations HeatherDawn Cohen and retired Managing Editor Celebrity Trollop.
“About a month after I rezzed, I opened my first shop and had a Second Style vendor out. I was lucky enough to see the first cover (Nyte) and nearly every cover after that. I feel so old! says Tenshi Vielle, blogger at Shopping Cart Disco. “Second Style was really, from the beginning, a force to be reckoned with. Still is.”
Josie is long gone now, off to the big bright real world and away from our imaginative Second Life. Celebrity purchased the magazine from Josie, who sold it to HeatherDawn. Second Style has always stayed close to its roots. Speaking of roots, Second Style wouldn’t exist
“I do remember when they printed out the second style with Torrid Midnight on the cover and kept it around that office of Linden Lab,” says Haver Cole, retired Staff Writer. Even the Lindens love Second Style! “Second Style was my absolute first real entrance into the Fashion World in SL. Not only
do I clearly remember Mariah Nesiote on the cover looking amazing in that Paper Couture Falsetta Gown (which I had to own) on one of the first issues I ever read, but I credit SS with being the starting point for my modeling career.” says Anessa Stine, “I was one of the lucky few selected to be part of the SS Modeling Pool after a magazine contest, not only was it my first modeling experience but it also introduced me to Graciana McMillan my future partner in crime shoe blogger for the Second Style Blogging Network. As a reader and model I continue to look forward to each issue. Congrats SS ~ Nice to see you back!” You may have noticed my first blog post after hiring in to Second Style was on the LBD - Little Black Dress. That was a direct appreciative post back to Lo Jacobs, whose first Second Style article for Pixel Pinup was on the LBD. The first Second Style issue was also showed Chip Midnight as a feature article introducing his templates, which many designers still use for their items because it’s still the best and most comprehensive template system out there. By Issue #3 we were introduced to the wonders of Flexi prims, and sculpties weren’t long after they first appeared in Issue #16. Second Style as a whole, both the editing department and the staff, will be working as hard as ever bringing you the most updated style tips, photoshoots, and articles. We love our readers! Thanks for celebrating our third anniversary with us!
Lordfly Digeridoo
ARCHITECT SQUARE
With the onset of summer in the northern hemisphere, many Second Lifers are keen to change their virtual surroundings to something a bit warmer. Emerging from their cold, stodgy castles and milehigh skyboxes, the inevitable desire is to go to the beach. Alas, your castle doesn’t really fit on a beach setting, nor would the neighbors approve of 300 tons of stone crushing the boardwalk. You need something to fit in, to take in the summer air and to view the beautiful sunsets along the beach. There are many types of beach homes in SL. When most people think beach, they probably think of Tiki-style; stylized versions of traditional homes in the Pacific, made of thatch and wood, and eminently prone to burning down at a moment’s notice once the bonfire gets too ambitious. While this style has its merits, it is simply overdone in SL. Like Miami-style mansions and Gorean castles, the Tiki beach has the air of tired familiarity to it. Heck, even other virtual worlds use the Tiki style to sell subscriptions: witness There.com and its endless areas dedicated to beach, all filled with the same types of houses that would indicate fire-making was a new concept, rather than skateboards and 20 | Second Style Magazine
hovercraft. Fortunately, Second Life being Second Life, there’s lots of different styles that would go well on a beach. One of the better examples is the Newport prefab done by Prefabulous Homes, which is owned by Fornicola Butuzova and Amo Lambeau. Not only is the house itself an awesome example of baked lighting and stressed-wood textures, the home also comes fully furnished with a fireplaces, sofas, paintings, and a rather comfortable looking bed. The first floor definitely sports an airy feel, with the interior windows being essentially adjustable wood panels that open the space up into the environment. This room sits behind the rather expansive front porch, which is perfectly situated to be plopped directly onto a sandbar. The home itself is built on stilts, allowing an easy sink into squishy terrain. I absolutely love the first floor; an open floorplan is always near and dear Continued on page 22 >
Architect Square > Continued from page 20
to my heart, and the Newport delivers in spades. Not only that, the adjustable way the windows allow the environment to interface with inside gives the home a unique flair, letting the home owner decide exactly how much to let out into the sim, or vice versa. Open up your windows and host a beach party, or close some and have a small gathering with friends. Your choice! The second floor, obviously designed to be more private, is beautifully rendered with bakedin shadows and sunlight streaming in from the windows. The windows themselves, as is popular nowadays, come with adjustable shades, allowing for a modicum of privacy for those intimate moments in the randily-animated suite bed. What’s more interesting to me on a technical side is the way Forni and Amo have decided to do the baked textures. With many prefabs, people tend to go overboard with the light baking; entire rooms rigidly slapped down with extremely thick shadows, obviously rendered in Maya and pushed into Second Life. While this may or may not look keen, in practice it severely limits the places in which such a structure even looks good; many times, shadows
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make it plain that a house was rendered to look perfect facing east at 3pm, but not much else. With the Newport, Prefabulous has decided to go light on the rendering; the furniture has the prerequisite shadow blobs beneath them, and the textures have the necessary subtle shading at the edges to give the sense of depth. The only other feature is the baked-in shadows in the frontfacing windows, most noticably on the second floor. The sunlight streaming in looks like it was rendered to be done at around 10:30-11am, meaning that the huge shadows and light effects are removed in favor of a simple strand of lighting effects along the edge of the floorboards. This looks good almost any time, even at night, when one can imagine moonlight streaming in through the ample windows. This is just good design. For only $L3995, you can’t go wrong with the Newport; expertly built and textured, with a fullfeatured furniture set included. Everything is mod/copy, letting anyone put their mark on their home. In short, you can’t do much better than the Newport by Prefabulous Homes. See you at the beach!
stylies Second Style
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Best Clothing Designer | Variety Barerose Tokyo
Best Clothing Designer | High Fashion Paper Couture
Best Clothing Designer | Textures Armidi
Best Clothing Designer | Sculpted Prims Maitreya
Best Clothing Designer | New @Waffles! Second Style Magazine | 25
Best Shoe Designer Maitreya
Best Shoe Designer | New Kookie
Best Hair Designer | New Tiny Bird
Best Hair Designer | Textures Truth
Best Hair Designer | Prims Lamb 26 | Second Style Magazine
Best Skin Designer | New Ryker Beck of Exodi
Best Skin Designer Gala Phoenix
Best Jewelry Designer | New DarkMouse
Best Jewelry Designer Swallowtail Second Style Magazine | 27
Best Blogger Pixel Kitsch
Best Blog Posh Totty |Dolly Ewing
Best Blog Brinksie
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Best Customer Service Sachi Vixen of Adam n’ Eve
Best Community Event Blogger Appreciation Week | Callie Cline
Biggest Community Impact in 2008/2009 Relay for Life Second Style Magazine | 29
SWIM WEAR By Ana Lutetia eLDee (Braer 74, 243, 23) http://slurl.com/secondlife/Braer/74/243/23 The Evaa swinsuits were released even before the Summer arrived and they are sophisticated and vibrant. Evaa is a trikini available in 5 colours with a sheer scarf as a finishing touch. SySy’s (Rigby 67, 196, 22) http://slurl.com/secondlife/Rigby/67/196/22 The chic Strap Bikini’s are available in bright colours with all the layers. They are simple yet fashionable and with all the layers you can wear it with tattoos. MichaMi (Muse 84, 208, 42) http://slurl.com/secondlife/Muse/84/95/22/ Aaliyah is a Bikini with a sheer Tuni for a classier beach look and for when the sun is getting too hot on your shoulders. The Tuni gives this bikini an amazing new look. Exodi (Zion 115, 79, 699) http://slurl.com/secondlife/Zion/115/79/699 Olivia Unikinis were released in pulsating colours and they are one of the new trends of this Summer. They aren’t a simple bikini but these are called unikini as the top and bottom are joined together. AOHARU (AOHARU 110, 124, 23) http://slurl.com/secondlife/AOHARU/110/124/23 At AOHARU you can find glitter bikinis for a stunning glam look. Besides looking like a glam queen at the beach, these are perfect to wear under a sheer top and look dazzling.
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HEIGHT OF SUM
B
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MMER
By Surarin Peik
Hair : Paper Couture / Climbing Ilkar - Brown Skin : ISSIGONIS / FeiYan (medium/halo1) Eyes : UniqueMegastore / Expressive eyes brown BIG by Nany Merlin Dress : Skin Flicks / Flirtable Cocktail Dress Necklace : Bonita’s Jewelry / White Bow Pearl Wrapped Necklace Clutch Bag : ICoN / LC clutch(Gold/Pearl)Yellow Earrings : Muse / Freshwater Pearl Earring Shoes : Stiletto Moody / Mary Jane Sandal Nail : bijou / nail Garden[Lotus] Second Style Magazine | 33
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Jacket : MichaMi / Noomi Jacket in Cream Pants : MG fashion Jersey Girl (blue) Tank : Armidi / Sheer Ribbed Tank Top - Black Hair : VINTAGEwear / Pushed and Shoved - Brown Tones Skin : ISSIGONIS / Ayumi4 (high-con/breeze2) Eyes : UniqueMegastore / Expressive eyes brown BIG by Nany Merlin Socks : Maitreya / Prim Socks Seashell Shoes : REDGRAVE / Athlete Heels -Black/GreyNecklace : ICON / AM Necklace S (Gunmetal/Ivory) Nails : bijou / nail PS(cool)[onyx] Second Style Magazine | 35
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Swimsuit : MichaMi / Yolanda Swimsuit in Red Hair : 69 / model Hair 02 - lightbrown Skin : ISSIGONIS / FeiYan (medium/waterfall3) Eyes : UniqueMegastore / Expressive eyes brown BIG by Nany Merlin Necklace, Earrings, Bracelet : LUCAS LAMETH / Maya ll Rainbow Opal/Gold Flip-flap : J’s / flip-flap & Barefoot(White) Second Style Magazine | 37
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Tee : dEVOL / T Love Misic2 Hat: MG fashion / French style beret - bombazine Hair : Zero Style / Camille (Olive) Skin : ISSGONIS / FeiYan (high-con/breeze2) Eyes : UniqueMegastore / Expressive eyes brown BIG by Nany Merlin Skirt : Kyoot Army / (part of outfit)The Last Mobstress High Waisted Skirt SHoes : Kookie / Kat platforms Bangle : ICoN / BG Bangle W(Silver) Nails : bijou / nail PS(warm)[moon stone] Bag : SLink / Signature Series Tote Bag Silver Second Style Magazine | 39
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Dress : Zaara / Mrinali top *dusty lilac* Hair : booN / LUV029 hair brown Skin : ISSIGONIS / FeiYan (high-con/halo4) Eyes : Silhouette / Eyes: BrownFudge Scarf : DeLa / Stole “Peggy” Mocha Necklace : Armidi Gisaci / Triple Pearl Necklace - Mist Bangle : Armidi Gisaci / Healing Tiger Bangle - Magic Shoes : HUB / Venus Sandal Ankle Straps, Bright Pink Nails : Candy Nail / #FP006 Clear Glitter French 3color change Second Style Magazine | 41
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Dress : Digit Darkes / Delhi Dress-White Shoes : Digit Darkes / Delhi Heel Hair : Laqroki / Lioness - Darkbrown Skin : ISSIGONIS / Ayumi4 (high-con/eclipse1) Eyes : UniqueMegastore / Expressive eyes brown BIG by Nany Merlin Bangles : +plus / Wide Bangle in Gold* Earrings: Muse / The Eclectic Earring Nails : bijou / nail PS(warm)[moon stone] Second Style Magazine | 43
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Outfit : Designing Nicky Ree / Cecilia Pearl Hair : Maitreya / Aisha - Caramel Skin : ISSIGONIS / Ayumi4 (high-con/breeze1) Eyes : Silhouette / Eyes: BrownFudge Necklace : Muse / Blanche Necklace in Platinum Shoes : Stiletto Moody / Gladiator Sandal Nails : Candy Nail / #P013 Glitter Gradation Second Style Magazine | 45
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Cardigan : COCO / Cardigan(Stripe-Red) Jeans/Belt : Maitreya / BF Jeans - #08 Bra : barbee. / BIKINI black ICHIMATSU Hair : House of Heart / Bailey - brown Skin : ISSIGONIS / FeiYan (high-con/halo1) Eyes : UniqueMegastore / Expressive eyes brown BIG by Nany Merlin Sunglasses : elysionoptic / vairocana alfa Black Shoes : Aphrodite Creations / Vintish Shoes Red Necklace : Armidi Gisaci / Diamond Pendant Necklace - Gunmetal Bangles : Armidi Gisaci / Towanda Quintet Bangles - Black Nails : bijou / nail PS(warm)[Ruby] Bag : Muism / Bottle Clear Second Style Magazine | 47
POSTCARDS
Brigitte Belgar Dear Brig, To celebrate my rezz day I’m throwing a summer-themed party on my bff’s beach. The hostess couldn’t be more generous about having the event and has been, to say the least, overly generous in providing decorations, activity ideas, and even wardrobe suggestions. Unfortunately, her idea of what a classy seaside soiree is and my thoughts on the topic are starkly different. The invitation she sent out to my entire friends list read, “Feel free to wear your most outrageous beach attire, even if that means showing up in your own birthday suit!” I imagined my birthday celebration as a civilized, semi-elegant event overlooking the picturesque Linden coastline-- not a trashy rave. What on earth can I do to fix this beastly situation without ruffling my enthusiastic hostess? High and Dry First, humor me and click on over to: http://www.mtv.com/ontv/dyn/ spring_break/series.jhtml. It sounds like your friend was cooped up in her basem-- I mean bedroom, and had nothing to watch but MTV’s spring break coverage while she was in the midst of concocting plans for your celebration. Let me guess, your friend has a keg stand on the ‘activities’ roster? A wet t-shirt contest? Dance-off? Silly String fight? Alright, I’m done laughing now. I can honestly sympathize with your situation. Relinquishing authority over the planning of your party can be both a relief and an utter horror. Really, though, all isn’t lost. I think I have a plan for gathering up the final shreds of dignity attached to this coastal celebration. First, you’ll want to take care of the attire situation. My suggestion is that you send out a follow-up message/reminder to all the guests that includes some images of what you’d classify as ‘appropriate’ wardrobe 48 | Second Style Magazine
choices. If it were me, I’d craft it as a teaser for the party-- sort of a “sneak peek” of what your guests can expect when they arrive on the shore. If you play your cards right (and I suggest you do), you could even use it as a semi-sneaky bonding opportunity with the hostess. Ask her if she wants to dress up in some cute beach outfits (show her your choices so she takes the subtle hint) and take some photos of yourselves to send out to the guests. She’ll be happy because she’ll see you’re excited for the party, the guests will be exposed to examples of what’s acceptable and not acceptable to wear to the bash, and you can spend time acting like a supermodel for the camera. I’ve included four examples here for you to use as a starting point. Then there’s the activities. I’m assuming her choice in entertainment is as tacky and halfbaked as her suggestion that the guests arrive threadbare. If I’m right, then you’ll need a shrewd way to advance some alternatives without making her weep over lost opportunities to ask guests to crush coconuts between their breasts and arm muscles. Have you had much involvement in contriving the event? If not, step up to the plate and insist that you contribute by organizing activities. Don’t take no for an answer-- but don’t be nasty about it either. Flatter her while you subtly snatch control of the party back; “You’ve poured so much passion into making this event just right-- I simply insist that I plan the activities so that there’s a few surprises for the benevolent hostess that day, too;” “It would mean so much to be to be able to let you sit back and relax as the day of the event approaches. I’ll plan the games so you have time to go out to those stores I showed you and pick out a fabulous new ensemble for the party-on me!” or, if you have to, “I’ve been imagining my rezz day since the moment I logged onto SL in my claustrophobic RL cubicle. I’ve been thinking about it so hard, in fact, that I’ve got a great set of activities/games for us. I can’t wait to tell you about them!” You get the idea. Even if you have been heavily involved in the
planning, those lines ought to still be relevant. If none of these ideas work and your party turns out to be as shoddy and sleazy as you’re fearing it could become, do me a favor and at least send me a TP request so I can come and watch it all unfold. Bottoms up. Outfits Credits: Beach One: Hair: ‘::::Sofie::::2_brown’ by IrEn Sunglasses: ‘Fi Umo Sunglasses - Black Turtoise / Black Lens’ by [Armidi Gisaci] Earrings: ‘The Dauphine Earring long (silver/frost)’ by ~Muse~ Scarf: ‘CHARCOAL PLAID SCARF’ by Miel (group gift) Top: ‘[Tank Top]_White’ by *Muism* Skirt: ‘HighSkirt - Raven’ by Maitreya Beach Two Hair: ‘Julianne Hairstyle’ by SLink Swimsuit: ‘Annalee bikini’ by /artilleri/ Lace Wrap: ‘Cardigan(Lace)’ by *COCO* Pants: ‘VintageSalopette(ShadowBlue)’ by *COCO* Beach Three: Hair: ‘Ashley Hairstyle’ by SLink Dress: ‘Maia’ by anuenue.+NoaR Jean Vest: ‘FrenchSleeveDenimVest_LightBlue’ by AOHARU Beach Four: Hair: ‘Amber - caramel’ by >TRUTH< Earrings: ‘Large Silver Hoop Earring’ by Caroline’s Blazer: ‘Rosalie Blazer’ by [Pink] Shorts: ‘*Frill Type* Yellow’ by PARALLEL LOVE (Editor’s note: Brigitte Belgar, etiquette extraordinaire, is featured here in a new monthly column where she answers all your questions relating to manners and politeness in the vast world of Second Life. Think of her as your very own sarcastic Emily Post. You can send her your own questions at brigitte. belgar@gmail.com and maybe you’ll see them here in Second Style!)
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Style Icon
moo Money By Violet McGinnis Moo Money is sort of a living Second Life history book. She knows a lot of people, when they rezzed, and who they met where, who they’re friends with, and why. It’s amazing to just speak with her about these sorts of things. However, she was chosen for Style Icon not because of her amazing memory, but because she has a style all her own. She is known for dressing rather conservatively in Second Life, covering cleavage and bringing a more demure sense to style while displaying her wicked sense of humor at the same time. The main picture (MOO1) is a great example of her demure style – a very modern take on the Roman toga style dresses, with a draped back and short length on the bottom. The pajamas and tee? Well, I can’t explain those, but I will tell you, they are quintessential Moo. Violet McGinnis: Hi Moo! lol moo Money: hi :) MM: so why me? VM: Oh, Iris and I were discussing it MM: I usually have weird stuff on haha VM: and we both decided that you have a unique avatar and your own style VM: you don’t follow what everyone else does, and honestly VM: if we put everyone who followed the rules in the mag, we’d be horribly boring. MM: tru dat VM: So who did you last time for Style Icon? MM: oh god, I think Roslin Petion with Haver on photography Continued on page 56 > Second Style Magazine | 55
Style Icon | moo Money > Continued from page 55
MM: I’ve known Celebrity Trollop since before she had a fashion blog, so I’ve been around the scene, but not really in it VM: Can you tell me about that? This is for our anniversary issue so it’d be great to have that input MM: oh man, I met her in her like second week in SL MM: she’d wanted photos taken MM: she ended up moving into the same sim as I did and we’d always live near each other or across the street MM: then we ended up sharing a plot for a year or two MM: but then she told me she was starting a blog and I was like “pfft” I dunno if anyone would be interested. Right around the same time, Second Style mag announced they were opening, so the two merged MM: it was epic MM: she also discovered Tuli MM: I remember the days when Tuli had this tiny little shop. such a sweet girl. VM: Nice shoes! MM: The shoes are by Simone! Boudoir Heels MM: no color because they come with a HUD that does a million things VM: omg, the detail on those is adorable. MM: full feet, and you can have presets, adjust the gem color, top color, 56 | Second Style Magazine
bottom MM: it’s great VM: I thought Simone went on to that other grid! MM: Simone was shut out of the other grid MM: after she did all that work VM: Wow, that’s harsh. VM: lol, That’s great. Where did you get that sculpty cow? MM: it’s from uhh, the poptart girl. Pink something. Pink Fuel? VM: hrm, I guess I’ll have to check her out MM: it’s called Ox, it’s limited for SLRFL I think MM: it comes with like 3 other attachment points and sizes too VM: Aww. He blinks and melts my little heart. MM: please note that all poses came from Long Awkward Pose VM: Can you play buddha and tell me what you see for Second Style’s future? (well, maybe it’s not buddha, but today we’re playing “roll a die and pick an entity.” MM: well, it’s a new year, so I see a rebirth MM: it’s back under old ownership, new staff to spice it up, and a whole different perspective on the fashion scene MM: the blog is being made over to look pretty sweet, and the magazine is focusing on a variety of Continued on page 57 >
new things, so yeah, I see success. VM: Woot! MM: old feel new look MM: I feel so comfy. I’m not an ageplayer by the way, just short. And into pajamas. VM: Oh, no. lol VM: I didn’t think that. You look comfy! MM:Cool haha MM: Did I pass the test? :x VM: lol I doubt there’s ever a test VM: But it’s awesome that you were done once before a few years ago VM: Toodles! Thanks Moo! MM: And thank you
SECOND ST Y L E I NT E R V I E W
Gala Phoenix By Iris S eale
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Second Style: What made you decide to join Second Life?
things. It can be a little frustrating at times but I really do truly enjoy making skins.
Gala Phoenix: I had been playing the original Sims game for a year or 2. Building houses, decorating and creating furniture were the only things I really enjoyed about it but then I just got burnt out. My boyfriend at the time did some research trying to find a game for me that I would enjoy and would be able to create some content for. He found SL and suggested I try it. So eventually I installed it, poked around on it for a couple of nights then just got busy and forgot about it. A couple months later I got a really bad flu and had to stay home from work so decided in my boredom to give SL another try. That’s when I got hooked.
SS: What inspired you to make your skins?
SS: How did you become interested in designing? GP: I’ve always liked to draw and make things. I considered being a fine artist but it’s sort of one of those things like wanting to be an actress or a rockstar or something. Not exactly practical or easily attainable. So becoming a graphic designer seemed like a good compromise. I could still create and make a living doing what I loved and felt I was good at. SS: You’re pretty prolific. You design hair and furniture as well as skins. How do you decide what to work on? GP: Rita Groshomme makes all the hair. I wish I had time to do some myself but just don’t. Loksr Mysterio and I collaborated on the furniture sold at Curio, Loksr doing the fancy prim work and me doing the textures. I’ve also done some furniture collaborations with the sculptastic Aminom Marvin. I’d like to do more furniture but I think I’m best at skins. I always have ideas for other projects I’d like to do. I’d love to dabble in hair especially, but there’s just not enough time to keep new skins coming out, handle customer service AND experiment with new
GP: Eyebrows. When I first started getting interested in playing dress up with my avatar I went looking for a skin. At that time there were some nice skins, but they all looked alike to me. They all had these really evil pointy black eyebrows, sort of like my Vixen face. I know a lot of people like that look but it’s not my aesthetic, so I decided to make my own skin. At first I was just making the skins to wear myself. I didn’t really think of selling them, but people were constantly messaging me asking where I bought them, then begging me to sell them. Finally I met Rita and she said hey you can sell these at my shop. SS: Your skins are known for their ‘soft’ and sweet faces, as well as other awesome touches like freckles, moles and the cutest toes ever. What lead you to add so many details to your skins? GP: I’ve been drawing all different kinds of faces in every imaginable style for as long as I can remember. My favorite part of drawing in general has always been adding all the little details. They say “god is in the details” and I guess I kind of believe it. Details can really make or break a skin. SS: Your latest skin lines have a ton of options to mix and match with. Faces, tones and the light and dark versions of makeups can all be mixed. How did you come up with such a complex system and do you get a lot of questions about it? GP: You know I’ve been really surprised. I think my customers just must be really SL savvy. I expected to get all kinds of questions about my system for selling the Vibrant skins when I first put it all together, but hardly ever do. The only questions I get about it are “What does FREX mean” and sometimes I get messages from people who Continued on page 60 >
can’t find a version of a makeup because it’s not shown on the box. I tried to streamline my process as much as possible with the Vibrant line. I wanted to offer more options than past lines, but at the same time wanted to make releases more often. I’ve found a few corners to cut without sacrificing quality, but the system is sort of complicated as a result. SS: How did you come up with the name Curio? GP: We held a sim naming contest years ago when I was getting ready to buy the sim. Somebody suggested Curio and it just sort of clicked. I think it means an unusual or strange little piece of art. It just had a ring to it. Unfortunately it’s been so long I can’t remember the name of the winner of that contest. SS: What’s the most frustrating part of designing skins? GP: For me it’s not being able to fully envision how a texture will look on the avatar. I upload literally hundreds of test textures for each face I create, and that’s before I start working on makeups. I think some designers are a lot better at this, but I have to see the texture on the face after even the most minor of adjustments. Another thing that’s frustrating is not having clones. There’s just SO
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much I want to do with my skins. So many things customers would like for me to work on, so many other things I’d like to create in SL but just so little time. SS: I have lots of friends who are rabid fans of your work. They won’t wear anything but Curio and have to have every makeup and hair the second it comes out. Would you like to give your fans an idea of what you’re currently working on? GP: Think gritty, urban, summer. SS: If you could give one tip to aspiring skin designers, what would it be? GP: I’ve been asked this question a lot. People might notice in my profile it says “NO, I WON’T TEACH YOU HOW TO MAKE SKINS” because I’m constantly getting IMs from people who want to go into the skin business and want me to teach them how. It’s sort of flattering and insulting at the same time. I went to art school, design school, and was a professional designer when I first started making skins. Skinning isn’t as easy as it might seem so be prepared to put a lot of time and energy into it. I think the best tip I could give any aspiring skin designers out there is don’t ask Gala Phoenix how to make skins.
RETROSP
By Vivianne D raper 62 | Second Style Magazine
PECTIVE
A Second Life Female Fashion Retrospective: 2005-2009 My res date is September 11, 2005. So aside from the infamous date, I guess Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been around a while. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feel like an oldbie, to tell you the truth, because I have a lot of friends whose res date was 2003 and 2004. I still feel like a newbie comparatively. But my friends born recently assure me that I am old, wrinkled and possibly near death. At the tender age of 4. So there you have it. Second Style Magazine | 63
Anyway when Iris asked me to do a retrospective of fashion I knew immediately that my bloated inventory could handle the load. I’m using the acquisition date and my admittedly sieve-like memory to place certain items at certain times so my dates may be off a little. Please forgive me if I say your favorite item was created in 05 when actually it was 04. I’m old, damn near ancient, and quite forgetful. Also the date that shows I acquired something may not have been the actual date. All my jewelry shows an acquisition date of November 13, 2008 and I this includes some of Bacarra’s old jewelry as well as an item that Earthstones released a week ago. So I had to guess. A lot. Please forgive me. Also remember that this is powered entirely by items that were already in my inventory. It is possible that a better gown, pants or skin or whatever was made in that year, but if it wasn’t in my inventory I wouldn’t have known that. One of the things I noticed when doing the photo shoot was how dramatically the quality of Second Life fashion changed between 2006 and 2007. There are a lot of things to explain this but not really any one particular thing. Flexis came around in 2006 and sculpts in 2007 – and they are easily part of the explanation but not all of it. There was an influx of people in that time frame as well, as Second Life became totally free. Competition became fierce as Second Life attracted people with real life design and Photoshop, Maya etc skills and were able to mark their stamp on the fashion scene and raise the bar on quality. So the competition explains some, but not all, of the increase in quality. Then there was Last Call. Those of you who joined in the last couple of years, on seeing the Last Call pages included in this retrospective, will not understand. I was there and now, putting on this old stuff and looking at it through eyes that have come accustomed to today’s standards, I scarcely understand myself. 64 | Second Style Magazine
But I do remember. So should you remember that when Last Call introduced these fashions, flex was new, we didn’t have Windlight, we didn’t have sculpt, and the designers of today who you will compare Last Call to and wonder what’s so great about it…Last Call started it. Before it was Last Call the same designer (Ginny Talamasca) called her store Dazzle and indeed it did. Last Call deserves a special spread in this feature because they raised the bar so high. I know I’m not the only person who wonders what fashion in Second Life would be like today had Ginny not passed away. I could write a book on this subject and still not
have space for everyone. I got done with the 05 and 06 shoots to realize I hadn’t shot any of the lingerie, evening gowns or silks for those years and those fashion subsets tell a story in and of themselves. There are designers that have been around forever that didn’t get included and other designers that have come and gone that didn’t get mentioned. To those of you whom I didn’t include, I apologize. I only have so much space. Your exclusion is not at all a statement of the quality of your work. Here is a big shout out to all the fashion content creators who work hard and have brought their beauty to Second Life throughout the years. We at Second Style salute you.
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The years at a glance:
2005 When I started looking at the 2005 items, a couple of things stood out. First, I really need to clean up my inventory. I was a bit shocked at how many 2005 items I have. The skins all felt a little flat and, unlike the clothes that some of which can stand toe-totoe with today’s designs, the skins just can’t. Also there were only about 5 skin designers in 05. I was hard-pressed to find a new skin designer for each of the 05 outfits and I really wanted to do it all from 05 (hair, skin, clothing, etc). There is no jewelry for the year 05 because everything in my jewelry folder has an acquired date of November 13, 2008 for some reason. Yet I know that at least Blue, RicX and Caroline Apollo were designing jewelry way back then. Some of my very favorite outfits came out that year and I still love them today. The Bare Rose kimono is one of the first that June ever made and I bought it when her shop was just a 512m first land. The Curious Kitties outfit comes from a time when Curios Kitties and Deviant Kitties were both Curious Kitties and they had one store with transparent floors. The PixelDoll dress was stunning for its time and I bought every one of the Christmas 2005 limited edition outfits (there were five or six). Nyte ‘N’ Day had a huge store with Celestial Studios.
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2006 I apparently didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t buy anything in 2006. This was by far the hardest year to photograph and I had to really stretch for skins. There were a few more skin designers in 06 and the skins started getting noticeably better -- more depth, more realistic, more muscle definition. Limited editions started becoming very popular. Flexi prims were introduced in April although they really didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t come into their prime until 2007. New designers began to enter Second Life with more regularity than before.
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2007 A *lot* of new designers entered Second Life in 2007, probably due to an article in Wired Magazine about how Second Life was now free. Flexi prims really came into their own and sculpts were also introduced in 07. Between all the new designers, the sculpts and the flexis, fashion made a huge leap forward in quality in 07. Also, I think hair really started coming into its own in 2007. Before 07 there was Lost and ETD. I actually got banned from ETD for a short while in 06 – early 07 (I made Elika angry -- note to self: don’t do that) and I will admit it was hard for a while to find replacements. Skins got noticeably better and freckled versions became available. Prim lashes hit the market and were an immediate success. 2007 also saw the death of a very loved member of the fashion community, as well. Ginny Talamasca owned and operated Dazzle and then rebranded to Last Call until her death in November (I think) of 2007. Not to diminish anyone else’s contribution to the Second Life fashion industry, because they are all very important, but Last Call was amazing and deserves its own special feature in this retrospective. I hereby christen 2007 the year of the evening gown and in many respects Last Call played a huge part in that but that wasn’t all. Before 2007 evening gowns were these huge bell-like skirts if they had prims or they were system skirts. Flexi changed all that. In 2007 more stores than ever before had evening gowns and not just one but many styles.
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2008 Ahh 2008. The closer we get to today, the easier it is for me to do this. However I must add that the line between 2008 and 2009 is awfully thin and I’m probably going to make a lot of mistakes here. There are a lot of things I bought in 2009 that I’m pretty sure were made in 2008. Ah well. Consider it a two-year special. I’m going to dub 2008 the year of the skin. It seemed like skin designers came out of the woodwork and the old ones were hard pressed to keep up with the new. Skins became more realistic, almost all came with freckled and body hair options, faces became more important. More and more people made shapes to match the skin, rather than the other way around. Eloh Elliot released her full-perm skins in December of 07 and made the photoshop files available for download. These skins were used as the basis for other skins, were improved upon (and they were pretty damn good to start with), and taught countless people how to make skins of their own. Then Sezmra Svarog’s Splendor skins were also released full perm and with the photoshop files available for download. When she released them, Sezmra stated she wanted others to be able to learn and so they did. Skins proliferated 2008 and I am probably not the only person who was hard put to keep up with all the different releases. In 2008, prims start becoming a serious part of clothing. Actually that *started* in 2007 and came to heights heretofore unimagined in 2008. If it could be a prim it was, and entire outfits came to consist of prims. With that came copying, arguments over modifying and/or not, and the need for everyone to learn how to modify prims to fit (whether you wanted to or not).
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2009 Finally! Whew this was a lot of work and I feel like I havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even scratched the surface. I cannot even imagine what the knowledge one must have to be a fashion designer in Second Life today. The textures must be layered, rich, and realistic. Primwork must accompany any serious outfit and it either has to be modifiable or have a resize script (and/or a recolor script). Skins must be detailed and look good on a vast array of avatars. And yet, a good amount of the clothing from years gone by continues to hold up and look good next to todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fashions -- a testament to the quality of work that has always gone into Second Life fashion.
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DIGITAL WAVES By Dancien Graves I first heard about surfing in Second Life in 2007/2008 when I was working for a place called Surf City. The owner Robin Mapp was then and is still now pretty big in the surfing scene and we started talking about it. At first, I’ll admit I was skeptical as I couldn’t imagine how surfing in Second Life could even come close to the real thing. Eventually I stopped working at Surf City and moved on to do different things and surfing kind of flew out of my mind. Then my editor came up to me and asked what I’d be doing for the summer issue and it came to me. “I wonder if people still surf in Second Life?” So before I began my journey I did some research and found out how much surfing in Second Life has expanded. There is now a Second Life Surfing Association (SLSA) in Second Life and my friend Robin Mapp is the director. To see a full history of the organization you can now go to the JJ Lanes Sim and check out the SLSA Hall of Fame. It features a pretty extensive history of the sport in Second life as well as some of the pioneers and those who are no longer with us. Surf City is gone, but the number of places you can surf has expanded. They introduced a HUD you can use to see where to go, it’s called the Endless Summer HUD. It can take you to places like Mori Pwani,
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Epic Conditions Surf, The Weather Channel Sims, Boneyard, Braata Beach, Syx, Quan Li, and many more. The way it works is pretty much how it works in the real world. First thing you need to do is buy a board. I recommend Rob Johns Surf Shop. Once you’re somewhere with the waves originally made by Heather Goodliffe going ahead and rez the board on the water. After that you need to click the board for options. You can start as a beginner (Always standing) or advanced (traditional). Then you sit on the board and paddle out to the lineup and wait for a wave to appear. Once the wave starts to come towards you, go ahead and paddle slowly away from it, usually at an angle. When the wave catches up you’ll be surfing in no time as the board will let you stand automatically. It’s surprisingly addictive. When I was testing it out before writing this I almost missed deadline due to two days of just surfing and nothing else. So, when you start, don’t make plans and hopefully I’ll see you in “The Green Room” soon.
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By Amika Jewell
Storybook of Drowsy A wonderfully well-organized sim! Drowsy just opend on June 13th. There are the main shops of Drowsy, KUROTSUBAKI, Zero number[0N] and Clody, as well as a branch of BP*. Once you land on Drowsy, your story starts. The clock tower is the starting point and from there you will see the many faces of the Drowsy sim. First, I recommend you to enjoy walking around the town. With ice cream and with balloons all around, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m sure you will be excited to see the shops.In Drowsy fairy tales truly exist. I know most of the facades cannot be entered,and we can only see them from the front, but the essential point is their details and cuteness. [hair]BP*maki hair /coffee/may2009 [tops]BP*border shirts/boat neck/trico [skirt]BP*DNM PANTS SKIRT /dark [belt]*KUROTSUBAKI* music belt [scarf]MichaMi: Ebba Scarf in Dark Pink [icecream]Drowsy triple ice cream/1 [skin]BP*summer skin/funny face/ fruit/may2009 78 | Second Style Magazine
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In Second Life, in my opinion, it is very important that people can FEEL the reality of existence. In Drowsy, you can feel the breath of the town and it makes you excited to guess what will happen! When you come through the town you will see some roads to lead you to new stories. In the morning, afternoon or evening, this sim shows you different faces and every time it makes you feel as if it were your first visit. There are not only shops but some wonderful amusuments. Don’t miss the park where there is a playground with many fun poses. I’ve reached to one of themes at Drowsy, which is “a realization of the fun”. You can sit and try poses and get involeved in the stories at the sim.Off course you can buy kawaii clothes or other stuff here. Let me show you a couple of styles. There are several ways to get to each shop from the landing point. Each shop has its originality and
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its cuteness. They are not the same but are well established in union. Different elements are held together in a theme of joy. Visit there and feel it! :) [hair]* 0 Style *Camille *(Chestnut) [tops]*KUROTSUBAKI* white shirts [skirt]*KUROTSUBAKI* Old clothes skirt green [leggins]”NINIKO”Leggings 3TYPE set(black) [shoes][0N] petanko cross blood [bag]*LOTTA_StrawToteBag location:a main shop of Zero Number
[hair]Uw.St Kotone-Hair type-B size-S blond [dress]* Cloudy * rose_dress&tunic_pink [sandals]J’s Tassele Wedge Sandals BEIGE [wings]=109prims= Fairy’s wing01 Larva-Purple location:a main shop of *Cloudy*