THE BEST OF PANAMA

FABULOUS A MUST READ BOOK FOR ALL FASHION MODELS

by Frolic Mills

There are plenty of people in this world that possess talent, but very few that have the almost magical ability to make talent shine in others. This is a rare gift that is seldom celebrated; a trait that features well down the list of personal attributes that we find desirable in others. Yet it is a powerful characteristic that should be more widely recognized, because encouraging others to be the best they can possibly be is the basis for change, invention and innovation.

Frolic Mills is one of these people. He may be well known by thousands around the globe for being the creator of a virtual media empire, or even as the person who had the insight to amalgamate his early adventures in the virtual world of Second Life into a diary which eventually became the mighty BOSL magazine - but ultimately - his greatest achievement has been honing raw talent in other people. In his time, Frolic has created lavish stage shows, conquered virtual publishing, and managed the most profitable ‘Fashion For Life’ event ever to be held in Second life. Yes - the spotlight may have been on him as the figurehead of these events, but each and every one of these projects acted as a high profile showcase for other people’s talents: this is what Frolic thrives off the most.

Where Frolic has proved this most is during his time as a Second Life model, mentor, teacher and friend, and his name is now synonymous with the virtual fashion scene which he helped to cultivate. If you are unfamiliar with virtual fashion and modeling, then the idea of styling an avatar and spending countless hours perfecting your pixels might seem absurd, but both real life and virtual fashion require an eye for detail, an innate sense of style and the courage to experiment artistically. Virtual fashion and modeling have now gained huge credibility since their humble origins only a few years ago. Rapid advances in technology over the past decade have enabled more of us to live an online existence – so why not make that existence just a little bit more beautiful? What began as a few gamers desiring to make their avatar stand out from the virtual crowds by modifying their basic look in-world, has now grown into a burgeoning and bona fide fashion scene that takes inspiration from real life fashion yet pushes the boundaries of what is possible even further.

But the most thrilling aspect of virtual fashion is that it is fundamentally democratic: it is akin to machinima in that anyone with a computer and creativity can log in and try it - although this doesn’t mean that you will instantly become a supermodel.

Just as in real life, refining your look will take time, practice and patience but this book will be a valuable guide to help you navigate your journey. Even if you have no desire to try virtual modeling yourself, this book will provide a unique insight into an artistic sphere which is enjoyed by many people each year, because virtual fashion is no longer - just a pastime - it is now a legitimate art form.

Over the years, Frolic has been the guiding force behind most of the famous models that have ever stalked the runways or graced the magazine covers of Second Life and if a book about virtual modeling and fashion were ever going to be produced, then Frolic Mills would be the man to make it a reality. He is usually uncompromising, he is often demanding, and he is always brutally honest, but his deepest motivation is seeing fledgling models transform into superstars under his guidance and support.

This is the most definitive book ever published about virtual fashion and it provides a fascinating perspective about the industry. If you are just starting out in SL modeling or even if you are a seasoned professional, you can be sure that this book will help you develop your skills and that reading it will make your natural talent gleam just that little bit brighter.

Shine on Persia Bravin London December 2014

The Fashion Future is Now: Why Virtual Worlds Matter The virtual world Second Life (SL) made its debut within a few years of the turn of the century. It was a quiet revolution that has continued to garner significance for more a decade. Second Life's history has always been tied to exploring creativity. A handful of books document its history and culture, one of the most prominent being THE MAKING OF SECOND LIFE by former employee Wagner James Au, who had first-hand knowledge of the early days of what would become the longest running virtual world. Its founder Philip Rosedale, former CEO of Linden Lab, is credited with the invention of Second Life, and while he has parted ways with Linden Lab he and his former company are both working on virtual worlds. Yes, more virtual worlds are on the way, which will challenge Second Life for the better. This book is not about one virtual world, rather an evangelistic call to the coming changes in the fashion industry. In many aspects, the revolution has already begun. Merely search online for the many virtual games and platforms catering to the fashion world. Children now have the opportunities to mix and match outfits online, as well as to act out as designers and models. These virtual experiences extend to adults, where we can simulate changes in our hair and cosmetics via online software. The market is expansive, and is an extension of our fascination with human appearance in all its diversity and forms.

Only one international magazine really took the lead in presenting the possibilities of Second Life to the world. Frolic Mills and others through his renowned publication BEST OF SL Magazine interviewed Rosedale and subsequent SL CEOS over the years. More than that, they followed the lifestyle and culture of Second Life.

High glossy images by professional photographers and contributions by seasoned journalists, and the entrepreneurial intuition of Frolic Mills and his staff, contributed to the virtual revolution - by archiving the unfolding content creation, but also by provoking, challenging and pushing the boundaries of the virtual realm. BOSL became far more than a magazine; it became center stage for theatrical productions featuring fashion, music, dance, and film at its state-of-the-art amphitheater. The architectural designs of its offices, performance spaces, and fashion districts marked notable advances in virtual technology. BOSL attracted top designers and builders in real life to try their skills in the

virtual world. BOSL under the corporate helm of Frolic Mills became a hub for virtual ingenuity and integrity. The stated intent of SL has always been to provide a creative space for content creation, without specifying what that meant. Without content creators, the virtual world would remain a blank slate. It took the genius of Mills and his team to illustrate the potential - to communicate the boundless beauty and magic of Second Life to those in-world and those of the real world, the latter of which peered into the rabbit hole, wondering what all this means - or might mean in the future. I had the opportunity to interview Mills for my book SECOND LIFE, MEDIA AND THE OTHER SOCIETY in the year preceding its 2010 publication. What becomes clear is that his fashion and magazine empire was never exclusively his, for he considered it a living chronicle of the virtual world and future to come.

Of course, this might sound a bit inflated to those without hindsight to understand that Second Life is not merely a technology;

it is an expression of total creativity

funneled into a virtual portal, in which mind and body loses track of any sense of what is reality. The boundaries are beyond global and stellar. If one might walk into a painting or a movie that might only partly describe the virtual experience. In fact, many art and moving installations feature such opportunities. Increasingly, scientists are discovering that human experience is not defined by physical borders. We are an accumulation of our experiences, and that includes all the imagery, sounds, and emotions one absorbs and filters from a multitude of sources. It really depends on the openness and perspectives we bring to the experience. I tend to lean toward Ray Bradbury's 1953 description of television in the future, a room of screens, where the viewer can participate in the plot. But in Fahrenheit 451, the participant was confined to the parameters of the script. There is no script in the virtual world, unless you create it.

I use the word "script" intentionally as a metaphor, referring also to the process of scripting animations and movement in a virtual world, all of this must be created by or for content designers and builders. A script, in another sense, is the roadmap for the fashion agency that plans out a virtual fashion show, in which each model plays his or her role. In every media production, a script is central to organization and often storytelling. Second Life provides for fantasy and role play, and the story comes to life

on the runway, magazine pages, and cinematic trailers and commercials. Second Life takes the designer closer towards his or her imaginative potential. The virtual world provides the portal, and positions us as it continually allows for blurring between real and virtual realm boundaries.

This book presents the case of the fashion industry, and if you consider how much has changed in fashion technology since the inception of Second Life, you will begin to understand the relevance of the virtual fashion industry. With the advent of 3D printing where designers can produce their graphic designs into wearable fashion, the virtual world scene does not appear so contrary. In this book, Frolic Mills makes note that some top designers became wealthy within Second Life, and others made the cross-over into real fashion - and of course real world designers imported versions of their work into Second Life. As fashion schools and companies contemplate on the future of fashion design, they acknowledge the rapid changes in technology and design techniques, the idea that the point of design to distribution is becoming simplified and shortened.

Yet, so many have not thought on how to implement these changes in

fashion education and business. This book should provide a guide to those seeking to launch or moreover reposition their fashion career, training program or business; if you haven't already realized the need to do so, you are behind the curve. To truly understand the possibility of virtual design, one must venture into Second Life and comparable virtual worlds on the horizon.

Frolic Mills takes you beyond that point, to lessons that he has learned about the fashion business by getting inside the minds of models and designers - and inside his own imagination. He has managed to find the commonalities and cross-opportunities between worlds that once seemed so distinctly apart from one another. The virtual world allows for an intimacy not always possible within real life. Its members have an opportunity to revision themselves, and often anonymously. Experimentation and exploration allow for new found freedom in fashion and nearly every other aspect of creativity. In time, many virtual designers and models "come out" and share their real world identities, and have realized their careers have flourished by making such connections. The virtual world is the ultimate drafting table, as well as a means to bring

designs and imagination to fruition. Nothing is more real than watching your ideas come to life on screen, and to share those ideas virtually and virally online, if you so wish. The virtual world is only as confined and limited as is your access to the Internet and, I should add, your imagination.

In a special contribution at the end of this book, I will address the role of media in the virtual world, as one that is not so different from real life. Also by the end of this book, you will realize the complexities of the fashion world are sometimes simplified when one looks through another lens - in this case, the virtual lens and the "sharp eye" of Frolic Mills. It is then you will truly understand what it takes to be FABOULOUS in any world!

Phylis Johnson, Ph.D., is a Professor of Media, and writes on virtual culture and society.

Under the avatar pseudonym Sonicity Fitzroy, she worked as a reporter for

BEST OF SL Magazine, covering society, fashion, education and media. She is the author of four books, two of which exclusively address Second Life and virtual worlds.

She maintains an active media presence in Second Life.

FABULOUS! | A Must Read Book for All Fashion Models

By Frolic Mills

Acknowledgments: Preface by Persia Bravin Introduction by Phylis Johnson (Sonicity Fitzroy), PhD., Editor

Chapters: 1. What is a Model?

2. Finding Your Moves 3. Principles of Styling 4. Good Taste Can Be Learned 5. Posing the Right Way. Selling or Just Posing?

6. Model Branding and Ethics 7. Uniqueness Counts 8. Making it to the Top

Appendix: Lights, Camera, Action - You're On! Media in the Virtual World

by Phylis Johnson

Chapter One: What is a Model?

"Fashion is about dreaming and making other people dream."

Donatella Versace

Take a trip down memory lane with me back to 2007 when a young, hopeful newbie first saw a casting call for female and male models as a group announcement in Second Life, a vibrant virtual world that was providing opportunities for income and fame to people left and right. Being curious as a cat, I decided to check it out. I dressed as best as I could within my very limited outfit possibilities back in those days, and went to the audition.

“Everybody line up!� barked the Casting Director. We all stood in the middle of some road, as straight as we could. Quickly, he called out some names, including mine, and the rest were kicked out of the audition. A lesson I learned right then and there is the art of kindness: Be kind to all who show up and participate in an audition process.

Perhaps they were not what you were looking for, but they still made the effort to show up to your casting call. The effort must be met with thankfulness and a grateful attitude, and that served as my first lesson in professionalism for a career in virtual fashion that had not yet unfolded.

After what seemed like hours upon hours of walking, posing, and deliberating, two people were left standing in front of the casting directors: me and a female avatar. I kept asking myself how they could compare a female avatar to a male avatar to make their final decision, but I didn’t dare ask. At the end of the audition process, the female avatar was chosen, but I was offered the opportunity to make a video for a client who was requesting two male models.

I lost the audition, but a door opened, or so I thought.

The Casting Director explained to me that his client wanted to make a video with two naked men for her own personal use. He offered me 500 Linden Dollars (about $2 USD) and being so eager to begin my modeling career in a virtual world I did not understand, I accepted. But there was a problem: I did not own a virtual penis nor did I have the monetary means to get one. I only had a week to prepare and be anatomically correct for the job. What was I going to do?

Being from Venezuela, a country that restricts the amount of dollars you can buy each year, I had no access whatsoever to the Linden economy. I had secured a job at a virtual Latin disco a few weeks earlier, and a miracle happened. While I was playing music, some random avatar asked me if I were a virgin inside Second Life. Being honest as well as extremely embarrassed, I answered live in voice through my music streaming equipment that I was indeed a virgin because I could not afford a decent penis. The owner of the disco opened a "Penis for Frolic Foundation" and in less than one hour I had enough funds for a glorious new cock. I finished streaming and went

shopping for my member as fast as I could, and readied myself for my first modeling job.

The above scenario may not make much sense to any real-life models reading this book, but believe me when I tell you that shopping for a virtual penis is an experience very similar to buying a scarf, make-up, a dress, or anything else at Barney’s, New York.

We all need accessories, and in Second Life a penis is an

attachment similar to a purse in the real world. That might not serve as the best metaphor, but the point is made.

The day came, and I was ready. I must have checked my naked avatar's anatomy over a million times to make sure everything was beautiful and correct. I took the teleport (yes, in virtual worlds we travel by teleport – no Yellow Cab is necessary, thank God!) offered by the filmmaker, and arrived dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, exuding as much confidence as I possibly could (considering this was my first-ever modeling job). "Get naked," the director demanded, and I obediently stripped. A lady avatar was in the room and she was already completely naked, and so I felt a bit stupid having entered the room dressed when I knew I had to be naked for the job. Another guy entered shortly after, and I assumed he would be the other avatar shooting this session with me. The woman, who was also the client, started typing what she wanted out of the session. She said "It has been my dream always to be in a three-way with two beautiful male models, and since that won’t be happening in the real world any time soon, I came to Second Life to fulfill this dream." I was in shock!

Before you call me a prude, understand that artistic male nudes happen all the time in the real world. I honestly had no way of knowing I would be involved in a sex film. I could have clicked the teleport back home, but I did not. I stayed true to the commitment because I was particularly curious to learn how this experience would develop in a virtual world. Keep in mind I had only been a part of this virtual world for less than a month and I wanted to know it all. The film director threw some scripted animations in the form of small balls all over the room and asked all three of us to take different colored balls. The client's ball was pink, the other male model took the green

ball, and I jumped on the blue one. The balls automatically synchronized, the scripts started running, and there I was – having sex in my first virtual porn film.

I cannot deny that I was mildly aroused and, for all intents and purposes, interested by the entire experience, but I was also wildly disappointed as a fashion model. This was not what I signed up for and this was not what I wanted out of modeling in any world. After all was said and done, I shut down my computer and went to bed with mixed emotions. What had I done? Was it right? Should I have left and not gone through with it? Questions like these haunted me for some time. But the bottom line is the experience taught me several important lessons: 1) Be kind to everyone who auditions for you or with you. This applies to agencies, talent scouts, and models alike.

2) Be humble and of good spirit even if you lose a competition. You never know what other doors may open from an audition process or modeling competition.

3) Arrive at the audition dressed as requested by the Casting Director.

4) Do not ever compromise your integrity. Accept those jobs that will further your own career interests, and deny those that will not.

By learning what a model is not, I walked down the path toward learning what a fashion model really is. Having no real modeling experience of any kind to properly define the term at this point in my virtual career, I looked to other modeling opportunities and landed in a brand new modeling agency called MAD. What was to happen during my involvement with this agency would change my vision on modeling from that point forward. The answer to the question posed in this chapter will go unanswered until Chapter 8: "Making it to the Top." Follow me through my journey and perhaps things will become apparent for you, as they did for me.

Chapter Two: Finding your Moves.

"Confidence. If you have it, you can make anything look good."

Diane von Furstenberg

The sign read: MAD AGENCY is looking for male and female models. My friend Isis, whom I met at a virtual disco while I was the dj, and I decided to give it a try. Wasn't this exactly what we needed to give our second lives a bit of interest and purpose? We quickly applied and went through the agony of waiting for an answer. There were so many beautiful pictures on the casting wall; we weren't sure if we would make it so to

take our mind off things, we would go shopping for even better hair, then even better shoes and we just kept experimenting with our avatars. Even today, I think this is vital for anyone who wishes to be involved in fashion modeling. Finding your look, your uniqueness and your beauty by experimentation is the first step in landing jobs and agency invitations.

But we forgot about one thing, Pose animations! I don't know if forgot is the right term, as it feels to me we were both clueless about the possibilities inside this virtual world. We both had our animation overriders (a nifty little device that animates avatars automatically, also denoted as "AO") and we simply trusted they would get the job done.

I think it's not that coincidental that virtual worlds imitate the real world. Aspiring models from all over the world first start finding their look, and once they hear from enough people how beautiful they are, some find their courage to begin a modeling career. Put them in front of a camera or on the runway and they are usually lost. The art of movement must be leaned in both lives as quickly as possible, or you will present yourself like a sack of potatoes.

The notice finally arrived. Isis and I were both MAD AGENCY MODELS! We were ecstatic, jumping up and down as happy as one would imagine. We were given photo shoot appointments and went crazy looking for the perfect outfit for this occasion.

What a joyous moment for both of us, and thinking back on this, it may be the reason I dedicated so much of my virtual time focused on making models happy only a few months later when I would create my own fashion world.

A week later our beautiful head shots were displayed at MAD AGENCY and the fashion shows began. I remember when I first saw the runway finished, I stood on it and must have practiced at least a million times on how to walk on it correctly. That's when I discovered, that a straight line could be walked in SL by simply drawing an imaginary line from the center of your head all the way to the center of the end of the runway or whatever other spot you wanted to reach. Once that line is drawn, you merely turn your avatar with the computer arrow keys, so that the middle of your head is facing perfectly the midpoint.

If you do this, it doesn't matter where you start walking from the backstage, you will always walk a straight line to the point you selected. Years later, it would always make me laugh when I saw models crowding in the center of the runway exit "to make sure they walked nicely centered." I never had to do this, rather I stood anywhere backstage as long as I was able to see the center of my intended destination. I would always walk a perfectly straight line no matter from where I started. It was pure magic at least in 2007, when no one had any idea how such an amazingly strategic but simple feat could be accomplished. I suppose real life models don't have to deal with any of this because calculating a straight and centered line is so much easier in the physical world, and yet I have seen so many crashes and pushes on the A list fashion runways, it makes me wonder if a little virtual experience wouldn't help these real life models.

Consider how valuable imagination is in both scenarios; it would serve models well to visualize their movement before they even take their first step.

After I don't know how many hours of practicing, I felt confident I could walk, turn and perform all sorts of fancy stuff on the runway, and yes, I got casted for the first MAD SHOW ever. Now seven years later, I still laugh when I recall how I ignored the art of posing, thinking it wasn't important enough.

Modeling was all about me, at this point. I was handsome, I got hired, I got casted. Me, me and just me! Not once did it occur to me that modeling was a service I would be performing to sell clothes on behalf of the client - the fashion designer. For me it was an opportunity to walk down the runway so everyone saw how beautiful I was or at least, so others saw my ability to make a fabulous male avatar in a virtual world. I say this embarrassed about my naĂŻvetĂŠ back then, but also knowing for a fact, that many new models feel exactly the same way, regardless if they don't acknowledge how easy it is to fall prey to the glamour and ego inherent in the business. I suppose learning is a curve which is only traveled by the courageous of character. The weak ones who can never find fault with themselves are lost to self-absorption, where they assign blame to others as in "look what - he, she, they - did to me." By doing so, they actually relinquish their ability to learn from their mistakes, and while the error or misunderstanding might not be entirely theirs, they fail to learn the importance of professionalism. It's rather

horrible to watch, but it reigns as truth that must be confronted by agencies, media and even fashion designers in any world. The fashion world is a community, and it requires a well-coordinated team effort. Individualism has its time and place, but that is not equivalent to making it all about you. That is something I learned, and became all the better for it.

On the first meeting we had with Mr. Kirk Claymore, owner of MAD AGENCY along with Mr. Maddox Dupont, he asked if any of us had modeling experience, and up to this day I still ask myself why I said I did. Asides from a porn movie and myself taught runway experience, I knew very little about it. I did do a course in a modeling agency (I cannot remember the name of) prior to MAD AGENCY but it was mostly about Second Life technicalities.

I picked up some basic skills on how to use certain keyboard

commands - such as Ctrl Alt (how to view a room without moving) and other little nifty shortcuts. Kirk selected me as a runway instructor after I detailed what was then my wealth of experience, and so there I was teaching my first modeling course, which mainly consisted of how to walk a straight line, with my recently self-discovered trick. I

also taught would-be models on how to use the in-world camera correctly. That was about all I knew. I suppose we practiced these tasks numerous times to fill the lessons.

On another occasion he requested that I help him give feedback on poses. We both stood there watching one horrible pose after another but had no knowledge of how to make them better. The real issue was that the pose, being an animation, was dependent on the skills and design of the content creator. This person would craft a particular movement in the physical world with computers and human actors, synced to a motion capture unit and program. It is much more sophisticated than that, but the problem was early animations were fairly rudimentary. A number of "animation pose" stores quickly blossomed in Second Life, but most of the movements began as cuddles, fantasy dances, and gimmicks. Now finding something for professional modeling in a virtual world, well that was something completely out of our control. No one knew where the good animations were at, or even if they existed.

After this devastating exercise, where I saw models standing like herons, where I saw people unintentionally performing leg splits befitting of a gymnast than a model, and where I saw more arm pits that I could care to admit, I knew something had to change and this led me to the following realizations: 1) The perfect AO does not exist; it must be created by the model, and 2) Second Life modeling had to imitate real life modeling or it would not work.

These comical/fantasy poses had to go, or no one would seriously embrace a modeling profession in Second Life. Just like in the real world, cute girls do all kinds of crazy poses in front of a mirror; only the ones who grow out of that to really believe they are beautiful, those who understand the secret is to be themselves (apart from the clichĂŠ cutesy and artsy mannerisms and stereotypes), succeed in the modeling world.

In a short time, I had transitioned from novice model to instructor to virtual explorer and then entrepreneur. We had to find better animation designers in a world where there was no real directory to guide us. The world was new with ideas and visions, but lacked concrete resources for locating them. I started investigating and discovered a beautiful virtual reality with "human" limitations. It was difficult to find these cool places based on the search button alone. As I considered the vastness of the

untamed virtual world and the opportunities that abound, I began to visualize the potential of no longer only that of modeling and fashion shows, but everything beautiful in Second Life came to mind - that which was already, and that which could be. The world would not be static either - it would be full of movement, beautiful movement and I would capture its evolution. I would document the creative birth of this new second space unfolding before us. THE BEST OF SL MAGAZINE came into my head for the first time, but I had no idea how to make it a reality - not yet anyway.

By now I was private tutoring male and female students in the fine art of modeling, and one day a female avatar by the name of Giela Delpaso came to me for help. She was hopeful, beautiful and gentle in her ways. I taught her everything I knew at that time, but more importantly she became my friend and the woman who helped me build my virtual vision that would change my life forever.

Based on my experiences, let me underscore some lessons from this chapter that need to be understood by any modeling student: 1) Find your look. Experiment until you start getting positive feedback from others and then go out and cast until you find a valid opportunity. Artists and models are definitely artists; those saying they don't care about others' opinions are either lying or have a really good manager behind them doing the job they cannot perceive or fulfill by themselves. Maybe they were not trying when they were discovered in a supermarket by a talent scout. Or, maybe the soon-to-be discovered model was simply painting, oblivious to the forthcoming stardom, and amazed when told by an agent of his or her

talent. All art depends on the agreement that it is worth seeing, and this agreement must come from others, whether realized or not.

2) Understand that the art of modeling is about how well you perform sales for fashion designers and that this is a vocation to be learned; no matter how beautiful you are, you must master the professionalism that it takes to present yourself as part of that fashion statement the designer has envisioned, for they have entrusted you with their creations and imagination. Being born beautiful is not a talent; it's what you do with it that exemplifies who you really are. Just the same, making a beautiful avatar is only 50% of the task; the other half is learning how to use it to sell clothes - that being the acquired education of modeling, one that comes from experience, hard work and a willingness to learn.

3) Learn your tools. Investigate the available resources until you have the perfect AO and the appropriate poses for each occasion. In the real and virtual worlds, this means, practice, practice and more practice until you feel confident you can walk and pose effortlessly. It also means that you might become a bit of an entrepreneur and locate someone who can develop that unique, professional pose that fits with your sense of being. Many of the top models become savvy business leaders within the fashion industry.

I will cover more on the art of movement and modeling later on, but for new students, these points will serve well for now.

Want to make it to the top? Continue reading and discover what really makes a model indispensable for all fashion designers.

Chapter Three: Principles of Styling

"A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous."

Coco Chanel

Now that we have established that you must look the part and that moving well on the runway is a must in this profession, you still have much to learn about being one of the "beautiful people," going beyond the basic knowledge of how to walk and pose.

You may be eager to start auditioning for different casting directors and agencies, but nothing can be more frustrating than some of these comments: "Too common," "Not commercial," "Not special enough," and "You are not what we are looking for," amongst others. In real life, you were born the way you were born, and unless you intend to go through very painful and expensive surgeries, there is nothing you can do about it. Of course, one might diet, exercise and attend to basic body care, all of which offer some improvement for most people Moreover conceptions of beauty can be fickle, depending on trends, preferences, and those other characteristics that come into play when we consider a model to be unique and stunning, standing out among the rest of the crowd.

For some models it is a god given grace, but for most it is a learning curve that can be developed with hard work. I have seen this process over and over again in thousands of

models who transform themselves into magnificent works of art. This is the purpose of this book.

Now, let me take you away to a parallel universe. In Avatar Land, nearly anything and everything is possible, when it comes to near perfection (which can be accomplished with a variety of appearances and approaches). That is the fun of modeling in a virtual world. Your personality can shine through your avatar, you also have the edge of being able to shift body coordinates to make tweaks here and there and even radical modifications - until you start landing jobs. Alas, there is something every model can do to enhance appearance without taking any drastic measures: the art of styling and the magic of make believe.

Listening to what these casting people have to say, within reason, can be key to making appropriate adjustments. As in real life, first accept the fact that it is impossible to achieve perfection, for such is a journey not a destination. In a virtual world, you might come closer to your ideal goal, but without a commitment to being open to professional critique, one will forfeit the ability to learn from experience. That is true in any life, first or second.

So, not surprisingly, it comes down to your willingness and openness in trying new things, as you walk down the virtual runway, towards making a better and more fabulous you.

Styling is basically the art of make believe, essentially bringing out the beauty of the product with the intention of creating sales, simultaneously detracting notice from imperfections while calling attention to positive attributes. The concept of styling was developed in 1929 after the Great Depression as a means to boost retail sales.

I make this reference with the intention of communicating an important reality to every model in the world, virtually and physically, that being: the very idea behind casting is matching you to the product you are hired to promote. That is the sales mission of casting agencies. When you are selected (cast), you are not selling a perfume nor an outfit. It is a much more powerful relationship, for you are selling yourself as a possible venue to represent a product or a designer. It is through you that sales will increase for the product or fashion designer, but before you land this opportunity, you must sell yourself as the person who can get the job done.

You partake in a business relationship. In a sense, you must separate your insecurities of criticism from who you actually are as a person, by understanding what makes you valuable to the client, and then realign yourself within the sales strategy.

Like the product, we all have imperfections, yet those can be minimized by reconceptualizing them creatively.

A significant way to demonstrate your beauty, skill and personality is through your modeling portfolio, a photography book that professionally exhibits your various looks and exudes your mastery of style. Your portfolio will tell any agency and casting director a lot more than you could say in any live interview. Make sure every photo sells something, even if it is simply "you." Get rid of the ones which detract or say nothing. A good modeling potfolio should implicitly say, "I am a model. I can sell any product. I can make believe that I am perfect and I can also make believe your product is perfect."

This is the communication you want to come across as you select photos for your book. The art of make-up, hair and outfit styling, and appropriate posing will all play an important role in this exercise. It is vital that the photographer who creates the shoot understands what is necessary for a successful compilation even if this person is a photo enthusiast who lives next door, in the case you cannot afford a professional session.

Hiring a "professional" photographer" does not always guarantee a successful portfolio. You will need to think through your portfolio ahead of time and work with the photographer to create a book that highlights your uniqueness and salability. Just know that any and all photos no matter from where they come, could be a valid asset to your book that will land you on the doorsteps of a modeling career. That's where your imagination can come into play, and it would be advisable to take a peek at some outstanding portfolio books. Ask your agent, a friend, or look online for examples.

Get advice, be unique, professional, and remember the bottom line is presenting yourself as an asset to the product as well as an integral communication in showcasing the design appropriately so you make someone want to buy the experience,. Every product offers a tangible experience. Consumers need to imagine themselves wearing that item, being part of that fantasy, that moment. That's Show Biz. That's the fashion industry. That's what you are buying into as a fashion model.

So what is styling? It is making things interesting and beautiful to the eyes of the beholder through the tasteful usage of combining elements like accessories, props, fashion, make-up, lights, hair styling and the art of posing with the sole intention of selling something. For some people this is a gift that comes naturally, but for most, this is an art to be learned.

Rule of thumb:

1) Understand that the art of styling is the art of making things beautiful with the purpose of selling.

Feeling a bit lost as to how to do all this? Do not fret, for the fine line between good taste and mediocrity will be drawn in the next chapter.

Chapter Four: Good Taste can be Learned

"It's a new era in fashion - there are no rules. It's all about the individual and personal style, wearing high-end, low-end, classic labels, and up-and-coming designers all together."

Alexander McQueen

I have always heard that good taste cannot be taught. You either have it or you don't. But in my seven years of experience as a model coach for thousands of students, I have learned that this is not true. If you direct students to the proper references, they can learn to distinguish what is fabulous from what is not. Good taste most of the time depends on sound instruction rather than student intuition. Of course, as in any career, you will always find a few people who somehow don't quite get it, no matter what you do, but they are indeed exceptions and not the rule. From my experience the percentages favor success: 95% will learn how to become much better models than when they started, 5% will not. About 7% will find proper model representation and work in the field, but only 1 or 2 models will make it to the top, every two years. I realize this is an odd means to calculate success, but experience has taught me the hard way that modeling is a competitive and rigorous field. I would feel remiss not to mention the difficulties and hard work that await you, if you so choose modeling as a path.

You may ask yourself how is a virtual world comparable to the real world? And I invite you to make your own assessments. Let's take New York City as a prime example, one of the most vibrant cities in the world for modeling and arts in general. In my opinion, it reigns supreme in the variety of nationalities of the people who live and work there. There is no better gourmet sampling anywhere in the world, the arts and culture found in NYC is unparalleled by any other city. The limited space in Manhattan lends itself to a natural selection among the talent available. In essence, only the very best, in any field, survive in NYC and that includes modeling.

Now, let's take a glance into Second Life to understand, as the prime virtual world example, what it brings in the way of opportunities. It is renowned, now more than a decade old, as the most vibrant virtual world that exists for creativity, being comprised of some of the most talented 3D artists in the world.

What makes it so great? Again, in my opinion, the variety of nationalities and cultures from around the world ranks high, and lends to a confluence of ideas and talent. The natural selection, who will succeed or not, is influenced by a willingness to challenge oneself with something quite different and innovative. The tough learning

curve to master the in-world technology and more significantly all the design programs that are available to create within Second Life determines one's fashion's sense and success. At this point, you might say I am not interested in learning graphic design programs, nor learning how to maneuver an avatar in a fictitious "game" world. In a sense, the competitive nature of modeling in any world makes the profession comparable to a game, as in the game of life, of risk and skill.

Let's take some time to clarify these thoughts. For one, if you remember, we noted that you would need to achieve the art of make believe to succeed in the modeling world.

Secondly, we noted the importance of a modeling portfolio book. It

becomes evident that imagination and creativity are essential in a modeling career.

Modeling is far from a passive career, where you can anticipate your star shining so brightly that everyone gathers around you to perform all the necessary tasks - and certainly you should not rely on the imagination of another when achieving your own dream. I would venture to say that some of the best modeling portfolios are created by those with design skills, or those who know enough to be able to enlist artists of appropriate talent to help them to achieve their goals.

To understand the art of modeling, you must be familiar with its history of creativity and artistry; where else might one practice and perform imagination than a virtual world. It might just provide the critical edge to your real life modeling career, allowing you to practice in-world and gain confidence, while perfecting your design skills that cross-over professionally to RL agencies that are leaning increasingly toward the virtual realm. Of course, there are differences between the worlds, and certainly you might find that your odds toward success in a virtual world might increase as your design skills strengthen. In any regard, a glimpse of the modeling world of the future is evident in platforms like Second Life, where illusion and magic are created when your computer and imagination connect online, together with thousands of others with the same dream, yet actualized uniquely by what you bring to the equation. That's how you increase your odds toward virtual success.

So is the virtual world of modeling really that different from the so-called real world? In fact, what if you were the top model of a virtual NYC, London, Paris or Rome fashion show, might you not stand out and garner the attention of real life agencies, trying to bridge online and retail sales. It might not be the same as being on that Paris runway in the physical world, but the feeling will be the same - that rush as you walk down the virtual runway - the runway of the future present.

I often ponder about how incredible it is, that anything that can be found in NYC can also be found in Second Life. Theaters, live concerts, shopping venues, bars, discos, and even restaurants. You name it, we have it. A study by researchers at the University of California at Los Angeles (see Stuart Wolpert's "Brain's Reaction to Virtual Reality," UCLA Newsroom, November 24, 2014) has indicated that the brain is not constrained to its usual spatial mapping when engaged in virtual worlds, and that our minds actually respond uniquely, creatively, to these immersive experiences. Our brain fills in the gaps, connecting all our senses, to create a holistic experience that is truly real to our being.

That is the fashion world in which you have an opportunity to be a

part of at this very moment in history.

I suppose that by making this comparison all I am trying to establish is that modeling even in a virtual world is not as easy as it may sound, but it is rewarding in its

own sense, and perhaps will be increasingly more so in the near future. You will be faced with some of the most incredible fashionistas that, if discovered by real life fashion designers, would get hired as stylists in a heartbeat. Some just have it down to a science, and it is really beautiful to witness. Add to that, the ability to make a gorgeous avatar and the knowledge to choose appropriate poses and walks down the runway, and you have a fabulous model. A model might inspire a fashion agency campaign, or might trigger 3D fashion, spin-off games or webisodes, movies, animated culture, and real life fashion (to look like your avatar). It truly becomes the case of stepping into the modeling future, going beyond the photoshopped pages of magazines to a completely revolutionary way of exhibiting fashion via a customized avatar and world.

As a teacher I sometimes lock my camera on some avatars as I scratch my head thinking what in the world are they doing enrolled in a modeling course. This happens particularly with beginning students, where in one glance you just know these people have no clue - not in the virtual world, and certainly not in the real one either. They are just an ode to poor taste and a big mess all around. But teaching the right way has taught me that miracles can happen; more than one "mess" has turned around and flourished as a beautiful and respectable model. The trick is how to teach them, and I am trusting the recompilation of my experience as a tutor in this book will serve as a helpful guide to hopeful modeling students in both the virtual and real world.

So I return to my initial question of this chapter: how does one teach and learn the art of good taste? For modeling instructors anywhere, the answer resides within your ability to assign appropriate exercises, demonstrate adequate examples and insist they try again and again each time demanding a little bit more. After all, when was the last time a child enjoyed caviar on their first try? When was the last time a child demanded couture to go to the playground? Did baby Anna Wintour scream in horror when she was dressed in some ugly outfit? I don't know the answer to these questions, but I do know that appreciating the finest things in life is an acquired taste for most.

I remember during some of my classes how I would assign a styling challenge to my students inspired by the latest collections of Chanel, Armani, YSL, Christian Lacroix, Jean Paul Gaultier, Dior; Carolina Herrera and many others. I would instruct them to

search and pick a look that they could replicate inside Second Life by mixing and matching elements from many virtual fashion designers. You would not believe some of the results, all from assigning a simple exercise like this one. I swear some of my modeling graduation shows were so fabulous, they could inspire any fashionista anywhere in the world. Similarly, any real life modeling instructor could assign these types of exercises despite the differences in monetary cost. After all, finding a fabulous pair of black pants, the right scarf, a classic blouse, or the perfect pair of jeans, in some vintage store somewhere doesn't have to be expensive. It's how you mix them which will get you results, and these results can be taught by directing students to observe what is right in fashion (to know the rules first is to be able to break them) and demanding excellence every single time.

Moreover, an instructor must have a keen eye as to what is fabulous to what is not, and I suppose this is where the art of teaching must transcend mediocrity.

Instructors have a particular responsibility to keep themselves current as to the trends

and techniques to maintain their credibility as well as to ensure students are presented with tips and information they can use to improve their appearance and sense of style.

After all, a model cannot simply look good on the runway. Way before she arrives there, she must look the part for agencies, photographers and casting directors. Instructors, teach your students well. Students, listen and practice what your instructors share with you.

For all modeling students, I just have this little line. Practice and practice until you find what looks amazing on you. Learn what colors look best on you, learn what style is your strongest, become your worst critic and separate the fabulous from the garbage. If you cannot feel confident about this, rely on others' opinions. When their jaws drop, take it as a sign of arrival; when they pierce their lips (as in the movie: The Devil Wears Prada) or aren't sure, throw it away. When you have it right you will know, because nothing feels better nor gets you more compliments than wearing your perfect outfit.

Learn to recognize it.

To end this chapter, I would like to share an editorial note that I published a while back in my magazine. It's titled The Modeling Scale: From Newbie to Top! I have modified some parts for the sake of this writing.

"THE MODELING SCALE: FROM NEWBIE TO TOP!�

The Newbie Model; The Fashion Whore; The Insecure Model; The "Confident" Know-It-All Model; The Good Model; The A-List Model; The Top Model. During the span of a model's career, he or she will fall into one of these categories on the scale. Some move swiftly through to the top and others take longer to advance. Some may get frustrated with it all and quit at any stage. After several years of teaching and working closely with models, I believe one thing is certain: If you are currently a model, you are in one of these classifications.

THE NEWBIE MODEL: She/he has made the decision to become a model, but is completely unaware of what that entails. Not having enough information to know good quality from poor, the Newbie Model actually thinks anything new is fabulous. This person may actually feel warm and fuzzy inside over an ugly new sweater from grandma.

She/he is completely confused over walks and poses, and walks like a drunken hooker on Hollywood Boulevard. Newbies with money to spend in Second Life will have the most expensive and latest AO available, but will have no clue on how to use it. This is the student who stands in class and moves like crazy striking all kinds of poses that make no sense. In the real world alike, this student will have no clue as to what a pose is for and will strike all kinds of clownish poses or stand there not doing much of anything.

His/her ability to learn and move up on this scale will depend entirely on the model's willingness to both process information quickly and spend the necessary time to observe other models. A model, in this stage, could tell her friend she was wearing a truly beautiful dress and cannot believe she was not chosen for an agency or some other type of casting. Many don't ever pass this stage, and leave modeling wondering what the hell is wrong with people.

THE FASHION WHORE: Just above the Newbie, we find the Fashion Whore. The Fashion Whore is determined to be different and will go to great lengths to prove his/her point. Here, we find the most perplexing of all models. She/he will wear anything that looks like it was purchased from the Liberace House of Crap! This is the kingdom of exaggerated accessories, absurd posing, and over-the-top makeup. This person is desperate to make his/her mark, but does it in all the wrong ways.

A modeling teacher confronted with a student fitting this description will stutter a little, not knowing where to begin the critique; the student might be in complete shock

wondering why you didn't appreciate his/her "fabulous" outfit and modeling efforts. But this model is higher than the Newbie and once he/she observes a bit better and comes to realize that a model is not a circus clown, this student will improve.

THE INSECURE MODEL: After receiving a severe reality adjustment from the previous phase, this model feels he/she simply doesn't know anything anymore. This model, as a student, will become any teacher's worst pain in the ass. She/he will ask the instructor anything and everything! "Is my walk okay?" "Oh, can you please look at my nails?" "Teacher, teacher can you look at my walk again? I changed my end pose a little bit!" And so on.

But he/she is eager to learn and get it right. I actually don't mind students like this because their passion and eagerness are what will eventually make some of them into Top Models.

Special note to all friends of an Insecure Model: If you happen to have a neighbor or a friend who is in this phase of development, and unless you have the patience of a saint, I suggest you take a high dose of Nerve-Calm. Your friend might move to your house and show you everything he/she has purchased, then proceed to demonstrate to you how one accessory or piece of clothing looks combined with some other thing.

When you finally say: "Oh yes, that looks great," he/she will change it all over again and ask you again and again. Such people at this stage might even attempt for you to look at them through a mirror, so you see how he/she looks with every change of facial expression.

If you manage to survive this stage of your friend's modeling life, you will become his/her best friend forever!

THE "CONFIDENT" KNOW-IT-ALL MODEL: Just above the Insecure Model we have the most dangerous position of this entire scale: THE KNOW-IT-ALL! This person, with renewed confidence from his/her

previous position on the scale, thinks he/she is now above everyone else. This model feels absolutely certain he/she is always pure perfection, and the opinions of others are met with the thought that anyone who disagrees as being plain crazy.

This person now enters any and all modeling pageants and is determined to win them all! She/he may have won a local small pageant and now is 100% sure that he/she is a TOP Model - but unfortunately this title is held only in his/her mind.

This is the student that will reply to a modeling teacher (with a sneer): "If you don't like it, I am so sorry, but I am not changing it!" This is the model that will create or comment on an anonymous website, bashing anyone if he/she doesn't win a pageant.

This person is insufferable, conceited, and very difficult to work with.

Fortunately, well-rounded social personalities will remain at this level for only a very short time, if any at all, and quickly realize there is lots of room for improvement.

Once that realization is accepted, this person will likely move up the ranks. However, less savvy models will remain at this level forever and will create problems for anyone who associates with them: designers, agencies, pageant owners, and other models.

One last note regarding this level. Some models have actually made it to Top Model with this wrong attitude because they listened to the one or two people for whom they had some respect. But they do not last. Due to the fact that they have burned one too many bridges, and by thinking that most everyone is wrong except themselves, they eventually find that no one wants to work with them any longer. It's a sad story but one I have seen too many times with my own eyes. I think we all know a real life model who dropped from Top to A-List (if that) for having this wrongful behavior.

THE GOOD MODEL: Once a model comes to accept that improvement is possible and learns that a model's job is not an ego trip from hell but a service to fashion designers, we have the Good Model.

The Good Model is neither incorrect nor great. She/he styles well and knows how to select poses that showcase the outfit in a proper way. However, there is something missing in this model. The good model is akin to background music: The music is pleasant but it does not grab anyone's attention.

Most models stay at this level forever. They are content with their achievements and are probably in the modeling agency of their dreams. The Good Model becomes complacent and no longer has the drive to push himself or herself further in the business. Their work is acceptable, is done correctly, and is professional. The ones with the drive to move higher on the scale usually find out the hard way that the top of the modeling world is by invitation only. At this stage of their modeling career, there is very little you can teach nor very much the model can do. They either have what it takes or they don't.

Models at this level comprise about 80% of all good modeling agencies in the world. The other 20% are either higher or lower on the scale.

THE TOP MODEL: She/he has moved on and is now seeking inspiration from the heavens. This model is so knowledgeable about fashion, walks and posing, he/she can do no wrong.

They are really in the know about the modeling world that they are very willing to try new things and take appropriate career chances. Of course, it also helped that this model caught the eye of casting directors and great fashion designers for whatever reasons. Maybe it is the way they walk, or the way they strike poses or some inexplicable tribute everyone has agreed as being a positive asset. This is the home of the "wows" and "oh-my-gods." When a Top Model walks down the runway, everyone knows it. This model is special, moves differently, exudes confidence, and looks amazing. The crowd goes wild for this type of model.

There is just one thing that differentiates a Top Model from the highest of them all, and this is an ability to communicate through the art of movement like no one else

can. All other considerations are based entirely on looks and others' agreement that he/she is a selling machine.

THE SUPERMODEL: Just above the Top model is the Supermodel. Untrained eyes can easily mistake these two types of models as they both can look great at any given time. But the Supermodel inspires the Top model and every other fashionista in the world. While great models get it right most of the time, the Supermodel has the exceptional ability to catch media attention and make sales like no other. A fabulous Top model may get "wows" but the Supermodel leaves everyone breathless. They are an unstoppable fashion and media machine that keeps every other model running about like headless chickens, lacking that clear direction innate to the Supermodel.

Frolic Mills

May this writing be of help to those who dedicate their lives to teaching this profession, to designers who put their trust in models, and to models themselves who wish to make it to the top.

To summarize this chapter, I will close by emphasizing one point: Don't ever believe a student was born with bad taste. Class and good taste can be taught, and if you do it right, you will help your students appreciate the art of fashion refinement. Perhaps a few students will be limited by an inability to observe and imitate, but most will learn and thank you for it.

Chapter Five. Posing the Right Way. - Selling or Just Looking Pretty?

"To create something exceptional, your mindset must be relentlessly focused on the smallest detail."

Giorgio Armani

As a poet communicates through words, a musician with musical notes, a painter through the stroke of his brush, models communicate their art through movement.

Learning to walk and pose correctly is vital to anyone who wants to make it in the art of modeling. I understand I am not reinventing the wheel here, but you would be surprised to know how many students have not yet taken to heart this lesson. Some of my modeling students when I asked them what a model is, would answer things as crazy as: "We are beautiful people acting as hangers... A model is a live mannequin," and many other twisted conceptions. I once found this definition of a model in a well-known dictionary: “One who is employed to display clothes or other merchandise,” and I asked myself - Why would any company pay millions of dollars to a model to do a job any mannequin can do? A model is not someone employed to “display” clothes, a model is someone who can sell merchandise through the art of movement. I will venture further into the definition of a model later in this book, but for the purposes of this chapter, my short definition will suffice as a clarification.

By now you all know that I strongly believe that models are indeed artists. They communicate beauty through movement like a dancer does. Setting looks and appeal aside, what then distinguishes the top models from the rest? It is the ability to choose the perfect walk and poses in order to make things look appealing in each presentation.

Obviously, walks refer only for when on the runway, but poses are equally important for a photoshoot as well as for runway shows.

I realize that commenting on the art of movement can be a very subjective topic, but nonetheless, one that I need to tackle if this guide is to be of any assistance to models.

What attributes make a good pose or a fabulous walk? Answering directly, it is the ability to choose them appropriately for the outfit that you are wearing, and that they are delivered with the highest level of expertise and confidence possible with the sole purpose of making the outfit appealing to the audience, media, critics and buyers. While

one particular walk and set of poses could be perfect for a Victoria Secret show, those same elements could be completely wrong for a Vera Wang bridal show and vice-versa.

I know models sometimes have runway coaches that tell them what to do, for each occasion, but a robot never made it to the top. Having your own understanding of what this business is all about grants you good judgment and perhaps it will give you the wings that you need to create your own image empire.

There are no right nor wrong poses. There are appropriate and inappropriate poses. What can work for one outfit may not work for another. There are other elements which also come into play, like for example, beautiful communication with your eyes (the heart and soul of a head-shot), correct extension of the neck and legs, etc. I won't go into any more details about this, because they all fall under appropriate and inappropriate poses anyways, but I mention them with the sole intention of making models aware that every bit of movement counts. Your body either makes a beautiful image, and delivers a powerful runway that catches everyone's attention, or it doesn't.

Everything in between is a rainbow of modeling mediocrity, and no one really wants to see that.

How to master the art of walking and posing? There are two things that can do this: 1) Proper modeling instruction with teachers who have good judgment and a keen eye for modeling excellence, and 2) Making your mirror your best friend.

Comparable to a concert pianist who spends countless hours with fingers poised on the keys, a fashion model needs to be aware about the movement of every bone while posing and walking. And so it begins: the relentless practice. Strike poses to see what works, what looks beautiful, what looks commercial, and what looks dramatic.

There are a million games you can perform and practice on your own in front of a mirror, and even if you cannot afford a proper modeling education, everyone has a friend who likes to watch various fashion weeks on YouTube. Invite him or her over and play together. Search for fabulous fashion posing and imitate them. Keep striking them until you feel you have made each one of those poses your own and can perform them naturally and effortlessly. Get your friend's critique until you are both satisfied you look

great. The countless exercises will help you become confident and fabulous all on your own.

A good pose will always showcase what you are wearing in the best possible way. On the contrary, a bad pose will distract from what you are selling or even worse, make it look bad. Always make sure you understand what you are selling, especially when modeling for a filmed commercial. Sometimes creative advertisers will find it challenging to sell things like perfume, for example, because the scent itself cannot be shared through a 30-second TV commercial. In this case, the story will center on the model, with the plot being one that personifies the scent to a woman of success, or a woman who suddenly finds happiness, or one who stands out among others in a room.

Whatever the message is, it must be delivered with fabulous body movement that leaves no doubt in the minds of the beholders. On a runway or a photoshoot, however, there is no room for interpretation, you and the product share the spotlight. Make it look fabulous while looking beautiful yourself.

In 2007 I launched my virtual modeling pageant called MISS VIRTUAL WORLD inside Second Life. Some ladies and gents were striking poses, lifting legs up in the air that made them look like flamingos. Some others were lifting their arms and showing armpits to the judges, all the while dressed in couture. I particularly remember a man who threw himself on the floor and a woman who did some ballet dancing at the end of the runway. I started raising eyebrows left and right and demanding better modeling poses. As soon as I was more confident in this virtual environment, I questioned everything from eyelashes to couture choices, from hair to accessories.

By this time, I had opened THE BEST OF SL MAGAZINE and little by little I became aware of virtual excellence. Amazing virtual designers had begun to abound, and I could not understand why I had to watch such mediocre animations and poor styling choices from these avatars that wanted to be called "models." This incongruence led me to what would become my virtual legacy inside Second Life: letting others know what was outstanding work inside a virtual environment through my magazine, and demanding models to know about them. I went on to open a modeling academy and a model agency as well, and some years later I started to receive titles and acknowledgments that I never expected. Some called me Fashion Jesus, or Fashion Guru, Sharp-Eye Frolic, and even Fashion Legend. Of course, I also received less desirable titles such as Bitch from Hell, Douche-Bag, and who knows what else.

I don't know if I deserved the good compliments, but I definitely deserved and understand all the undesirable ones. There was no other way to make changes and demand excellence in a virtual world that no one understood at that time, without pounding hard through critiques. But one thing was clear, the efforts of so many people to become better eventually led to incredible real life results, and some virtual fashion designers started to become millionaires, and even made it to the Forbes List in the real world thanks, in part, to the advertising work done by my magazine but mostly because of their amazing talent. The first top models in Second Life started to appear and I hold a secret pride that they were all created by the MISS VIRTUAL WORLD Organization. A synergy arose that had been unheard of before in any virtual world. The magazine pushed virtual designers to become better, and their work pushed models to try harder.

That's all I cared about, and it was just amazing to watch this beautiful evolution - and I might add transformation, where the physical and real world had become one as a fashion industry.

After seven years of teaching and publishing I decided to let lose my reign. I had given the industry everything I had to give and I wrote the following editorial note as an open letter to all models in Second Life. I don't know if my letter will have any value to real life models, but I would like to think that my experience inside this world may very

well describe, if you read between the lines, how modeling actually became a desirable profession even in the real world.

"AN OPEN LETTER TO ALL MY MODELING STUDENTS:

I've been meaning to write something to all my students since delivering my last, modeling course last weekend for the purpose of training new teachers.

It's been six long years of teaching and I still remember my first break as a modeling teacher with my dear friend Maddox DuPont for MAD AGENCY. I truly had no idea what I was doing back then except I knew how to walk a straight line and how to use a hud. Hmm, I also think I taught students about "alt left" click, inside Second Life, to look around without moving.

The good old days I miss them so very much. People modeled for fun and there was no bitterness, competition nor jealousy between any of us. No one got anonymous public attacks and things were simple and rewarding.

Of course, models were also ignored by most (if not all) FASHION DESIGNERS in SL back in 2007. No one really cared about this particular career and aside from modeling for MAD Agency, the most one could do back then was to stand in a shop for 24 lindens an hour (equivalent to a US dime). I remember I was among the very few lucky ones to get this job, and everyone was congratulating me for it. Go figure...

But I learned a lot! And then the best and the worst of modeling in SL happened: MISS VIRTUAL WORLD Organization was born. I started to question everything: I hated the poses, the couture choices, the hair styles and everything in between. I was raising eyebrows like a diva bitch from hell, and I blame myself completely for making the modeling world competitive. I didn't mean to; I just wanted to make better models but I suppose it completely escaped my hands once my teaching techniques got around.

The first misses started to blog the MVW styling challenges, and so fashion bloggers sprang all over; these models started paying attention to details like photography, how they posed, how they accessorized and they just started trying harder than the rest. TOP MODELS were created and FASHION DESIGNERS finally took notice.

IT WAS THE MISSES AND THE STUDENTS THEMSELVES WHO CHANGED THE FASHION WORLD AND MODELING AS WE KNOW IT. Some blame me and I suppose I have a little tiny bit to do with it, but ultimately I did not place a gun to anyone's head as I screamed: BE FABULOUS! - They did it all on their own. I was just a teacher, a mentor and their worst nightmare too.

I want to thank all of the misses and students from all years past for trying so hard, for making my career so rewarding, but mostly for making the modeling profession a very interesting one for everyone to enjoy. We are all watching, we love what you do, and I thank you so very much.

If I have one regret in what I have done; it is to have made the MVW title a coveted one. While it made top models left and right, it also brought some of the worst hatred I have ever seen upon myself and some of my dearest model friends. Please know this was never my intention. SL was back then an experimental virtual world, and I had no idea it would behave like the real world. But it did, and still does.

To all the new generation of models to come I just want to say I may never meet you, I may never even hear of you, but if you happen to read this please be kind to one another, please respect this profession and be the best that you can be, understand that you are there to deliver a service to all fashion designers, and most importantly please be happy when you see a friend succeed. No bickering nor drama ever made a TOP model in SL nor the real world; in fact, it actually destroyed the careers of many.

Love and respect, Frolic Mills�

To summarize this chapter I merely want to say that modeling is not about how pretty you are. It's about how well you can use your good looks to make sales for a designer or a product. Top models are not always the prettiest people in the world, but they do have the best runway walks and their poses are always beautiful to watch. If you look the part, learn your tools and inspire others to buy the things you are wearing or showing, you too will master the art of modeling.

Chapter Six: Branding and Ethics.

"Advertising is, of course, important because advertise is the final design. It's the last layer that speaks to the customer, that tells them what you have."

Tom Ford

If you want to be in the spotlight, you better let people know you exist. This sentence signifies quite a bit for a simple little line. With it comes lots of work, lots of promotion and clever usage of your talent.

I wrote this rather obvious line because we hear all the time how top models were discovered, and sometimes these stories could lead some people to believe that making it in the fashion modeling industry would depend on being spotted by a modeling scout agent while walking in a supermarket, spilling your popcorn at a movie theater or while chewing gum in Central Park. Ridiculous examples I know, but the unique ways that some models are discovered garner the style section headlines of newspapers, blogs, and magazines, only to become entrenched into the magic and mystique of the fashion world. Sure, it can happen but - What are the chances? I truly believe in the law of cause and effect, so please don't wait for someone to discover you.

Make yourself discoverable by marketing yourself effectively in the direction that you would like to follow.

I believe this applies to all artists no matter what their practice. Artist representation is nice once you've made it big because it allows you to work and master your craft as someone else does your marketing work, but before you get there, you need to promote yourself and your product. What is promotion? It is basically making yourself and your products known to potential buyers, agencies, art critics, casting directors, the press or anyone else who can effectively forward your intentions.

Before you start, make sure you have something worthy of value to show others, and when you do, promote the living hell out of yourself. With the Internet and all the search engines available to us today, anyone with a little time and willingness can become an effective marketing person. It is an easy way to start that only requires a computer, Internet access and a bit of cleverness as to what to type in the search space.

For fashion models, for example, something like “modeling agency” and “modeling competition” (perhaps add your hometown to this one) might be a place to begin, as well as keying in such phrases as "modeling talent scouts" and any form or phrase that might bring up some interesting sites and information.

Send your photographs everywhere, and let them know you are interested. If you never hear back from anyone, life is telling you one of these four things: 1) You don't

have what it takes; 2) You need to re-examine your modeling portfolio; 3) Something is wrong with your fashion choices; or 4) Your approach is just plain wrong.

On the other hand, if you look the part and did your work properly, this exercise can and will throw positive results.

Rule of thumb: Get yourself out there, let others know what you want, send your book and resume everywhere it counts. Audition for anything that can forward your career. Promote yourself like Mama Kardashian does for her daughters.

I have discussed points one, two and three plenty thus far, but perhaps it's time to tackle number four: Ethics and a positive attitude can be the difference between a long lasting career and a door slammed in your face. Want to be on top? Be professional!

Work ethics can be a complicated subject. For one person, it can mean doing whatever it takes (right or wrong) for the survival of a company, while for another it might involve doing only those actions which fall within the boundaries of law and good manners. I will not discuss which is better in this book because it isn't my purpose to detract from the primary conversation at hand. But as a thought to illustrate this point, consider a 2012 legal case from past headlines. Depending on your take on the situation, one might ask, where would Samsung be today if they hadn't been inspired by a flat cellular phone design? Then, again, did iPhone invent a flat rectangle? Of course not. That is one example among many in a world where innovation is often the result of inspired imitation.

The question of ethics is unduly subjective when it comes to big business.

However, when it comes down to your personal ethics, you must abide by professionalism as a rule. Modeling is about people and products, and how they work with designers and agencies toward the same goal of promotion. The modeling community overall is fairly small, and unlike big business, most matters won't be settled in court - you simply won't get any more call backs if you lack professional ethics.

My mind becomes boggled when I reflect upon the things I had to do and endure to get to where I am in the fashion world, and in my case that has been inside Second

Life, a revolutionary new world that inspires virtual fashion and the future of the fashion industry. It is a world that also takes its inspiration from real life. When you push through the brave new world, there will be detractors committed to bringing you down (as in real life). That is why it becomes extremely important that the accusations are only that - and nothing more. I have been accused of many things, of theft, of staging contests, and things so flagrantly outrageous that all of them still remain unbelievable to me.

Despite all the anguishes I went through in my newbie years, when I did not know how to deal with anonymous wrongful and false postings, (very popular when hidden behind an anonymous avatar) I also learned there is a peace that comes with having a clear conscience. I gave everyone a chance and did the best I could to help the modeling industry which had been nonexistent in the virtual world. I often wonder how many top models can say they have a clear conscience. What did they have to do to get there? Was it all pure talent or did they budge on their ethics? Who knows...

What are work ethics? They tend to be difficult to define, but can be conceptualized as a set of professional guidelines that one maintains no matter the circumstances. They will likely surface through your actions during a testing period, such as those decisions one must make to maximize his or her survival or that of a group, without compromising personal integrity. Each person eventually establishes these personal guidelines.

Personal integrity can be defined as whatever rules you have set out for yourself to have been proven to provide happiness rather than suffering. Everyone's rules are likely formulated from their own personal experiences. Many were inadvertently decided in moments of distress. I think everyone's personal integrity is solely decided based on what worked best for them, and this is why we, as a society and as individuals, have so many disagreements as to what is right or wrong. While a betrayal of a "best friend" could have been the solution to a long time problem for one, it could also be the worst decision ever made in the perspective of another.

PROFESSIONAL MODELING MUSTS: 1) Be on time for all appointments.

2) Arrive with a positive attitude.

3) Never think you know it all. Listen to what is needed and wanted from you in each presentation.

4) Be respectful and humble no matter how high you've made it within the industry.

5) Deliver exactly what was asked of you, rather than what you think is the best.

This point is especially relevant to experienced models, who might now believe they have the right to decide what to do, ignoring the wishes of the designer and the production team. I don't care how fabulous you are, if you don't please the client, you are professionally dead.

I won't further pound on this tenet. I think you all know what I am talking about with regards to unprofessional attitudes. Be proud of who you are, be happy in the actions you make, be true to yourself and follow your own advice before relying on anyone else's who might lack the proper perspective or might sway you toward gossip and drama. What will make the essential difference is knowing and understanding that respect and loyalty are forefront attributes that everyone you encounter will appreciate along any path on which you might venture.

Chapter Seven: Uniqueness Counts!

"In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different."

Coco Chanel

We hear it all the time: "Oh, she is so different," "She is one of a kind," "This product will be ground-breaking," "The first man to ever ...," "I've never seen eyes like that" and similar comments of this sort. Apparently uniqueness is something appreciated by all industries, especially if it represents beauty or technological advancement.

In this chapter however, we fall under the terrible theme of subjectivity versus objectivity, something I've been trying to avoid in this book, as no one is the owner of the truth when it involves beauty or communication. What may be beautiful and fabulous to me, others may regard differently. Just the other day I was watching an episode of AMERICA'S NEXT TOP MODEL. As results were revealed, and I was making my own predictions even before the judges shared them, I found myself always in agreement with what Tyra Banks had to say; for some reason my thoughts were completely in sync with hers. This also meant I disagreed with Kelly Cutrone and Rob Evans in these cases, and who the Hell am I to disagree with such experienced people? Welcome to the world of subjectivity!

That is why I will take some time in this chapter to speak about what many of my friends call "sharp eye." I've heard this phrase and many other compliments thrown my way during my time in the modeling and fashion business inside Second Life. I even tried to no avail to instruct the art of beauty appreciation to prospect teachers and modeling academy owners, but it is the hardest damn thing to teach because it all depends on how you look at things from your inside lens. They listened because my organization made the first top models in the virtual world, but every decision I made played an important part: Who you hire as a casting director is important and who you hire as judges depends on your sharp criteria for good taste; it all depends on how you see things, and there is nothing else I can add to clarify.

But there is fortunately one general rule that proves anyone's opinion right or wrong, and that is the agreement or disagreement of other relevant parties. If you crowned a new top model and many designers want to work with him/her you did a good job. If your obstinate opinion took you in a different direction and no one cares for

the winning model, you did not do anyone any favors. Ultimately the result of your opinions tells you whether the model has the "it" factor or not. Just because you are a top model, that fact alone does not make you instantly a good judge or critic, nor does owning a big media company give you a sharp eye at all.

In this world of the inexplicable, only a few people in the world really have it.

While Adriana Lima may be an obvious model beauty, it took a rather sharp eye to make Gisele B端ndchen the number one paid model in the world as of this writing.

Anyone could have discovered Adriana, but only a very few talented casting directors could have discovered Gisele. No one in the world exudes chic, elegant and sexy like Gisele does. In my opinion, these words didn't even belong in the same sentence until she appeared on the scene. I always remember one particular Victoria Secret show, where Justin Timberlake was the guest star. Nearly every model flirted with Justin and made all kinds of cutesy eyes to him and to the audience. Not Gisele though. She opened the show and went past him with complete disregard to all his advancements and his performance. It seemed to me as if she thought something like, "Excuse me, I am working, get out of my way." It was funny to watch and I was so very proud of her.

YouTube it sometime, and you will see how uniqueness counts.

Uniqueness can be achieved in many ways, but taking appearance aside (something I cannot teach unless you are making an avatar) I will narrow it to three distinct points: 1) Fashion Styling, 2) Posing, and 3) Movement. These are all points anyone can improve upon and finding your difference or your edge should be of utmost importance. While Naomi Campbell was making her signature walk, Tyra Banks was becoming the queen of posing, and similarly Linda Evangelista was a beacon of elegance and Christy Turlington (my all-time favorite model) was everyone's favorite class act. These statements are only my opinion, but I do see definite differences in the careers of these models that illustrate why finding your main asset can make a big difference between someone who will endure and a forgettable model.

All of this applies to the virtual world just the same. Find your edge, be unique and never deliver a boring catwalk. Just like a singer would be booed for singing out of tune, a model should be excused from the runway for walks and poses which are out of

sync with the outfit he or she is wearing. Sing a beautiful song in perfect pitch and everyone will clap.

To summarize: 1) Find your look: Make-up, hair, etc. And once you do, make sure it's agreed upon by those around you that it is indeed your best look. If not, keep working until it is.

2) Give your fashion styling your own personal touch. Ask yourself whether you want to be known as classy, edgy, modern or something else. Even if you never make it to the important runways of the Fashion Capitals, consider the music artist Madonna as a case in point. She was rumored to have influenced fashion much more so than any model in the 80's. No matter to what degree that is true, that was her unique mark, beyond music.

3) Make your walk noticeable. Be remembered for your poise and movement.

4) Learn how to communicate the appropriate emotion for each occasion through the art of posing.

Chapter Eight: Making it to the Top.

"A good model can advance fashion by ten years."

Yves Saint Laurent

Here I am in the last chapter of this book and before I even get to the topic at hand, I reminisce about so many things which led me to this writing. It is sometimes rather funny to me how a virtual experience can suddenly, and without warning, land you in reality. It is amazing how the discovery of a new virtual world can reveal so much of how the real fashion world developed. It is not much different really, if one takes note

of the parallel paths. All things must have beginnings, a certain degree of change, and all kinds of shades of gray in between as one approaches superior levels of any activity.

What really is a fashion model? It is a person who can entice others to purchase the things he/she is wearing or showing by making them look appealing to the eyes of expert beholders and the general audience. Once the experts agree, others will likely too. After this point, only the masses will let you know your exact position on the modeling scale. In the world of art and subjectivity of what is beautiful and what isn't, there is only the agreement made by others that is to praise or blame. If enough people agree you are a top model, you will be a top model. But if they don't, you will drop in status on the modeling scale. Nothing is particularly wrong with that, considering the whimsical and fickle nature of the business, but be prepared to accept it.

I am certainly not trying to send anyone into apathy by reiterating the point - all depends on other people's agreement. There are lots of things you can do to gain favorable critiques, but I want to keep this writing real. Not all of you will make it to the top, and while this may not be very inspirational, it is just the way it is. I love books which tell us how wonderful we all are, and how the sky is the limit, and that your potential exists within you, and how no one else can limit you, and many other fine lines thrown our way to make us feel holy and godly. Such sugar coating and compliments are good to hear and I bought them too, but sometimes both feet on planet Earth goes a long way in avoiding the pain and suffering from meaning well, misplaced acts of kindness. We see this in reality shows all the time; they all wanted it, they all had talent, they all had great reasons why they should win, but only one wins at the end. Is the winner always the best? No! After all who can forget Jennifer Hudson picking up an Academy Award after finishing only fourth in a singing competition? Not much to do with modeling, but the comparison will serve for the purposes of this writing. Here is where your chance to succeed really begins, learn from your mistakes, grow bigger, make your every move count towards a better you, and who knows? Maybe someday, if you are persistent, intelligent, and audacious enough, you too will be on top.

I have seen quarrels about who is on top and who is not in the modeling industry.

Some have been self-proclaimed, some have been awarded the title by friends, and the

media has made a few favorites of their own. So what really is a top model without prejudice and irrelevant opinion? Only that spot is earned by a very few models, determined when most fashion designers and publishers go to great lengths to have you in their fashion shows, on their magazine covers or in commercials. Nothing else matters. It is the end result - are you on the runway or not? Did you make the cover?

Are you representing a brand in a commercial campaign? If a model is in high demand, and that remains persistent, not merely a trend, then you have your answer. That is success in terms of the business world. Now, some models will always have their personal fans, and they might achieve success in their own circle. One can be content with that accomplishment, and a professional will have respect for those models above and below. Some models serve certain niche markets, and that might serve them well over a lifetime.

My experience in a virtual world came with no written rules; in Second Life it is “your world, your imagination� (as the corporate motto states on the web site) which counts, but I would like to think that upon discovering what made life go round in this very liberating virtual world, the real world became apparent to me as well. You see, it isn't different at all. Virtual fashion designers work very hard to make their creations appealing to avatars hoping to make some sales. Instead of a needle, fabric and thread, they use Adobe Photoshop, 3D design programs and imagination beyond belief to ensemble these outfits. Designers would open shops hoping that by luck, and via a very confusing search engine, they would land customers for their creations. In those early days, the goals were straight-forward, with few real world expectations. They ignored or were unaware of the potential of the media and the power of the fashion model. I was proud to be in the very movement that changed all that.

Suddenly, models trained by me, were solicited by the most talented designers in Second Life; my virtual in-world magazine was selling more advertisements than any other publication, and virtual fashion designers themselves were making millions of U.S. dollars. My biggest advertising supporter back in 2008, 2009 and 2010 even made it to the Forbe's List in the real world. I quote reporter Oliver Chiang's article "Creating a $1M Virtual Goods Brand In Second Life," published by Forbes.com (October 27, 2010),

“Glaser’s luxury brand of virtual high-heel shoes, Stiletto Moody, has sold more than $1 million since it began in 2007, earning Glaser the nickname the 'Jimmy Choo of Second Life.'"

I also quote a statement made by Linden Lab in this same article: “In January, the company said its economy grew 65% in 2009 to $567 million (in real dollars), and that the top 25 residents of the virtual world collectively earned $12 million.”

Before my time, the only ones making this kind of money were the landlords of Second Life; they would buy land, subdivide into various parcels and then rent to virtual residents for a profit. No fashion designer, to my knowledge, had made this mark before I opened the very powerful THE BEST OF SL MAGAZINE, and the MISS VIRTUAL WORLD Organization in 2007. A fashion revolution took place, in which top virtual models began to spring all over the grid; they created beautiful advertising posters; other media partners took notice; fashion bloggers were suddenly busy advertising virtual content creations, and together we changed the virtual world to a beautiful and successful one. I am not saying this is all my doing; like I said before, agreement plays an important part in any art, and I was extremely fortunate to be in the forefront of it all, in a very new world no one could have predicted would simulate the real world, mimicking real life behavior in this seemingly parallel universe. The process was hard, perhaps even unkind, but I would like to think we created a world that went from “just a virtual game” to a beautiful, successful extension of reality, transforming into a business venture that has had extraordinary consequences and significance for the future of fashion.

Even though I have worked with fashion designers and models in the real world, I sometimes think it is quite ironic on how the virtual world led me to realizations and knowledge that the real world never made evident. It is perhaps a second sight from inside the virtual looking glass that has offered me this unique privilege and perspective.

My last words of advice: May this writing help you to make it to the top, be inspired to become your own “best of” and just remember one thing: If you are booking runway shows, magazine

covers and commercials left and right, for the known masters of fashion design and the publishing world, you have made it to the top no matter what anyone else says.

Enjoy the view from the top and while you are there, don't you ever forget to be humble, kind, and thankful to those around you. There is nothing more beautiful than a successful model who is an inspiration to all others, and this little line may be the best kept secret as to how to stay on top for as long as the industry wants you.

Fabulousness applies to the way you style, pose and walk, but especially to that ray of inner beauty you shine upon the world.

Be Fabulous!

Lights, Camera, Action - You're On!

Media in the Real and

Virtual World

Special Contribution by Sonicity Fitzroy A significant force that propels the Fashion Industry is media promotion. As with any product that one wishes to market, a media campaign is the usual must in the process. The media is not the gestalt, rather it is comprised of various print and electronic media, such as newspapers, magazines, blogs, radio, television and machinima (animated movies created with in-world footage of a virtual world or game platform). Each medium has its strengths and weaknesses, and it is important to understand the appropriate mix for any particular purpose or campaign. Whether you are a Model or a Fashion Designer, you will need to be familiar with the role of each medium, and how each has its place in the larger scheme of marketing and promotion of the model/product. Social media has become integral to any media strategy.

Top Designer Diane von Furstenberg, particularly known for her wrap dress, stated in early 2013, "Ignoring the Internet is madness," in reference to the significance of social media in this digital era. Mashable.com observed how the fashion industry was quickly implementing social media, if for no other reason than its ability to communicate immediately with followers, from imagery, special features, and retail details on where the fashion conscious consumer can find the latest styles. Let that scenario be an illustration of the behind-the-scenes workings of social media in real life, but it is not that much different from the virtual world in many instances. Designers, of course, want to exhibit their wares on the runway; ultimately they need to connect their product to the consumer - and that can be accomplished via the model, a.k.a. the fashionista mediator.

The top model speaks the language of fashion by his or her natural style and theatrical presence. It is subtle, sophisticated and socially in-tune with the client and consumer. It would serve a model and designer well in any world to know some media basics - and actually to become fairly proficient in understanding and utilizing promotional

advantages. The language of fashion is channeled uniquely via print, electronic and online communication - and a top model understands how to talk and walk in the media.

The following is a run-down of the various media and what they might mean to a designer or a model interested in learning about the fashion media business and all its facets.

NEWSPAPERS/MAGAZINES: In a virtual world, it would serve a model or designer well to become familiar with fashion content published by newspapers and magazines. Typically, one might find a fashion column, upcoming events, or a feature article about a designer, show, model, product, or business. Fashion and lifestyle monthly magazines contain high end glossy ads featuring models promoting products and services. Newspapers and magazines can be read online via web sites, as well as inside the virtual world by using HUDS (heads-up display) or by rezzing (i.e., pulling the item out of one's SL inventory) the medium as a tangible product to be viewed by the avatar (of course, you see through your avatar's eyes). Virtual magazines, like THE BEST OF SL, are available in vendors located at shopping malls, stores, and popular fashion districts. In newspapers, you might find fashion columns and advice, celebrity model spotting, and upcoming fashion events and sales. Newspapers can publish more immediate news and information for they have a daily or weekly deadline rather than a monthly one.

BLOGS: Blogs sometimes pass along fashion advice and gossip, news on designer releases, and other tidbits quickly across the Internet. The fashion blog community has grown tremendously in both real life and the virtual world. A wellrespected blogger can make or break a designer, but in reality it is not only one blog that makes the difference but the blogging community. Typically, designers keep bloggers up to date with releases and even allow them to test/demo new outfits, taking photographs with their own choice of models. Some bloggers model the outfits themselves, which is one reason a model might consider blogging.

RADIO: A model with an articulate and personable voice can use radio as a way to garner attention across the airwaves. A mastery of communication and articulation will be an advantage during an interview. The virtual world has a plethora of radio

stations and dj opportunities at various venues. However, that is not likely the path of a model.

Models and designers can voice fashion commercials, and thus serve as

spokespersons for a particular product or brand. What becomes important here is how well you vocalize your personality, and that it reinforces your visual image. So practice your communication skills, for you never know when you might be at the end of a microphone.

TELEVISION/MACHINIMA: Models and designers may find themselves being interviewed on in-world television shows, depending on their popularity in a virtual world.

It is fairly much the same question and answer as in real life, but in the virtual

world, you have to work on your sitting and chatting poses. If you also sing, then that's a whole

new

area

for

animation

and

performance.

Being

a

well-rounded

person/entertainer helps you build a fan base among clients and audiences so whatever talents you have, if they work on television, then consider this electronic medium as a possibility. Inside Second Life, when avatars are filmed for television or a music video, or any kind of moving visual feature, the process is called machinima; it is a particular method for filming inside a gaming or virtual world platform. Some machinima include the recording of fashion shows that are later edited for playback. What many don't realize is that there have been television networks within SL dedicated to all types of content, including fashion. Aside from live streaming, machinima is often archived and uploaded as videos onto web sites such as Vimeo and YouTube, which allows for increased viewership and the possibility of going viral.

BANNERS/BILLBOARDS/POSTERS:

As in real life, publicity is displayed

through posters at various venues and store windows as well as huge billboards that span malls and roadways. Imagery and well-chosen words splash across the banner or billboard. As a model or designer, you only have a few seconds to capture one's attention; if you wish someone to remember you and the product, you will have to be on top of your game.

SOCIAL MEDIA: Consider whatever you post as an extension of your public personality, which determines how you will be perceived for modeling jobs. Models and designers should realize the power of social media, and the need for maintaining

professionalism at all times. Perhaps best represented via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, social media is only one of many means of communication, but it sometimes serves as the glue between all of them. It might serve as the inspiration, but it should not be the only source of information especially for designers and models. A December 2, 2014 New York Times article, "Inspiration Meets Social Media" by Libby Banks, involved interviewing designers regarding the rise of Instagram and other social media tools; the reporter came to the cautionary conclusion that designers and students of fashion should not dare to forget the importance of good old fashioned research skills in understanding style.

Those with appropriate style sensibilities will have acquired a

knowledge of design, fabric/textiles, and an overall fashion history - something that one cannot learn simply from online downloads or via tweets and fast media. It takes time to understand style and achieve the art of movement even in a fast-paced media world.

Typically, all these media genres come together to form an elaborate campaign.

The agency might use one model throughout the various stages and media types for consistency. If you are lucky, that model might be you. A campaign generally is eventdriven, with a fashion show as the pinnacle of an audio-visual experience. Media should be factored into the equation, when prepping for public appearances and commercial assignments, Modeling Agencies and Fashion Designers that support charitable foundations through donating a portion of proceeds from sales will find the media mileage beneficial for a few reasons, including (1) it makes good sense to establish a community profile and relationship, (2) media will likely provide free publicity and event coverage, and (3) such efforts maintain a sense of humility within the industry. Fashion schools and universities increasingly have included media lessons as part of their curriculum. Being a top runway model doesn't always factor into being a top media model. However, community-minded models might find themselves earning publicity naturally through their involvement in not-for-profit organizations or causes.

The virtual world is a medium in and of itself, and serves as the center point for media convergence in both real and virtual spaces. Time and time again, Second Life producers have demonstrated that virtual media incarnations definitely cross-over into the physical world. Online viewership is neither designated as real or virtual; the lines

have blurred for media (and even fashion) these days. To be a top model and/or designer invites attention, and the best way to achieve that is via strategic media planning.

Fashion shows, particularly in Second Life, revolve around incredible

theatrical performances that are increasingly filmed and archived for replay. These shows exhibit a storytelling quality inherent in the best of fairy tales, fantasies and unbridled imagination.

Fashion makes for excellent media opportunities. Media loves

the make-believe world.

Take note all you, forthcoming Fashion Models and Fashion Designers - when the spotlight or the microphone enters your sphere of influence, seize it. Be ready for that moment. You will have become a fashion statement, shaped by all you have learned, mastered, and communicated. Just be sure, you got your style on before the camera light comes on. That takes practice, patience and a pursuit of fashion integrity.

References How the fashion industry is embracing social media. Machnima.com. Retrieved December 6, 2014, from http://mashable.com/2010/02/13/fashion-industry-social-media/ Banks, L. (2014, December 2).

Retrieved

Inspiration meets social media.

New York Times.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/02/fashion/in-fashion-inspiration-meets-

social-media.html?_r=0