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EOS Magazine SL October 2010 Coverpage Featuring owners of SAWODE Designs, Sanayildig Yalin and WolfM Voyager Photography: Bliss Windlow
WWW.INXX-LIFESTYLE.COM
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Mode 28 42 56 68
Content
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Fashion Spotlight Jador Fasion Exclusive Interview Sawode Designer Spotlight Son!a Hotspot! Muism The Look Silhouette shapes
Lifestyle
94 110
Home of SLebrities Colleen Desmoulins Builder Spotlight Ramona Criss
124 130 138
Shopper’s Delight Tempura Decors Scripter’s Selection Alicia Stella Designs TOP 5 Destinations Places to visit in SL
Society 188 198 206 216 224
WMLS Radio DJ Fetish & DJ Silk Simone Peterman The man and Secondnights Trends! What are the Trends for Fall Fashion Insight Who wore it better Society Events DJ World’s DJ Night
Magazine Issue 11
PUBLISHER & EDITOR EDITOR IN CHIEF
Ohren Beck Bliss Windlow
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Bliss Windlow Quirky Torok Madonna Nowles Desire Strangelove Agatha Klees
WRITERS
Agatha Klees Bliss Windlow Desire Strangelove
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Serene Garnet Quirky Torok BlueGum Lunasea
Essence of Style Magazine is a Fashion & Lifestyle magazine managed and published by I.N.X.X Holdings, which owns and runs I.N.X.X Fashion & Designs, OHRN Estates, Essence of Style Magazine and UVogue Fashion & Modeling Agency. Read online issues at: http://issuu.com/o-ren/docs/ EOS Magazine website: http://www.inxx-lifestyle.com Stay up to date on all latest releases, exclusive gifts, VIP Events, contests, and news up date join the VIP group inworld: ESSENCE OF STYLE READERS Visit us inworld: INXX Mansions
Online or Magazine Ad infos: eos@inxx-lifestyle.com Send Press releases to: infos@inxx-lifestyle.com For inworld informations on advertising and vendor space queries please contact any of the following mentioned below: Agatha Klees Bliss Windlow Ohren Beck Luthia Carter
Publisher’s Letter
Symbiotic Shunning! Who said...
Hello and welcome to another edition of your favorite read. A lot of
things has been happening in Second Life as of late and a lot of rumours has been circulating around the grid and online blogs as per LL’s latest grubs; Let’s all hope things will settle down in time. Until then, the show goes on. Second Life is not all about Mode or Lifestyle, It is also about economy, entertainment, business and arts. This month’s read features interesting interviews and reviews, bringing to light some of the best designers and business entrepreneurs in SL, not forgetting highlights on some of the best places to visit inworld, donc my favorite remains Valhal. I encourage each and everyone of you to take some time to visit our Top 5 chosen destinations, for I’m sure you will not regret it. We have some great builders in SL and this is our own little way of showing how much we appreciate thier skills and passion for creativity. Most of these designers has been critisized, judged, laughed upon, but hey, who are we to judge? I believe everyone has a right to express themselves the way they feel it appropriate, be in it words or through creativity. So ladies and gentlemen, kick off your shoes, make yourselves comfy and Happy Reading! Enjoy!
Ohren Beck
Publisher & CEO EOS
Fashion Rules... There has been a great deal of discussion about what fashion is and what it isn’t. I am not sure why we keep having this particular discussion because there are no conclusions and I don’t think there was ever intended to be. Fashion is what we wear ... good or bad ... it is what it is. What you consider «hot» may completely escape my definition. If we were to try to dilute this in any way, we would be destroying the creative nature of fashion. People must be both free to create, and free to interpret. It is a symbiotic relationship between designer and customer …. a dance of choice that ranges from seductive, to breathtaking, to amusing . Some people earn their place as «voices» and we pay them homage because they have a proven track record that we can admire - even if they don’t encompass «our» style. Some people are born leaders, ahead of the pack. They create new designs that are so fresh and exciting .. everyone copies them. These people inspire the vast masses of designers, over and over again, throughout time. No-one really disputes these icons and their place in fas hion hierarchy, but they themselves are often not impacted by their own status. They let others speculate and fuss .. they are busy creating. Then we have the self appointed critics and “experts.” These are the people who assume an authority based on their perceived «position» in the fashion community. Their own shortcomings and personal insecurities drive them to create an «exclusivity» with their knowledge and their judgment. They try to make themselves look more important by criticizing others. The only thing that keeps these people in their places are the fearful masses who follow them, loving that if they agree and nod and also trash and criticize the same others, they can be in the same room with their pseudo fashion queen/king. They like to point fingers and claim fashion victories. Irrelevant rules, enforced by fools. Fashion is what your soul is attracted to. It is the pieces that you pick out and mix together and stand in front of the mirror and smile. It is the confidence of you going out, loving who you are and what you are wearing and there ain’t a single person who is an expert on that save you! Bliss Windlow Editor in chief
Editor’s Letter
Mode → Fashion thoughts
My Thoughts... on fashion in SL
Article by Bluegum Lunasea «Would you write an article for me please? Something about what you would like to see woman wear in SL?» Well that sounded easy, except that I know almost nothing about fashion. So I thought about the question and started trolling the fashion blogs and quickly came to realise that what I want to see women wear in SL is lacking from nearly all the blogs; Imagination. There are so many talented clothing makers in SL but the vast majority are all on a quest to create ever more realistic clothes. It seems to be a race at times to be the first to bring something into SL that is straight out of the latest issues of Vogue, or Harpers, or even the Myer’s catalogues. Why? Where is the imagination in that? SL isn’t supposed to be a mirror of RL - it’s supposed to be something more. Something more imaginative. Something more expressive and indivi-
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Photo by Minx Arashi purely-visual.blogspot.com
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Mode → Fashion thoughts dual. Something that goes beyond what you can find in the real world, and so fashion in SL works best when it is about either wearing things that are extraordinary, or wearing ordinary things in extraordinary ways. Not about wearing jeans and t-shirts - that’s so dull it’s almost painful to look at. In RL we wear clothes for basic reasons - to provide protection against the elements and to tell other people about us and to help us «fit in» with those around us. Not sure what I mean? Why do soldiers wear uniforms? To tell everyone around them which side they are on and who is in charge. Why do businessmen wear suits? For very similar reasons actually! And how out of place does a business suit or soldier’s uniform look on a beach? Everyone stares and thinks «you don’t belong here!» But in SL there is no weather or elements that we need protection against so clothes only serve to tell everyone else something about us. Sadly the message that I see in the clothes of most women in SL is «I want to be like everyone else», but every now and again I come across people (of both genders) who revel in their uniqueness. People who wear something imaginative that says «I have imagination, I’m someone with something more than most others». These are the people that I find the most interesting and they are invariably the most interesting to talk to. Steampunkers are a group who have imaginative clothing perfected.
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Wearing Coco-CutoutPromDress
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Mode → Fashion thoughts
Grady-Mourna From Strangepixels Blog
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While I love their full mock Victorian suits, it’s their fantastic steam powered mechanical accessories like hats, glasses, belts and shoes that have a real brilliance of imagination. Places like Curio Obscura, Grim Bros and Le Petit Prince are good places to start looking for their sort of imagination. In fact I think it’s the accessories that are the key - if you’re really not comfortable in a full ensuite then accessorise your avatar. Don’t just add a plain belt to a pair of jeans, add a belt with accessories. Something steam powered, or something sci fi, or anything that you just can’t find on the pages of Vogue or Harpers. Sci-fi is another place where your imagination can be free from the limitations of fashion magazines and I don’t mean just wearing star trek uniforms. Sci fi has thrown up some very sexy things for women to wear, and there are some fantastic things for both women and men, in places like The Cyber Bunker or Insilico or Graves. Cyber Bunker and Insilico are places where the very sims themselves are breathtaking in their imagination and Graves is a place where latex is something that is much imaginative (and much more sexy) more than the more usual BDSM latex look. And what about actual body parts? Alternative body parts can be a fantastic way to add individuality to any fashion look. A boring dress can be transformed by adding some additional sculpted-prim body parts like
pointed elf ears, or faun legs, or a tail, or a pair of wings. I love seeing any of these on an avatar because for me, they can completely transform the mundane into the fantastic. Let me give an example, Coco sells a long formal dress with the most amusingly inappropriate name of ‘Prom Dress’. This is a sculpty based dress that to me, is one of the sexiest things in SL. It’s very revealing but at the same time it conceals just enough and so, as a man, I find it compelling to look at (because I’m always hoping to see just that little bit more). I would have to say that it is sooooo daringly low cut, both front and back, that it could not actually be worn in RL (and this is a good thing!) and it probably scares most woman away, but the first person I ever saw wearing it had taken that incredibly low cut back and turned it to an advantage (beyond the obvious) because she also had a neko tail. The combination of the incredibly low cut back and her tail were one that seemed made for each other as the dress fitted just under her tail - justifying the low back - and her tail teasingly, partly concealed her rear cleavage. The combination was both incredibly sexy and compelling to watch. In short I would say it was fashion dynamite. So - where can you go for inspiration? Well I did find a couple of blogs that to me, combine fashion and imagination and go beyond the mundane into the fascinating:
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Mode → Fashion thoughts
Achariya Maktoum Achariya Blog
The first one has to be there’s Purely Visual [2] tream look (and more r [3] and for guys, you j Blood [4].
So come on ladies (and are even less imaginat please, wear whateve imagination. Bluegum Lunasea [1] [2] [3] [4]
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http://www.strange http://purely-visual http://www.achariy http://incoldbloodsl
Winter Jefferson incoldbloodsl Blog
Strange Pixels [1], then ], and for a more mainsregular updates) Achirya just can’t go past In Cold
d gents too because men tive in their clothes), so er you wear, with some
epixels.net/ l.blogspot.com/ ya.net/ l.blogspot.com/
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FOR BOOKING INFORMATIONS
VISIT US INWORLD
* Offer valuable till November 2010
Mode
→ Designer Spotlight
... and Ziamela Loon
Written Photographed Modeled By Bliss Windlow
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Bliss Windlow Wearing Jador Opera Black
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Italian Fashion
Z
iamela Loon is the designer behind Jador, an absolutely gorgeous store that not only provides you with ziamela’s beautiful designs, but has thoughtfully collected some of the works of other designers and made them available for you conveniently right in the middle of her own store. You can pick up a great outfit and see shoes, hair and other accessories that compliment it, right there. Like many designers Ziamela began designing, creating things that appealed to her and very quickly others wanted to buy her items. She began to sell on a small scale and worked her way up with many hours of hard work and learnings along the way. BW: Tell us about Jador and what it means to you. What is your intent with each design you create? ZL: I’ll try to create something original, something i would like to wear in my RL. I love to be Ziamela Loon, I love my RL too, and i try to mix both my life and put all together in my creation. BW: What inspires you the most - real fashion, the change in the seasons, tex-
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Bliss Windlow Wearing: Jador Circus
tures, shapes .. Where do you find your inspiration and what is the process of design for you? Do you start from a sketch and piece it together or do you have the whole concept and then have to figure out how it will work? ZL: I really don’t know where I find inspiration, cause sometimes is a texture, sometimes is a sculpt, and sometimes is only an idea...I never had in mind the dress at the beginning.... it grows while I’m building... I really don’t know the final project until I end it. BW: How much do you think culture plays into a designer’s interest? How does your culture influence you? Does culture ever impede progress and if so how has that impacted you and what can we do as a community to correct those problems? ZL: Since I have been in SL I have learned to respect the different cultures. We are all different, even within the same culture. All we have to do is respect each other. That’s the secret!!!! BW: What does it take to be a designer and to last in SL? What are some of the biggest mistakes that people make when they enter the fashion arena? ZL: When you start to be a designer, you have to forget night parties, discos and friends as you did before. You will not have the same free time as before. There are a lot of things to do: CREATE, PHOTOGRAPHY FOR THE VENDORS, PROMOTING, REZZING, and when you finished all that, a new season will come... and you have to do all again!!!! There are some things I love!!! Such as creating, and others I hate such as rezzing ven-
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Bliss Windlow Wearing: Jador Maxipull Light Blue
«I try to create something original, something i would like to wear in my RL.»
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«I think my stuff is recognizable, people looking at an object know it is made by Ziamela Loon»
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Bliss Windlow Wearing: Left Jador Morgan Gold Right Jador V.I.P
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Bliss Windlow Wearing: Jador Jessy Trench and Add On RED
«Fashion is all u can wear, but everybody, must have an own style!!
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Bliss Windlow Wearing: Jador Mirage Red Coat
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dors.. but is all part of the game, and I love it!!!! About new entry in the fashion arena, I only can suggest to be original, and don’t try to just copy a style! You must have your own style!!! You must be recognizable!!!! BW: Do you think you have a specific style to your clothing or do you resist being pigeon holed into a label?? ZL: I think my stuff is recognizable, people looking at an object know it is made by Ziamela Loon. BW: Are there days when you just do not want to turn the computer on, when the work load or the expectations are just too much to handle? If so, what do you do on those days?
stuff, some others I will do new. I really don’t love freebies to promote my new stuff, I think freebies must be used only to help people to play SL with dignity. Not to promote your new collection. People who want buy my stuff, know where I am and which kind of quality could find in my outfits, they don’t need my freebie. I started design in SL just because I did not like wearing things that all the people wore. If you love to be original, you can’t wear freebie, unless you are so original to mix them together. BW : And finally, what is fashion? How do you define it? What does that word encompass for you? AND what is it definitely NOT??
ZL: Fashion is Jador!!!! I’m joking, Fashion is all u can wear, but eveZL: I’ll go with my daughters for a rybody, must have an own style!!!! walk, or for some shopping. Or I will lay with them in the big bed, and Designers seem to have such a clear I will read them a good fairy tale. idea of who they are and what they are designing. I love that about all desiBW: If you had to grab your things gners, but one thing is clear Ziamela is from your desk and move to work in one of the best SL has to offer and her another area for a few weeks, besides enthusiasm and love for what she does your computer etc .. What three things is infectious. I found myself wanting to would you insist on taking with you? go back to her store after the interview and just look at her designs with fresh ZL: My family portrait, my credit card eyes. It is so lovely to have the opportufor shopping, and a good book to read! nity to get to understand the designers a bit better. I was already in love with her BW: I want to ask you about the free- clothes before I met her but now I see bies. There are hundreds of hunts, tons and understand the spirit that is in them of events, charities everywhere, where do – that essence of her. Jador is Fashion!! you stand on the freebie culture and the whole idea that designers should partici- Jador pate .. How and where do you draw the http://slurl.com/secondlife/Jador%20 line.. because no-one can do everything? Fashion/0/152/22 ZL: I listened to the advice of Mimi Juneau, she is asking me about some freebies, sometimes I use old
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Sawode Designs Unleashed
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Interview & Photography by Bliss Windlow Sup.Photography by Ohren Beck
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I
find people’s names in SL fascinating. Many claim they just had to pick something and did not realize how important the name would become and yet, every person I have interviewed has had a very specific reason for their name. Sanalyıldızı actually means «virtualstar» in English. It is the first name that popped into Sanalyildiz’s head when she considered coming into the virtual world of Second Life. “Our shop’s name is consistant from the first 2 leters of my name «Sa»nalyıldız, my husband and businiss partner «Wo»lfm’s name and the first 2 letters of «De»sign to make the name «SaWoDe «. We basically wanted to contribute in to the brand not just with our products, but also with representing our names.” BW: What was the one word your teachers would have used to describe you through school? How about your classmates? Were either of them even close to understanding who you really are? SY: My teachers used to call me daydreamer. I am someone who mostly
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lives in dream world who is day dreaming a lot. When it comes to my classmates, I was quite lucky about that. We all got on well since they were always kind and they were quite supportive. Some of my friendships have lasted for years and they have become part of my adult life. I do respect that people are trying to make money, but I always have been trying to make friends. At the end of the day, you always spend that money but friends are always there for you. My class-mate friends are still with me. This also goes for Second life I have made a lot of friends and I think I have been quite lucky with that. BW: What do love most about Second Life and what does it mean to the person behind the avatar? SY: To be able to perform my real life profession that I love and am passionate about, on different ways and styles. I love fashion. I am excited with every new product. Seeing my creations on other people always thrills me to bits. Being an avatar is not very different then being me in real. I always reflect my real self on my avatar. At the end of the day Second Life is not a game for me, it is a life simulation. Being able to do the many things that I cannot do in real life also makes me happy. At least I can fly here :).
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Wearing:
Skin: Perle sunkissed skin makeu Outfit: Sasha shirt, Skirt: Viviane skirt
up 4
I think life in SL is much easier then the RL. I do not think there is nothing like being able to talk to some one in many other countries in the globe, and being able to exchange information. BW: What are some of the greatest obstacles you have had to overcome here in SL? SY: Building and using the prims were a challenge for me at the beginning. Especially texture selecting was a big struggle for me. I got use to these in time but I am still struggling about scripting and sculpting. You need to focus on the details if you want to produce high quality products in SL and these details are made of by combining many different things. Makes it harder when you use prim, sculpties and texture to make a dress. To combine these and produce a high quality product is a result of hard working. BW: What qualities do you look for in people you are willing to work with - are they different from the qualities you need in someone you are friends with? If so, why do they differ? SY: We are a big family here. My husband and I and some other members of my family. People who work for us should be able to become part of that family and must be doing this because he/she enjoys it, not because they have
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Ohren Beck Wearing: Diana Dress 04
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Wearing: Skin: Gwen sunkissed skin makeup 1 Top: Flora shirt Pants: evana pant 07
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to. We select our staff for the suitability of our family. They need to be modest, honest and sincere. This is why we do not have many workers and the ones we have , have been with us for a long time. They have everything we have and even more than we have. I believe the more you share the more you get in return. We share everything with our family. BW: If you could make 2 changes to fashion in all of SL that would make things better for designers .. What would they be? SY: There is nothing I would personally change in SL for creative people there are endless opportunities. Everything advances and changes so quick that makes me learn things every day. I sometimes find it difficult to cope with changes but I wish we could touch our creations as that’s a special feeling. BW: What makes you laugh? SY: My husband is the one who makes me laugh even though he is a serious person. He takes everything too serious but he has a wonderful imagination and very witty personality. I sometimes laugh hard at his jokes and am still laughing in this interview. BW: What influences you when you design? Where do you look for inspiration and is that creative spark always there for you? Are there
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times you just do not feel like designing and what do you do to try and get it going again? SY: I find my inspirations in my dreams and if I chase my inspirations my brain gets paralysed and I leave everything aside and listen to music and reflect on my dreams and read books etc. If I cannot finish a design I delete it , leave everything related to it and start from scratch, but my husband is my biggest inspiration. He helps me a lot, encourages me a lot. He has different perspectives and his creativity , variety of talent and knowledge always inspires me. He is an interesting and down to earth person. He exchanges ideas and wonderful products come out of it. I have big products I want to make happen and we are ambitious people and I am very excited when I work with him. BW: Can you think of a time where you would be happy to walk away from SL … if you had to do that tomorrow would you feel like you had accomplished everything you wanted to? If not, what is left for you to do?
Jude Highfield Wearing: Skin: Leo tan skin 08a Shape: Romeo shape Shirt: Sky shirt #4 Pants: Mickael pants 04 Shoes: Sang shoes L9
SY: I never thought of leaving SL. I love it here and feel very happy and good here and plan to stay many years to come. Maybe I leave when I am so old so I cannot function with a computer read text etc. Then I shall leave SL to my children. :) the idea that I have to leave SL is
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Bliss Windlow Wearing: Skin: Isa light skin 3 Jeans: Luana jeans, Top: Luana white top
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not possible but if I had to and was forced out I would be very unhappy and leave an empty space in my life. I would feel that I should have created one more skin. :) BW: Do you ever question the time and commitment you make to SL? How do you explain it to people in Real Life or do you even try? SY: I would really would have liked to spend more time in SL but my responsibilities in RL stops me from being here more. But it still brings in a color into my life and affects it in positive way. My RL family and people around me can see and understand this so they even support me. Isn’t it interesting that what you think you know about someone is seldom anywhere near the truth. No matter how long I have been interviewing and speaking with people, I am always impressed to see so much goodness in people. I loved the sharing of her family, both the one in SL and the small glimpse of her real life that is revealed in this interview. I think SL is very lucky to have this lovely lady as part of the creative team that blesses all our lives. Sawode Mainstore: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ Eden%20Park/139/130/24
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Jude Highfield Wearing: Skin: Leo tan skin 08a Shape: Romeo shape Shirt: Sky shirt #4 Pants: Mickael pants 04 Shoes: Sang shoes L9
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Sonia28 Jie
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Always Son!a
Interview & Photography by Bliss Windlow
S
on!ia is the showcase for the talents of Sonia28 Jie , a 3 year resident of Second Life who has used the virtual world to give expression to a talent for art and design that is magical. One of the most anticipated shows in the recent Modavia fashion week Son!a has a very unique style that signatures every item she designs. In a world where art can be taken to a place where one can only admire the gown but wearing it to an event would be completely impractical, it is rare to find a someone who can create that kind of art but still make it wearable. Her gowns are sculpted into beautiful lines of colour and skin, folding together into seamless beauty. Then she adds all the special detai-
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ling, the flowers, the jewels, the lace and you feel like a princess. Her clothes are the “special edition” outfits we all longed for when we picked up our Barbies each year in the store – collectors editions of complete exquisiteness. BW: Who is Sonia28 Jie? Tell us about the avi and what her philosophy of life is. Who do you see when you sit in front of your computer screen and open SL? SJ: I am first a RL designer, graduated from fashion school not so long ago, always been fascinated by colors, styles and designs. And the main aspect Ilove about fashion design is creating, illustrating and drawing... seems that sl has them all. When I log in as Sonia28 Jie I see the designer I always dreamed to be, a business owner, a creator able to share my thoughts materialize them into something concrete that can be seen. I love designing wedding dresses, and in SL I can do it with no boundaries. BW: What inspires you when you are creating? What are the three things in your work space besides your computer and the software that you simply must have to create. And can you tell us the significance of these things to you. SJ: Ideas and inspiration can come from anything and everything at any time, shopping RL, looking at fashion magazine, watching TV... my workplace in RL I have my computer of course a scanner and a
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printer, a pad and pencil, I sketch almost most of the time, a wacom tablet, & my ipod listening to music BW: If you had to pack up and leave SL tomorrow could you do so with a sense of satisfaction at what you accomplished or would you always feel there was so much left undone? Will you ever feel done? SJ: So much left undone of course, but still I am satisfied of what I did so far, but it is not just about what I am able to do in the future it is also about what i can learn. BW: Is creativity organized for you? Is there a process of taking something from start to finish or do you find yourself working here and there on many things at once? SJ: Not really, many times I start something and end up with a different result.. I usually have a concept or idea, developing it in SL is not same as sketching it on paper BW: What have you taken from SL into RL and how has it improved RL for you? What have you learned from your time in SL? SJ: I learned so many things new programs 3d to create sculpties, I became more advanced in using photoshop, and programs to make poses. BW: Talk to us about the most influential person to you personally in SL and why and how that happened.
Bliss Windlow Wearing: Super Chic Red Svetlana Skirt red
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Bliss Windlow Wearing: Waterfall Gold
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SJ: There is no special one person, they are many, everybody who believed I can make it, everyone who supported me, the friends I had over the last 3 years. BW: If you could be a Linden for a day and anything you said goes, what is the one thing you would change to benefit everyone’s life? SJ: I wouldn’t want to be a linden , it is a hard job and eventually I would never be able to please everyone. but I think SL needs to be more organized, after all it is about making SL a better place for everybody, to create, socialize, or explore BW: Criticizing a designer is a bit of a controversy. You have those who say all is fair .. Say what you want. You have bloggers who make it very public and think designers should thank them for pointing it out. You have those who say take it privately to the designer. What are your thoughts on the subject? SJ: Criticism always been a mean to advance and move forward, when it comes from somebody with knowledge, expertise and skills. Designers in SL are creating work of art, it is their personal print & painting on SL canvas, in my personal opinion it doesn’t need a talent to sit and evaluate other people work, especially when the criticism comes from people that don’t know how the item they are evaluating was made or how long it took to make it. I encourage bloggers to
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Bliss Windlow Wearing: Waterfall Gold
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criticize but before starting to point fingers they should check with the designer first. BW: A community exists when there is respect for those who have had success and longevity, support amongst the entire group, and some type of introduction, welcoming, support of new members. Communication with all those groups is key. Does that exist in SL? Why or why not? What could be done to improve that? SJ: I think sellers need to have some type of tag in SL some kind of verified seller a tag for status , and how long they’ve been active, and how many items they have sold to date. As for new comers to SL they need guidance not just a link to a website or a LM to a freebie store. A volunteer group of selected residents can be helpful BW: 2010 is quickly coming to a close .. Any big plans to round out the year? How far in advance do you have to look to keep on top of the game? SJ: No plans I just have commitment and devotion to what I do in SL, and above all to have fun doing it. It is not just ball gowns and fantasy dresses for Sonia. There are some of the most beautiful bridal gowns you will ever know, and casual clothes that are so
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well done. There are packages of clothes, shoes and hair. There is jewellery and accessories that are incredibly unique and fun. Her store is one of those special places where you spend hours and then go back again and again, so afraid you might have missed one treasure. And, make sure you check out her blog. Her pictures are beautifully done. This is one very talented lady. Son!a: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ Edge/130/103/31 SON!A MODE VIRTUELLE®: HTTP://SONIA28-JIE.BLOGSPOT. COM/
Bliss Windlow Wearing: Nymph Blue
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and Icemocolo Voom Interview & Photography by Bliss Windlow
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Icemocolo Voom - Owner
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M
uism is one of the stores where you land and start walking and hours later you are still there finding more treasures. Icemocolo is a decidedly interesting figure in the world of SL fashion, handsome and charming, he immediately puts you at ease. All through the process of this interview he could not have been more helpful. Surrounded by good friends and fun, it is easy to see why we has the respect of his peers … what is not to like? The name Muism is Korean Shamanism and I wondered about the name, its influence on his life and his designs. As you wander though his stores, there are hints of a spi-
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ritual well. Icemocolo explained the name to me; “ The word Mu is from a Chinese character «無» that pronounce in Japanese «Mu», it means none/nothing, unlike Muism in Korean Shamanism which use the word «巫» which also pronounce as «Mu» in Korean.” The funny thing is, he did not know that when he named the store, he found out afterward, but he himself is a big fan of that culture. BW: Your Blog refers to the Muism Team; who are they? IV: There was many people wor-
Bliss Windlow Wearing: Outfit: Quilt back slinky top dress
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Bliss Windlow Wearing: Outfit: Lace chiffon dress
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king under Muism brand in the past, such as Migi Voom (Female fashion/ hairs/animation), Galliano Boucher (Fashion adviser/stylist), and Miaow Dastardly (Sim manager). Soon there will be more designers to add to the team. BW: Muism has a very distinct look and feel to the designs, where does that come from, what are your inspirations? IV: We have a Awesome Fashion adviser (Galliano Boucher), he in my muse to many great ideas about our fashion direction, so many of my old classics such as «deep V shirt», «Last night shirt», and many other products are all his ideas. The rest of them come from my own personal tastes. I follow up and coming fashion, and choose the trends that best suit what I like. The collaboration of ideas are where a lot of our Muism styles come from. BW: What was the very first thing you sold under your label? Talk to me about the journey from that piece to your latest collection? IV: It was The Black Spring Jacket that was the first ever fashion line in SL to implement the unique ‘flexiwear’ design, (where the flexi-prims were attached from just below the chest, giving a dynamic shape and flowing design.). This same design has been applied to many other different style of coat and jacket later on, such as Yeti coat, and Leather Bomber jacket.
really supportive of one another? How are collaborations effective, if they are? IV: The SL fashion community is very important. Any support I get from blogs, word of mouth, etc. Is always helpful, but I’d like to think The Muism brand is versitile enough to be worn with high fashion and casual looks equally. I have many friends who are also designers and we are always supportive of each other. I have many , very creative people in my life. Collaborations are sometimes effective, but sometimes there are many differences in opinion, so it really would depend on the project. BW: Any mistakes along the way? What did you learn about SL and yourself when you made them? IV: A lot of building and creating in SL is trial and error. Sometimes things don’t come out perfect on the first attempt and they take a lot of work to perfect them to the quality that I want released at my store. I guess the biggest lesson I’ve learned would be patience. I’ve also learned..you reap what you sow. The more work you put into the product, the better feedback it gets from customers. BW: Any surprises about people or fashion you were not expecting?
IV: Not really. I guess SL is just a bigger, more accessible way for people to fully express themself especially through fashion. You can create anything, be anything..it’s no wonder there are so many great inBW: How important is the commu- world fashion icons in sl. nity of fashion in SL? Are designers
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Bliss Windlow Wearing: Outfit: Lace chiffon dress Jude Highfield Wearing: Skinny Blazer/black White Shirt and Tie Exile Owen/brownsugar Muism Galliano Glasses
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Jude Highfield Wearing: SlipOn - Plain Colours Hair Exile Owen/Whiskey Muism CS trousers White Muism Galliano (glasses) Muism LNS Paisley/Light Blue (shirt layer) Muism Xavier C3 Bald
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Jude Highfield Wearing: Skinny Blazer/black White Shirt and Tie Exile Owen/brownsugar Muism Galliano Glasses
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Jude Highfield Wearing: Muism Cotton Smart Trousers Beige Muism Galliano Glasses Muism Chunky Cable Knit Sweater Off White Musim messenger bag male Hoorenbeek Loafers w Strip Tan
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BW: I have heard amazing compliments for you on so many levels, talent, integrity, customer service … what is your philosophy for business and why so much attention to good customer service when so many are waving their hand and saying «who cares .. If you don’t like it .. shop elsewhere?»
I do know many people told me they found out about Muism because they saw someone else wearing the clothes and scanned them to find out where they were from .. the clothes are THAT good. There are so many wonderful designs in Muism from skins and hair, to shoes, accessories, clothes .. for both men and women … this is one store that is definitely IV: Customer service is always worth a visit. important. You cannot have a successful business without taking care Musim - http://slurl.com/secondlife/ of the people who fuel it. My cus- Muism/61/113/23 tomers are my biggest supporters, and I always want them to be happy. If I treated them badly, as I’m sure some other do....they would never want to come back. I like for everyone’s Muism experience to be a good one. People should be able to find what they need and be satisfied that the product they buy is exactly as we present it to be. BW: Who are your hero’s that inspire you to keeping pushing for excellence and why? IV: My friends, definitely. I have so many wonderful people in my life that keep me motivated and encourage me when I’m working long nights on new releases. They are always an IM away in case I want input on anything I’m working on. I have a great support system. The looks in Muism are trendy, but not outrageous, with a real eye for lines and fit. The suit is one of the first ones Jude has worn that he did not have to make some major adjustments. Finding suits for the bulkier men has been difficult for him.
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Silhouette
and Carissa Crimson Interview & Photography by Bliss Windlow
I
first met Carissa Crimson as a relative noob. I was shopping around and this beautiful woman stopped to talk to me about my avi. She was funny and kind and I had no idea who she was. She asked if I was using a Silhouette Shape and I was . I gushed on and on about the shop, giving her a landmark and telling her she should check them out…. when she shared that she was actually the designer of my shape. I was floored … that I was meeting my first designer, and that she was so nice to me. She actually friended me. I decided to start a blog shortly after that, and I never forgot the example she set for me and I vowed I would always make time to talk to people no matter what my sojourn in SL held for me. I never wanted to forget what it felt like, for me, a noob, to have someone like her take the time to talk to me. It was a great example. Since then I have followed her work, her blog and her fashion feed of course. I admire her greatly and I was so excited to do this interview and to finally get to tell her what that day meant to me. Carissa has been around since 2006 and she has seen a great deal of changes, although she can hardly believe it has been that long, as time seems to fly.
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Like many of us she got hooked on the fashion right away, but back then SL was all about the clubs and the conversations with people all over the world. She loved that. Clubs would have theme nights and each announcement would send her on a mission to find the best possible style so she could win. “Back then there weren’t really many resources for finding great shops, nor was there much of a selection of quality designers, so it was a fun challenge. Last Call, Nyte n Day, Shai, Shiny Things, Digit Darkes... those were my favorite places….” We talked quite a bit about the initial “fun” of SL. Parties, exploring, shopping, general silliness…. those first few months are often filled with the excitement of all of those things. Carissa observed that somewhere around 6 months that seems to change and she recognizes she has had to sacrifice some of that carefree abanaon to attend to work and other responsibilities. She was very insightful into the perception of others when she shared, “….even though I’m the same person I was four years ago, I feel people don’t find me as approachable, and that’s the most difficult to deal with. It seems that people form opinions about me not because they know me, but because they «know of me». That’s hard for me personally. Her love of shapes was almost instantaneous. She quickly realized that it was the one assured way to be unique, and Clarissa, if nothing else, could never be a clone. She
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seems to always be looking at things in new and innovative ways, trying something out, making suggestions, helping others. I was impressed as we talked, with her respect and support of fellow designers and bloggers. She strives for excellence, and is happy to help others do the same, in a quiet respectful way. She laughs about how she would “practice” her shapes on her friends and “random newbies ( who I would whisk away on a whirlwind makeover.)” These are the people who then encouraged her to open a shop and she did. Silhouette was very well received. Shapes have changed over that time. The biggest change being in size. Most people are shocked to find out how tall their avi’s are, and the new feature in SL 2.0 that calculates height in meters AND feet, has added to the new understanding. Consequently people are going for smaller. Carissa is actually considering reworking the height proportions on some of her older shapes and adding them as a new version, even though it would be a huge endeavour. BW: Shapes are not something that get a lot of attention on the fashion feeds. Why do you think that is?
Carissa Crimson Owner of Silhouette Shapes
CC: Shapes are often a static part of someone’s avatar. People don’t tend to change shapes as often as their outfits, hair or makeup. I believe shapes are also an extremely personal thing and are the foundation that everything is built on. A blogger’s shape is what gives them their identity in a venue where everything else is up for grabs. Honestly, as a blogger, I’m more than happy to give
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Lauren shape
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credits for every single item I use in a look, but I think it’s my shape that keeps someone from becoming my clone. This is also why modifiable shapes are so important. A premade shape can be a wonderful base to build your own unique look from. BW: Many people do not allow alterations on the shapes, some don’t even have demos … you do … talk to me about the thought process with that and why you do it. CC: When I opened Silhouette, offering demos was a no brainer. I couldn’t possibly expect a consumer to purchase a shape based entirely on how I photographed them. As for allowing modifications, I thought about how often I need to make small changes to my face to work with different skins, or even system skirts, and I knew my customers would too. A modifiable premade shape can be worn as is, or used as a starting point to add your own unique characteristics. My friends feared it would create a free for all give away of my work that would be exploited, but my philosophy is this: If someone wants to buy my shapes, and go through the trouble to write down the numbers, create new shapes, style them, photograph them, package them for sale, market them, and pass off my work as their own, well karma is a waiting for them around the corner with a swift kick in the rear. I have to say one of my favourite responses in the whole interview came to my question about how she handles that people modify her shapes and seldom give the designer any credit. Carissa stated, “ Simply put, they
DID make their own shape. It’s no different from me starting with the default shape Linden provides us. The end result is my work, not the Linden’s.” How great is that? In a world filled with attitude and cries of people copying one another, I found that such a refreshing and respectful attitude. Carissa is one of those rare people whose ego is not caught up in the idea that in order for her to “win” everyone else must “lose.” She goes on to share that the one thing that inspires her with her shapes –are skins. They always motivate her and give her ideas to create something new. Carissa begins with the face, that is her main focus, and then she insists the body be nicely proportioned. Now that she has several great body shapes, she can start there and then tweak them to suit the face and “personality” of her shapes. And, yes, sometimes it is hard to part with them and she does keep her shape unique but it is not that she has several static shapes, she is always a work in progress, evolving and morphing with each inspiration. “My favorite shape is my newest release, Adrian. I borrowed a lot of her features for my personal shape. At times it’s a bit of a fluid dynamic.” BW: Do shapes have an ethnicity when you create them? Do you think that is a consideration or is a shape a shape? CC: Every shape I make has a personality, which is why I sell «styled shapes» with full credits to achieve the overall look. Sometimes that overall style is, in my mind, a hot
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Latina or petite Asian, but it’s also a volumptuous redhead, or girl next door. For me it’s less about the ethnicity than the personality.
Adrien Shape
BW: Men’s shapes?? Where do you even begin with those? Any significant differences from designing a shape for a woman? CC: I’ve made male shapes for friends in the past, and even for my own male avatar, but these days I have left the male shaping to my partner, Mitch Wisent, and his brand Homme Fait. He has a small collection available on the second floor of Silhouette. I think I know women’s bodies and proportions because I am one. I can look in the mirror and see how a hip should curve, as well as arm length proportions, and other characteristics that make my shapes beautiful and natural. I can’t do that with a male shape. There are some new things in the works for Carissa Crimson…”Although it may not be widely known, since Silhouette is primarily a shape store, I also design eyes and prim lashes. All of the newest shapes at Silhouette include fitted prim lashes, as well as the eyes used in the vendor styling. With the rising popularity of using the Shadow Graphic settings for photography in Second Life, which requires the wearing of prim eyes, I’ve been working on prim versions of all Silhouette eyes I’m very excited about the development of a Silhouette Prim Eye HUD which will simplify the selection of your favorite Silhouette eye color and style. Another cool feature of prim eyes is the capability of wearing two indivi-
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April Shape
Cookie Shape
Dorothy Shape
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dual colored eyes. I’ll be releasing a prototype version to my Subscription group this month, and I can’t wait to get feedback. In the shape department, Mitch and I have been kicking around the idea of collaborating on a new line of men’s shapes, less masculine and with a a glam twist. This is very much in the idea phase, but we’re excited about it.”
rences and creates a healthy rich fabric that reflects us all. Clarissa understands that. She builds the community of fashion with her work, her talent and her heart. It was a great pleasure to interview her, to get to know her better and to gain a better understanding of the fascinating world of Shape Design.
Silhouette Fashion is about a collective. It is www.flickr.com/carissacrimson a collective of ideas and persona- FashionFeedofSL.com lities and choices. All of these are Carissa’s Closet as diversified as can be and a healthy community embraces its diffe-
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Lifestyle → SLebrity Homes
Colleen Desmoulins
SLebrity
I
TP’d into a quiet little neighbourhood, surprised by just how normal everything looked. No high walls, no locked doors, no security lines … just a typical neighbourhood you would find in almost any city. This is where Colleen Desmoulins owner and creative mind behind The Loft, one of the most respected furniture stores in SL, lives .. in a row of attached homes with a playground across the street. She was sitting on her front steps. BW: Talk to me about your house. Why this house, this neighbourhood, this style? CD: I just stumbled upon this neighborhood one day when I was out shopping for a prefab, took an old link in the builder’s profile and the rest is history. I decided to stay because I have never seen a totally suburban sim in SL before. I love the fact that SL is amazing and you can push any boundaries that you wish and make
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Homes
Interview & Photography by Bliss Windlow
Colleen Desmoulins Owner of The Loft Designs
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out of this world structures, but I am also one of those people who like to see real life being mirrored in here also. So the neighborhood and style wasn’t up to me, but I did rent the townhouse because I really enjoy smaller spaces. Not to mention they are so much easier to decorate. BW : What does having a home in SL represent to you? What do you get out of it? CD: You know for a while I didn’t have a home, I just stayed working on my platform. You know the “all work Jack “from that popular saying? I was that “Jack.” All work and no play. I am tired of being confined to my platform. I seriously feel a little lost when I don’t have my own place in Second Life. A work platform just does not cut it. Your home in SL is just like your home in RL, it’s your comfort zone and after decorating it just the way you like it, it gives you such a great feeling. BW : I love the fact your home is so normal, it is not the big showpiece that one might think from a furniture designer. It is functional and very real, you are in a neighbourhood where you actually see other people. I have to admit my experience with house and home in SL is big island, big house, no see the neighbours ever. Talk to me a little about «community and neighbourhood.» CD: This community is great and pretty welcoming, I would say about 98 %of the people here are role players and what is great about living here is that no one really
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Lifestyle → SLebrity Homes forces you to RP, and they welcome RPers and non RPers alike. So living here is absolutely wonderful and like you mentioned before it is really refreshing actually seeing other people going about their SL lives. BW: Colleen what can you recommend for someone who just does not know how to get around the prim issue. You have land, you have a house .. you put up a couch and a bed and whammo, nothing left to put in the little details that make homes like yours so inviting .. what are us dummy decorators missing? CD: If you are facing the battle of prim limits a really good resource is looking for stores which sell homes designed specifically for Linden homes, because they will be super low prim. Prim Perfect magazine features designers and linden home owners so you will be able to get a lot of information from there. When the Linden homes were just introduced I was challenge by Designing Worlds to design a full interior using only 117 prims and it was totally doable. I was able to complete a dining Room, Living room, Bedroom, Office within that prim limit complete with decor items and drapes. Something else to consider is the size of your home, if you have an 800 prim limit then make sure your house is not over 200 prims or maybe even settle for a skybox, and most of all feel free to retexture your walls maybe even using a pattern. BW: your
What home
do says
you about
think you?
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Lifestyle → SLebrity Homes
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Lifestyle → SLebrity Homes CD: I love being comfortable. I made sure that the color orange was repeated throughout the house and even though none of my furniture matches I made sure that it was all tied in with either color texture or style, so that shows I like a bit of disorder in my life, well orderly disorder. It also shows I can be fun and I am very spontaneous. BW: Do you entertain here much, what do you use your home for? Do you use all the rooms? CD: I don’t entertain that much but I do share this house with an old friend of mine sometimes other friend will visit, but are there wild drunken parties every weekend? No, no there isn’t. I like when people drop in uninvited sometimes. I use all my rooms, well no, I don’t use the Kitchen and bathroom because well avatars don’t eat etc etc etc. It’s strange though because I feel like my house is somewhat incomplete when I don’t have them in sl. BW: How often do you change the style and the furniture etc? CD: I am not sure on changing something I am really comfortable with but come winter I might want to switch the colors in here from cool to warm, which means i would probably leave the layout the same but switch the colors a bit. BW : How do you start decorating .... do you pick a colour or a piece of furniture ... share with us the process .... I love how orange is repeated through much of the house.
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CD: Usually I become obsessed with some element I would like to use in my design; it could be a painting or a sofa, or a color, a vase anything, then I work around it. I almost always do the walls last. With this house my inspiration started with the Rococo Chair from Yasuki Beck. Then it just went from there. I started adding pieces of furniture that I really like always being conscious of how it will be tied into the overall look of the room. I really like the idea of not beings strict about interior design rules instead I think you should make your space you , use pieces that you love looking at that gives you the warm fuzzies inside, at the same time you want to be somewhat conscious of everything you are laying out because you don’t want your living room to look like a yard sale. BW: I think houses tell us a great deal about people .. yours says to me that you are practical, love colour, like things to be beautiful but also very practical. I love the boxes in the office, the unmade beds that just beg you to crawl in and cocoon .... I see a warmth here beyond the talent and the design ... how close am I??? CD: I think you are extremely close. Even in RL my house is never picture perfect, I haven’t seen a perfectly made bed in ages, except when company is coming over of course, but I am not a fan of my house looking like it can make the cover of a magazine. A lived in looking home is inviting, warm, makes you feel like you belong, in RL it reminds me that I share that space with some amazing
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Lifestyle → SLebrity Homes people. So yes, by all means leave your shoes on the rug at the door, or feel free to rest your drink and magazine down..anywhere, go ahead lean your bag against that chair or hang it over the chair and coasters?...Pfft we don’t need no stinking coasters! BW: I felt bad that I did not bring a plate of cookies or a pot of coffee - that is the feel of the place .... maybe next time?? CD: Only if is oatmeal ;) You’re on! I make great oatmeal cookies! We can sit on the front steps and discuss life! The Loft - http://slurl.com/secondlife/The%20Loft/128/120/22
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Bedroom You can find all Collen Desmoulin’s products inworld at her main store The Loft
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Lifestyle → Spotlight
A M O N A criss Interview & Photography by Bliss Windlow
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R
amona, like so many SL residents does not speak English as her first language. And, like many of them, she apologizes profusely for her English. It always makes me laugh because I think it is amazing they can speak my language. I cannot imagine anyone being offended. Now what WOULD be funny and offensive .. would be ME trying to speak any of their languages. I have taken the liberty of correcting a spelling here or there or adding a word when needed but the responses, are as delightful as the woman herself. BW: Congratulations on the new store. Both Ohren and I were blown away by what a great build it is and while I don’t know anything about building, when Ohren is impressed ... that says something. Tell me about the building and the design??
of builds you do. RC: Yes, you are right SD Serini Design is the name of my Building Company and can be found on Xstreet or New Marketplace and of course in World in Luxor City 92/74/322. I have start building in SL almost from beginning when I had need of a table for my rented house (smiling), then I wanted to make the design of my RL house in SL with furniture and all things needed for it. Well at the end I had a perfect copy of my RL home furnished and decorated in SL .... I was so excited ! When I started MyANIMATION Company I couldn’t find a building designed similar to what I had in mind, so I started building it. Many people asked me to sell them MyANIMATION Shop building, but I wanted to sell my animations in a unique building ... so was not for sale (smile), and I thought since I like to build and that it is something which helps me relax, why not start selling them. This was the beginning of SD Serini Design, and became a very successful business. I like to create Shops , Malls and Clubs, all are based on modern and minimal style.
RC: Thank you so much for appreciation and for your kind words. MyANIMATION’s new building is the result of 2 years of experience and skills and keeps the trend of all SD Serini Design buildings. At the same time, it combines all my new ideas about how a shop at this size should BW: How did MyANIMATION come about? How long has it been around look like. and when did you move to this new I tried to apply the rules of minimal building?
architecture style applied these days RC - Well some of my closer friends in real life. know how I have arrived in animaBW: Where else can people see tors field and how MyANIMATION some of your other builds? SD Serini came out and I would like to share Design is the name of your Building this story with you. (smiling) Company, tell me a little bit about My first contact with business envihow that came to be and what kinds ronment in Second Life was when I
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Inside MY Animations Store started to manage a store with animations created by a friend of mine, and I tried to apply all my knowledge regarding management and marketing. I have to admit that in Second Life managing a business and marketing are a little different compared to real life. Because the creator I worked for did not have time to create new animations to fit with customer needs, I decided to create my own animations .... so this is the way that MyANIMATION came to life at the beginning of 2009 and my first store. After a while that I familiarized myself how to create animations, and how important the quality of the animations is, I have hired RL professional animators and developed a bigger shop ... which I like to call «my 2nd store». Because
costumers
raised and they desire more real and natural motions, we have bought a Motion Capture System and we created our own Studio and hired professional dancers, actors, and models. In the middle of September we will release new animations full body motion capture, and because we need a bigger space we are moving to the new store. All this will be marked by a huge Grand Opening Event, 60 nonstop hours PARTY that will start Friday September 17th 2010 Midnight SLT featuring 30 live DJ’s, 30 hostess and 60 dancers.
BW: Can you explain, briefly, how one creates animations? Does it expectations take a lot of time?
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Lifestyle → Spotlight
Front entrance of the store
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Inside My Animations
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Lifestyle → Spotlight
Couple pose
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RC : Well I can tell you it’s not easy job and actually requires quite a lot of work and dedication, the main issues is that you cannot find any how to’s and basically you have to discover everything by trial and error. Even the well trained 3D designers have difficulties when faced for the first time with Second Life animations. To get to the bottom of it we use advanced motion capture technology capturing real time movements performed by our professional actors, dancers and models. BW: What about the dances? Are you a dancer? How do you keep them fresh and interesting? RC: Hmmm, I wish to be a dancer because I seen how they performed in our studio and all of them are just amazing they make it seem so easy. Some of the movement I performed myself and with the help of the animators «tricks» I am quite good (smiling) ... well but those animations are for me and not for sell. Except me, all of our performers are professionals and have studied dance, theatre and modelling all their lives. We try to cover almost every dance style possible and use more dancers for every style, because every dancer has a unique way of performing and feeling the music and doing so we obtain unique animation for every dance style. Just as an observation the dancers feel the music like it is a part of them. BW: Do you sell AO’s that are set and ready to go or are all your AO’s empty and people can pick and choose what they want to put into them? RC: We have a free AO Hud that is empty and people can load what AO stands they like and what they think fits their own personality. Our short time plans include also creating a new improved AO Hud complete (ready to go) with brand new features and of course customers will be able to load other animations they prefer.
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Lifestyle → Spotlight
My Animations has poses to suit every moment and occasion. Pictures on the left and right by Bliss Windlow showing off some of the sexy model poses
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Ramona Criss herself
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BW: Tell me something about the people you work with. You have a partner - do you just complement one another fabulously or is it tough sometimes? RC: Well as you can imagine I started alone and in time I have founded a bigger and bigger team that is growing as we speak. All the members of my team are very creative and good professionals at what they do and consider ourselves to be like a family. Kpusha Kanto is my business partner that is actually my real life husband that was very supportive from the beginning (not true - smiling), now he is my right hand in this project and his role is to test all animations. Also Shara Catiria that is my real life sister helps me to manage MyANIMATION Company and other business that I have in Second Life. BW: What advise can you offer for someone looking to start business here in SL? What has been your toughest lesson that taught you the most?
the hard way in real life because I have a few good years of management background in a company and my main concern even then was to always satisfy my customers and make them happy. BW: What can we expect from you heading into fall, anything new and exciting? As you already figured it out the next few months will be full with excitement. We will move to the new building, offering to our customers tons of new high quality animations, Grand Opening Event and other surprises. The new shop is situated in Luxor City region where our customers can find a beach to relax and a club to party. To keep track of other information about us you can visit our website www.myanimation.sl. I had so much fun with the dances, I did not want to leave. I thought that she also had some different poses than what you usually see with modelling and she Ramona is incredibly helpful and willing to talk to you about your needs and what you would like to see. The new store is open and spacious and lends itself nicely to taking your time and trying out the poses. Poses come in a copy or transfer option allowing for a variation in the price if you are counting pennies.
RC: To be honest I am not very good at giving advice but if I where to start a business now in Second Life I very much would appreciate someone telling me: to create high quality, original and unique products, to be open minded, ambitious, to be able My Animation to work 16 hours a day (smiling like I do) and most important always h t t p : / / s l u r l . c o m / s e c o n d l i f e / listen to your customers needs and Luxor%20City/127/148/24 offer them very good services. As far as lessons learned, I have to admit that I’ve learned all my lessons
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Lifestyle → Shopper’s delight
Tempura Decors
By Bliss Windlow
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graphs …. BUT it also provides some of the most interesting combination ometimes it is nice to just of styling in some of the best furniwander the grid and pick a store you ture pieces I have seen in SL. You like and talk about the designs. This will not find anything else like this. is one of those articles for me. I found this store by accident and fell The furniture is elaborate and beauin love with the style and creations tifully crafted using golds, marbles, of this designer. rich tapestries and intricate patterns. The screens and rugs are masterIf you are looking for the beauty of pieces of colour and textures. I parclassically inspired, Grecian décor, ticularly loved the huge cabinet with then look no further than the desthe closing doors called “library.” I tinations guide pic of Tempura love books and the idea of being able Décors. If you adore Baroque, this to keep your real treasures in such is your store. If you love ancient an exquisite piece appeals to me. designs and antiques – look at Tempura Decors. This eclectic, gorgeous The stores are full of filigree iron store is pretty enough to just want to works, gazebos, painted or tapeshang out in for some quiet time with tried columns, reliefs, rich colours beautiful gardens, hanging flowers and tapestries, soft gauzian draand strolling peacocks. It is a beaupings, carved marble … a feast for tiful place to get some lovely photo-
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Lifestyle → Shopper’s delight the eyes. Siryelle uses flowers and colour and mixes indoor and outdoor pieces and effects into beautiful settings that are right for your bedroom or the most decadent of patios or around the pool and garden. I love the tiled and terrazzo floors and walls and bathtubs. The marble desk and stool seat would be very cool to work with in an office setting and play with mixing it into a modern setting. The screens are beautiful .. all the colours are just the perfect mute, allowing you to mix and match and choose the pieces with gold edgings to really punch your room. There are so many options to accessorize with - from lights to rugs. Beautiful pots and vases and curtains of various textures adorn the show room and you find yourself just wanting to move in and stay there. Another favourite piece is the Edwardian Cupboard that is all made of burl wood and you can clearly see that. The doors are ornately painted and appliquéd with gold and rich reds. You open the door and the entire inside of the cabinet is a wood painting that is gorgeous. It is this kind of attention to minute details that make these pieces a real joy to have in your SL home. They are truly works of art. And the prices? Get ready .. THIS piece .. is ONLY Tempura Decors - http://slurl. $250L!!!!! WOW! com/secondlife/Snake%20 Please make time to visit Tempura Island/10/222/703 decors and appreciate the beautiful works of Designer Siryelle Yalin.
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the Gadget Queen
Alicia Stella
Lifestyle → Scripter’s Selection
Interview & Photography By Agatha Klees
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Alicia Stella is one of the oldest and recognized scripter in SL. She is the owner and designer of “Alicia Stella Designs”, a complete brand of gadgets, scripts, supplies and more, made to help to owners of business to manage and advertise the company. She started in 2006 with a nonstop career of developing new features in SL. In this interview we will explore more about this lady and find out how she evolved her own creative process. If you are an owner of a club, you HAVE to know Alicia; her great system of Tip Jars is very recognized for the quality of the scripts and the designs of the jars. Alicia Stella Designs (ASD) is one of the oldest brand of gadgets and supplies in SL and she not only owns the shop, she designs everything in it. She is an entrepreneur with a good vision into what is needed to make everyone’s SL experience better. She started in SL in 2006 and keeps reinventing her products, doing updates, making new and creative ones to cover the unseeing needs
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Lifestyle → Scripter’s Selection in the Second Life experience. She is more than a good scripter, she takes care of every detail in her products. Presentation is also important to her but so is content. Her designs look great and they always deliver. AK: Since 2006 you have provided scripted gadgets in SL, how did you decide to start with it? AS: I have always been good with scripting things. I used to enjoy hacking computer games like ‘The Sims’ or ‘Roller Coaster Tycoon’ to make my own furniture and ride items. I would distribute the new items to fans online. I found Second Life in 2006 by googling «virtual world real money.» I felt that something like that had to exist by then and I was glad to discover that it did. When I joined SL they had my real life name available, «Alicia Stella.» I always thought that was a sign. AS: The quality of your products is impeccable. RL studies have allowed you to achieve that quality? AS: Before Second Life I was a web designer, specializing in creating web based communities and commercial websites. My skills in scripting, graphic design, and business really prepared me for what I do now in SL. AK: You started with articles for clubs, why this segment in particular? AS: When I first joined SL I decided to get a job dancing in a club to help buy land for my first work studio.
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Alicia Stella herself
I figured that I would never be an exotic dancer in real life but this was Second Life and I can do anything here. It was a lot of fun and I enjoyed talking with all the different people that came into the club. At the same time I was learning how to create items in SL. Originally I tried making clothing, but I wasn’t very good at that. My boss at the club was trying to find tip jars that could split percentages and teleporters that could be paid to teleport. No one was selling those things back then so I decided to take a stab at it. Working in a club really opened my eyes to all things that club owners need but no one was making.
«When I first joined SL I decided to get a job as a dancer...» AK: How has ASD grown over the years? Tell us the story of ASD. AS: My company in SL, Alicia Stella Design, has grown with me and my journey in SL. I started with only 10 US dollars to get my first skin, hair, and some clothes and I have never spent any more money in SL that I didn’t earn in SL since. I was selling club equipment in a small shop within a few months of joining SL. Sales started slowly at first, but were steady. In December of 2006, the SL Places search completely broke and for several weeks no one could search for anywhere to buy items.
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Lifestyle → Scripter’s Selection People would see my items in clubs, check the «Creator» in build/edit menu, and visit my store through my profile. Many businesses hurt during this time, but my company propelled quickly to the top because of it. I quit my real life job in January 2007 and still make enough in SL to support me in RL to this day. AK: You have various products, such as Tip Jars, Dance Furniture, Donation Boxes, Teleporters, Camping Products, Gadgets, Club Prefabs, Particles and Flags. Which is your favorite? AS: It’s the smaller projects that are my favorites, including the flags and flagpoles for sure. I just love to watch them sway in the breeze. Most people don’t know that there’s actually wind in Second Life simulators. My flags always face the direction of the wind and flap harder when the wind picks up. It can be beautiful to watch. AK: What is your source of inspiration for new products? AS: Most times I make an item it’s because it doesn’t yet exist in SL. I like making a niche market where there wasn’t one before. (If you’ve seen items that look like mine, often times it’s because others copy what I have done.) Some of my items though, I create just because it seems like it could be fun. As a result my store is a mix of really useful business tools and some fun
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things everyone can enjoy as well. AK: From your experience in SL, What changes have you seen in SL that have forced you to improve and create new products? Which of them has influenced most strongly? AS: I think the most influential change to my business was the ban on gambling. Not because I was selling any gambling devices, but because a large part of my customers were casino owners. Soon after that, new policies limiting camping again put a strain on my sales. I have had to innovate new, more interesting ways for business owners to attract new visitors such as the ASD GiveAway System and ASD Raffle Systems. AK: How do you think SL will continue to evolve? What new challenges do you see for your business? AS: There are some big changes happening now and some others on the horizon. The SL Marketplace (now in beta) is a big change. Having an official catalog of products for residents to search through will change the way residents shop in SL. Also, we will see SL running in a web based viewer, as soon as Linden Lab can figure out how to do it. If this occurs it will (hopefully) drive a younger and more «connected» social-networking crowd into SL. Plus, we need to keep an eye on the linking of virtual world grids through a network. If SL
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Lifestyle → Scripter’s Selection and hundreds of other virtual worlds connect together everything will change. Within the next 5 years we could see this merging of the web and virtual spaces to create the «World Virtual Web» hybrid of tomorrow. AK: You are currently working hard on Web Tools. Tell us a little more of these products. AS: SL scripts have many limitations, especially on memory and lag. Anyone familiar with Hippo Technologies for example, understands that it can be a lot easier to change settings on the web than in-world. My focus now is on making products for business owners in Second Life like myself, and one of the most important things to a business owner is keeping records and statistics. My new web tools products keep transaction histories and graphs you or your managers can view using any web browser. It can be very useful, especially for viewing trends over time and adjusting your business accordingly. AK: You are a reference for all scripters in SL, which is the key to success? AS: I approach scripting as a human first and a scripter second. My scripts are easy to understand and that goes a long way. I have offered free simple scripts in SL for years now to help residents learn LSL scripting. When I first joined SL, the freebie scripts were severely outdated and many were broken. You can always view
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The Alicia Stella Designs main store
all my free scripts at my website: her so adorable and easy to handle. http://www.aliciastella.com/scripts It was a pleasure interview this lady, What keeps me amazed about because when I was walking around Alicia, is the quality of her stuff (I’m in her store I remembered my newbie owner of some of her gadgets) and days in SL when I worked in a club also her good heart to share her and used her tip jars to split my tips knowledge with everyone. She is a with the club owners… what days! simple person, without eccentricity or diva attitude, and that makes
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Lifestyle → Top 5 Destinations
Top 5
Destinations
Do not limit your explorations to a place
Looking for some of the best places to visit in Second Life? We’ve got what you need. For you fine readers, our private investigators found some new places to explore, and most of all, since it is halloween, we added a supplement. Valhal, China Sichuan and more, just for the pleasure of the mind. EOS reporters... reporting!
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VALHAL
by Mirja Mills
Feel the Spirit ... Find your Way
Article & Photography by Desire Strangelove
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he first thing that I noticed when landing on this sim was the soothing music that was being played (The Far River by John Serrie) and I turned around to find a beautifully majestic stone statue of a knight with his head bowed, bending down on one knee and balancing on the tip of his sword. Towering above the knight, with wings extended to their fullest, was a huge dragon, his mouth open as if in mid-roar and his
golden eyes blinking as he watched me. Right away I got the feeling that visiting this sim was going to be a mystical experience. I descended the stone steps and found a sign pointing the way to the Stonehenge caves. This I had to see. I climbed up the path which led to a wooden walkway built up high along a mountain. The walkway was lined with torches so I decided to switch my environment settings to midnight. Then I looked down upon the scenery below and saw the replica-
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tion of Stonehenge. I made my way down there and stood within the massive stone monument and listened to the soothing music playing and watched the waves softly lap against the shore. It was very soothing. I soon spotted a foggy area up on the mountain above and decided to check that out. I hiked up the trail and back to a wooden bridge where I found a sign pointing to the Dark Forest Village. As I made my way into the
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forest, I marvelled at the fog rising up between the tall trees and thought to myself how beautiful it looked. As the fog engulfed me I noticed walls of lettering hanging vertically within the fog and glowing flowers. I also thought I heard voices so I lowered the music. An eerie voice was whispering something I could not quite hear. It was rather spooky in there so I decided to make haste and find the village at the edge of the forest. Just when I thought the fog would never end and that I’d never find my way out of the forest, I found the trail and the air cleared and I made my way up to the village. The village
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was quiet and deserted except for a lone horse tied up to a post beside the roaring fire. Remnants of some forgotten ritual or unprepared meal lay beside the fire - a mortar and pestle, jars of unknown spices and powders and a book. The wooden huts had thatched roofs and there was a hand-drawn well in the middle of the village. A bucket of water and a washboard stood next to a pile of wood and a butter churn. A buffalo hide stretched between two logs. I made my way through the village and through another forest with trees covered in beautiful orange foliage. At the end of this forest was a dance floor or private couples area surrounded by wooden branches, glowing black and white flowers and torches. A quiet, secluded area overlooking the water. In the water down below was a scene of a shipwreck which is constantly encircled by black birds. I came away from my visit to Emotions in the Valhal sim with a peaceful and relaxed feeling and cannot wait to go back and visit with my partner. http://slurl.com/secondlife/ VALHAL/182/212/45
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China Sichuan
by Amiryu Hosoi
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The spirit of China
Article & Photography by Desire Strangelove
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hina Sichuan is a beautifully designed island which features a replication of the Great Wall of China. The Great Wall of China was built to protect the northern borders of the Chinese Empires. China Sichuan is a World Heritage Site within Second Life. It is surrounded by other replications of Japanese culture - Japan Chubu, Japan Kansai and Japan Kanto.
When you land in the sim you are located within a tower that is part of the wall and there are some of the items that they used to build the actual wall within Second Life for sale there. When you step outside of the tower there is an information sign entitled The Lotus Trail which notes Asian-themed Sims worth a visit. The Japanese Culture sims surrounding China Sichuan are
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Lifestyle → Top 5 Destinations noted as well as a location of a traditional geisha school within Second Life - Yoshiwara Okiya. As I walked along the wall to the highest tower, I noted the enormity of the build and imagined how huge the real Wall of China must seem. How protected people must feel within the safety of the walls. How long it must’ve taken to build and the hours of back-breaking labor that it must’ve taken to build. It struck me at that moment, the pains that people will go to to protect the ones they love from harm and to make their people or family and friends feel safe.
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I visited the Buddha Statue in the center of the build and kneeled on the mat in front of the Statue and reflected for a while. Today is the 9th anniversary of September 11th, 2010 and we are still striving to feel safe again. I kneeled there and prayed for those we had lost and for those who had lost loved ones and friends and that one day. If you are looking for a peek into some world culture I’d highly recommend a visit to China Sichuan. It is a beautiful build. Take a glimpse inside other cultures from around the world. I cannot wait to visit the other builds around China Sichuan. http://slurl.com/secondlife/ China%20Sichuan/131/15/25
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Inspire
Space Park Founded by Earth Primbee in partnership with Grafx Newbold, Raphael Cremorne
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Article & Photography by Desire Strangelove
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he first thing that you should do when you get to Inspire Space Park is to set your environment settings to midnight. Inspire Space Park is a beautiful place with twinkling stars and auras of brilliantly colored lights and floating asteroids. It is a series of floating islands set in outer space. There is a landing area with a teleport beam to take you to the other
areas. Then you walk over floating space rocks to the other islands where people are dancing in unison or where there are couples dance balls available. There are places to sit and relax or you can try the floating dance balls or some tai chi or just slow dance with your partner if you prefer. Or you can do an orbital fall or orbital meditation where you fall through space slowly or meditate out in space.
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Inspire Space Park Beach is a beautiful beach with glowing trees and fauna. There is a drive-in movie screen and you sit in space cars to watch movies. There is also a diner called Papa Primbree’s Diner with seating indoors or outdoor seating so you can enjoy looking at the water or you can take a nice, quiet stroll on the beach. Inspire Space Park Outer Rim is a more secluded, less crowded dance area with a DJ booth also set on a floating island in an outer space setting. There is a set of couples dance balls here so if you’re wanting seclusion you can try here when there are no events scheduled. And there is also a new dance club called Inspire Space Park, The Edge. The first floor features a glowing dance floor and rotating beams of light and a DJ booth. Upstairs is a bar with a robot bartender who gives out drinks and will speak to you as well and there are booths and leather couches all around the floor. Inspire Space Park is always full of people so if you are looking for a place to go to meet people in a nice, friendly atmosphere check it out and make sure you have your camera ready! http://slurl.com/secondlife/ Shinda/33/219/1560
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Prim
Hearts by Sarj Bjornson
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Article & Photography by Desire Strangelove
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f you are looking for a fun place to spend some time in Second Life, Prim Hearts is one of those places. Prim Hearts is an amusement park which is decorated, of course, with prim hearts (even on top of the garbage pails) and there are heart-shaped balloons floating around the park as well. The first thing that I always notice when I arrive at a sim is the default music that is playing and at Prim Hearts it is an 80’s music station which to me means fun and upbeat. Just like a day at an amusement park! I took my partner, SuperDave
Spearmann along with me to check it out. There is a tram right inside of the entrance to the park that encircles the entire park so that you can get a look at the rides and attractions. There are so many rides to choose from I didn’t know what to try first. Then I saw the Spring Slide, which is a gigantic water slide. So I tried that first. That was so much fun that I had to slide down again! The other rides included a double water slide, and a tiny water slide, bumper cars, the swinging ship (a pirate ship), a carousel, a Ferris wheel, twister (you sit in the seat and go around
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and around really fast). There were two race tracks for go karts. I am really bad at steering any vehicle in Second Life so those presented a challenge to me but also provided a lot of laughs as Dave and I flew off tracks and landed upside down numerous amounts of times. There were also the Helter Skelter, spin ‘n puke (I steered right clear of that ride), the magic carpet, a haunted house, the freefall tower, combat submarines, the mine coaster, log flume, river rapids, and the tunnel of love. There is a pool area where you can rezz little pirate boats and shoot at each other or you can have a seat at the poolside bar and have a tasty beverage if you prefer and watch others shoot at each other. There
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was a prize raffle booth and free refreshment stands throughout the park so that you could have lemonade or soda. There was a kiosk that gave away free sunglasses. Dave and I got a pair. They were heartshaped glasses. Aren’t we so cute? While Dave and I were walking around the park we met a woman, Rettiset Gopheller and her partner, Francisco Koolhoven. They were looking for a good place to have a birthday party for their child in Second Life. Rettiset was very sweet. She even served Dave and I french fries! There was also RC car racing which
I am also bad at steering on and was going backwards on the track most of the time laughing at myself. Dave enjoyed dunking me in the dunk tank. I have to say he does have very good aim! All of the rides are free. Here is a helpful tip to remember if you visit Prim Hearts - click the signs on the sides of the ticket booths next to the rides that say «click here to start the ride» to start the rides. It took me quite a while to figure that out! Dave’s favorite ride (besides the tunnel of love) was the mine coaster and mine was the river rapids. I
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cannot wait to go back again and try all of the rides all over again! Prim Hearts is a great place to take your family or friends. A good place for a birthday party or a first date or just to go to let your hair down and have some good old fashioned clean fun. http://slurl.com/secondlife/ Prim%20Hearts/10/28/27
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Halloween
at Old Europe Village by Up4 Dawes
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Article and Photography By Bliss Windlow
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here are several haunted houses on the fare for this Halloween, lots of spooks and fun. I wanted to check out a place that was really beyond the typical commercialized Halloween version and get down with some really freaky regular dark Halloween – if that makes sense to anyone else but me…. The Old Europe Village exists independent of Halloween and so I thought I would check out how they worked in “decorating.” I loved the
feel of this whole sim and I immediately put my windlight settings to something appropriate for the dark and the fog. Up4 Dawes has done an incredible job. You land in the tow square area which is bustling with activity and you feel the vibe and the atmosphere immediately. There are little shops everywhere and lights over a foggy dance floor with ghouls and graves, bats and spiders and pumpkins. The village itself is beyond charming and there is romantic dancing, and a boat tour,
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aerial tour,ferris wheel, and a dunk tank. I have never wanted Ohren with me more on a mission that I did the moment I saw that dunk tank!! I had to go on the ferris wheel which was a skull with room for two and I did not even get sick to my stomach. I love how the ferris wheel is right in front of the waterfalls. There is all l this unexpected Halloween cool and then amazing scenery and builds and landscaping. It really is quite a delight on many levels. I also took the boat tour which was really nice
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.. you can just sit back and relax and enjoy the scenery. Everywhere you look there are visual treats like the witch that flies across the skies, bats in the air, hidden bones , a fire pit ….There are so many effective little settings and unexpected things. Someone has gone to a great deal of work and I am hard pressed to tell you my favourites. The ghosts are great and are really varied from scary monsters to your typical skeleton or Frankenstein to even grandma back in her day ….
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Things fly all over the place … and beware the rats and the cockroaches. There are shops and quieter places, and the place was packed with people including a huge dragon dancing with a lady .. love it, only in SL!! I did really like the one haunted house with the pose balls recreating a dinner with brains, a pig squirting blood, a tarot card reading, a murder in the drawing room and another upstairs in the bedroom. It is not like you are not warned with the pile of bones at the bottom of the steps leading up to the house but wow it was well done. Oh and let’s not forget the somewhat decayed corpse hanging from the tree. If you love Halloween this is an absolute must see, beyond being scary and offsetting as all good Halloween destinations should be, the talent, the artistry and the amount of work that has gone into this one is outstanding times 10. It would be a great place for photos and I took a ton. I can imagine as the seasons and holidays come and go, this is going to be fantastic. I know I have certainly marked as a spot I will return to often. Halloween at Old Europe Village http://slurl.com/secondlife/ Sunrise%20Jazz/10/205/23
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Society
→ Groove stars
WMLS
1 0 1 . 7
Presenting: Mystical Karsin a.k.a DJ Fetish Lisette Contepomi a.k.a DJ Silk Interview by Serene Garnet Photography by Bliss Windlow
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Society
M
→ Groove stars
they felt when it played. DJ Fetish inspired me to be my own DJ. She ystical Karsin a.k.a “DJ Fetish” is a great inspiration to me. and Lisette Contepomi a.k.a “DJ Silk” are wonderfully ,refreshingly MK: The music inspires me to DJ, real women. You cannot spend more there are so many messages in the than a couple of minutes with these songs, music can dictate how you two dynamos and not recognize it is feel, what you feel, as well as getabout as real as it gets. They are a ting across what you’re thinking at family, in every sense of the world. the present time. I rezzed in SL on While I spent time with them other May 29, 2009, and I visited various “family members” came and went clubs on SL and listened to all genre’s and you felt you were hanging out of music. I’m a Rock and Roll Chick in the kitchen with the people down with SOUL LOL. With that I took the street, just chatting. Their pas- everything I heard and made it my sion for life, for music, and for each own so I developed my own style, so other is what rocks SL and it surpri- basically the music is what gets me sed me not one little bit that these inspired. And Out Came DJ Fetish, two dynamic women would rock the once you hear her spin, you’ll be night life of SL. Serene described wanting more. these two in her interview with them as “the ultimate portrait of rock’n’roll SG: Rock on! How does it feel to and hiphop. “ They share a passion be the top female DJ & successful for music and for life that is infec- buisness woman at the same time? tious and compelling. Serene had Were there any role model when you the chance to sit down with the two started that inspired you? of them and ask a few questions. LC: I dont see myself as a top DJ I SG: When did you rezz in SL and how am just starting out. I am a new DJ did you find out about the SL Djing? starting out and I am so loving it. When I started on SL I didn’t think What inspires you to be DJ in SL? of becoming a business woman but LC: My rez day is 2/28/2008, I when I met my sister Mystical Karsin, would go to many clubs in SL and she opened another world for me listen to the DJ’s loving the atmos- that I didn’t think of doing and I am phere how they pumped up the truly enjoying the ride lol. crowd. the music it brings u places in your mind and soul how you can MK: Being a top DJ is an awesome get people going knowing that I can feeling and being successful is all in make people happy and play music what you make it, hard work, deterthat just might bring them home. mination, and perseverance keep Like, “ hey omg, I remember this you on top. DJ Darkly Galaxy is the song ,omg I was here with this guy person who inspired me to DJ with or girl,” or “I was with family when his hard edge for music, I love the this same song played,” and how softer side.
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Lisette Contepomi aka DJ Silk
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Mystical Karsin aka DJ Fetish
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SG: What is your fav club, where to many of those that own their own you like to Dj most? What makes a business, letting them know what club successful? we have to offer,like ads and more LC: My favorite club of course is Clkub Tantra whereI love to DJ the most. I feel the people make a club successful. MK: My favorite club is Club Goddess, tha’s where you’ll find me. The thing that makes a club successful is the people who come to enjoy the DJ play and have a good time, if you’re not having a good time, then I didn’t do my job.
MK: I opened The Golden Tantra over a year ago and Tantra is my baby through thick and thin. I know Tantra will be standing no matter what. The thing that makes Tantra different is its flavour. We don’t cater to one particular genre, we cover them all, so whatever your feeling, come on over to Tantra or Club God-
SG: I see you have a lot of fans. How do you handle them? Any stalkers? Problems while you were trying to spin tunes? LC: Handle them? Well give them what they want. No stalkers yet, thank goodness, but I like my fans to leave with a smile and good vibes knowing that DJ Silk placed it there. MK: I have not had any problems yet, I love the fans, and if a prodess and see what we have cooking blem should arise I will be truthful up. What happens at Tantra, stays and honest, I am here to entertain at Tantra. and keep the people happy through music. SG: How long have you been running WMLS RADIO 101.7? How did SG: In addition to Djing, you own a you end up there? club “Tantra,’ how did that happen, what makes your club different from LC: We started WMLS about 3months other clubs? Who are your clients? ago. It was my sister Mystical’s dream, and when she asked me to LC: My sister Mystical, she opened be a partner with her, I jumped on the club as one of our venues and it. It was a new adventure for me. said, ‘You are part owner of this club, lets rock it!” lmao. We are building MK: WMLS 101.7 became a dream our client base as we speak, talking when I first got Tantra in June of 09.
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It took me a while to get it together and it’s been 4 wonderful months of learning and patience. When you give birth to an idea you have to nurture it until it becomes full grown, so WMLS is still a toddler making its way to the top. SG: Competition is tough with DJ’s how do you stay on top? LC: Learning more and wanting to know what the people what to hear, and love different genres of music. Iwill play rock, soul, hip hop, etc. I love music. MK: Lots of creativity keeps a DJ on top. No need for fancy gimmicks and flashy things. Pure creativity. Learn your competition and be the best. SG: What is the importance of image in a DJs life? Do you think you are a fashion statement or icon for your fans? LC: I never look at myself that way. My image is important to me but I like being honest and open with my personality to those who listen to me. I just love being myself. MK: The main thing is personality, you have to have it, you can’t be meek and mild on the mic, while spinning tunes. Bring your own personal flavour. Don’t do whatever one else does. Be you, be unique. SG: What advice would you like to give to the new and upcoming Djs? LC: Work hard at it. Let it flow and just enjoy yourself. The reward will
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Club Tantra
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come. MK: My advice to new DJ’s would be, learn from the pro’s, learn from those who have been DJ’n for many years. Study how they play, what they play and develop your own style from there. Keep it sharp, fresh and creative. Mystical and Lisette actually have two clubs. One is down below with the mall where you will also find their newest venture – breedable horses – and the other, focussing purely on Jazz is in the sky box. I have to say the atmosphere in these clubs are absolutely stunning. They have done it right with black and gold and light and dark. There are intimate, quiet conversational areas and a fantastic dance floor. They have obviously thought about the whole experience for their fans and I am sure YOU will want to join that group. Make sure you take the time to check out these talented ladies! THE SOURCE WMLS 101.7 RADIO FOR THE SOUL Website http:// wmls1531.hostoi.com WMLS 101.7 Radio http:// wmls101.7.neostreams.org:8106 Golden Tantra http://slurl.com/ secondlife/Temple%20Of%20 Ra/2/2/2 and http://slurl.com/secondlife/ Temple%20Of%20Ra/53/120/398
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Peterman of Secondnights
Written by Agatha Klees Photography by Bliss Windlow Supplementary pictures by Julie Hastings
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Who is he?! Secondnights is the biggest entertainment community in SL. Simone Peterman is the creator and manager of it. With more than a year running the website of www. secondnights.com, the community is getting bigger and bigger, and the website is improving every time you blink your eyes. Secondnights is a website where you can find all about entertainment in one place. At first was just an “event” post with categories and now it’s much more than that with good graphics, layout and ideas. All of this came from one mind: Simone Peterman. I had the pleasure to met Simone before he started with Secondnights and was a DJ, very low profile, and now… who can tell about the explosive career of Simone? Look at you kid!! “AllI have to say, be a secondnighter today….” AK: Can you explain what Secondnights is? How does it work? SP: Well, Secondnights is a Website for all the SL people that love Entertainment. On Secondnights you can find all the latest news about fashion, events, DJs, clubs, magazines, TV and radio. We have more than 24 different TV shows, over 14 magazines with all the issues live on the site. We have also a complete event system with cate-
gories and venues. All our members can participate and post events, photos, videos, blog posts and other. I think that now, after a year since we began, we can say that Secondnights is the most complete web platform for SL lovers. AK: Secondnights began in 2009, what motivated you to undertake this project? SP: Ah ah , good question. I’m also a DJ and all start from this point. When I started my DJ work I asked myself “hey, where I can find clubs or events where I can play or listen music?”, and I couldn’t find any on the net a website for this objective. So I started to build the site starting from the event system. Later we added magazines, the social network community, TV and all the other things. AK: What were your expectations? SP: I hoped that Secondnights could be in the future a point of reference of everything that happens in SL and all the members continue to build with us the success of the site. We are a real 2.0 website magazine I think. AK: You decided to use the internet platform, off world. Why that decision? SP: As I explain before it all started by the research of a place where one could find info about events and clubs. But we also had another idea …Our mission is to show all the people outside SL what you can do inworld and how creative and fun an SL activity can be. We also think that people can’t use SL every time, for example at work during
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the lunch break or with their smart phone. With these devices or in that moments, it is hard to log in and get info. Going on a website, reading an RSS or seeing Plurk, Facebook or Flickr is easy and simple.
find the good platform to develop the site. On the web there are lots of free/pay platform “ready to go” to build social networks community or blogs. But in that way you can´t change the look or the services following the changes of the AK: You first started with the promoods or trends. We decide to use motion of musical events in SL, but our own server and develop the site then you have advanced to new by our self, so any time we can do areas, explain how that evolved and things that can improve the expewhy? rience: Change the graphics, adapt SP: Yes, we started with music and graphics for specified theme (Halevents but soon we realize that loween, …) change the home page “Entertainment” involve lots of highlights and add new services. fields: art, music, TV, radio, magaLots of work, but we love it. zine. We try to cover all the multimedia fields giving people and Ak: Tell us how you have grown members a unique place to find all. your site traffic. What have you In few clicks on Secondnights you done to achieve this? can read all the latest issues of the SP: Today we reach over 2k daily majors magazine, watch the lastest visits and on August we move over TVshows like Fashion Feed or 700k page views. I remember the Tonight live. See what is happening, first days when we were only 2 or reading feeds and news. and talk 10 on the site. To improve traffic with your friends, old and new. we use all the major web commuToday we have about 28 official nity of the net like Plurk, Facebook, media partners, we work with the MySpace and SL Feeds. We post major multimedia brands of SL and our news and events all over these we do a real cooperation. We don’t media and with the time people ask money, we exchange visibistart to know our site. We have lity and work together to promote done lots of contests and events our projects. When anyone has an inworld. As I told you before we event or a new idea we try to give work with over 28 partners that that all the visibility we can. For “talk” about us in their activity. Is example all our blog posts and a long and hard work, we don’t use events are spread all over our social “spam” techniques to get members networks pages on Plurk, Facebook, or other, we prefer less traffic but a Twitter, Flickr, AvatarsUnited and better reputation. other. AK: You’ve received feedback from AK: Each new project has difficulSecondnights users? What do ties, what difficulties did you find? people value most? How did you deal with them? SP: People love the events and the SP: well, the first problem was to magazines. Lots of clubs or musi-
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cians need a place to let people know what they are doing and people want to find new occasion to have fun. This is the first service of Secondnights and today, it is still the most appreciated. AK: What has been your greatest satisfaction with Secondnights? SP: Ah ah, another good question. With Secondnights I met lots of new friends and people, I expand my mind knowing people from different countries and when we work on a new idea or on an event promotion. It is amazing thinking that you are talking with friends from 3 or 4 different countries at the same time. I’m proud to say that another great satisfaction is to get in 1 year the trust of lots of SL brands that were in world from lots of time before us, I am talking about Avenue, Treet.TV, Dj World, Glance and others. AK: With over a year under your belt, what are the plans for Secondnights? SP: We try to be always updating on new tendencies and moods. Soon we’ll be 2 new services on the site and great surprises. I can’t tell more but continue to follow us. We are enthusiast to see the developing of Secondnights and what else Simone has in his hands to offer. One thing is for sure, Second Life is not only an inworld place, Simone showed to us platforms outside the viewer are a good option for business and communities to keep SL more than alive.
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What is Trendy this Fall....
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Article & Photography by Bliss Windlow
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his fall is an exciting mixing of pieces from the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s but with a bit of updating and a definite kick.From the 50’s we have taken the core look with a full skirt. Think prom dress moved into 60’s day wear. This dress is below the knee as are all the dresses this season. Look for circle skirts, granny skirts with cinched in waists and prim and proper styling touches. Neat collars, cuffed sleeves, gloves and even bobby socks worn with heels. You will definitely want a pair of ladylike kitten heels and a pair of cats eye glasses. Belts are wide, grab a clutch, and keep the lipstick bold and red. Tie a classic scarf over your beehive hair and drive through the streets with the top down in your pink convertible.
open and casual are big. Metallic’s are splashed across everything and dresses have low cut necklines and long leggy slits. Thigh High boots, a smidge of the hotpant and jewellery that is Boho but with a modicum of control. Hair should be long and straight, masses of bouncy curls, or sleek longer bobs.
Leather is again an option for fall going into winter and while not a big trend, you can’t go wrong with a great leather piece. You will see a smattering of lingerie as outerwear but again with some thought and control and you will want to be careful with this look because it goes from “OH WOW” to “OH NO” in a very short step. The one piece you must have is a good military coat in either army or aviator fashion. With army you will want either army green or navy, and aviator, should be the darker colours. Do not overdo this one with too many garish add-ons If you prefer a more simple sil- but look for a great shape and wear houette, consider the hip hugging it with everything. sheath dress, again with neat collars, very tidy and straight and always If a military coat is not your cup of tea, opt for a good camel coat, below the knee. If you want to modernize the look, or a great cape. Both are seen on throw on a boyfriend blazer and the runways and velvet is definitely turn the collar up. Wear knee highs there too - look for good quality, and make sure you have a fab pair rick colours and add a splash with of sunglasses. Choose a hair style a handbag or a hat .. Or be really with a very messy topknot or a loose brave and go velvet with your pants! braid .. and always wear a rocking You will also see some cut-out cloattitude. Makeups can be muted and thing - not that usual for fall but this under eye colours like red are in. will have a sheer or filled in fabric in the cut-out as opposed to the skin Keep the lip plain and very earthy. From the 70’s we take the high wais- we usually get with this style in the ted, wide legged pant and add a warmer months. Knee High socks, soft blouse with ruffles, lace and/or or over the knee socks can go from ties at the neck. Layers and vests, sporty to sparkly and so obviously
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SKIN: Twilyithula LASHES: Glow HAIR: Atalier DRESS: Ingenue STOCKINGS: N-Core SHOES: Urbanity JEWELLERY: Eolonde GLOVES: Amrita POSES: Everglow AND SKIN: Twilyithula LASHES: Glow HAIR: Exile DRESS: Ingenue SHOES: Zhao JEWELLERY: Mandala
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BAG: Travel Bag Puddles SKIN: TikTok LASHES: ByKay HAIR: Boon OUTFIT: aDiva SOCKS: SYSY SHOES: DUH JEWELLERY: DM POSE: Virtual Props
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Blouse etc: SKIN: JeSyLiLo HAIR: LAMB or Analogue Dog GLASSES: JetDoll CLUTCH: aDiva JEWELERY: aDiva CLUTCH: aDiva PANTS: aDiva BLOUSE: Tres Beau SHOES: alaMood Boutique POSES: Everglow
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SUIT: Tres Beau SHOES: Musim
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you will want to pay attention to your legs ladies and not just let them go now that you have packed away the bathing suits. Another surprise usually reserved for warmer months are white leggings. Bits and pieces include clogs, fur boots and mukluks. Hair bands with bows, feathers and even bunny ears are popular. Colours this season are muted, earthy woodsy with a wide range and strong showing of browns, greys, blacks and purples. Men’s suits follow grandads stuff with details like sack suits, velvet on suits and even men’s brooches. Womens fashions seem to pair down with the economy and men become fancier. Haircuts are short and well groomed. Classic or buzz cuts are the best bets. The super hyped hair cut for men is definitely out. Slim legged jeans are out and cuffed or rolled are in. Layering is another big trend. Ties, black watches, pants of a different colour … leather coats, roll up or slouch the sleeves on your jacket, high collars or scarves, boots with coloured laces worn with suits Home and Lifestyle trends for fall are reflections of economy. Focus is on essentials from living spaces to design expectations. Environmental consciousness, remodelling, making due, well worn and loved looks, minimal, natural .. these are all important to the new season.
art are also a reaching for the past with native arts and bold geometrical splashes. Neutral overall tones are bolstered with splashes of colour symbol of hope and we will see things like reds and blues. Big colour for fall lifestyle trends are grape, turquoise and icy blue. Look for Brocades, grandma’s furniture, rich fabrics. Look for all things family this season and reconnecting in our spaces and living.
We tend to cocoon ourselves with a yearning for days gone by and this is reflected in the colours used in both paint and fabric with hues such as earthy browns, aged greens and smoky blues. Patterns and
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SHIRT: Muism
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SKIN: Iconic HAIR: Truth LASHES: ByKay SHIRT: PixelDolls JACKET: Shampooo SKIRT: Shampooo LEGGINGS: Shampooo SHOES: Shampooo EARRINGS: ByKay POSE: Everglow
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Which 1
...wore it better
Who
Which one wore it better By Bliss Windlow
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Look 1 SKIN: KA HAIR: TGCY LASHES: Maddesigns NECKLACE: SiSSi SWEATER: Mimikri JEANS: Kalnins SHOES: Nardcotix PURSE: UK Couture POSES: Everglow
Two lovely «victims» happily offered to submit their looks using the new Kalnins jeans as a base for their fashion look and we could not be more delighted. Again, I remind everyone that the purpose of this is a fashions discussion about perspective. Which look do you prefer and WHY? Make sure that you log your vote for this look on our website so that we can share next issue what the readers think. Join The ESSENCE OF STYLE Group inworld to get all the latest updates and a notification and link when this is posted to the website, and ready for your votes.
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→ Sondage! Look 2 SKIN: Lara Skins HAIR: Exile LASHES: On The Catwalk SHIRT: DYN JEANS: Kalnins PURSE: Picadi JEWELLERY: JD SHOES: Before Sleep POSES: Everglow
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This months comments are supplied to us from: BlueGum Lunasea, MichaelZ Market and Chip Arkright. Chip was with us before but I really wanted a man’s perspective for this month because we as women often dress, not so much as men would want us to dress, but how other women do. This might be a bit of a shocker for some of us to hear what men are actually thinking. Check out your own reaction to the outfits against theirs. BlueGum Lunasea Two girls wearing the same pair of jeans in very different ways, but neither pull it off perfectly. Starting with the blond on the left I have to say I really don’t like this look at all. To me there is a huge disconnect between her top half and the jeans on her lower half. She’s clearly «dressing up» with her blouse with all the frills, the headscarf and her makeup. But to me, the pattern of the scarf clashes with the pattern of the blouse and the whole effect is way too busy. She’s wearing a lot of makeup and her bright scarlet lipstick immediately drew my eye - being the only point of colour in an otherwise monochrome look, but when we get to her waist there is a huge disconnect between the almost dirty texture of the jeans (which are sans belt), and the formal-ness of her top, scarf and makeup. So where is she going like that? She’s too formal on the top half to go somewhere casual but her jeans are too grungy for anywhere
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needing something more formal. to put much effort into anything. There is nothing about her clothes As a whole look, I don’t like it. 4/10 that stand out or draw a guys eye except the boob showing from the The brunette on the right has a much top and I am not sure if that is what more coherent and casual look that you want me to talk about. The suits the jeans perfectly, plus she’s outfit is not cute, not sexy, nothing also wearing the rolled cuffs and really. Cute girl, like the bag. I give has added a belt that looks like it her a 4/10. was made for those jeans (was it?). The blonde is really a lady I would But she lets herself down with that like to know. Do I get her phone terrible top. She is wearing one of number for doing this again? She those badly mad tops where the can call me if she reads this. I am creator made no attempt to have serious. Her clothes say to me that the line of the under edge of the she is a lady, likes a little pampering, top match the curve of the wearer’s but has a wild edgey side. I like the breast - they just drew it straight screwed up prints and the low cut across so part of her is hanging out sweater. She screams attitude but underneath. Added to the blurry not like “bitch.” Really like the boot edges on the shoulder strap and I shoe things. I give her an 8/10 and think that it looks terrible. If she only took marks away cause I am had worn a better made top (and I not that easy and because I really have seen some great off the shoul- don’t like the fuzzy thing around her der prim based tops) she would have waist. looked fantastic. 6/10 (10/10 for the look, minus 4 for the poor top). MichaelZ Market Chip Arkright When I look at a lady and what she is wearing I don’t know that I take it all in like a fashion critic would. I mean, I can do that, look at each piece and I do that sometimes but it is usually when I am thinking “what the heck is she wearing,” instead of “that looks really nice.” So maybe having my attention on your clothes is not a good thing? LOL. I usually decide what a woman is like from the way she dresses. I think Model 1 seems pretty casual and my first impression is uninteresting. I think that because she did not seem
Model One with the flip flops made a good choice with the clam diggers she is wearing. Model Two on the other hand has chosen a new buck boot with really cute rivet detailing. It is a fresh look with the jeans and I like it. I also like the jeans, especially the bias detailing on the legs. I don’t like the rolled cuffs on model number one although it looks better on her body type then it would on model two, but in this case I don’t think the cuffs look real. However the cuffs would look great if they were with the boots instead of the flip flops. I like the way the print in the jean
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picks up the leopard top. The belt works well with the dark pewter buckle and the distressed leather, the 2 inch belt would actually work with either outfit. Number one’s top is pretty simple and casual jersey – not much to say about it – it suits the look. The knitted leopard like with the bag is really fun. Both bags are great , I like the black kid leather with the string leather handles. They are basically the same type of bag on different scales and they work well either way.
Would you and a girl friend like to put yourself up for the challenge? Contact me inworld and we will set you up for an upcoming issue. How about judging? Would you like to be on the panel of 3 and sound off on the outfits? Talk to me. AND make sure you watch the notices to find out when these will be posted on the website for you to weigh in on your ideas!!
The V neck long sleeve top is the perfect match for the jeans and the girl was sophisticated enough to know the look would be tied together with the use of the head scarf in a stripe contrasting with the leopard. My one problem with it is the sleeves are just a bit dressy for the rest of the look and the ruffle on the bottom doesn’t work for me. Cute idea, not so sure it works. A ¾ sleeve would have been better. Hairstyles are perfect for the outfits the girls are wearing – both colour and style. Overall I give model number one 6/10 – marks off for the top being so plain and not using accessories better. Model Number two 8/10 she is fashion forward to understand how things that should not be put together actually can look great. FINAL TALLY?? Our Brunette – Model 1 gets 5/10 and the Blonde Model 2 gets 7/10.
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Who DJ World! DJ NIGHT
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Article & Photography by Quirky Torok
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I
t is very rare in the real world to be able to do what we do in the virtual world. Just imagine getting 12 DJ’s together from all corners of the world. From Australia to Germany … does it sound like an impossible task? It is! Except in this wonderful virtual world of ours where anything is possible. DJ World is a group of renowned DJ’s that live, play and spin disks in Second Life. It’s purpose is to support
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music makers in world. It provides a fantastic meeting point for those that play and those that employ DJ’s. Under the direction of Sasch Petrov and InsyX Piranha, 250 DJ’s and 150 Club Owners come together to form an alliance of entertainment. And the results are a spectacular extravaganza that celebrates music and the talent here in SL. Every month they showcase the talents of 12 DJ’s from round the world. DJ World takes over a club and provides 12 hours of non-stop entertainment, giving a chance for 12 DJ’s to shine, to show what they got, and giving everyone else one heck of a good time. This month’s event was held at the Aqua Lounge on the 29th of August.
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The Club was packed with the most interesting people all there for one purpose, to have a damn good time. This event was a collaboration of DJ World, Aqua Lounge, Arsenal and Ironworks. When I got there the party had been going on for some 8 ½ hours and didn’t look like ending any time soon. Each DJ has one hour to spin their tunes. There is no competition to this event, it is all done in the oneness of having a good time, meeting up with old friends seeing what is new in SL music and generally celebrating music. This particular event included 2 DJ’s from Australia, 2 from Germany, 6
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from USA, 1 from the Netherlands and lastly one from Chile. The artists brought something from their home lands and were happy to explore the music of other cultures. It was a very diverse group of music lovers too. From the raging queens to the everyday club goer – there was something there for everyone. The audience came to hear their favourite DJ but stayed to broaden their musical experiences. Each had their tip jars out and each was rewarded for their time. None of the DJ’s were pushy for money… no one even mentioned the tip jars (always the professional) however they were being filled by a grateful audience, and quite rightly too. The AquA Lounge club was the most comfortable place to hold this event. From the exquisite particle display at the rezz point to the blue décor it blended itself seamlessly to the events unfolding. The DJ’s interacted well with the crowd as expected from these experienced professionals. They whipped up the excitement to fever pitch keeping the eager audience on the edge of their seats wondering what tune would caress their ears. Each DJ had his or her own genre of music, the crowd was intrigued to see what would tickle their auditory senses next. Overseeing and with enthusiasm was Sasch and InsyX, moving the shows along and shouting encouragement to both the performers and crowd alike. It could not have been any better. The music was an eclectic mix with everything from house to techno to pure pop, all with an infectious rhythm that made AquA Lounge pulsate with delight and everyone danced. Never let it be said
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that DJ World doesn’t know how to party! If you get the time to spend at one of these monthly events I suggest you make it a priority to go. It will the best way to spend a Sunday. Join in, be part of the vibrant club scene in Second Life. Next Month 12 new DJ’s will spin their toonage for you… You can’t go wrong! Don’t watch be part of it… Aqua Lounge http://gay-archipelago.com/2010/08/22/27th-djnight-the-aqua-lounge/
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