RUNWAY Magazine delights you with cutting edge insight of the modeling and fashion industry in Second Life. Every issue delivers provocative articles, striking photography, and provides the reader with a fashion resource for mainstream and innovative design. Our content is unmatched by any other magazine presently available in Second Life, and we strive daily to drive the boundaries to new altitudes. In nine months, our readership has skyrocketed to over 13,000 in-world subscribers, delivering 50,000+ issues. Our advertising rates are the most attractive of any publication in Second Life, providing both affordability and the exposure one would expect to receive from any publication. Cross-promotion marketing with notable groups provides our advertiser's access to a solid audience with a broad range of interests, and a mindset of individuality and style. It is quite simple. Smart advertising results in sales. RUNWAY Magazine provides advertisers with the most efficient, wide-reaching media buy in the fashion industry. Is your next customer reading RUNWAY? www.runwaysl.com Second Life, SL, and inSL are trademarks of Linden Research, Inc. RUNWAY Magazine is not affiliated with or sponsored by Linden Research.
RUNWAY MAGAZINE STAFF Maggie Mahoney Founder, CEO, & Editor in Chief
Ocean Bates CEO, Director of Marketing
EmmZ Tzara Stylist and Lead Model
MOlly Dench Senior Managing Editor
Vera Canning Lead Photographer
Thalia Jie Fashion Editor
Trinidad Anatine Features Photographer
Maddox Dupont Special Features Writer
Gweneth Lange Features Photographer
Leah McCullough Web Design and Columnist
Tillie Ariantho Show Photographer
Capri Dubrovna Features Writer
Sharron Schuman Show Photographer
Smulett Back Graphic Design
KIOSK PLACEMENT Current and Back Issues of RUNWAY, as well as Kiosks,
are available at SLExchange.com and OnRez.com, or contact Ocean Bates in-world or by email to Ocean [at] runwaysl [dot] com for placement.
Happy New Year New Year. Resolutions. Turning over a new leaf. All these things come to mind in January. Fresh starts. We have watched many developments in 2008, and some already showing promise or coming to light for 2009. Our wish for 2009 is to see the art and fashion community come together in a unified way, help one another, foster each other's dreams, and keep alive the spirit in which this virtual world we reside in was created.
It was Raven Pennyfeather, I believe and most certainly will be corrected if I am wrong (grin), that said - 'you should always pay it forward' - and that speaks volumes. New designers are finding mentors in the seasoned experts. We see models taking newbies under their wings showing them the ropes. Companies in trouble reaching out to others for help and getting it. We hope that this year continues this trend - no it's not a fashion
trend per se, but a model to base everything on truly. So here is to 2009 - bigger, better, and bringing us all together to create this beautiful world. Happy New Year! We wish you love, happiness and good health always.
Maggie & Ocean
I was really at a loss as to what on earth to write about this month, given the insanity of December and excessive alcohol and food consumption, which tends to dull the brain and muddle the fingers. I did think about having several glasses of red wine and then attempting this column again but decided that it's probably going to be boring enough without adding liquor as the Americans so charmingly call it, to the mix.
By M0lly Dench
I'd like to be writing articles about how Linden Labs have finally bitten the bullet and come up with swift, effective, punishment and banishment for those caught committing content fraud and theft. We see, at RUNWAY, how much effort goes into the amazing designs and beautiful crafted outfits that we enjoy so much. To 'live' in a world where people have absolutely
Landing Strip
January really is a month of new beginnings and as I sit here writing this in late December (a bit too late really, sorry Maggie! [editor throws shoe from across the office - grin]) I decided to reflect on what I'd like to be doing Next Year in SL, as is right and proper at the beginning of the new year.
no scruples about ripping that off and benefitting from the labours
of others, offends me mightily. SL being our own personal utopia,
we've relished not having Big Brother watching over us and monitoring and guarding our every mood. Which is entirely as it should be. But ultimately, thieves are thieves, and some people are pigs, and sooner or later you need to take a deep breath and go "OK. Call in the cops." So Linden Labs? Time you were onto it. I'd like a tidy inventory. (I'd like to be a multi-millionaire too, and I suspect that may be an easier goal than a tidy inventory.) I think it's high time someone organised a little script that whips through your inventory, categorises everything for you, places it in easy to retrieve folders, and which is voice activated, you know? "Inventory, please find me those red shoes I know I bought
about six months ago though I can't remember who made them, and while you're there, which outfit had the nice little lace bolero even though the rest of the outfit was awful?." Well, I can dream. I'd like for one month to be drama free. All around. I'd like every person at RUNWAY to have a month in which no PC's crashed, no children got sick, Christmas shopping didn't need to be done, they weren't in a snot because of something I'd said (or didn't say), everyone's memory was operating a full capacity - mostly mine - SL wasn't unstable, no-one fell in love, got married, broke up, or chatted up the wrong avatar, Maggie didn't build any chairs or blow up any blogs, Google Docs actually co-
operated and the language barrier didn't exist. My previous goal in respect of multimillionairedom is starting to look more likely. You guys know I love you, right?
been, friends I have treasured, shoes I've lost in my inventory, and friendships I've formed - I think there's a 100% chance I'll be saying just that. Cheers,
I'd like to be able to look back at the end of next year and say "That was SO MUCH FUN! I met the most amazing people, saw the most amazing things, went to the most amazing places, and wore the most amazing shoes. I made - and maintained wonderful friendships, wrote a few good words, and improved my photographic skills from outrageously bad to moderately awful." And you know what? Based on the last year, and the fun I've had, people I've met, places I've
M0lly
2008 Model of the Year Payton Heron
RUNWAY 2008 Model of the Year - The Competition & The Controversy. In case you've been under a rock for the last few weeks, or worse still, NOT checking the RUNWAY blog daily to keep up with what's what and who's who in the fashion world, the winners of the 2008 Model of Year competition have been announced. Controversy abounded, however, and it is with regret that we must take a stand on the inflammatory and tasteless comments made recently on Flickr, by Jonny Tobias, who on points, was voted the Male Model of the Year. Winning is no guarantee, however, of unbounded good behaviour, and Mr Tobias has recently made a number of
vitriolic and personal attacks on an SL Designer. RUNWAY Magazine prides itself on it's neutrality, and will not comment on the veracity or otherwise of the comments made by Mr Tobias. However, neither will we support his comments by continuing to publish his interview or his shots, taken especially for this issue. RUNWAY Magazine has a zero tolerance policy towards inappropriate behaviour relating to interaction between avatars, where those avatars are either representing RUNWAY or working with or for us. It is with regret that we advise that we will not be using Mr Tobias as a RUNWAY model in future, and wish to reiterate that at no time with RUNWAY Productions
support those whose actions reflect badly on either the organisation or themselves. ☆☆☆
Payton Heron. I caught up with the lovely and elegant Payton, in the (extremely busy) aftermath of the awards, and asked her a few pertinent questions about life, the universe, and winning Model of the Year.
RUNWAY Magazine: Tell us how you found out you were nominated? Payton Heron: I also found out that I had been nominated via
the RUNWAY Magazine Models group post. And then saw it reposted in Runway Kidz group post and the Runway Magazine blog that appeared in the Fashion Planet blog feed. RUNWAY Magazine: So how did you handle that? Payton Heron: I was (am) very proud and grateful to be nominated and included in a group of very talented and hard working models. RUNWAY Magazine: So what do you think contributed to your success? Payton Heron: I have been and will continue to be a hard working individual, just as I am in RL. I always do the very best I
can in everything I do, regardless of the task. Modeling is my passion and I work very hard to realize my personal goals. RUNWAY Magazine: How do you think it will change your SL experience? Payton Heron: The shock of being awarded this honour has finally worn off and I am incredibly
grateful to all who chose me. I will always be "just Payton"......I do not try to be anything more or less. I always want to set myself as an example for new models to follow and to mentor those who need a role model to follow. But for me personally, nothing will change. I hope to continue to be invited to model whenever the opportunity arises.
RUNWAY Magazine: And what advice would you give to those who aspire to your success? Payton Heron: I truly believe in my heart that if you work hard, you will receive recognition for your efforts. I have always said this. I also believe that hard work, commitment and dedication to your craft is imperative to be a success. Never take yourself so seriously, at the expense of others and always remember to enjoy what you are doing....passion for what you to in SL or RL is a must. And most of all, it is important to always always act in a
professional manner. RUNWAY Magazine: Lovely, Payton, thanks for that! Congratulations, well done, and enjoy your success.
Miss Virtual World 2009 Mimmi Boa By Leah McCullough
Maggie Mahoney: "When talking with Frolic about the single most defining characteristic that Miss Virtual World should have, elegance was first and foremost in our conversations. My question for you is to define true elegance." Mimmi Boa: "In SL is really easy to be beautiful, the real difference is to have a personal style, elegance means to be perfect every time, not too opulent, not too poor. Simplicity sometimes is the best way to be elegant. Elegant means good behavior, nice temperament and always a smile and a good word for everybody. I think this theater is full of elegance and class!" Thus the question and answer that cinched the title for Mimmi Boa, Miss Italy, in the Miss Virtual World competition - a 6 hour marathon with 12 contenders, 5 finalists, and one winner. The answer pretty much describes Mimmi herself. She was crowned at 16:35, more than 6 hours after the beginning of the show. Frolic Mills: "The first
finalist is MISS JAPAN - MISS VIRTUAL WORLD IS MISS ITALY," and the whole auditorium erupted in cheers and congratulations. Less than a week after that I managed to get Mimmi alone for an interview, and had the pleasure of meeting a sweet, outgoing woman.
All her success didn't happen overnight, so we started from the beginning. "I first heard about SL on April 2007 in the National Swiss television. They were talking about SL and I was curious, so I went to see it." Can you imagine the new Mimmi, standing in the welcome area unable to move? Well that is exactly what happened! "Everything was new and I want to tell you
a secret.... I was totally unable to move the "newbie" Mimmi. I'm a disaster with the PC. I remember I didn't save her first good shape, and OMG I was a mess almost every day. But I learned after some weeks." As pretty much we all did, she acquired thousands of freebies during those weeks . "The funny thing is that sometimes I found some of it in my inventory. Yes, I was freebieholic." Her first contact with the modeling business was when she joined Miss Italia and went all the
way up to the final. There, she met her lovely husband, who later, introduced her to Modavia. But she was too big for modeling, so Dea, Elisne and Harmonica did some adjustments on her shape. It was actually Elisne who created her first supermodel shape, and gave her some suggestions too. "From that moment I practiced by myself runway, I worked on my shape, and I started being hired by agencies. I walked in my little beach for kilometers, learning to walk correctly." And the fact that she has RL modeling experience, has helped her a lot." I love fashion industry, and I stopped modelling in RL after a terrible car crash. I was in the wheelchair for two years, that accident stopped my career.
In SL I had the chance to have my 'revenge..'" But rest assured, she very healthy and well now... in her own words: I walk and I jump." She's very proud of her and her temperament: "I was strong enough to go on. Beaut(y) is a breath. Personality is forever." She has worked very hard to achieve everything she has in SL. "I'm a perfectionist, I want always the best. And I do my best to be reliable, serious and every time up to date with the fashion trends. What she likes most about being an SL model is to "interpret" the creations of designers, to give "life" to the outfits.
She had to define Elegance in the ceremony, so I asked her how she would describe Mimmi's style: "Mimmi style is 'no style'. I mean, I try to be perfect all the time. I wear and I match the things I love. I have care of all the details and I choose outfits with brain, as I do in my RL life. I love to be elegant, I love to be casual. But in any case, I try to wear great clothes and with good taste."
amazed. Then, the day of my RL birthday I was chosen as finalist, and I was astonished. I choose to represent 'my' Italy, because I'm Italian and I love my country and I was really happy just to be in final. I always said was just itself a victory."
Then, we went on talking about her experience as a MVW finalist. What better way to understand her feelings than in her own words:
"Then, I started to think of the look, dresses hair and everything. I bought almost all the hair in 'wine' colour of the grid. I choose wine hair and diamond eyes and this dark skin. I wanted to be a little different and the dark skin was perfect. It is the right mix with my shape that gives the result. I must say I like it."
"When I submitted my application in March I was almost sure I didn't get in. When they choose me as pre-finalist I was
"Last Saturday, at the final, I had, and I still have, a great feeling with all the other girls. I really love them all. We were a
fantastic team, and we were all winners. But in every contest there is only one that comes out. And I didn't think I was going to win. I'm honest." "When they called the 5
finalists, I was OMG, with a heart attack. I thought 'OK Mimmi, you will be 4 runner up'. Then Frolic said: '4th runner up is....' and I thought 'OK Mimmi you will be 3rd'. and second, and....OMG!" "Me and Haruka were there, my heart was almost exploding. And when Frolic sayd 'Miss Italy' I was crying, for real! It was fantastic. And I know this is SL, but the emotion was real." "I'm happy, proud, glad. And the event was 'The Event'. I think the most incredible in all the SL history: scenography, choreography, organization, simply amazing. And to be part of it was the most emotional thing you can imagine." We're very sure it was quite an
experience! And she described it perfectly. After this, we started talking about her fabulous dresses: "My evening gown had a drama. The stylist who has to give me the final formal gown had problems in RL and unfortunately didn't give me the gown on time. So, two days before, I was all around SL 'till I found it!!!!!" "But I had unique gowns from Sissy Pessoa (Baiastice) I wore for Miss Elegance. The country gown was made by 'Edo Tone and Mami Jewell'. It was made with the texture of 'Michelangelo's Universal Judgment' the famous masterpiece we have in Rome (Vatican) in the 'Sistine Chapel' and replaced the painting on the gown. I choose to represent Italy for what my country means to
me: art, beauty, a masterpiece! This was the meaning of my country gown." To Mimmi being Miss VW means to be a kind of inspiration for designers and other models. "Miss VW must be the example of good behaviour, elegance and attitude. I will try to do my best to represent it! I'm really proud to have the crown and I will do my very best to respect the role." For the future, she will work honouring her contract with the MVW organization, and she will continue modeling and teaching in her academy. "I will
be more busy. But I really love my students and I want to share with them everything I've learned." Mimmi will have a busy 2009, full of new things to do and people to meet. RUNWAY Magazine wishes her the best of luck in everything she does!! Photography by Trinidad Anatine
Making An Outfit Folder
You might wonder how models change so fast during a fashion show, often we are back out on stage within minutes fully dressed and accessorised. There is no big secret to how we do it, it’s really quite simple, and it’s all in the preparation!
By EmmZ Tzara
Make sure you check all the boxes that are not checked, skin, shape, eyes, hair, etc. I would not recommend checking ‘rename clothing to folder name’ this will rename everything in the folder to the folder name making it difficult for you to know what items are and hard to find no copy items in the future.
Model Corner
First of all you need to decide how you are going to style yourself, wear your skin, hair, shoes, eyes and all accessories. When you are satisfied with your total outfit go to edit appearance (right- click on your avatar and select Appearance) at the bottom of the Appearance window is a ‘Make Outfit’ button, click on this and a new screen will appear. You can rename your outfit in the space provided e.g. MAD fashion show 1 or if you prefer call it the name of the dress, or other unique identifier.
Now click on the save button… you will find your outfit folder in your clothing folder with the outfit name you chose. Make sure you double check everything is in your outfit folder, this way of making an outfit folder is not always perfect and sometimes although you have checked all the correct boxes some attachments will be missing from your outfit folder. Type ‘worn’ in your inventory search and check that all that you are wearing is in your folder. If some of your items are missing open another inventory window (file new window) place this next to your original inventory window, (you should still have ‘worn’ typed in the first window) now drag anything that shows as worn but not showing in your outfit
folder from one inventory window to your outfit folder. You can even place your poses, HUDs and walks in the outfit folder to save you searching through your inventory. Now when you want to change quickly all you have to do is drag your outfit folder onto your avatar and hey presto! During a show you will need to rez as fast as possible so you don’t appear grey or fuzzy to the audience. As soon as you have dragged your outfit folder onto your avatar, edit appearance and rebake (Ctrl, alt R). Now, any no copy items will be transferred to your new outfit folder, you haven’t lost them but might wonder where they have
gone; this is why you shouldn’t ‘rename clothing to folder name’ as you will forget where your favourite necklace is. No copy items can be very annoying especially if you like to wear a no copy necklace often. I find most designers are happy to exchange your no copy item for a no transfer/ copy version, there is no harm in asking so go ahead, you might be surprised and it really pays dividends in speed and efficiency. Happy Folders! EmmZ Photography: Vera Canning
Right out there on the Edge... Last month the Edge brought you the unbelievably outthere designs of Steampunk, SL style, and this month we're delighted to bring you - in keeping with our Retro theme - Punk in all it's many manifestations.
By M0lly Dench
Anything this anti-establishment, blasphemous and viciously against conservative and 'niceness' was bound to spawn a 'look', and over time, Punk evolved into many different 'looks'. The most vividly memorable was the Kings Road crew in London, who took spiked
The Edge
Whilst I realise that many people will not regard Punk as particularly 'retro' - it actually all began in 1964, a decade which is most certainly Retro. An angry, bored band called the Fugs began writing music with titles such as "Caca Rock" and "I Saw the Best Minds of my Generation Rot". Outrageous, rebellious and banned by any of the establishment industries in music at the time, the beginnings of underground music and music labels were born.
hair and safety pins to a whole new level and who for a time were on the tourist trail, as
visitors to London secretly thrilled to the degeneracy before them.
The mainstream Punk look has always been the big boots, the spiked hair, the piercings, dog collars, and torn clothing which epitomised the rejection of society's doll-pretty values and clean, wholesome manners. Punks, destroyed thrift shop clothes, cutting them up and refashioning outfits in a manner then considered to be outrageous, with torn edges, chains and crude stitching, and the ubiquitous safety pins. Laddered pantyhose and dirty legs, neck chains made from dog collars, spikes, and padlocks, with the occasional razor blade thrown in, formed a look which today wouldn't even raise an eyebrow in your grandmother, but into the mid 70's and early
Photography: Vera Canning Models: Alf Whittaker and EmmZ Tzara
80's was regarded as shocking, dangerous, and threatening. Second Life is certainly the place to recreate the different lifestyles that shaped the world as it is today, and punk is no exception. The fashion spread this month includes work by AngelCross Skinstad from *CROSS*, Feri Beckenbauer from Beckenbauer
Productions, Opera Qunhua from Black Maria, Geyer Schnyder from Primitive Designs, Looloo Beck from GothiCatz, Lindal Janus from Rawdolls, Celeron Voom from Urban Trash, and Lindal Janus. Outstanding looks, representative of the era and combining art with fashion in many cases. A world of sims, fashion and alternatives exists if you're into the lifestyle. Type Punk into your SL search engine, and prepare to be 'punked.'
Mantova Fashion Week. Take ten designers, a gorgeous sim, one week, music, and art, and what do you have? The Mantova Fashion Festival, of course. The project of Thera Taurog, the genius behind the spectacular Lady Thera creations, Mantova Fashion Celebration could best be described as an 'art as fashion, fashion as art' immersive experience. Thera has been involved with the city of Mantova since the beginning of her time in
Second Life. It gives her great pleasure to be the sponsor of this wonderful event, which will combine the best of Second Life Design with live music and art spread across the sim. "I'm the sponsor with the city of Mantova, where I begun and where I live my SL. I began here very little and, with all the choices around SL, I've decided to stay because it's a city that deserves to be known. I do get
pleasure to be here...we have art galleries, the thetre, the basilica... friendship." Thera tells me. "I look forward to making Mantova internationally known.... it's a beautiful city, done with a lot of love, and perfect for the fashion business in SL." The festival runs from the 12th to the 18th of January 2009, inclusive, and will feature a fabulous line-up, both of designers, artisans, and musicians. Thera tells me, "10 fashion shows with the best designers of SL, over five days two shows per day, there will be 10 live music shows on those same days. Dancing places, art on the streets, and romantic spots for people to fall in love during the festival."
RUNWAY Productions is producing the entire event, and CEO Maggie Mahoney advised "The first show will kick off with a fashion Parade of Nations, the entire premise of the festival to bring the International art and fashion communities in SL together to present a forward look at Art and Fashion in Second Life. We hope this will be the first of an annual festival of it's type, growing broader and more inclusive every year." Daily live DJ with dancing each evening from 6pm SLT, live music shows, fashion shows, and the art show promises to be truly international with as many nationalities as possible represented.
The designers who will present are some of the most innovative and exciting in SL. Expect to see leading edge fashion giving us a glimpse at the 2009 fashion year.
Mantova Fashion Celebration. January 12 - 18th 2009. www.mantovasl.com
Ready, Aim, Fire. Take a whole lot of attitude, and mix it with a whole lot of style, add a pair of high waisted jeans or a black pencil skirt, add a cherry red sweet heart blouse, some stunning high heels, maybe add a pair of cats eye glasses into the mix and we're talking Artilleri – rockabilly style with a modern edge.
By Thalia Jie
"Rockabilly and retro has it all" said Antonia. "It can be amazingly adorable, it can be edgy and packed with attitude. Always feminine and always with a little extra zest."
Working Lunch
Antonia Marat, the creative powerhouse behind the Artilleri label brings together fashions, accessories, separates, hair for both men and women, women's skins and even a range of retro furniture that celebrates rockabilly and retro fashion and redefines it with a modern contemporary edge.
"The aesthetic of the time really appeals to me", she adds - "The clothes were pretty, the folks were friendly, the cars had personality and the music made
you want to smile and bop all day long." "Pull a rockabilly outfit apart" explained Antonia "and you'll see
that most pieces will work brilliantly as a modern look. I still mainly design with myself in mind, what I'd like to wear in both Second Life and in real life." Antonia's passion and joy in design shows in all the outfits she creates for Artilleri "I can never make a piece of clothing in only one colour" she said "I do try to restrain myself a little, but I usually end up with eight or more different colors. Black, white and cherry red are a must, but personally I love pastels too. Sky blues, soft lime greens, rose pinks, deep rich purples, rich teals, sunshine yellows ... Yes please! I want them all!" "In real life I tend to be a little more conservative with color, but I am trying hard to improve
myself. If only you could see the pink leo cardigan I bought myself last night! " she laughed "but I do have a lot of black in my wardrobe. Guess I even things out with the circus of colour I throw into my Artilleri designs. And of course patterns! Leopard, zebra, polkadot, cherries, checkers, florals ‌ I love them all, and love to use them in my designs." Antonia's journey into one of Second Life's most celebrated designers, wasn't an easy one. "Becoming a designer was never my plan when I came into Second Life." she explained, "I had never played any online games before, and had no idea what a life changing experience Second Life would be. I know that sounds
dorky, but if it weren't for this place my life would look very different right now, both business and personal." "Somehow I ended up creating my first pieces of clothing after just seven days after arriving in Second Life. This was almost three and a half years ago and Second Life was a very different place back then. It was the lack of my style of clothing which what made me do it. Besides, it looked like fun! I didn't have much money either,
so being able to create my own clothes saved me some cash. And for the record, the stuff I made was awful with absolutely no shading or feel of fabric, but despite this I was very proud of what I had accomplished." "I only made clothing for myself in the beginning, but I had visited stores in Second Life and started to think maybe I could give it a try. I was having so much fun creating and some people had even asked where my clothes were from, so in late November 2005 Artilleri was born. It was a white 10x10 box in the middle of nowhere, in a sim called "Cass". One week later, I had given up and I had closed the store because I hadn't made a single linden and my self esteem was getting low."
Luckily for every Second Life fashionista, Antonia decided to give it one more try "I was shopping in the "Unlimited" sim one day, where a collection of designers had their stores. I noticed a empty store there, and after deliberating with myself for a while I decided to IM Dreams
Anubis, the owner of the sim, and I asked if I could rent there. And she said yes, and set up a rental box for me, and Artilleri was reborn! Dreams, that sweet lady, was my first customer ever, when she purchased my whole store collection. That was a huge moment for me, making my first lindens." When it comes to computers and templates "I'm pretty much self taught" explained Antonia "I have studied design and drawing, photography and floristry in real life, so I've always been tapping into that creative vein, just not so
much with the computer. I had previously made some websites and that sort of thing, but all very amateur. I have come a long way since I started in
2005, and I still have a long way to go." Like all designers, there's still frustrations along the way "My biggest problem with the templates are the system skirts" explained Antonia "as I do use them a lot because I love pencil skirts, and prims just doesn't work for that look in my opinion, but a lot of animations will stretch and bend the system skirts in odd ways. And as every girl knows, they can give you a whole lotta junk in the trunk unless you wear a dress shape. I'm not going to stop making system skirts because of this, but
it takes a little more understanding both from the creator and the wearer to pull it off." Apart from only having 24 hours in a day, another one of the frustrations, although Antonia calls this one a "fun" frustration is "something I experience a lot right now, spending the Christmas holiday with my family and whenever they have
someone visit, which during this time is often, they always ask me what I do for a living. Explaining Second Life to outsiders isn't always easy! Sometimes I just wish I could say "I work at the grocery store" and leave it at that. But people show a lot of interest in what I do, they just don't understand how anyone can make money out of it" she laughed. Despite the painstaking explanations of about Second Life to non-residents, for Antonia there are so many things that she enjoys: "Most of all it's the response from my customers" she said "I know it sounds cheesy, but when a person sends me an IM simply to tell me that they like my store and what I do, it means a great deal to me."
"Then there is the ability to wear whatever I want! Putting on a piece of clothing after creating it is a great feeling and there's the whole creative process in Photoshop where I see my design ideas taking shape and to see how my skills have improved over the past three years." Second Life has transformed Antonia's life in many ways. "Without a doubt, it's the freedom Second Life gives me in my real life. It's not making me rich, but I get to work with something I truly love, I get to express myself creatively, and I don't have to get up at six in the morning! I can take time off
whenever I want to, and I can go to work in my pj's" she laughs. "My real life boyfriend Maximilian Milosz, who I met in Second Life in 2005 also
works full time in Second Life so being able to share this crazy world with someone is great. We don't spend any time together in
Second Life because we sit in the same room in real life working, so that wouldn't make much sense, but we have a debrief session every night before falling asleep where we tell each other what's been going on." "Otherwise, I'm very much a loner in Second Life and I usually just working when I'm on. For downtime I go shopping, mostly for hair, shoes and skins, and play the maracas with Emma and Truth, my best friends. They also run businesses too, and they've both been incredibly helpful to me, always willing to lend a helping hand when I need it." "I think it's easier for me as a designer in Second Life than for someone coming in to Second Life now." Antonia explained
"Artilleri can be considered somewhat of a veteran as it just turned three years old and has become pretty established." "I spend more time responding to customers than marketing the business, as I don't have any employees and I like it that way. I want to stay in touch with my customers and who better to answer questions regarding Artilleri than myself? It does mean it takes up time that I could spend creating things, but what would Artilleri be without the customers? Just a huge personal wardrobe." "Clothing and accessories will always be my main focus, but every now and then when I don't feel like being in Photoshop, the "Artilleri Home" shop is a savior.
It's my way of kicking back in Second Life as I've always said I wanted Artilleri to be more than just "another store", but rather a experience and a lifestyle."
locked up in my skybox building a new mainstore! I'm not 100% sure when this will all be done, but sometime in the beginning of January."
Antonia explained that "clothing is not my first love, instead it's that whole rockabilly and retro aesthetic. I love doing a little bit of everything: clothing, hair, accessories, housing, furniture. The furniture store is just a side project, but has become more popular than I initially thought it would."
"I recently sat down and made twenty new hair textures and I'm happy with how they came out, but I haven't had the time to make any actual new hair yet, so expect to see some in 2009! It's been nearly two years since I last tried making hair and there are so many hairstyles I'd love to try."
As for her future plans for Artilleri, 2009 is shaping up to be a very busy year with lots of surprises. "I have lots of new things planned for Artilleri" said Antonia "I've been quiet for a while, but it's because I've been
"There will be more furniture coming in 2009 and not only furniture, but prefabs as well. This time around I am building my own mainstore, my current diner was made by my boyfriend Maximilian, so this will be my
first time building on such a large scale. It's one hell of a challenge, but I'm getting there."
want? Any suggestions are always welcome!"
"The current Artilleri mainstore is situated in "California", the new one will be "Miami" Second Life. I think that explains the style a little. Art deco, pink flamingos, pastel colors and palm trees. This project was set on hold in December because I'd rather spend some extra time on it than making something mediocre."
"It's my passion, reinterpreting that retro and rockabilly look and giving it a modern sensibility" smiled Antonia "I love hanging out in my Second Life backyard listening to music, bopping in my chair in real life while I come up with new things to make. I'm having a wonderful time! I catch myself smiling all the time in real life for no reason. I love it! "
I do plan on making more men's clothing ‌ and I know I've been saying so for the past eight months or so, and I better get to it soon" Antonia laughed "but women's clothing is more fun because I get to wear it after it's finished! So, what do guys really
So hold on tight to your leopard print tube tops and black pencil skirts, because something tells me that 2009 is the year Artilleri rockabilly chic will really rock the grid! Artilleri 93.123.26 http://artilleri.blogspot.com/
Photography by Vera Canning Models Cayce Newell & Cody Bolero
Shooting Star
By M0lly Dench
It's been a meteoric rise for Neferia Abel, the Norwegian designer behind Ivalde. A fashion history buff with a passion that started as a young girl playing with paper dolls, Neferia is also one of the nicest and most generous souls on the grid, almost legendary in her reputation for never refusing a charitable request and really taking care of her customer base.
Designer Focus: Neferia Abel
When you think of Retro fashion, the first name that leaps to mind is that of Neferia Abel, from Ivalde. It's not even a conscious 'hmmmmm moment'.... its just that the Ivalde sim, with its sweeping build with a hint of the Nordic about it, the sections arranged from the Civil War to Modern Day, zooming past 40's, 50's, 60's, 70's, and 80's on the way with a stop in at Victorian, Georgian, Edwardian and costumes, and the sheer volume of new, mouthwatering designs arriving constantly, is one that you visit over and over again without ever getting tired of what there is to see there.
Neferia, by 'legend' status, is very, very young in SL terms. She has been designing now for under 2 years, and in that time apart from burning out her computer and giving herself a dose of carpal tunnel syndrome -
has ended up with a sim, a monumental store build, over 5000 group members, a weekly Flickr competition, a blog which is updated regularly and lovingly, a passionately devoted following and amongst all that - a
continuous stream of funky, fabulous, elegant, fun, historically accurate clothing. Neferia tells us that her ideal is "always try to be classy, feminine, and elegant. When I
started, there were so many who made mini-mini dresses, and I wanted to make something different, so I started making the old styles - elegant dresses for women."
And like many in SL, the technical challenges very nearly deprived us of one of the most talented enhancements to the fashion scene on the grid.
days, with uploading textures and so on."
"I almost didn't manage to do it," Neferia laughed, "because of SL having so much trouble in those
group of avatars who go around SL putting the pox on anyone with a good idea.
And then there were the naysayers, who I am sure, are a
"Some were telling me that vintage was a bad idea, it would never (sell) well!" Neferia told me, and "Yes! they were! (wrong) because Vintage was the collection that made Ivalde what it is."
Again, like many designers, Neferia lies awake at night thinking up new designs. "I get so many ideas about how to make a dress, so I take a long
time to fall asleep, lol. (I) think about it a lot in RL, and I think, hmmmmm, maybe that is a good idea, maybe I can try to make a dress like that. And, if I have an
idea, I may change it if I feel it looks better when I am making it, so I don't like to do too many customs, because, with me, my
designs can change while making them." It comes with a price, the amount of effort Neferia puts into her work, her friends, her sim, her charitable efforts, and her devoted group members. At the very beginning of November, Neferia announced that she would take a couple of months off. During October, Neferia took part in two 'hunts', created two full collections with the 'Simply Neferia' line, put out her regular new releases, and ended up with carpal tunnel syndrome and a red-raw hand from the mouse. Enough was enough and she was away for 6 weeks, to rest and recuperate. The drive to create, however, had her back on board as fast as she could manage.
"I had thousands of ideas in my head of things to create, just the inability to do so while hurting as I was. It is hard for me NOT to create, so this was almost as painful as my hand. I had no choice though, (it) won't be ignored any longer." Neferia lasted just over three weeks, before returning with new releases and a promise not to overdo it in future. "I have had trouble to stay away from Photoshop, it's hard when I really love doing this - and I've realised I am really addicted to making clothes.... I'll do my best not to make situations like October (occur again, with) too much work in too little time. " She's been busy revamping some of her old favourites, updating
them with flair, skill, and the benefit of experience and hindsight. As always, her take on it is unusual to say the least. She has offered to replace the old version with the new, for certain styles, such as Henny. It's not that it's almost the same, it's actually a completely new look on this old favourite and it speaks to her integrity that she would offer to replace rather than just rebadge and sell it as a new item. And despite protestations of rest and recuperation, her December Advent Calendar was certainly one of the most generous of all the designers - a free item for Group members, under the Christmas Tree, for every day of December up to Christmas, twenty four in all. The frenzy of activity on the the Flickr group
showed how many people just adore the many, varied, vintage, modern, and classic styles of this prolific and outstanding designer. It seemed fitting to feature Ivalde for this, RUNWAYs first Retro edition. After all, who else could we point to, that has dresses from every major fashion period in the last 200 years, and ones that are made with a background in fashion history and are therefore historically accurate, beautifully textured, and in many cases, just plain fun. Neferia Abel. Ivalde. Who Else? www.neferia.blogspot.com SLURL: Ivalde 95/131/29 Photography: Trinidad Anatine Models: Laura18 Streeter & Sharron Schuman
Rockabilly Rebel
By M0lly Dench
Kitty, like many others I've interviewed, was introduced to Second Life by a friend. They lived a long way apart, and SL was a great way to get to 'see' each other and hang out and have some fun. Kitty is into the retro scene in RL, and she quickly noticed that
Spotlight on JetDoll
The whole January issue has just been the best fun, full of memories and memorabilia, retro and rock'n'roll. I had the great pleasure of sitting down for a chat with Kitty Pigeon, designer and owner of JetDoll, where the fashion is fun and the Fonz should drop by.
it was blooming in Second Life. After getting involved and having some fun, the leap to builder/designer was next. "Oh, it WASN'T easy at all. I was such a noob about building
things! I'm proficient in Photoshop, so clothing was the easiest route. The first thing I made was this really bad dress that many seem to adore, it was called 'Confetti'."
Kitty was kind enough to share a copy of the Confetti image with me and I'd have to say, for a first attempt, it looked orders of magnitude better than a fair percentage of things I've bought myself over the last 18 months.
Kitty, who was also active in the Geisha community at the start of her SL experience, initially rented space in a Japanese mall. Her Okasan, or former geisha mother, however, sold her land in the Agirus sim, and that was her first
'official' plot, on which she attempted to build her own store - and eventually had one of her geisha sisters give her a hand. She still describes herself as a noob at building. I wondered how she'd moved from there to her current location, and with the genius of a real raconteur, she had me in fits with her descriptions of the Ninja Turtle griefers who eventually convinced her it was time to move on. That an a lack of prims, the curse of all who seek to expand in SL. Kitty is relishing the entire SL experience, and loves actually selling things to an appreciative audience. The most popular
items, in order of past and present, are the Betty Page styled 'Vintage Vixen', and the 'Jessica Rabbit' avatars. A wander around her shop is an exercise in retro
memory lane and the range on display is well made, thoughtfully presented, and accurate to a level that you can just feel your feet itching for blue suede shoes or a tub of hair
grease. JetDoll is inspired by the fashion of the 40's, 50's, 60's and modern day Punk, Rockabilly, and Psychobilly and sells from a range of products including clothing, hair, accessories, shapes and animations for men and women. Kitty has plans in the works for such exciting items as a sculpted greaser style bandana with texture changer, and would love to make animated AO's. She reckons she's having the odd issue with them, though, but again, still describes clothing as the hardest thing to make and make well. And she's unabashed about her love of all things retro. "Aww
man, I really just love them all. They each have their own uniqueness - though the late 50's/modern rockabilly is the era I try to stick with. " Make sure you boogie on over to: JetDoll: Bangu/125/59/21 http://jetdoll.blogspot.com/ Photography by Gweneth Lange Models Gamp Lane & Lorenz Hax
Hey all you groovy fashion fiends! In this edition of LookBook, we’ll be taking a look at some retro fashions. From the poodle skirt to the Spandex tube top, the retro style encompasses the fashion industry’s funky and sometimes bewildering past.
LookBook: Retro!
By Capri Dubrovna
The fashion scene is very cyclic, allowing us to reexperience the fabulous trends from the past in a new light. The look that I’ll be showing you draws upon some trends that we’re glad are back and some that we hope will NEVER be back. So prepare for a fashionable blast from the past with
LookBook: Retro!
The retro look that I chose for the article is a bit of a conglomeration of styles from the mid-fifties through the early seventies. You’ll recognize some aspects of the outfit that have come full circle and are again popular on today’s runways.
THE CLOTHES After thoroughly researching my many options, I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted from the clothing department before I even started shopping. The
“angel dress� of the 1960s was a micro-mini dress with a flared skirt and wide flared sleeves. These dresses often were made with a psychedelic print and worn with leggings or tights. I checked out various retro-style shops that
I knew of, but nothing really jumped out at me. Things just weren’t matching up; I would find a great design but in a print or color that I hated. Then I would find a great print, but the wrong type of dress. And I found that when it comes to retro fashion, quality is an even bigger issue than it is in mainstream fashion. Tons of people are making retro designs, but few of them are made with the level of quality that I’ve come to expect from the designers that I work with. After sifting through seemingly endless flea markets of poorly constructed retro-wear, I finally found ~Raeva’s~. ~Raeva’s~, for those of you who haven’t been there, is a virtual Mecca of retro fashion. Raeva Ashley carries everything from bodysuits to bell bottoms, but
what really stood out to me was her Persephone dress. This was a great representation of the angel dress (minus the flared sleeves) and came in some wildly groovylicious prints. I chose one
of the louder prints that Persephone comes in (# 08) and tried it on. I loved it! The playful, psychedelic print is tempered by the seductive, cleavage-baring neckline. A wide sash
accentuates the waistline and ties into an adorable bow in the back. And by the way, the quality is superb. I was so excited to have found this dress that I almost forgot that I needed to pick up leggings! Because of the nature of LookBook, I operate under a budget that would make the outfit accessible to everyone; however, this can create serious challenges sometimes! I needed to find cheap leggings that didn’t LOOK cheap. I happened to remember seeing some basic black leggings at a shop called Maeva. I TPed over there and was delighted to find that I could get a pair of black leggings with a short and a long option for 95L! I purchased the leggings on the spot and ran home to try them
on with the dress. After careful deliberation it became clear that the short option was the way to go. Now for the shoes… THE SHOES I’ve said it once and I’ll say it a thousand times: for a girl on a budget, there is really nothing better than an entire store full of high-quality items costing only 30L each. So when it came to shoes, there was once again only one obvious choice: ETD’s 30L sale. My shoe choice departs a little bit from the time period of the dress, as sky-high platforms were a trend of the early 70s. However, I thought that platforms would look good with the leggings, so I allowed myself some wiggle room.
I ultimately chose the Heel Strap Platforms in red, and was very happy with my decision. Besides being the icon of retro footwear,
platforms also make your legs look killer! Now I needed some far-out accessories to go with my groovy look!
THE ACCESSORIES To start of the accessory leg of the shopping trip, I really wanted
a chunky, vintage-looking necklace to accentuate the dramatic neckline of the dress. I kept finding necklaces that were
sort of what I wanted, but weren’t really the perfect accent that I was looking for. I actually found the necklace that I ended up using while on a personal shopping trip at Armidi Gisaci. There they were: the white Valencia pearls, like a beacon of hope from the fashion gods.
Then I saw the price tag – eesh! The necklace cost more than the dress! But such is the price of greatness. I swallowed the lump in my throat and made them mine. After trying them on with the rest of the outfit, I decided that it was meant to be, and I felt better about having practically
spent the rest of the budget on one piece. With only a few lindens left in my pocket, I really only had room for one more accessory. A bag would probably cost too much and earrings seemed unnecessary, so I was stuck on what else the outfit needed. It was clear it still needed something – but what? It wasn’t until I did some more retro research that I had a great epiphany – not only could I add the perfect accessory, but I could also have a third decade represented in the outfit! Cat eye glasses, a la the 1950s, would be an amazing finishing touch to my tribute to retro. But I hadn’t remembered seeing any cat’s eye glasses during my normal retail journeys, so I was in a bit of a
quandary about where to start. Then it dawned on me: the Retrology sim! It was definitely a “duh” moment. After exploring the sim for awhile, I came upon Dark Mouse, who just happened to have a very cute and very inexpensive pair of cat’s eye glasses! So thus ended my retroventure! I hope you enjoyed this tribute to several great eras in fashion, and please join me again next month for a very special edition of LookBook (yeah, that was a teaser!). Farewell, fashionistas! CREDITS: Photography: Trinidad Anatine Model: Capri Dubrovna Hair: Barbie - brown pack by Hairapy Outfit: As Above.
Diving through the Decades: Retro Icons
What makes a fashion icon?
And just about everyone did. At least that fashion craze was one that everyone could enjoy - and without looking ridiculous.
By Saffia Widdershins
Perhaps this was a sign of eighties consumerism, like the red braces (US: suspenders) that yuppie traders wore in the dealing rooms of the City. Braces are rather uncomfortable - especially for women who, additionally, need to be markedly flat-chested or preternaturally gifted to keep them in place. Scarves, however ... everyone can wear a scarf!
Spotlight On: Retro Icons
I remember one year during the nineteen eighties when everyone was wearing red cashmere scarves. It seemed to start as a craze in London and then crept out over the countryside. Checking your coat at a theatre was a nightmare - every coat had a bright red cashmere scarf shoved in its pocket - and if a few fell out, your chances of finding your own again were remote.
Not so hotpants, which swept the UK for a hideous summer in the early nineteen seventies. The number of women who can wear extremely brief tight shorts is ... limited. The number who attempted it in that never-to-besufficiently-regretted summer was ... considerably larger. As were the wobbling buttocks that strained in undignified constraint. And there are the downright bizarre crazes - such as the summer of 1979, when it suddenly became the fashion to wear a petticoat under your skirt so that the hem depended a good half inch below the skirt ... And yet, when we look back, these crazes become lost. A general memory seizes us and we recall instead a different image, an item - or several items - that
seems to come to symbolise if not an age, then perhaps a decade. And some of these may indeed be the badge that was worn proudly ... if not for ten years, then certainly for more than one season. Sometimes these icons are locked in firmly with a culture. The poodle skirt of the 1950s, that wide swing felt skirt of a solid bold colour which frequently displayed a design appliquĂŠd or transferred to the fabric is a clear descendant of Christian Dior's New Look, launched in 1947, similarly celebrating the most curvaceous of women's shapes. It's a style that emphasises the feminine.
But it is forever locked in with the American phenomena of rock'n'roll, juke-boxes, drive-in movies, ponytails and pink gramophones playing 45s.
Boys with crew cuts or slicked back hair with defiant DA's and always with a Brando-esque pout. Rebelling without a cause, someone East of Eden.
And cars - big sassy Cadillacs, also preferably pink. A time, a country and a culture. The same can be said of the mini skirt. First introduced by Mary Quant into London in 1965, it rapidly came to be seen as the icon of the swinging sixties, along with pale lipstick, eyelashes mascara-ed to spider-leg length (and we're talking tarantulas here), psychedelia and those long white Courrèges boots. Of course, for true fashion, you combined all this to create something that was not far from
a work of art. Of course, when Mondrian got his hands on it, it was a work of art ... but that's another story‌
The mini skirt was a worldwide phenomenon and popular most of the decade heavens, when I was a mere scrap at High School they were still making us kneel down to measure that our skirts were no more than six inches above our knees. But it was always part of the phenomenon of Swinging London in the mid Sixties, and the ethereal English beauty of Jean Shrimpton, of
Julie Christie, and of Twiggy. And of the mini car too, preferably painted in bright rainbow colours - a fun car for a fun generation. How did the style of the Sixties get transmogrified into the seventies, aka the decade that style forgot? The decade where men and women wore tank-tops quite voluntarily - even with what passed for pleasure. The decade of ghastly fabrics ... where the synthetic materials crackled with static and glowed in neon colours. Abigail's Party, the iconic Mike Leigh play, captures the era perfectly. The tight disco outfits in their shiny syntheticfibred, stain-repelling glory, slightly wrinkled as their vaunted stretchiness proved no match for the vagaries of the human shape.
The Afro hair, regardless of ethnicity, the flares, oh yes, the flares as you strode with a swish of fabric around your ankles. But your ankles, of course, were half a foot off the ground as you balanced on platform soles, those clumping great weights that you wobbled on every time you took an independent step.
And - let's be brutally frank - for the men, all the worst excesses PLUS wide lapels and medallions tangled in chest hair too. And side burns. Thank heavens for punk, that's all I can say. Ripped jeans and safety pins, terrible hair and all.
It was a time of violent swings in popular culture, and in fashion swinging correspondingly. As punk ousted glam and prog rock styles, so did the New Romantics overtake punk, and Big Hair arrived to celebrate the eighties, with tops that slid off your shoulder and simply had to be
worn with the right kind of shiny lipstick and a serious pout. It was the start of the High Cult of Fitness too, which everyone paid lip - or rather leg-service to, wearing leg warmers in an attempt to look like one of the
Kids from Fame. Yes, we too could stop New York traffic with our highkicks if we wanted ... A decade about consumerism, where Greed was Good and we all worshipped at the altar of
Mammon which dispensed televisual services in the form of our weekly episodes of Dallas and Dynasty. The lipstick got shinier as the mouths became maws, and the shoulder pads rose to formidable heights (even for windy breakfasts around the swimming pool). And one winter, for no discernible reason, we all wore red cashmere scarves. And then ... never again. Photography by Gweneth Lange and Maggie Mahoney
Special Thanks for On Location to Gumbo's Head Shop, Suri 209.95.48 Deni's Rock'n'Roll Diner, FairChang Paraiso 94.39.21 Retro Reflections, Felice 31.42.551
Retro for the Gentleman One of the things that stands out immediately in mens' retro fashion is that, unlike the clearly defined imagery that surrounds women's fashion across the decades, there is a timelessness about menswear that really transcends the day to day genre definitions when we think about sixties, seventies, or eighties fashion.
By Maddox Dupont
Maddox DuPont of KMADD City has assembled a lineup of fashions which, whilst they could loosely be called 'Retro', can certainly hold their own for the well-dressed 'man-about-town' in any time period.
Savile Row
Classic tweeds, ivy league, spats, argyle knits, white tailored shirts, leather brogues. Each had their time and place in fashion and each still does. Minor variations on each produce a look which can be gently tied to a particular decade, but in fact, a classic look in the 1920s still has solid foundations in a classic look today.
Style Notes Picture Runway Retro 1 From left to right Skin: Belleza - Ewan tan 7 bald Hair: -C- - Seabreeze - Coal Black Eyes: MADesigns Promise eyes - green pale 2 OUTFIT Pants: Grandma! - N-check- longpants T-Shirt: Gbberish - Chelsea Boy Shirt Vest: Gbberish - Old Brompton Knitted vest Scarf: Gbberish - Chelsea Boy - Scarf Ocean Cap: { Kari } - Newsboy cap tweed Shoes: Muism - Lace up suede trainer Pale Blue/Gray Accessories: >(O.o)< - Golf Club Skin: Belleza - Thomas SK 4 Hair: Muism - Dion/brown-highlight Eyes: MADesigns - Promise eyes brown pale 8
OUTFIT Jacket: Muism - Tartan Jacket Maroon Knit: Gbberish - Old Brompton Knitted Vest Shirt: Moderno - Marco Polo Undershirt - Slate Pants: Valiant - Grey Belted Stripey Pants Shoes: Redgrave - Strap Loafer - Black Necklace: Mhaijik - Solstice Gem Glasses: Kalnins Sunglasses â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Bordino Skin: Belleza - Lee 7 bald Hair: Uncleweb Studio - Scott - cool black Eyes: MADesigns - Promise eyes brown pale 10 OUTFIT Shirt: Gbberish - Chelsea Boy Shirt Pants: GRANDMA! - G-check-pants Shoes: Muism - Miami Hopper/Metallic Grey Glasses: Unpop - c5 glasses 3b
Picture Runway Retro 2 From left to right Skin: MiA - Male Tan Skin-Strapping Hair: Find Ash - High Wind Royal Blond EYES: MADesigns Promise eyes brown pale 3 OUTFIT Suit: Gbberish - Savile Row Tux Shoes: Jeepers Creepers - Scratch Sand/Brown Hat: The Hat Shop - Bogart Fedora Ring: Mhaijik Found Objects Copper Ring Skin: TheAbyss - Scorpio_Orion[3]B Body Hair Skullcap Eyes: MADesigns Promise eyes brown pale 3 OUTFIT Suit: Gbberish - Savile Row Tux Shoes: Jeepers Creepers - Carl Perkins White Ring: Mhaijik Found Objects Steel Ring
Skin: AC Store - GloX - Venus Male Skin Natural Tan Hair: Argrace - Hunting Natural Wavy Black EYES: MADesigns Promise eyes brown pale 4 OUTFIT SUIT: Gbberish - Savile Row Tux SHOES: Kalnins Shoes - Classica RING: Mhaijik Things - Ratri Night Dark Ring
Maddox DuPont is the owner of KMADD City, MADesigns Shapes & MAD Modelling Agency. You can visit his blog at http://madimage.wordpress.com.
Interview with Aldero Akami Fashion Photographer and Stylist Written by Thalia Jie Photography by Aldero Akami
There's a certain indefinable quality to style, whether it's in a fashion or profile photograph or putting together a look for your av. It's that same indefinable quality that makes you look twice, peaks your curiosity and gets your inner voice saying 'hey, that looks good'. Aldero Akami, MAD Image stylist, photographer and occasionally maker of cool gloves has that ineffable quality. Rezzed in Second Life almost two years ago, he took his first steps on the mainland at a place called Hyles Infohub. "I immediately gave myself a handlebar moustache and some black fingerless gloves and started flying" said Aldero. "I never really looked to gain a job in Second Life, and the only avenues of making lindens I was
aware of were the kind of avenues whereby you take your layers off for people wanting to see what's under them. So I bummed around for a long time in a skin with no belly button and hair that was definitely cool at the time." Aldero coughs a little in embarrassment at this point and quickly changes the subject "Well after flying around with my finely styled facial hair for a while, I think I just ended up in a club, where I had my first experience with a dance ball machine thingy. I jiggled for hours and chatted to complete strangers and may have even tried to see what my nipples looked like ... I did try â&#x20AC;Ś and they looked like small pancakes." "I dabbled in building, which I found rather easy to get used to.
Just small things like photo frames and a spear or two. I had a good friend who owned a shop, in which I hung some of my real life artwork, which no one bought. Oh, and once I made a tshirt with my name on it ... it wasn't any good. I think I still have it." For Aldero, as far as he's concerned, it was a set of fortuitous circumstances that set him on the path of becoming a stylist ."It's when I met Lyra Nitely, and being the stunning model and shopper that she is, Lyra introduced me into the fashion world, she showed me all the cool places to get great clothing." "It was when she was photographed by Maddox for a
boot vendor made for Tango that I got to know Maddox, and eventually the whole KMADD team. I think my timing was lucky, I just walked up to Maddox and said how much I liked the photos he did of Lyra and after a bit we hung out, he drove me round on one of his motorbikes and we both changed outfits about a million times. And that was that." Aldero's styled outfits can be seen on the KMADD website and MADD Image blog, and when it comes to styling men's fashions, there are inevitable frustrations. "You ladies get about ten times more clothing. Which is naturally not fair, but just go into your nearest multi sex shopping store and see how small the men's section is. That's life I guess. I'm
not really complaining, I mean I save more money this way. But there's more men's fashion I want to see out there of course." "There's lots of things that seriously frustrate me, I've had conversations with a lot of people on the subject, including one or two designers, and there's always two perspectives. My main annoyance is, and I think we all agree on this one, a top that only comes in one layer. Or maybe just a jacket layer and a shirt layer, but not pant layer. How am I supposed to work with that? I generally won't bother buying things that have badly thought out layer options, mainly because I want to avoid getting irritated." "Permissions! What's up with 'no copy' on clothing? Its like please
have some sense how am I supposed to put this in multiple outfit folders? I can't and therefore will not be wearing it much, and then your product wont get seen. Not being able to modify is slightly more understandable, but it better come with a pretty damn good resizing script for me to put up with it. As for not being able to mod layers, like a no mod t-shirt ... that's just crazy. Sometimes I like to raise the sleeves, as if I was pushing them up to my elbows." "Despite all these things though I have found that if you note card a designer they generally are willing to cater to your needs, unfortunately some are more concerned with those that copy and rip objects than their
customers which is fair enough, we all want to make money and retain our ideas. However, when and if I make clothing or accessories, it'll be mod, it'll be copy, because the people who appreciate the work and buy it and wear it are more important than anything else in my opinion." At which point Aldero adds "Ok rant over, I hate being negative!" For Aldero, as well as an accomplished stylist, he's also well known for his photography. " When I was a kid I drew constantly, and right through school I was the arty one. I copied characters from Marvel comics and so developed a love for that kind of art. I loved comics, so I am a comic book fan ... but I never read them, so I
wouldn't call myself a very good one. I went to college after school for a year to do nothing but art, and I found my desired field which was illustration, and carried on to study Illustration at university for three years." "From that, I developed a professional thinking and outcome in work, I found I could use colour effectively and thoughtfully and that wonderful program we know as Photoshop. A lot of illustrators will use a tablet to draw from within the computer but I have always stuck with the pencil, and then used Photoshop to add colour. I had always had a problem with paint and finding a way to colour my work and Photoshop proved to be the thing that I needed."
"It's the little polishes and details that bring an image to life. Making the shadows, like under chins or arms, that's my favorite bit. That and also building a set or back drop from scratch. It used to be smoothing off edges and jagged noses but I think as I've gotten so used to that aspect, its kinda just another process I go through now." When it comes to photography, Aldero admits he's not in it for either the money or as a business. "I put hours into my work with my photography clients. I'm being paid to create them something fantastic and I think that's where the marketing comes in. I do like to know what my models will be wearing when they come to me, normally we meet beforehand so I can see the
outfits. That way I get a good idea for what I'm going to do, and we don't waste time deciding what they're going to wear." I don't consider myself a business â&#x20AC;Ś sure I earn money, but I can spend that in second, and do! I just try to have fun, and enjoy creating something new. I think my last photoshoot took six hours in total. I built around four or five sets from scratch, in terms of a successful business I don't know how time efficient that is, but who cares, its making a cool image, hopefully and that's what its about. That's what this fashion thing is ALL about, its about the look." When it comes to photography, Aldero has his own unique approach. "When I take a picture I build that which you see behind
the person. If I need a light I just build a box and turn the light option on, voila. As far as what I can achieve with photography I think I have yet to find something that defeats me. We'll see though, I'm just having fun. I can do pretty decent fake shadows now. I can see how I have progressed since I really began doing my images well. I tend to add highlights to bodies to bring them out of the image, but I used to be trigger happy, so to speak and in a lot of my older images, you can see this. Putting too much on when you need to reel back from the screen and just look where its needed, and where its not and take out the eraser. But I have always had a good eye for what needs to stay and what is unnecessary in an image. What makes something
too busy, what space needs filling with something else. I'm one of those artists that look back at work a week old and hate it ,which I think is pretty much all of us. The key is when you look back and hate it, turn around and make something better." "I love to see innovative imagery and thoughtful, clever design. Artoo Magneto never ceases to amaze me. I still live in one of his houses. Four Yip's artwork is refreshing to see, real life work and Second Life coming together so well. Icemocolo Voom has a great head for design and we also play the same computer games, so he's an instant win. Ryker's work has always grabbed my attention, my dear friend Eve Petlyakov always is so keen to grow and create more and more.
Working with Maddox too, the man's talent crosses many platforms. There are many more. If i see something I like, it is inspiring. It makes me want to make something, to build, to draw etc."
want it to look right and I want it to work. Its great that I can do that, change something so small instantly." And as for the future, Aldero just wants to"carry on what I'm doing, and try to do it better with each day."
And when it comes to Second Life: "I would have to say, I really just enjoy meeting all of those people who make the fashion scene what it is. The people that make things, the people that create. I have made some good friendships in here, especially with those I work with. I'm a big perfectionist, and one of the things I like most about this place is the ability to change the environment at whim, or the way you look. I mean, I will edit hair for an hour, and enjoy it. Not because I'm vain, but because I
"Attempting to make great images, aiming to make great spaces for those great images to hang in. Making a great outfit! Meeting new and funny people. Taking a photo of them. I might start making stuff for people to wear, it cant hurt... unless its really terrible. I made some low black gloves which people seemed to like, and I generally give them out to people whom I meet and like, just because its great to see them wearing something you have made. It's a good feeling."
By M0lly Dench New York is one of the world's leading lights in the fashion industry, and the New York Fashion Week is one of the most hotly anticipated events on the Fashion calendar. This year, you too can be part of this excitement regardless of where you are located globally, through
the spectacular event - RUNWAY Fashion Week. February 13th to 20th will see one of the most ambitious fashion projects ever to take place on the grid. RUNWAY Productions is proud to present 7 days of fashion spectaculars, with a massive 28 shows, live streaming media from NY
Fashion Week, the best of the Autumn 2009 collections to give us a hint of what's to come, and parties, events and shows galore. Starting with a spectacular VIP ball, the remainder of the week will be a whirl of colour, design, and living art as we immerse ourselves in the glory of the top fashion designers in Second Life and the leading edge 'up and comers', hungry to play in the big leagues. The creativity and talent on display will be dazzling. RUNWAY Productions CEO Maggie Mahoney had this to say about RUNWAY Fashion Week. "We're really excited at RUNWAY Productions to be staging the largest fashion event in SL history. Given the size and scale
of the production, everyone will have an opportunity to be part of the dazzle and glamour of New York Fashion Week and the SL equivalent. There's nothing more thrilling than the new collections, and RUNWAY Productions has the drive and talent available to make this the leading SL fashion event of the year." RUNWAY Productions Creative Director Payton Heron added "Our goal is to bring a real fashion edge to Second Life, the feel, the sense of drama, the entire experience. We have quite a few surprises in store as well." Watch the RUNWAY website for details as they come to hand and be part of SL's premiere fashion event. www.runwaysl.com