The Alexander McQueen Tribute Fashion Show By Avenue

Su 2/28/10


The 11th of February this year 2010 Lee Alexander McQueen was found dead by suicide...
The whole world of fashion (and avant-garde) stopped breathing for a second.
This designer was very special with his ability to shock his fellow designers of the fashion industry at events. Some called him the last provocative designer due to this.

38 designers inside Second Life made in one week tributes to him that was shown in the event "For the Love of McQueen" by Avenue the 28th of February.
These items will now go for sale in their stores during march and all the out coming of this goes to a foundation similar to them McQueen himself was contributing to, the "Keep A Child Alive" charity.

His pointed to the ground shoes and extravagant hats and mix of colours was, of course, represented in this SL event.
His style of contradictions between beautiful and ugly was so There!

Conferee Angie Mornington (Fabulous Fashion) gave us the story of Lee Alexander McQueen by showing the video ColeMarie Soleil made entitled “The life cycle of a butterfly dryad” and by telling us about him with the designers words while presenting their outfits on the catwalk.

We got to know he loved the colour blue, and got reminded that he was obsessed with dark glamour and was all about symmetry and chaotic balance. Yes. If you ever saw a fashion show with McQueen involved, you do know this already.

The outfit I loved the most was Tres Beau’s design called “Missing You” inspired by McQueen’s 2009 fall collection.
Designer Kimmera Madison’s words describing it was, according to Angie Mornington; “I love black and white and his legging boots in the huge Hounds tooth plaids were such fun!
I wanted to capture McQueen’s playfulness and his chic take on fun.
I loved the way he could take something feminine and soft and give it an edgy look. He had an amazing sense for the female shape.”

Mischa Cuttita was wearing this lovely outfit with a cute skirt that kind of stood up in a lovely “Marilyn Monroe in the wind picture” way.

It was worn with Lelutka’s Jean Hair in Gold Blonde and Ife light skin, Angie told us.

Me myself loved them stockings she was wearing.... they very much speaks to fashion of SecondLife of today.
Striped in two colours and looks like made of wool.

Well, this one AND the birdcage hat outfit... was most impressive to me^^
Yeah, there was really a girl with a birdcage on her head!
That one rocked totally^^ and then the DJ played Arabian music to it, so the reference to this one become the feeling of burkas for me. Cool shot, DJ Rusch! Sort of makes you think, just like McQueen used to do in his own fashion shows.

The Face of Moolto, RicoRacer Flux, was one of the models tonight.
He wore FIR by Rob1977 Moonites. Really nice style, made me think of Victorian men outfits.
It was cool to see the designers making tributes also to McQueens earlier era when he did male fashion.

The stories around the designers creations, told by Angie Mornington, in this show deserves a book.
But no need for this since we will be able to see it all over and over again in an TV-documentary coming up.
Machinima artistt TommyLee Nightfire is creating a film documenting the creations and the show.
The fashion show was staged on a build realized by Babyhoney Bailey based on Rusch Raymaker's (CEO of Avenue) inspiration for the show.

The designers involved and the sponsors you find in this link:

http://avenuemodels.wordpress.com/2010/02/22/for-the-love-of-mcqueen-charity-event/

The progression of donations received through this project is found in this link

http://support.keepachildalive.org/goto/avenuesl


Do I have to tell you I had a good time? It was crowded, lag was incredible, we had to take of our prim things – some ppl went barefoot **Liza giggles**, the music was awesome!
And the ending was beautiful since them showed the film again – so we watched McQueen´s RL fashion on the TV after all this cool SL fashion.
I Am overloaded with beauty!! And I LOVE THIS!!

Pictures for this event are found at this link http://www.flickr.com/photos/avenuemodels/sets/72157623348997661/
The event photographer who developed the pics is courtesy of AVENUE Models Photographer : Tillie Ariantho

Liza Veliz
For Oi Magazine Blog

Alpine Executive Center

Thu 2/25/10




Hello everyone,
I am Nathalie, shopper extraordinaire and a fashion addict here on Second Life.
But shopping can be so exhausting!
Well, fear not, I have the cure and I want to share it with you.
But first, let me just give a shout out to Carmichael Caudron.
I am so honored, to be offered the opportunity to write and share a few thoughts with you all, today.
In these modern times we are all consumed by everyday life.
We are always running. Running to the stores, running at work, running back home, running....everywhere.
The stress that builds really does need a way to be diffused. You know, let off some steam!
Once, after a bad day at my RL job and a difficult time on SL during the evening, I was sorely in need of some kind of relaxation.
What's that you say?, relaxing on SL?
There should be lot of options available, right? But, to find the right one.....After a little searching I found something interesting.
Skiing. Wow, a great idea!
A click here, a rez there, and I was in a splendid winter sim called:  Alpine Support Center at Meeting Support.
What a wonderful winter sim.
I could not resist visiting the small shops there, where for less then 200L$ you be wearing nice goggles and skis or snowboards from Zagoskin Ski Shop or Berg Ski & Snowboard Shop.


Cog Train

Ah!, now I was ready to step in the the chairlift. 
There is a statue of Sondre Norheim the inventor of the Ski jumping,the owner of Bergs Ski Shop is in real life the owner of Bergs Ski shop in Eugene Oregon, And he is of Norwegian heritage, proudly replied TonyEMS Heying the owner and builder of the sim.
Viewing the scenery up the hill is fantastic, a great landscape build. 
Inspired, I am sure from my many years living and working in Switzerland said TonyEMS the creator of the sim :
"It has turned into a "labor of Love" if you know what I mean.
The first outside development was the skiing with timed ski runs and then the train that goes into the mountain complex. I was a brakeman on the railroad all through my university years, so the train was a "must have" for me",  said Tony.

Tony, in his early 60's, recently moved to San Francisco from Switzerland.
"Also, I have had many years of experience working with remote teams",  he said, "All the stuff you see is meant to contribute the feeling of the ski resort place. So I realized the benefit of having a facility that created that "sense of place". I decided to keep it open to the public so that's more people could find out about this service.
I only close it for clients that request the privacy during a particular meeting."


Sunset

Yes, Alpine is more then a ski station, it's a ski resort for company executive people.
They provide, to their customers,  meetings facilities in a unique setting, a destination that can be relaxing and constructive.
The Meetings Facilities are: Main Amphitheater, Glacier Room-1, Glacier Room-2, Exhibition Hall and Development Center, Break through Area, Central Ramada and Apres Ski Lodge.
Tony adds, "The ambiance of the ski resort winter environment contributes to the comfort level while working in the virtual world."
"We arrange and facilitate your events in a way that promises the best results possible. Each facility is equipped with audiovisual aids for presentations and multimedia tools for voice and film clips."


Business Meetings


Brainstorming

Alpine Executive Center also provide tools for their participant:
Brainstorm Categorizer, Voting Floor Platform, Vote Post Tow Choices yes -no, Vote post Multi choice, Brainstorm post, Dynamic Vote Board and Private Area Space Enclosure.
Alpine Executive Center also possess it's own Art Gallery.
The Ice Caverns Gallery was created with the purpose of presenting, to residents of Second Life, all forms of modern arts in-world.
They currently accept 4 or 5 exhibitors at the same time but we may consider that over 50 artists were exposing their art at Ice Cavern since the opening of the Center.
Presenting events like Ice Sculpture Exhibits, Products launch, Relay for life, Birthday Party, with great names as Sun Microsystems, Iowa State University, USC Project Voting, Unisys Corporation, MAIS Association, University of Houston, Hong Kong Net Universities Alpine Executive Center is very well positioned to grow in popularity in the future.
Alpine Center is a great stop to make on your SL tour.
No matter if you are with your company or association for one of those great constructive meetings or even if you only are there skiing with some few friends, in the end, the positive result on your Si psyche might just be what the doctor ordered.
PS, "I have to get back there. I saw this cute little snow bunny outfit I just have to have!"
                                        
Story by nathalie Ember for Oi Magazine blog/press

A Drink Of Divine Blood ( A look into a clan in the world of Vampires)

Mo 2/22/10

So what are vampires doing in Second Life® ? Should we fear for our Avatar's cyber lives? Will virtual blood drinkers consume our pixels and our souls be damned for all eternity?

Well, no need to worry. Vampires in SL are part and parcel of the virtual world experience. They're the heart and soul of the SL role playing game called Bloodlines. At the time of this writing, there are 24,455 vampires and 3835 Lycans in Second Life.

I've been curious about SL vampires since my rezzing, and have made a number of vampire friends, however I didn't understand exactly what being a vampire meant. The most I knew was that a vampire had to ask permission before he or she could bite someone. Is there more to it than that? Oh, yes. Lots more.


Vampire HUD


A few months ago I let a friend of mine bite me. He'd only recently been turned and I had the privilege of being his first victim. Because I wasn't a member of the Bloodlines game, my "soul" was not in danger. Had I been a member, I'd have lost a percentage of my humanity. Are you confused yet? I was. And wanting to know more about how this game worked, I asked if I could interview members of his clan for this article.



Divine Castle

Divine Blood is one of 1873 clans in the Bloodlines game. Divine currently has 977 members and celebrated its one-year anniversary this month. Their queen, Amethyst Warden, greeted me warmly when I teleported to the clan's castle to chat with a few members of her vampire family.



At the Counselor Quarters with my friend Necreip Baragula

The welcoming committee included my friend Necreip Baragula, who is an 8th generation vampire and one of the clan's knights. I also got to meet Freyasmoon Fenwitch,
Chaz Lighthouse, Ethan Lighthouse, Rikk Steamweaver, and Riot Waddington, who is not only a new vampire but also new to Second Life.

I had a lot of questions, but before I could ask them the sight of Divine's beautiful castle took my breath away. I knew then that I had to get inside the magnificent gothic structure and have a look around.



Darrell Mistwallow is the clan king



Amethyst Warden is Divine Blood's queen


The clan's king, Darrell Mistwallow, couldn't make the interview due to illness, but the welcoming committee provided answers to all my burning questions. My first and foremost one was how is a vampire made? I wanted to know if a single bite could automatically turn someone into a creature of the night. It turns out that you must be completely drained of your humanity and become revenant before you can become a vampire. One bite only takes 5% of your humanity. Getting drained takes a lot of bites.

"The first vampire to bite someone who later becomes a vampire gets to keep their soul and becomes their liege," Ethan explains. "The liege is like a mentor and looks after the minion [he made]. He introduces the new vampire to the family and teaches him or her about the ways of Bloodlines and our clan rules."

So what about asking permission to bite someone? "Asking permission is considered polite and respectful," Necreip tells me.

"The bite animation presents the victim with a menu," Ethan explains. "And the victim must answer yes before the bite can occur."

"And the area must be script enabled," Rikk Steamweaver adds.

So any rumors you may have heard about vampires running amok and terrorizing SL residents with vicious bites is completely false.

Vampires need blood daily to stay alive. At midnight, each vamp is afflicted with "the curse" that depletes their blood supply by .25 liters. How do vampires get the blood they need to stay alive? "Blood Dolls," says Rikk.

Blood dolls are members of the clan who willingly supply their masters with blood. "My fiancé calls her dolls blood angels," says Ethan. Blood dolls are the "life blood" of the Bloodlines game.

Blood dolls are beloved members of the Divine Blood family and may become vampires themselves at some point. However, if they want to maintain their humanity, they must eat special "apples," a self-sustaining food source, to regenerate their human blood. If their humanity goes down to 0% they become revenant, or the walking dead. If they choose to drink blood, they will become vampires. And if they choose to be human and not play the game any more, they can simply walk away, thereby breaking all ties with their former clan.

Divine Blood is organized like a monarchy with a king and queen, and knights like Necreip who protect the land from griefers and other troublemakers. Within the clan there are also barons, baronesses, lords and ladies.

The benefits of joining a vampire clan seem obvious. This group in particular is as close as any family. Members consider themselves brothers and sisters, and their revered king and queen are their parents. "It is incredible how much we are a family," says Ethan. New residents of Second Life will find ready acceptance within a clan like Divine Blood. The clan helps new members acclimate to SL life by showing them the ropes of our often complex metaverse.



Divine Blood Club

Is Divine Blood open to new family members? Absolutely. Not all clans are the same, some being closer than others, but its obvious Divine members have a special relationship to one another. They enjoy each other's company and have a genuinely good time together.

Necreip gave me an enjoyable tour of the Divine Blood castle. There are four turning rooms, where members participate in the ritual that turns them into vampires. On the wall of each room is the texture of a flowchart that shows how the vampire bite HUD works.

Throughout the castle there are portraits of family members, most of whom hold a rank within the clan. There are rooms for the clans' resident couples, and there's even quarters for the clan counselor who counsels members for anything and everything. The current counselor is Lola Laroway. The counselor's official job description is: "Hears clan members' problems and tries to come up with a solution, consoles those who are in a time of need, and is willing to just listen. All issues go to the clan counselor as well as your liege."

The clan has an arena, which is similar to a sandbox. Necreip took me to Divine Blood's mall that also contains a dance club. It's a proprietary club for members and their guests only.


For more information about Bloodlines, visit http://www.slbloodlines.com If you'd like to know more about Divine Blood or are interested in clan membership, simply contact any of the clan members mentioned in this article.

Ty as always for reading,I'm Chalice Piers ,press Blogger for Oi Magazine

Fashion in Fantasy (a Swirl™ event production)

Tue 2/16/10

There's one word to describe the Fantasy of Fashion show produced by Swirl, a marketing firm dedicated to Second Life's fashion industry. That single word is: WOW! This clever and unique fashion show opened over Valentine's Day weekend and what a phenomenal event it turned out to be.

I've attended a number of fashion shows in RL and SL, but never one so creative as Swirl's Fantasy of Fashion. Take a fantasy theme, mix in a generous portion of gorgeous fashion, stir in some eye-candy models on an elaborately set stage, and you get one incredible tasty dish of SL haute couture.

Saturday's opening night,February 13th, was a magical one. A breathtaking fairy garden complete with cascading waterfall created an impressive backdrop for the event.


Filipa Thespian as The Water Nymph


Takeshi Kiama as Odin the Fairy King

Filipa Thespian, owner and founder of Swirl, appeared on stage in her role as the Water Nymph to expertly present each design as it was modeled for a mesmerized audience.

Filipa, as well as the models, had roles in a performance that was equal parts fantasy play and fashion show. What made this show particularly clever is that the fashions introduced were geared toward the fantasy role-playing residents of Second Life. So a scripted story accompanied the narration of each design and was strung together like a fairytale.

The plot told of the Wizard Lodin, who had strayed from the ways of fashion. Lodin was played by model Travis Madrigal and entered the stage as a newbie avatar being scolded by the Sorceress Queen Marielle, played by model Tatiana Kurri.


Tatiana Kurri as Marielle the Sorceress Queen and Travis Madrigal as Lodin the Wizard


Marielle has taken away his wizard powers and plans to show him the error of his ways by introducing him to beautiful fashion.
The wizardress Valgran, played by model Pyper Dollinger, was also at fault for letting herself go, and Marielle promised that she, too, would learn the path to good fashion sense.

Here's an example of some of the narrative:

"The Water Nymph welcomes Mer-Elf's Wish: Once upon a time in a distant land, a peasant girl wished she could have a lovely gown to wear to the ball.
Else were an elven princess got ready to meet with ambassadors from a neighboring kingdom and wished to find the perfect dress.
A kajira wished to please her master and in return get some new rags or silks.
A free woman wished for the latest new dress to wear.
A fairy flew by and granted all their wishes! For this collection has it all!

Wish is a deep, rich velvet gown geared toward elves and upper class medieval women.
Intricate golden embroidery accents the low-cut neckline, which dips to a V in the back.
It's great for upcoming spring and summer, and includes a hooded cloak to wear on cold days. Also included are a gleaming prim waist belt and circlet, and two skirt and sleeve options.
The wish fantasy add-on pack includes a wider ball gown skirt, short fairy skirt, gorean camisks, and dancing silks along with modesty layers and veils for free women."


The Pyramid Theater was filled with over 60 avatars, so lag was considerable. Add that to the intricate textures of clothing and the particles poofing from elaborate wings of dancing fairy models, and you get slow rezzing. It was necessary to rebake textures a number of times, and I had to hold my cam in one place so as not to crash. Some members of the audience did crash, as well as a model or two, but all in all it was a beautiful display of creative energy from some of SL's most innovative designers.

The show featured designs from Black Rose, Gutter Pup, Lace & Steel, Mer-Elf Creations, Moonstruck and Mystic Sky. Sponsors of the show included Best of Second Life Magazine, Designs by Nicky Ree, and Dark Starr Merchantile.

The fashions displayed ran the gamut from amazing fairy designs to Roman-inspired suits, elegant ball gowns to modest peasant garments, and rugged warrior attire to seductive slave silks. These styles would appeal to role players of the Gor persuasion or those leaning toward medieval fantasy. The variety was lovely and presented well.


Pyper Dollinger as Valgren and Travis Madrigal as Lodin

The show lasted two hours, and at the end, both Lodin and Valgren had learned their lessons and the Sorceress Queen Marielle granted them the return of their wizard powers.
The two models appeared on stage as complete makeovers that had the audience gasping in their seats.
Valgren had become a exquisite example of beauty wearing a "stunning salmon-colored frock adorned with the gentle reminder of nature, leaves embroidered throughout." And Lodin was devastatingly handsome in his dark wizard robes and impressive glowing staff. The two characters were reunited in love and stylish fashion.

For information about future Swirl events, and to see more of the fashions presented at the Fantasy in Fashion show, visit http://www.giveitaswirl.info

If you would like to view more photos of the event, click to go to my personal flick page! http://www.flickr.com/photos/chalicepiers/

TY for reading & also like to thank Filipa Thespian for her courtesy to allow Oi Magazine to cover this Swirl™ event for its blog



Story by Chalice Piers,Oi Magazine Press Blogger

Short update on Moolto contest!

Mon 02/01/10

This contest is not over!

Forget the 31st January as date for The Grand Final in The Mr and Miss Moolto 2010 contest.
The final standing before the jury will be on the 27th of February!

So far five male and five females have been chosen for finalists.

Males

RicoRacer Flux

Spencer Christenson

Jarl Soderstrom

Apollo Call

Salvo Waydelich

Females

Haidyn Inglewood

Diconay Boa

Mina Pelazzi

Julia Brand

Suri Alex



Here they are in the order of most popular so far according to the scores they got from the jury and the votes they got from the contests group members at the semi final).

In this next step of Mr and Miss Moolto contest it is told the contesters will have to prove their ability to teamwork and show their creative sides, according to latest news on the Moolto group site for this contest.


The 13th-27th of February the voting for the group members will open again.


/Liza Veliz
Oi Magazine