Sydney Fashion Week In Secondlife® - At The Sydney Harbor & Opera House

By Sam Nightfire

Ever since the Sydney Fashion Week event was announced weeks ago, I’ve wanted to attend. Anything to do with Australia is for some reason exciting to Americans & the rest of the world. I live in Hawaii so you’d think I’d be less inclined but not so. Fashion shows are an allure to Fashionistas like myself but when paired with the Aussie aspect for some reason it becomes somewhat playful & exciting and so I couldn’t wait for opening day. Seventeen plus shows were featured, though my schedule only allowed an attendance for the final show.

Harbour & Opera House

First some info on what motivated the IMA or The International Modeling Agency® on this event. Their objective was to promote the Secondlife® fashion industry within the Australian community. Inspired by the iconic buildings of the Sydney Harbor, a replica of the famous Sydney Opera House sat amid water ways inspired by Bora Bora featuring a glass covered runway.

SYDNEY FASHION WEEK of course had a seven days’ worth of exciting designer showcases of casual chic to avant-garde and ofcourse the entertainment of the Australian Guerilla Burlesque dancers inspiring performances. The final fashion show was held on Wednesday August 22, 2012 at the Port of Sydney, Sydney Harbor Secondlife.

Host and DJ Mark Heung aka markski.glom kept the flow going with valuable information on what Sydney was about as well the culture and people. We were offered beach chairs in the sand, windsurfing and sailboats in addition to seats near the runways. Vegemite sandwiches and Fosters® beer, Aussie staples for any party to get us in the mood. The Harbor Bridge,with 3 glass stages supported the IMA Models wearing designer sponsored original clothing, makeup, shoes, accessories and some new and exclusive releases. Guests could also seek free treasurers on the sim, shop and attend the “after party” on the cruise ship once the final show was over.

According to Mark, "Sydney's is known for its laid-back outdoor lifestyle and physical allure, which make it one of the world's most pleasant cities to visit. Its people are friendly and energetic with a blunt approach to life"

When it comes to which city is Australia's true global city, there's no argument. It's Sydney-with its sense of style, its love of sport and exuberant celebrations including New Year's Eve and Australia Day. All of its attributes lie within easy reach of the city centre. Sydney's Harbour is its natural playground, the dominant factor in so much of what the city has to offer.

The city has a wide-ranging cultural life, dynamic food scene and vibrant cityscape of outstanding contemporary and colonial architecture. Iconic beaches and five major national parks deliver unforgettable experiences.”

In addition to beautiful fashion, the performance of Burlesque featured sexy ladies in bikinis and hard bodied men in board shorts shake in their booties on beach towels while mermaids gracefully danced in the air over the water’s edge off the glass runway, facing the huge cruise ship made by Aymec Millet which is a is multi-story build of delight containing several theaters, bedrooms, and night clubs as well as the shops of featured designers. It was a beautiful way to sustain our enthusiasm for the second half of the show.

Designer’s included 1 C’est-la-vie- LarcocoMathy, 2 [[LD Major - Loovus Dzevavor]] Vikeejeah Xevion, Legal insanity DATRIPBlackbart, House of {TORN} Torn Difference, blackLiquid, TreiZe – Elyna Carver,AD Creations Aliza Karu, Boudoir Vitabela Dubrovna and Precious Restless, ··Deesses ·· skins NatalieWells, [AMARELO MANGA] Luana Barzane, VERO MODERO Bouquet Babii, Kunglers Barbra Kungler and AvaGardner Kungler, *SoliDea FoLiEs* Mila Tatham, Countdown AntoniaXp and Vivien Emerald -Désir-

Sponsors were M s B l a c k(blackliquid.tokyoska) – Makeup, Nakia Decosta – .:RUSSH LUSSH:. – Makeup, KunglersBarbra Kungler and AvaGardner Kungler Jewelry and shoes for selected shows as well as Deese’s skins NatalieWells, κεɴɖરλ (kendra.zaurak) Fanatic.

The show opened with designs for the men with Ewan Crumb wearing ..:: Legal Insanity ::.. by DATRIP Blackbart. A Jacquard Kilt was paired with ..:: Legal Insanity ::.. war paint by Sun Tzu black/white. As Mark said “The modern Adam...a strongman is represented in this tribal influenced outfit. Both items indeed scream War!”. Then Ananya Mai (Sydney Fashion Week creator) and Blackliquid sauntered on stage wearing the indigenous people’s inspired print separates. Down Under Trousers in Dark Khaki, paired with the bandeau top Outback Bodysuit Print 6, melding together shades of green, gold, red, yellows and deep dark-browns. Their Irwin Pantone Satchel in French Roast picked up thes darker shades,while the Kirkey Pumps in Print 5 offered another playful print to the already complex mix. blackLiquid’s hair was in a high pompadour style with short tail,called Sleepy Dingo.

SFS Australia Dress

SFS AvantGuard Black with Hat

SFS Fav hanki dress

SFS Male multicolored Jacket

All the models

Towards the end of the show, one of my favorite designers Aliza Karu, of AD Creations, always pushing the envelope, an EXCLUSIVE FOR SYDNEY Fashion Week. The Aires Dress worn by Chamonix Boudreaux. “The first design, in striking black, with surreal components, is both sexy, alluring and avante-garde. From the organically shaped sheer head-dress, and the high collared structured neck and shoulder piece, it goes down the body in bold bands of black, to a very tight skirt,with a sheer black overlay. From the back, the view is more bands of tight black, bound around the body, and a headdress that splays widely with beads and branch-like forms, from the front and back.” This one blew me away with its sexually alluring yet almost goth-like appeal.

SFS After Party Hat

Of course to end the event, all models entered the runway for a show stopping look at all the design featured in this last show of Sydney Fashion Week and then it was time to party!

OI Magazine reporter Sam Nightfire

Thank you for reading my article about Sydney Fashion Week,my name is Sam Nightfire reporting for OI Magazine!

Links and Credits

International Modeling Agency Inc. http://internationalmodelagency.wordpress.com/

www.internationalmodelagency.wordpress.com

www.flickr.com/photos/internationalmodelagency

More pics via Flickr® (need to be signed in) http://www.flickr.com/groups/sydneyfashionweek2012/pool/with/7818949168/#photo_7818949168

Some pictures in this article also taken by Sam Nightfire

Asia, Isn't It Wonderful?A Review of Second Life® 's Virtual Asia

Built in less than two weeks, Virtual Asia® had just kicked off officially earlier today,August 25th with a huge Tokyo fashion show produced by ProFashion Productions though it has been open to the public for quite a while now.

Video of the Virtual Asia Fashion show (provided by Roe Woodford):




Virtual Asia,Owned by Javabox Kawanishi, is a commercial sim with a Tokyo-styled theme. The streets are lined with popular SL® stores handpicked by the Virtual Asia staff. Java says, "We are very selective with the designers that we bring to the city. One of the conditions of being a designer in the city is to be part of our monthly meetings where we discuss business trends, sales and marketing. There are wonderful great designers here. The reason they are here is because our designers strive to collaborate."



Pro Shot of Javabox Kawanishi by OI Magazine Photographer Angeli Optera

Mr Kawanishi remarked that when he had been searching for new ideas and opportunities for his real life company, Virtual Adventures, he came across Second Life as he was conducting research for a client in RL regarding a 3D shopping center. He remarked that although it wasn't the first time he had heard about the game, having seen it before on a Dutch television, he got a little more than curious especially when he saw that he can fly and build in-world. Deciding to try it out was only the first step in the launching and organizing of Virtual Asia.

When asked how do they attract customers and traffic to the sim, Mr Kawanishi had this for an answer, "Our focus is not to attract customers, but rather is to interact with the community by offering something of value. Value is given by things like free apartments, a movie cinema, several cafes/lounges, a nightclub and some great photo opportunities that we offer. We also have many creative events that keep the community active. By serving the community well, our residents will bring others to the city. "

They normally don't get troublemakers at the sim as the residents there are generally peaceful, but the biggest setback they have encountered at the moment is the prim count limit and the limit on the number of avatars they can have on the sim. Though handling any businesses is hard, he says that, "Such as in real life, you have to have a business plan and a clear focus on a vision. If you do not have that, then everything you set up is doomed to fail. It is also critical to never give up". He also stresses out the fact that as an entrepreneur, you have to be always open to new ideas and knowledge. You should always maintain open channels to fellow entrepreneurs so that there's exchange of information you can use later on for your business. Listening to the community and customers is always a must too. Figure out what they want and what's the current trend.

Handling a business can often be tiring and disheartening, but according to Mr Kawanishi, "I strongly believe in the vision that I have in my mind. I accept that failing comes with building a successful company. I have made several attempts previously. I will continue trying until I succeed with the vision behind Virtual Asia."

Visit Virtual Asia now or you can check out their site for more information about the sim and it's projects. Currently, they have ongoing events such as The Face of Virtual Asia contest, music events in Club Chica Boom, jazz events in Zo Restaurant, and street parties. A lot more are in the works as they are always looking for new ways to set up creative events.

VIRTUAL ASIA SLURL:http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/MaxStudio/208/150/4000

VIRTUAL ASIA BLOG: http://virtualasiasecondlife.blogspot.com/

Promo Commercial for Virtual Asia on Youtube:  

Pictures of Virtual Asia:

virtual asia picture 1

virtual asia picture 2

virtual asia pic 3

My name is Luc Fray, thank you for reading my review of Virtual Asia and like to thank its creator Mr Javabox Kawanishi for his time to meet with me, feel free to comment as always!

Introducing Yves Firlan, Fashion Blogger & Editor

By Mikayla Nightfire

Dedicated blogger, fashion guru for men, style in its very definition. These are all things that describe the man known as Yves Firlan. His tale is inspirational, motivational, and humbling. It is that of a man who puts his passions to work and eventually accomplished a dream successfully. If you were to type the words “Men Freebies SL” into Google, the first two blogs that will appear both belong to Yves. Although he is from Germany and I am from the Middle of the US, we eventually met up and were able to conduct an interview within Second Life®, where I was inspired, awed and entertained by the courteous, laid-back individual at my Holodeck.

Yves’s initial goal with his blog was to showcase the amazing freebies available to men in SL™ and share the information on where to find them with the rest of the community. Readership grew at a steady rate from month to month, fueled primarily by mouth-to-mouth propaganda. As much as he wanted to see the blog continuously gain popularity, Yves had to realize that there are only so many clicks one can achieve as a single writer. He then began setting himself new goals such as finding co-bloggers, people who were interested in fashion and freebies, that shared his vision and were prepared to blog on a regular basis. This way he could concentrate on also blogging pay items, something he turned to full-time when designers began to release mesh clothes on a bigger scale. Nowadays he leaves most of the freebie blogging to his newly found co-bloggers.

Pro Headshot of Mr Yves Firlan by OI Magazine photographer Angeli Optera

Obviously, a lot of the reward in blogging has to do with ranking, but for him it became more than just numbers. When asked about how long he’s willing to pursue this “love” the man says “It’s just something that I’m going to do as long as its fun to do and people appreciate our work." Since he first began his blogging, he has been recognized by followers and has even achieved the occasional high Alexa ranking, but rankings vary from month to month and, “if you let yourself be motivated/demotivated only by the change of a number, you won't last long in this business”, he declared.

Yves' journey started at Wordpress™, where he tried to give each look that he had created a story that added a funny twist to his choices. Unfortunately he had to leave this site after 13 months because Wordpress wouldn't allow advertising. Putting designer/sponsor logos on a blog is common practice among bloggers though and one way to promote the people that provide them with review copies. Btw: You can still access this old account though (and I’ve provided a link at the end of the article).

Now posting at Google™ Blogger, Yves still encountered the occasional setback like having to rebuild readership to the levels seen on the old site. But although his journey has had many ups and downs, I would call Yves’s blogs a breathing success. Once at his page, the man’s unique styles and diversity are brought to life, depicting the many different lives we live as Second Lifers, be it for free, for little money or actually spending big bucks on designer couture for men. 

Even though the number of male fashion stores increased a lot during the past years, it is still unlikely to just stumble upon a high quality freebies. If you’re after free mesh items, then you chances are even more slim. Yves and his colleagues have found the way for the fashionable man to find quality freebies and other fashion items, whether you are a fan of mesh or not.

In his business, Yves has seen many good blogs come and go. As the years have gone by, his blogs have evolved into a piece of him that is extending as arms of help for those who need it. Although new SL blogs are popping up everywhere, he has the hope of passing his blog eventually to a new generation of bloggers, keeping it well alive and in tact so that the generation to come may follow suit. He has currently been giving people the freedom of creativity, sitting back to edit every once in a while and building them up in their ideas as they go along.

When asked about what advice he would pass along to the next set of bloggers, he said “If I can inspire people into trying it out and having fun with it, that's all they need for starters." Yves has marked the way for hundreds to come, whether its helping them achieve their look for less or find their inner voices.

The new “Mix 'n' MESH” Blog: http://mix-and-mesh.blogspot.de/



The “Fashion + Freebies For Men” Blog: http://ffform.blogspot.de/



One of Yves’s Favorite Blogs: http://slipsters.wordpress.com/



Thank you for reading my article about Mr Yves Firlan, my name is Mikayla Nightfire, feel free to comment ^^

OI Magazine presents: Valora Al Nahyan & Her Music Video Debut of "Public Health"

Written by Carmichael Caudron





(Parental discretion Advised)Video of the event turned into a music video of Valora's hit record "Public Health"
Video made by Dzinwiz Babii for OI Magazine:




Details:
Was organized by OI Magazine owner,Carmichael Caudron

The hip hop event with socialite Valora Al Nahyan took place on Friday August 17th at 4 pm SLT  :D in Secondlife™

It was a great success where Valora and her crew attracted over 50 avatars on the sim!
Thank you to all those who came and partied with us!


Location of the event was this SLURL http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/San%20Jose%20East1/157/33/417

promotional poster of Valora Al Nahyan for the OI Magazine event (designed by Sicelle Daines)

This promotion is also seen in the August issue of LEVITY Magazine (after the publisher's journal):

Open publication - Free publishing - More business

Some pictures of the concert!

the city around the concert build by Apple Fall and Valora

more of the ny like city around the concert

Backstage by Valora

concert still shot by mery coldambitionz's facebook profile

another shot by mery (started raining but the artists and fans soldiered on!)

fight water with.....fire!...and dance :D

nipslip! oh no FCC will fine us!