Ivalde Challenge (Unofficial) — Retro Meets Modern

Beulah Mills of Ivalde has had an invitational challenge going around the fashion SLogosphere lately:  take some of their vintage/retro designs, and show that you can wear them in modern looks.

I didn’t receive a notecard inviting me to give this a shot; I’m not a regular fashion blogger, after all.  But I’m up to a game where I have a chance; it’s fun posing; I have a Secret Studio that just gathers dust when it’s not in use; and I like spending lindens (grin).  For me, the best way to change a look is to mix and match; so, behold.  (You can behold larger versions of the pictures by clicking on the images; I got tired of the tiny gallery images, and did it this way.)

The gown is Retropolitan, which dates to the 1930s.  It has that classic, flowing look and drape of Thirties period dresses that you see in the movies and fashion spreads of the time, and with the touches of extra femininity like the shoulder frills.  The hairstyle is a little sleek for the period I chose, but not too far off the mark.

Now, drop the skirt, shoulders and gloves, add a pair of more modern pants and sneakers, and change the jewelry around, and you get this:

…and you get a perfectly lovely top with maybe a smack of peasanty, crunchy-granola feel to it.  The effect is emphasized here by the Earthstones jewelry, some of my favorite pieces.  A woman would not look unusual at all wearing this on a modern street — indeed, she might just draw some admiration for her fashion sense.

Gown details:

• Hair — UK Couture Bobbi (black) (Corbantis Priestman)
• Gown — Ivalde Retropolitan 1930 (red) (Neferia Abel)
• Shoes — Armidi Gisaci Barcelona Slingbacks (gold) (Nicole David)
• Stockings — G.L.A.M. gold lycra tights (Chloris Hathor)
• Jewelry:
  Earrings — Baccara’s Gold Dome earrings (Baccara Rhodes)
  Ring — Muse Catherine black pearl cocktail ring
• Cigarette holder — MD Elegant holder (ivory/gold, scripted)

Modern details:

• Ivalde top
• Pants, shoes, socks — The Prisoner costume (Resident Irwin, freebie available in Port Merion sim)
• Nails — Pixel Mode sculpted nails
• Jewelry — EarthStones Crystal Elements Fire suite (set in gold)

You know what they say:  everything old is new again!

New Machinima by Rysan Fall

When Hamlet Au tweeted his followers about a new machinima by Rysan Fall, a tribute to Billie Holiday in the latter days of Black History Month, I went to see the piece.  (Make sure to read his story!)

You should see this, too.

This film comes damn close to perfection; the one part I wouldn’t do is see the hanged man’s eyes blink, which is both a little weird and breaks the wall of the story.  Other than that, this is fine, and Rysan deserves all the praise I can give him.

Oscar Night 2009 in Second Life

Well, nobody wrote me back, but I’m leaving the offer open.  If you have a gown you’d like/love to wear on the red carpet in front of Joan and Melissa and Lisa and whoever else, write me with pictures, and I’ll publish them in another article.  I also have a group on Flickr that you can add them to.

These were my two choices for this year:

For the ceremony --

At the ceremony itself, especially if you’re going to be a presenter, you should have some drama, yet stateliness.  This gown, Imogene from My Precious, offers just that.  Done in a deep purple, the skirt is flounced at the knees for a partial train; but the real drama is the plunge back, with a big bow held on by a massive diamond flower.  The tails of the ribbon train behind you partially, and move in the breeze as you move.  Just imagine Leo or Harrison with his hand on the small of your back, squiring you in to the auditorium, while you’re wearing this.  (The one problem I see is that there should be more flex to the ribbon; but that would affect the entire ribbon, not just the tails.)

• Shape:  Alady Jane Seymour
• Skin:  GemCorp Wendy
• Eyes:  Curious Kitties Crystal (blue)
• Lashes:  Detour Edge
• Hair:  ETD Anisa (copper blackened)
• Gown:  My Precious Imogene (purple)
• Shoes:  Detour Glamour Metallic Pumps (black)

And for the parties --

They’ve just said good night from the podium, but you haven’t noticed, because you’ve been backstage in the press room.  You’re still flabbergasted as you leave the room by the gold statuette you’re holding in your hand, from your dark-horse beat-out of Meryl, Gwyneth, Sandra and Virginia for that little indie film you did.  You were plannng to party for a while, but now that plan’s changed, and you’re gonna par-teeee! And not just at the other parties around town; now you’re heading for the Governor’s Ball, and then off to the Vanity Fair venue.

Fortunately, you had a change of clothes with you anyway.  It’s just gonna get a little more intense use than you’d been thinking of, even in your wildest dreams!  So you slip off from your date to the dressing rooms.  When you return, you’re in this frothy little number from the House of Nyla up in Vancouver (and Starax region in world), with the bodice shaped to fit you ever just so, and cunningly scalloped at the seams.  The skirt is supported by petticoats of black tulle netting, and is perfect for kicking up your heels and dancing until dawn — or whenever they finally kick you out, still clutching that little golden man round the midsection….

• Hair:  Sirena Allure (blonde, large, with hairpin for updo)
• Gown:  House of Nyla Mistress (violet)
• Nails:  Pixel Mode Sculpted Nails
• Earrings:  Unknown store, designed by yoona Mayo
• Other items unchanged

Photos taken by me at MDR Photography’s photospheres.

If you’d like to see a few more photos, check out my Flickr photostream, or the group above.  And remember to send me your own choices, or add them to the group!

Channeling Marlene Dietrich

Falling in love again
Never wanted to
What am I to do?
I can’t help it

Love’s always been my game
Play it as I may
I was born that way
I can’t help it

Or, if you prefer — and perhaps more appropriate for an electronic world — you can try this alternate version:

Failing apart again
And what am I to do
These threads take metric screws
No one stocks them

There’s no way to repair
A heart whose gaskets fail
No rivet, bolt or nai
Can correct it

Falling apart again
Poor craftsmanship, it’s true
Perhaps if I used glue…
I can’t help it

(From John M. Ford’s How Much for Just the Planet? [New York:  1987, Pocket Books and Paramount Pictures])

I was touring around a place that you wouldn’t believe I could find such a confection:  the store in the center of Omega Point, a recent — and freakin’ incredible — build that I discovered through Hamlet Au’s New World Notes.  At least some of the merchandise there is from a merchant calling themselves KWZ, about two walls worth of clothes that do not fit the Giger-esque theme of the rest of this region.

This dress, Lilly-S, is a more elaborate variation of another bustier ensemble next door in the vendors.  I was torn between the two, but went with the bigger skirt in the end.  Just look at the quality of the textures!  I can’t see a bad spot on this whole dress.  And the humor of it is wonderful — remiscent of Marlene Dietrich in Der blaue Engel, Molly Ringwald in Betsy’s Wedding, and the cover of Pink’s Funhouse.  If there’s a circus in Second Life, this would make a wonderful Ringmaster’s outfit for a woman!

As for the details:

• Ensemble:  KWZ Lilly-S (blue/gold)  (Designer:  Kariwanz Felisimo)
• Skin/shape:  D-Skin 36
• Eyes:  Curious Kitties Crystal (blue)
• Hair:  UK Couture Bobbi (black)  (Designer:  Corbantis Priestman)
• Earrings — Amour Designs Elegant Silver (Sapphire) (Designer:  Natashya Antonelli)
• Shoes:  Kitties Lair Peep Toe Pumps (Designer:  Babette Ultsch)

(Incidentally, this is me in the photos, not another avatar or an alt.  If you wonder why my face changes occasionally from what you see in my masthead, I don’t use alts — though I have one for testing purposes and occasional travels.  I use six different female shapes/skins, including an Asian and an African — as well as an occasional male, and a beautiful little tiny otter from Tiny TAMA.  I like to keep ‘em guessin’.)

What Do You Think of the New Login Screens?

The login screens that Linden Lab rolled out with the start of the Christmas holidays haven’t gone away; they’ve just changed.  It did take them a while to get away from the snowmen and snow-covered hills, but now you can see a selection of venues — and not just the stock generic landscapes that they were sporting before.  I think I’ve spotted at least one region or location that I recognize.

What do you think of this new gewgaw?  No, it doesn’t improve Grid stability or the usefulness of the viewer, but I think myself it’s a nice touch.  What would be even niftier would be if they cold use user-taken photos, formatted to the correct size.  A competition could be held through Flickr or Koinup, with entrants shooting to the needed screen standard, and consenting to the non-exclusive use by Linden Lab of their photo on a rotating basis for one month.  Winners could also get some more material recognition, either real or virtual — say, a gift certificate on XStreet SL, or a L$2,000 cash prize.

Any thoughts?

“Land Cutting” Policy Changing for Second Life Mainland

I’m back from my hiatus, and catching up on some news from the past week or so.  The most interesting thing is Linden Lab’s announcement that they will no longer allow large-scale subdivision of Mainland land parcels into lots of teeny-tiny microparcels (“land cutting”) for commercial reselling at inflated prices, and that they will be talking with the major practicers of such land usage to reach an accommodation.  From the Big Blog:

The aim here is not to stop you using your land in different and creative ways. We agree with your comments that there are plenty of good reasons to own small parcels, and we have no desire to interfere with that. We are also not looking to take action against people who have bought small parcels in an attempt to gain prim allowance or to simply expand their holdings or use their free tier.

We are specifically talking about the small number of Residents who are cutting land into many tiny pieces for profit, and often doing so across hundreds or in some cases thousands of micro parcels.

We expect this change to affect only a very small number of Residents. In fact, although many of you own micro parcels, and usually for perfectly good reasons, the top ten micro parcel owners hold well over 50% of all the 16m parcels on the Mainland between them.

At first glance to me, and probably at a more mature look, this seems like a Good Thing.  I’ve seen some of the places these microlots are salted away in, and for these landowners to be asking the prices some of them are for 16 sq. m. lots, tucked away in hilly spots and other situations, is “considered silly.”  Especially when you have to suspect some of these landowners of practicing another form of profiteering, in the same way that adfarmers were pulling shenanigans to reap some lindens.

More following the break….

Been Missing a Week

…for which I apologize. I’ve been occupied in a Real World project or two, and I’ve also been dry on what I think as good ideas for a story.  I try to do more than just fashion on here, and so far Linden Lab has been relatively free of controversial moves — come to think of it, though, maybe that’s a good thing….

Any road, I haven’t forgotten you all.  Of course, if you want to supply me something (and if you’re interested in the fashion [sigh]), send me some offerings for my Oscar story.  There’s still about 14-16 days before the red carpet!