'Same Damn Thing...'

An interesting challenge, really, when Achariya Maktoum came up with this 'Same Damn Thing' thing. Naturally, it starts with a Plurk... a challenge for everyone to take the same item of clothing and make it their own.

So, how do you do that? I mean... the point of the experiment is really that we each have our own voice; although that can be sometimes hard to hear over the noise that sometimes seems to fill the blogosphere. Is it wrong for two bloggers to blog the same topic/fashion/whatever on the same day? Personally, if I see something blogged already than I'm putting something together for I'll hold off. It's a personal preference... of COURSE it's about originality. It's not, however originality for originality's sake; it's the noise levels.

There's a lot of different kinds of fashion bloggers. You've got your freebie hunters and modeling agencies. There are bloggers who pretty much just list what they're wearing and bloggers with actual technical knowledge and critiques. Actually, the blogosphere isn't all that different from RL publications. There's a big difference between Vogue and Redbook, after all, but they're definitely part of the same market. It's about style... it's about personal expression.

Purely Visual is a fashion blog, no doubt... but it's also a celebration of Second Life and the images, art and design that comes out of it. This experiment is awesome, simply because I think at the end of the day we'll see that fashion blogging isn't about the fashion at all, it's about the creators and bloggers. It's about inspiring each other and taking the time to share a little of ourselves. Even more, it's really about Second Life and the communities that can grow out of it.

So, here it is: Armidi's Cambridge Cuffed Shirt.

Moonshine Designs~Etched

Well, it's still Winter here... and for me that means cold cold cold. Oh, and wet, and snow and just gray skies and ugh. Well, winter sucks basically. Sooo, when I go out it's at least a wool coat if it isn't sweaters and thermals and all that too. It's lotions and lip balms to keep my skin from cracking and freezing my ears coz I can't bear to mess up my hair with a hat.

Since I'm a few thousand dollars short of a vacation to Fiji (which is my new obsession, by the way. I've never been but it's where I'm supposed to live I'm pretty sure) I'm forced to turn to Second Life to help get away from the cold.

Shelly Toonie of Moonshine Designs seems to be thinking warm thoughts too. Her latest release, Etched, isn't exactly summer but is definitely spring. Another cute skirt outfit from Moonshine, Etched comes with a cute tank if you want to feel the sun on your shoulders or a denim jacket if there's still a little chill in the air. Shelly's layered skirts are some of my faves, and her texture working in the fabric is always so much fun to look at. Another nice touch is the bits of lace along the tank; a nice touch that really let's it stand on its own.

Oh, and I ALMOST forgot the cute scarves!... geez... a cute stripey scarf for Etched in Graphite but the patterned scarf for the Bronze outfit is my personal favorite. Love it!

Sooo, fight the cold Second Life style: through fashion enabled denial. :p

Moonshine Designs Mainstore

:::Sn@tch:::. Stuffs. New.

Oh, you've heard of Sn@tch, I'm sure. Ivey Deschanel? Goth, punk and all that stuff? Of course you've heard of it. Awesome. Saves me a lot of time, really. Now I don't need to go into the whole bit about how Sn@tch has been pretty much one of the best places for all your vamp needs in SL for like... forever. Now I don't need to go on a rant or anything about just HOW MUCH stuff Sn@tch designer Ivey Deschanel manages to produce on pretty much a daily basis (at least weekly... ugh, it's a LOT anyway). Even better, I don't need to write paragraph after paragraph about the fun details, interesting designs and just lovely dark and punky everything that you can find at Sn@tch.

Now, orange ya glad I didn't need to go into all that?

I look for a few things in SL fashion. Pretty much textures and fit... not really uncommon, I guess. I mean, when we're putting ourselves together for that look. The end result too is that they're a lot of fun to photograph. It's the little details. Like the primmy chains on the shoulder prim of 'Wish I Could Stop'. The black peasant top has some very lovely needlework in the fabric and the gauzy seethrough sleeves are a nice touch. WICS also comes with leather pants with a sexy lace up front and some very nice shading in all the right places. The bottoms come with prim flares too, but they work just as well as skinny pants tucked into your stompin' boots.

Also new from Sn@tch comes 'Hard Candy'... more of a traditional nearly lolita style dress, Ivey's made some nice choices as far as texturing; the fabric has a very real feel to it. Actually, my favorite part of the outfit is the stockings, really lovely stayup style with a little touch of satin to make them interesting. Hard Candy comes in black, blood, pink and purple.

So seriously, if you haven't been to Sn@tch, I think it's about time you checked it out.

:::Sn@tch::: Mainstore

*Illuminati* ~Visual Kei Skins

If you know SL designer Yukio Ida at ALL, you probably know just a little bit about his love affair with Japan. Oh yah, and it's not that Japan the rest of us know, either. It's not Hello Kitty or Pokemon or whatever. Oh!! Speed Racer! No, not that either.

Nope, Yukio Ida, and *Illuminati* Designs features looks and styles inspired by j-rock and Visual Kei bands like Malice Mizer and Chariots... dark, gothic, and bizarre in the most weird and beautiful ways. Personally, I'd never heard of any of it before I found Illuminati... but, well, that's another blog post.

The fact is Yukio has brought some new and interesting ideas into Second Life. Not only one of my favorite designers, he's one of my favorite kinds of designers. He's got an eye for the visually unique and the talent to bring that vision into SL.

So, today we're looking at Illuminati's latest skins, called Visual Kei. These are ugly/beautiful weird/sexy looks that go beyond just goth. We won't be seeing these walking down the runway anytime soon, but that's a shame. These are gorgeous and ghostly, and all part of that SL 'story' I'm always ranting about.

I'm wearing 'Porcelain' for the photos, but these are available in China, Ganguro, Gold and Tan. I love skins like this because they're not easy... they're not 'pretty' or 'normal'. Visual Kei is a skin that challenges the more 'traditional' beautiful people in Second Life...

Oh, and maybe you'll like the music too.

*Illuminati* Designs Mainstore

++Nightshade Designs++

bel·la·don·na
\be-lə-ˈdä-nə\
Etymology: Italian, literally, beautiful lady
Date: 1597
1 : an Old World poisonous plant (Atropa belladonna) of the nightshade family having purple or green bell-shaped flowers, glossy black berries, and root and leaves that yield atropine —called also deadly nightshade

I've been feeling a little dark lately.... not dark BAD really, noooo, it takes a LOT to do that. Dark good. Goth dark. Punky vampire goth dark. Blood red lips and fun sexy outfits... you've seen it. You're curious, admit it. You LOVE it...


Belladonna Mureaux loves it... and she's decided to share it with Second Life. Nighshade Designs features gothic styles, skins and accessories for the most discerning vampirista...

Bloody Elegance is a cute punky outfit, pinstriped capris with prim cuffs. The textures are really nicely done, complete with little buckles that make the whole look interesting to look at and wear. The top has a shirt with prim collar and tie along with rolled up sleeves. The jacket layer's vest is nicely shaded and the laced front is a lovely touch.

If there's one thing I'd change it's with the jacket layer. It IS pretty much a vest, but it does have some sleeves to match the shirt layer, so it really can't be worn on it's own. Not technically a design flaw at all, just a personal thing on my part. The complete look works sooo well it's not even an issue, really.

I got to complete the look with Belladonna's 'Angelina' skin. The lips and eye makeup are gorgeous, textured just right and making this more than just a 'pale' skin. A real 'win' really, to make something so simple so interesting; Belladonna has an eye for the little details that make her outfits and skins more than just black and white and whatever. It's the touches, the little things that I think make her designs really lovely and fun.

So, you know what to do next.

Go...

++Nightshade Designs++

Purely Visual~Policies

Purely Visual is committed to celebrating the art and artists of Second Life through photography and commentary. In order to maintain the integrity and honesty of this blog, I've decided to put down a few of the guidelines I use when generating blog posts.

1. PV celebrates not only quality but originality. What that means, basically, is any work submitted to myself for review (either solicited or unsolicited) must be your own work.

2. Purely Visual will not accept and does not request any monetary compensation for reviews. One exception is in the case where a designer may request copies of photos from a review, in that case I'll pretty much just ask for the $10L upload fee. I'm cool like that.

3. While I do drop notecards and IMs on designers in SL requesting review copies or background info for posts, I'm more than happy to accept unsolicited requests. If you're interested in being featured on the Purely Visual blog, you can IM Minx Arashi inworld to chat. I'm always looking for new designers to blog, and LOVE chatting about the possibilities within SL.

Anyway, I hope this clears things up. Thanks so much everyone for reading!

xoxoxo

Minx

~*{The Black Canary}*~ Marra

So I've got all kinds of words running through my head on this one... 'old world'? 'Neo-Victorian'? Maybe 'period gothic?'.... I don't have the words, I guess. I mean, 'style' is kind of relative isn't it? There's the outfit, definitely, but how you wear it can change it's meaning entirely. A micro mini skirt looks a little different depending on if you're wearing heels or combat boots. The same could be said of today's look; 'Marra' from The Black Canary.

Classic, definitely... but I could find a severe updo and look around for a little schoolhouse to teach at... of course, with some cool rounded glasses from H4D and a funky Tukinowaguma style, it becomes something altogether different.

Designer Morrigan Denimore's makes looks that just beg to be played with though. Not simply cranking out the same designs we've seen over and over in SL, Morrigan makes looks that are immediately identifiable, but just beg to be played with. The Black Canary has been in SL for some months now, and I've yet to see Morrigan just copy something he's made before and package it as some 'new' release; more than some designers can say about their own work.

Marra is a classic, lovely, fun dress... maybe a little modding is needed right out of the box.. but the end result is gorgeous, fun and a look just begging to be played with.

~{The Black Canary}~ Mainstore

De La Fae

I try not to think of myself as a 'fashionista'. I mean, I'm pretty sure I AM one, but I try not to think of it that way. I like to think that when I'm looking for cool fashion in Second Life I'm looking at more than just trends and cuts and styles. For me, I try to look at design more than style. Purely Visual has featured a lot of styles, definitely. Lots of looks, lots of skins, lots of accessories; I've featured em.

When it comes down to it though, fashion in SL really is just about how to want to present yourself in the metaverse, your 'story' I've called it. Oh sure, there's plenty of jeans and skirts and whatever, and I definitely have my tastes... but there are more designers than just the fashion kind in here; and they do as much to add to the interesting, sometimes bizarre, but rarely boring virtuality of Second Life.

I'm drawn to interesting patterns, looks and whatever makes my 2D experience that much more... well... bloggable, if that's even a word. So when I stumbled on Lerochelle Destiny's shop De La Fae, well my curiousity was definitely piqued.

De La Fae specializes in... let's call it 'furry couture'. Not just interesting skins and attachments for your individual 'fursona', but cool texture change piercings and looks. If I was looking at this from a strictly 'skin' point of view, well, it's the patterns and colors that would draw me in. All sorts of furry styles are available, and with prim legs and scripted tails and ears to complete the look, you leave with a pretty complete furry ensemble. From the amount of traffic I saw in Lerochelle's store in the sort time I was there too, I think her designs are definitely resonating in the community.

Something REALLY cool though in Lerochelle Destiny's shop is the 'modelbots'. I have never seen these before, but I'm thinking if they catch on they might put a few SL models out of work (yah, robots taking away all the jobs again...geez). IMing the bots with a particular look and color you want to see modeled, and they'll change for you. Really really cool.

Did I mention it was cool?

Anyway... De La Fae features some well made, unique looks that I'm happy to have seen. Fashion? Well, it's fashion outside the box, it's design that I think is a celebration of the diversity and creative potential of Second Life.

De La Fae Productions Mainstore

Discord Designs~Harvey

Kallisti Burns is an equal opportunity designer. She's got your sexy female styles, your awesome beards for men, and then there are some styles that walk the line between the two. Now, I've always had the opinion that pretty much any 'boy' hairstyle in Second Life can look equally good on us girls... and I know I've seen some of you boys wandering around in some luxurious hairstyle you'd might expect to see on a waifish model walking down the runway. Kallisti sees this too, I think, and makes some hairs that can be pulled off beautifully by XX's and XY's either way.

It's good for me, anyway, just because I don't have a male AV to model any of them.

Harvey is one of those styles. Of course, dreadlocks I think are by definition 'androgynous.' They're a style separate from most, different than an updo or pigtail look. Not incredibly easy to find in SL either, at least not easy to find well made dreads. Harvey comes with both decorated and plain styles, and in Discord Designs full range of colors. Oh, and they're free.

What?

Yah. F-R-E-E. Harvey (the whole line, BTW) is available FREE as a group gift this month, I'm sure as a result of whatever hallucinogenic combination of coffee and obsessive design work has addled poor Kallisti's brains (ohhh, you knows I luvs ya). It's the full range of colors too, not just one or two or three. Nope, Discord Designs is GIVING IT AWAY.

I'm no rasta, personally, but dreads just make me feel sooo... um... tropical, y'know? Warms me up just putting them on; and let's face it, there's nothing wrong with that. So, I will sit here soaking up some virtual sunshine and feeling the pixellated sand between my toes. YOU, should just pop over to Discord Designs and join the group.

Now to just find someone to help me with the SPF 30.


Discord Designs Mainstore

*Illuminati* Designs~Sleeps with Butterflies

Usually this whole fashion blogging thing is pretty simple. Not easy, actually, but simple. I'll get an outfit, play with it, take some photos and then just kinda go off on some related topic to describe it. Ok, sooo, sometimes I go off on some unrelated topic actually, but I can't really help that.

Anyway, whatever I write about, it's usually from some little spark I get when I see the design. Every once in a while, though, I can't find a thing to say. This isn't one of those 'if you can't find anything nice to say' type things either. Sometimes, it's almost better to just let a design speak for itself. This being a blog, though.. well, I'm kinda obligated to at least try.

*Illuminati* Designs 'Sleeps with Butterflies' is like that. I mean, it's gorgeous. This lovely evening gown is the latest from Yukio Ida, and I don't know what to say about it. A beautiful silhouette; from the nearly dangerous open halter to the prim skirts (and a very nice use of system skirt too, I might add!) everything from the deep purple (royal?) color to the black and white vine textures along the side are just perfectly done. This is more than just 'glam', it's glamour. Prim butterflies add a dreamy tone to this really lovely, glamorous gown.

Yah, this is me speechless. A beautiful release from Yukio Ida.

TP to the *Illuminati* Mainstore here.

Moonshine Designs~Dulcet

So, textures are about more than just pretty patterns. They're more than just an interesting plaid or denim look. They're more than ripped denim or glammy sequins. It's all fabric right? Look at what you're wearing right now in RL; there's more going on there than just dyes and prints, right?

Fabric moves. It folds and creases. It stretches and, well, lives. Yup, fabric has a life of it's own, and this isn't something easy to recreate in Second Life. I mean, it's just a picture, isn't it?. It's two dimensional.

Shelly Toonie of Moonshine Designs gets the whole 'living fabric' idea. There's more going on in her designs than the cut and the print. Her latest, Dulcet, apart from being just a seriously cute and sexy outfit, has some lovely texture work with folds and creases in all the right spots. Just like RL, it's not just some smooth, static outfit. Nope, the highwaisted pants crease around the hips and along the legs. The peasant top, complete with VERY sexy laces and off the shoulder sleeves, shows fabric bunching around the seams. Dulcet is a lovely silhouette, another 'win' I think for Shelly; but it's also a lovely example of the kind of attention to detail that I think can make Second Life just that much more 'real'. It's an example of a designer who isn't just cranking out the same patterns and recycling designs. Nope. Dulcet is unique.

Love it. Go get it here:

Moonshine Designs Mainstore

ElfPyre Pro!D!uX!ions

I try to cover a lot of different looks on this blog. I mean, there's a lot of talented designers with creative ideas, and I can't help but be attracted to them. It makes sense, too, to feature a wide range of styles. Why pigeonhole myself, right? So, I go from glammy goodness to bizarre hotness to whatever else I can find that happens to pique my interest at that time.

I'd be lying, though, if I said there weren't certain particular styles that get me a little MORE excited. This has nothing to do with quality either. I LOVE quality, I try to share as much of it as I can... but for me, for my OWN personal style, well... Some things just get me all wired up; and when I can find something new and interesting in THAT area, well I can't help but get excited.

So just last week I got to share Temptress, a really exotic and gorgeous collaboration from Lorac Farella of Pulse Skins and Daarc Dagger from ElfPyre Pro!D!uX!ions. Loved it. Loved it a lot. I've blogged some of Lorac's work before, but hadn't had the opportunity to sample any of Daarc Dagger's yet... so I just HAD to pop over to her shop as soon as I was done posting Temptress.

Full of weirdiful skins and colorful clothes, ElfPyre Pro!D!uX!ions specializes in a sort of punky-neonish-kaleidoscope of elfin gothic styles and frightening looks. Daarc's lovely hand drawn work is everywhere, from her skins to her pants, and accessories like pierced elf ears just complete the fun, weird feel of the shop. ElfPyre's 'Horror' Skins jumped out at me first, so I had to share. Horror isn't just a single skin with the same makeups in different colors, nope... Horror's makeups are each totally original; from Elegant to Red and Pink, each makeup is unique, and yet still very much part of a theme. The colors are so so bright and fun... The actual skin textures are very nicely done too, which adds a nice touch of realism to an otherwise fantastical skin.

Makeups in SL range from the more traditional kinda 'model' looks you'll see prancing up and down the runway to neko cute pieces just begging you to scratch them behind the ears. The THIRD style though, and something I think we're starting to see more of, is the 'skin as art' finds.

Ok, ok, skin IS art, I get it. YES, it's hard making a 'model' skin look so good, and YES there are a LOT of good ones out there. I'm not bashing them at all, let's be clear. There are, though, skins and skin makers that defy conventional looks and create some very interesting, unique and lovely skins of their own. Selos Dae of [][]Trap[][] is one. Yukio Ida of *Illuminati* Designs is another. I'm happy to say Daarc Dagger is a third, and her skins are very much 'art', even if she's too shy to say.


ElfPyre Pro!D!uX!ions

The Soft Touch Skins

Of all the fundamental necesseties of the SL fashionista, skins and hair are a common obsession. Shapes can be modded, outfits can be mixed and matched, and all those AOs and animations are pretty much the same wherever you go... Skins though, well, I learned pretty early on that the sliders we used to make 'Ruth' a little more me weren't gonna do it.

Skins, wow... well, it's hard to know where to start. There are a ton of designers making skins, and you could spend HOURS trying demos and tping around. It's nuts. (Thank God for fashion bloggers to show you the way, hmmm? *wink*). Anyway, the second crushing blow (just after you learn that 'Ruth' is pretty bland) is that SKINS ARE EXPENSIVE. Not only that... maybe you FOUND that awesome skin and love it and then pop into another shop by accident and say OMG, THAT'S THE SKIN and then drop another $1000L and maybe pop into another shop a week later and ugh.. you get the picture. It's messy, frustrating, and EXPENSIVE after a while.

So many choices too, there's hand drawn versus photo referenced. You've got your more exotic tattood styles and your glammy modelesque ones. How to choose?

Well, on option is The Soft Touch... a little skin shop I stumbled upon. Designer Morgana Hilra has created an eclectic line of hand drawn, lovely skins that won't break your pocketbook. Whether you're looking for the borderline goth glam of Rayne or maybe you're a Duchess looking for a Fergie look, it's all there. These are good makeups, with nice detailing along the body. Full lips make these very voluptuous, but also might require a little modding to get it to fit right. The eye makeup isn't too heavy, so just perfect if you're looking for just that little touch to bring out your eyes.

I had to get these shots outside, someplace tropical... coz it JUST WON'T STOP SNOWING and seriously, it's gonna be a real cold week.

If you're looking for a good skin, and a good deal, Morgana's designs I think won't let you down. It's definitely worth your time to stop by and try out some demos...

TP directly HERE.

Lookr~ Let Rip and Shine

Feeling a little casual today. Yah, well, EVERY day can't be all glamour and fantasy, right?

For me, well, IRL I'm pretty much a jeans girl. If you run into me in SL too, well, most likely you'll find me in some jeans and a t-shirt. The trick is to find casual designs that make as much of an impact as more glammy ones. Dressed up or dressed down, quality is still what makes the outfit and completes the look.

Denim is more than just a 'pants layer'... if it wasn't, well, we'd all be making our own. For denim in SL, well, textures are key. Looking for a good pair of jeans? Well, looky at Lookr, fashionista!

'Let Rip' is the name of these lovely, very cool jeans. Aside from some really nice denim texturing, there's the whole eponymous tears and wear to make this look like your favorite pair from home. The prim cuffs are a nice touch too, not overly flaired so you still get that 'straight leg' feel. Paired with Lookr's 'Shine' jacket, with it's distressed leather and paint smudges, the look becomes very casual, very comfortable, and yet still very interesting to look at.

'Let Rip' comes with rolled leg options as well for prims, and both items have multiple layer options for ya too... so, very versatile in an outfit crisis.

The jacket, well, one thing I really love about Lookr's jackets is the demo options in store. We're all used to demos in hairs, skins and other accessories, but it's not something you see a whole lot of in actual clothes. For me, anyway, I like the idea, there's more than a few items in my inventory that maybe didn't look so good as the display in the store, and I would have appreciated the opportunity to try it out. Score one, Lookr.

Other than that, some really nice items from a designer with a really wide range of clothes. If you haven't, stop by.

Worn:

Jeans: Lookr Designs ~Let Rip~ Wash (Indigo)

Jacket: Lookr Designs Shine (Black Paint)

Skin: Mina Junk Exotic (Black)

Hair: Discord Designs Paige (Platinum)

Pulse & ElfPyre Pro!D!u!X!ions ~ Temptress

I love it when a designer surprises me.

You get to know a designer through their designs, yes, but it goes the other way too. Learning about a designer gives you a little bit of a look into what directions they might take. Sometimes it's based on RL trends, sometimes it's based on technology changing or new tools. Sometimes, though, a chance meeting or weird event can take them in a direction you really weren't expecting...

The other day I mentioned a little bit about collaboration and inspiration in Second Life. Second Life is, after all, a community of artists and designers. It makes sense that they meet every once in a while. Sims are filled with shops who may not necessarily share idential design ideas, but definitely have a collective theme. Even better though when designers you might not have expected to work together meet and make something new.

That's the first thing that popped in my head the other day when I saw some early pics of 'Temptress', a new skin from the minds of Lorac Farella and Daarc Dagger. 'Temptress' is a sexy, bizarre, exotic and definitely different offering from Pulse, who traditionallly features more 'glam' or 'upscale' looks.

Pulse has always been an interesting designer, Lorac Farella and partner Eidolon Aeon have a huge range of skins and a rabidly loyal customer base. Pulse manages to turn out a LOT of gorgeous, wellmade skins on a fairly regular basis and enjoy a pretty open line of communication with their fans (seriously, their group chat is very active. All kinds of 'thanks!' and 'awesomes' and all that...). Not only that, Pulse has it's own line of very glamorous and upscale clothes and accessories.

Temptress also has the marks of ElfPyre Pro!D!u!X!ions designer Daarc Dagger. Specializing in all things, well, in her own words: "Grungy, punky, gothy,elven, neon spew. that's us...." ElfPyre Pro!D!u!X!ions is made up of Daarc and partner Xerthaneus Noriega. In short, exotic skins, funky clothes, shoes, gestures and a little bit of crazy seem to be flavor of the day at Elfpyre. Also, there's not only their own work, but custom orders are available, just IM the team.

By the way, I think 'neon spew' is my favorite phrase for today... I'm going to have to try to work it into conversation someplace.

This nearly neko skin is really well drawn, and the tattooing goes all the way up the scalp if you're looking to FINALLY get that mohawk out... The tattoos have a very organic look, asymmetrically spread across the body. The lips are pretty full, so you might need to do a little modding to get the fit just right.

Temptress is a sexy, HOT skin from a pair of VERY talented designers. It's a collaboration, call it a remix, and really shows what kind of interesting and exotic fun can come out of cooperation and shared passion.

Rumor has it that the pair may have some new stuff coming soon, so stay tuned.
TP Directly here:

Pulse Skins

ElfPyre Pro!D!u!X!ions

Worn:

Skin: Pulse Skins Pulse/Daarc Skin Temptress Tone 2

Hair: Mau & Mej's Hirok

*Illuminati* Designs~Midnight Victorian

For me, fashion in Second Life is about more than just cute outfits, trends or even quality design. I mean, YES these are important. I blog what I like, I chase around designers I think have something interesting and lovely to offer, and I try to share my thoughts about a certain look or design. Pretty much the standard for fashion bloggers, I know. It's a basic definition of the genre, right?

And SO MANY bloggers... wow... if you're reading this on a feed, just look above and below this post. Yup, lot's of fashion bloggers; everyone with their own personal style, likes, dislikes and voice. I love it. I've got my own little list of bloggers I follow, envy, secretly compete with and am just basically happy are around. It's something that I think makes me work harder to put together my own work.

Of course, there are the designers themselves... and this goes back to the first paragraph here. Fashion is about more than just skirts and shoes, tops and makeups. I mean, it IS about those things, but it's also about the designer themselves. The work and feel a designer puts into a particular look is pretty much a reflection of their own personality, thoughts and passions. *Illuminati* Designs has been a blog favorite for a while now, and I think Yukio Ida's 'Midnight Victorian' sets are a lovely example of a designer putting that special something into an outfit.

'Midnight Victorian' is a sexy burlesque number complete with gauzy prim gloves, garters and skirt. As always, Yuki's textures are just lovely, the details along the corset are so much fun to look at, not to mention the skirt and other attachments. Garters are colorchange, just for you fashionista's that love to tinker. The stripey socks and tights add a fun touch to the piece too.

Yukio Ida puts a lot of this kind of work into his outfits, and *Illuminati* Designs stands out as one of those shops that refuses to lie still. There's no single 'genre' that really defines the shop, but everything is so... well... Yuki.

For more lovely, cute, sexy and diverse costumes and outfits, TP to *Illuminati* Designs directly here.

Worn:

Outfit: *Illuminati* Designs Midnight Victorian (red)

Hair: Tukinowaguma Hair Styles Suzuna (Gold)

Skin: Mina Junk BAD (Black)

Discord Designs~Paige, Nox and Jocasta

Of the MANY words used to describe Kallisti Burns, there are two that really stand out for me... Oh, sure, there's 'poison dwarf' and 'prim maniac'. There's 'tiny' and 'obsessive' and things like skilled, creative and just plain 'fun'. For me, though, I like 'innovator' and 'risk taker'.

The two things go together, I guess... I think that by definition innovation requires at least some kind of risk. Right? There are a LOT of designers in SL, the list is huge... The list of good designers in SL is probably much shorter. The shortest list of all, though, is the number of innovators who actually know how to design... Kallisti Burns of Discord Designs is somewhere on that one.

Paige, Nox and Jocasta are the latest from Discord, fresh for the new year. Paige, let me start by saying, has become my NEW favorite style; cute, playful and punky, well, it's just awesome.

Nox is an updated version of one of Kallisti's older braided styles, and I have to say that NO ONE does braids like Discord Designs; and, BTW, braids are hard. Kallisti tried showing me once a little of what goes into making her lovely prim braids, and, well, I smiled politely and pretended I understood what she was talking about. Basically, the reason we don't see too many braided styles in SL isn't because people don't want them... nope, believe me, it's because I don't think too many designers actually have the patience or skill that it takes to make them.

Jocasta is Kallisti's first dread style... and it's definitely interesting, and I think a good showcase of that whole 'risk' think I was talking about earlier. Along with the menu driven resizing script (also in Paige and Nox and pretty much ALL Discord Designs releases over the last 6 months or so), Jacosta has a color change feature for the head band you can use right through the 'local chat' bar.

Discord Designs features some of the more innovative hairs in SL, and Kallisti has made it a point to continue taking risks and improving on her work. If you're looking for something interesting, well made, and definitely different; well, Discord Designs deserves a visit.


Discord Designs Mainstore

Moonshine Designs~Aemilia

Something I love about the SL fashion crowd is the level of collaboration that goes on between designers. Oh, sure, there's all that drama and stuff that gets all the press... but there's also actually a lot of cooperation and sharing. I'm not even talking about actual collaborations; like one designer putting the prims on another designers work. I mean, THAT'S awesome, but even better is when a designer manages to inspire another. All art is inspiration, after all.

Ok, so you've got your 'Fashcon's' and your designer cabals, that's a given; but there's also just groups of friends who enjoy making art together and want to share it with SL. Those are the relationships I love best, those are the relationships that go above any kind of financial or political-clique whatever. You've got friends, you've got art... and the result is usually pretty cool.

Take 'Aemilia', for example... Shelly Toonie's latest release for Moonshine Designs. Not only a lovely dress showcasing Shelly's lovely textures; not only a cute addition to the Moonshine lineup. It's not just another fun ensemble from a talented designer. Nope... I mean, it IS all of those things, but... it's also a lovely homage to hair and accessories designer Aemilia Case.

I think the rule of thumb in business is that 'competition' inspires creativity... I guess that's true. It's not the whole story though. Friendship, mutual love of SL, and a passion for design seem to do pretty well in that direction too.

Moonshine Designs

~(The Black Canary)~Winter in London

Happy New Year!!

Well, I survived New Year's Eve (ugh, just barely... can anyone remind me WHO was mixing the shots?). The apartment's been cleaned, SOME of the Xmas tree is down... I'm sore and tired and, well, recovering. Still, it's January of 2009 now and I'm thinking this year will be even better than last.

Spent a little time yesterday fixing the blog up a little bit. There'd been some issues I had with the overall layout, and for whatever reason I never really took the time to really look at blogger to see what I could do about it. Nothing huge, of course, but I evened out some of the colors and got rid of some of the 'seams' that were bugging me.

Enough about the housecleaning stuff! Geez, it's 2009!! What's on the agenda?

Well, today we're looking at 'Winter in London' from The Black Canary. Yah, it's a new year but it's STILL winter, and this warm and classy outfit from Morrigan Denimore fits the mood. Of course, I'd rather NOT be outside, but this long coat and scarf ensemble are pretty good at keeping the chill away. It's a simple design, really, but still very elegant. WiL is probably the least 'period' of Morrigan's pieces, but still has that distinctive TBC flavor. VERY feminine and fun.

Prim cuffs, collar and scarf, overall a nice offering from an interesting and talented designer.

Worn:

Outfit: ~(The Black Canary)~ Winter in London

Skin: Mina Junk Exotic (white)

Hair: Tukinowaguma Hair Styles Ayase (Ash)