Goth1c0~Giger and the Bitch

I spend a lot of time making pictures in Second Life. If you've read the blog before you might have checked out my flickr stream. Yah, most of it's blog related, lots of fashion shots and backgrounds... but, I like to just play too. Actually, I spend a lot of time just playing with photos, lots of time. Enough time, actually, to get an odd remark from a friend every once in a while like 'sounds like work to me' or 'are you getting paid for all this?' and blah blah.

Hmm... well, so the photography might be making me a little anti social, but I'm always curious about what sorts of things we can make in SL. Work? Yes, but it's all about that 'flow' thing. Paid? Heh... well, apart from the odd profile pic request and even some advertising I'm not exactly what you'd call 'professional'. Actually, sometimes I just like to scroll back to some of my older pictures in the stream and see what I've learned. It doesn't HAVE to be about money or whatever, it's just fun. I'm hardly the only one doing it anyway, Flickr is an absolute treasure of beautiful images from and inspired by Second Life.

Now, think about your favorite designer. I'll bet they're not at the same level they were a year ago or six months or maybe even weeks (depending on when their epiphany hit). Nope, odds are they're much better. They've grown, or at least they've found new ways to make that thing in their head come to life in Second Life.

Of course, there's always commerce with designers. I mean, they're in business, right? Even with that though, I think there is still that love of making something new, trying a new trick and experimenting. For someone like me? Honestly, it's a hobby. For a good designer, it's an art and a profession.


Which brings us to Keishii Roo.

I've always been a fan of Goth1c0, Keishii's gothic twist on fashion ranges from the lolita-esque skirt and look to some things a little more punk. Everything so very Goth1c0 and so very sexy and fun. So I know sort of what to expect when I TP there or visit Keishii Roo's blog. I have to say though, Kei's latest, Giger leather pants and The Bitch mini dress, are my absolute faves from the shop. There are some similarities in the textures on both of these actually, but used to create two very cool looks that remain very distinct from each other.

Kei's Giger leather pants are schmexxy, and the alienish texturing on the legs give these a really awesome, stitched look. What can I say about The Bitch? Oh, so sexy and scandalous, with patterns that really make this an..umm... interesting and fun minidress with a lovely, satiny feel. Each are available in a range of colors, and you definitely need to see these up close.

Anyway, my new faves from a designer who isn't afraid to experiment. Good business? Maybe, but I think the attention to detail and interesting ideas reveal an artist still working to get those little pictures out of their head.

Worn:

Pic 1

Pants: Goth1c0 Giger Leather Pants
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Gemmed/186/248/22

Top: *Sheer* Torn Nylon

Bra: *AnneRose* Happy Spring
http://slurl.com/secondlife/ANNEROSE/128/4/40

Gloves: [Gauze] Stained fingerless gloves
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Snatch%20City/238/220/31

Belt: Sn@tch Oblivion Belt
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Snatch%20City/123/212/30

Boots: [Gauze] Miyaku Stomps
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Snatch%20City/238/220/31

Skin: Curio Lumine (Nightshade)
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Curio/128/130/38

Hair: RocX Mistaken
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Epilais/22/45/2510
Bangs from UnVeil

Pic 2:

Mini: Goth1c0 The Bitch in White
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Gemmed/186/248/22

Skin: Nomine Ultralight Pedrolina
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Nomine/203/50/49

Hair: Bishwear Vidal
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Cecil/138/86/77

Sn@tch~Slick Leggings

So it all started with the leggings.

It had to start with something, right? So basically, it came down to the fact that I just wanted to rawk something awful. Lots of coffee maybe. I don't know. Every once in a while I come onto SL with just WAYYY too much energy and I load the IPod with lots and lots of rawk. Then, naturally I attack my inventory, looking for just that right thing. Wow, look at that! Slick Leggings from Sn@tch and Ivey Deschanel. Awesome. Bring it on.

Hmmm... what else... well, okay, put on my Dark Drow skin from Snowflake, and of course THAT skin just goes so well with my neko ears and tail, which go awesome with the Kagami hairstyle (including cap) that I blogged the other day. Well, this outfit sort of builds itself, huh? Hmmm... what else? Ohhh, of course my fave belt at the moment which ALSO happens to be from Sn@tch, the Oblivion Bondage belt and then let's add the Evangeline choker and some bracers from Cipher. Hmmm, oh! Black Bolt halter from Renegade and let's go!!

Sn@tch's Slick leggings are just that, Slick. Slick sexy and slick cool. Love them, and ooo an excuse to put on my Dirty Ego shorts from Sn@tch too. Geez, there's actually a lot from there...

Ivey's new leggings are lovely, with some nice hand drawn details texturing the leather and zippers, and the prim flares are easy to mod.

So yah, Sn@tch rawks. Check it out.

Sn@tch Slick Leather Leggings and Oblivion Bondage Belt

[Renegade] Black Bolt Halter

Snowflake Skins Dark Drow

Sadistic Hacker Kagami (purple/black)

.+*Cipher*+. Strap Choker++Evangeline++ (black)

Sn@tch~Suburban Goth

Oh, Summer puts me in a mood.

Okay, so it's not 'officially' here, whatever that means (okay, I KNOW what that means, but just go with it.) The temperature's been rising, and the Sun decides to hang out a little longer every day. If Summer isn't exactly here yet, it's definitely phoning ahead.

On one hand, it does make me a little dizzy. Well, not dizzy dizzy, but sort of distracted. You know that feeling where it's like you're constantly 10 minutes behind everyone else? Yah, that's what I've got. Of course, the other hand part is that I just want to get up and go! It's that conditioned excitement that's followed you from school. Remember? (okay, so maybe not sooo long ago for me, but whatever, I know I'm right) Remember watching the clock on the wall of 8th period English with Mrs. Blah Blah? Ohhh, there's a party tonight... awesome let's go! Summer in suburbia.

That's the feeling. Maybe stop by Starbucks before we go over. Who's throwing the party? Oh! There's a band? Awesome! Punk rawk party this weekend!

Me? Oh, I'm gonna rock out with Sn@tch's Suburban Goth baggies. With red or white stitched bases, these primmy fun skater punk jeans are really cool. There's a pair of prim cargo pockets and awesome suspendors that hook right onto the belt. The attachments work really well together, and modding was so easy.

Also, I have to mention Renegade's Pitch Lunar tank. I've never blogged them before, but I've always had a huge selection of Renegade's tanks and tees, the designs and fabric textures are really awesome. I wear them a lot when I'm wearing, well, jus' my normal day to day SL self. If you haven't been there, check it out.

Anyway... Rawk!!

Sn@tch Suburban Goth

[Renegade] Pitch Lunar Tank

.+*Cipher*+. Strap Choker ++Brightness in the Dark++ (Black)

[Detour]Flux Sand Mix

[Curio] Lumine~Juxt

Sn@tch~Do You Dred?

Dreads dreads dreads. Dreads.

Oh, did I mention dreads? Yah, two days in a row now. Yesterday of course we looked at Kallisti Burns' take on the style with Yannick. Today, Ivey Deschanel of Sn@tch asks us the question, Do You Dred?

Do You Dred is a bit different actually. I mean, it's hair from Sn@tch, not something I've seen before. DYD is a really cool long style, with options as far as bangs and top knot to let you customize it from the cute 'Betty' style bangs to a more severe v shape. There's a swept look or you can just go bangless. Pretty flexible.

Something here too that deserves mention. First of all, I love a cool dread style, it's not something I'd actually do in RL though. Dreads are kinda high maintenance if you know anything about them. Second Life is there to let us play with ourselves, right? We can try the things we might not be able to in our first lives. So why is it that you'll hear little mutterings around the metaverse that styles like dreads and even braided styles like the ones Discord Designs is famous for are too ethnic? It bugs me, especially when I see something really cool and interesting like what we've seen this week. Of course, I guess it's ok that I can be confident I won't run into too many people rocking the same look as me; but on the other hand, it's a little sad that so many SLifers still find ways to limit themselves in a world that's supposedly limitless.

Now, the fact is, I know that enough of Purely Visual's readers aren't really hung up on that sort of stuff, so I'm probably preaching to the perverted already. Do You Dred is NOT an ethnic style. It's a very lovely addition to Sn@tch's already very cool line of goth, punk and raver style accessories and clothes, and something for ANYONE looking for an interesting and fun way to play with your avatar. Really well made, very customizable, and... well... just rockin'. I love em.

So if oyou like em, go grab em. Don't let anyone tell you what you should or shouldn't be able to wear. Get on down there. Now!

Love you.

Sn@tch City

Sn@tch~Oblivion Boots and Belt

So what are YOU doing this weekend?

You have a party to go to? Maybe a date? Pizza and a movie? Popcorn? Paintballing, Malling? Hmmm... wait, maybe you've got a WoW campaign to wage or you've decided to conquer a little more land in Tiny Empires. Maybe there's a martini with your name on it. Maybe it's something a little more, um... illicit.

I mean, whatever, it's your life... I'm not judgemental at all. I'm not here to tell you what you should be doing. Nope, PV isn't a blog about dogma... no commandments here. I give hints, suggestions maybe. You might get a little nudge from me... geez, maybe even a little inspiration. We're not talking accepting-Jesus- Christ-as-your-personal-savior inspiration, nooo, that's not me; but maybe you'll find something interesting here and keep it for yourself.

So what are you going to DO? THAT'S the question, right? Well, what's going on? I guess you could ask me back.
Well, THAT'S easy. Ivey Deschanel's Sn@tch City has finally opened, you could check that out maybe. Why? you ask, why would I want to do that? Well, geez you're being difficult, why WOULDN'T you want to go? Ugh, you say, I've had a really crappy week... my boyfriend's been crabby, my job sucks. Oh and that stupid lady with the yippy dog just keeps me... Wait wait wait, I say smiling, well that's EXACTLY why you want to go to Sn@tch City. Look at these.

I show you my totally awesome Oblivion Belt and matching boots and your eyes get wide. Wow, those are really cool, you say, where did you get them? I roll my eyes a little bit, because sometimes, seriously, you really don't listen to me AT ALL. They're from Sn@tch... I mean, HELLO!

It's all in the details, right? The Devil, the little conversations.... details details details, and Ivey's Oblivion accessories are detailed and them some. Instantly this is my new favorite belt, first of all. Of course I made the mistake of telling a friend about them and now I can't stand to hang out with her because she's wearing it all the time too.

Ugh... look what I just did, I told YOU about the belt too. Why do I always DO that? I give the best stuff away..

Whatever, go to Sn@tch City, fine... buy the f**king belt if you want...Oh sure, buy the boots too while your at it, they're only totally f**king awesome.

I hate you.

awwww... you know I'm just kiddin', right?

xoxoxo

Sn@tch City

Sn@tch~Post Apoc Picnic

There's a pretty good chance all this will be gone soon. Seriously, it's all over the news. End of the world and all that. It's a little depressing actually. I mean, from what the talking heads are saying, it won't be a big blinding flash of light or some biblical Xtian style Armageddon. Nope, looks like this is going to fall under the 'not with a bang but a whimper' heading.

Too bad too... I mean, wouldn't something like zombies or alien dinosaurs be a LOT more exciting? Now THAT'S an apocalypse! Nope, we get the dollar. The world is going to end because of MONEY. What's THAT? Money isn't even REAL... it's like... ohhh I don't know. It's a metaphor.

Whatever. There are much smarter people than me who can sort all that out. For the rest of us, well, if there's going to be an end of the world then at least we can have an end of the world PARTY.

~quick side note here... my room mate and I actually ARE planning an end of the world party for the Winter Solstice in 2012. Why 2012? Look it up. There's a movie coming out even. So, well, you're all invited I guess. No matter how it all turns out we can really only do it ONCE so we might as well do it right~

So, does Ivey Deschanel know the world is ending? I think she might. It explains her oh so cute Post Apoc Picnic outfit. Post Apoc comes with a shmexy netted skirt and multiple top options; purple, red, black... a dangerous net and a couple others. Of course, one of my favorite things about Sn@tch's releases is just the huge number of wearable options in each pack... you get a lot for your $L. Sexy, fun, gothic and yah, I'd wear it for the end of the world.

Of course, you don't HAVE to wait for the apocalypse... we could all be wrong. Maybe it's NOT all over. Maybe everything will turn out ok.

If it DOESN'T though, and you're planning on getting your own party together. I'd run out to the store before that spinach dip costs you $100 a pint.

Just Sayin'.

Worn:

Outfit:
Sn@tch Post Apoc Picnic (Black)

Skin:
[Curio] GP Lumine Dahlia

Hair
DV8 Juju (Bleach Blitz) Twisted Hunt Exclusive

~Discord Designs~ Avril

I think real artists are never really happy with themselves. I know it sounds cliche, the whole 'tortured artist' thing. Maybe they're not all about to slit their wrists in a fit of existential torment or anything, but most artists I know just are never 100% happy with their own work. Nothing's ever finished, and even if it is, it's more like 'well that's about all I can do' instead of 'YES, PERFECT! I may now retire...'

Of course, it doesn't matter at all if we're happy with their work. We. Us. The consumers. Nope, we can compliment them or throw all our money at them and a lot of times, it just doesn't matter. Even worse, usually we don't understand WHY their so unhappy all the time so we just call them divas or something and write them off as artistic weirdos.

Personally, I think it's awesome. I want my artists to be unhappy. Not like suffering unhappy or anything, I'm not a sadist, but unhappy enough to keep working to make their work better or different. Unhappy artists are innovators and explorers.

Kallist Burns is one of those. She's awesome, artistic, fun, witty and creative... but she's unhappy enough to be constantly looking at her work and portfolio and finding ways to make things better. Which is great, because no matter how good her work has been in the past... well, I've been a huge fan for a while, and mostly featuring her unique and VERY well made braidwork. Avril is something new.

First, of course, Avril is NOT braided, but I think it's a really good example of something else in Kallisti's work. Art, building, all that stuff are more than just about technical skill and personal obsession. There's a character in the work, a feel and a mood. Styles don't need to resemble each other overmuch to be recognizably something. Avril is a really lovely, shaggy shoulder length style that just screams rockstar. Simple but filled with character. It's got a personality all it's own; a little bit of Kallisti I'm sure.

Technically, I can't really call this a departure from her normal work. Discord Designs has had many straight styles before. It is, though, something new and very very cool. It's a total rockstar afterparty feel with texturing that's very natural and enough flexi bits to keep the hair feeling authentic. Of course, the menu driven sizing menu is really cool too and makes modding a snap. Avril is a very real-world style that anyone can wear. It's casual cool and fun.

So yah, love it. Avril is a new experiment from Kallisti, and if there's more on the way I can't wait to see it.

Worn:

Hair
Discord Designs Avril (Midnight)

Skin
Curio Classic Nightshade

Tank
Sn@tch goth army Bauhaus tank

Skirt
Sweetest Goodbye Tik Tak skirt

Jacket
Muism Skinny Biker Jacket Black

Sn@tch~So Last Year

So last year...

As in: oh gawd, that's SO last year. Like, look at those shoes... look at that hair... Really? I mean, really really? Hmmm... I don't think fishnets have EVER been out of style. They're either current or retro chic as far as I'm concerned... Sexy and ironic all at the same time. There's real history too, with fishnets, from the Flapper Jazz divas of the twenties to the goths and ravers of NOW... well, I don't know, maybe the name is a commentary? Fishnet could just as easily be called 'so next year.' *Shrugs* Look it up, the fishnet has a long and lovely history in fashion.

Of course, Sn@tch's 'So Last Year' is all sexy and no irony, even though the name might be. Fun, definitely, but THAT'S something I've come to expect from designer Ivey Deschanel... but who doesn't want some fun with their sexy?

It's not so much SLY is as sexy and fun either, it's the totally AWESOME selection of styles in the release. Maybe THAT'S why it's called what it is... maybe Ivey decided to jam an entire year's worth of schmexy lingerie into a single pack. I don't know. I actually could have solved this whole mystery by just chatting her up but honestly, it's more fun to just make stuff up.

SLY has multiple cuts on multiple layers; from the g-string bottom or booty shorts to bikini tops and baring boybeater style cuts. There's two versions of stockings that go along with it too. Great selection, love it.

As for the name? Who knows. It had to be called something I guess. Doesn't really matter... it's a sexy number and a rose is a rose is a rose and all that.

Worn:

:::Sn@tch::: Mainstore So Last Year

Nightshade Designs Emilie Autumn Skin

*Illuminati* Designs Mainstore Eclipse Boots

:::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