I’m back with the last of the shows from SL fashion week day 3. This time, we’re showing Bolero, a wonderful fashion designer that’s all about the elegance.

Models: Gamp Lane, Aealla Illyar, Summer Deadlight

This dress is absolutely divine! I loved every moment that I got to look at it. It’s called Baby and it’s the perfect outfit for the racetrack or an outdoor tea party. It’s short enough to be modern, yet elegant enough to give that proper English feel.

This lovely dress, Roberta, is perfect for a formal dance of sorts. The height of the skirt allows for your avatar to move their legs freely without stretching any skirts in odd fashions. The blues are slightly contrasted by the white stripes down the whole dress, and the layers give it a more formal touch.

This beautiful ballgown, Moonlight, is perfect for formal occasions of the highest degree. The deep blues can just completely stand out from the rest of the crowd and easily single you out as the best dressed. The large rose on the hip, at first, may seem as though it is too large, but the size is just big enough. Add a pair of gloves, and this outfit is perfect.

This creation, Plastique, is not the brightest bulb of the box, but it certainly isn’t too bad. I wouldn’t go around wearing this to formal parties or down the street, certainly, but maybe at a fashion show or modern dance party for the wealthy. Other than that, it’s just a behemoth thing on your body. It’s not the most flattering of the bunch, that’s for certain.

That’s all that I have from day 3 of fashion week. Look out for more coming soon!

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Bryant%20Park/147/51/651

I’m back with the second show of day 3 of fashion week. This time, we’ll be showcasing Second Wave Apparel’s line of freshly sewn designs. I also was able to snag an interview with one of the models, Gamp Lane. She wasn’t in this show, but was in others during the day. She gives her insight into modeling and how one achieves it.

Lavinia Carver: Alright. How does it feel to be in one of the greatest fashion events of the season?
Gamp Lane: Well, I am so thrilled to be invited to participate in these shows.  It is always wonderful when SL mimics Rl events like a fashion week.  Maggie Mahoney and ocean Bates have done such a wonderful job of organizing this event
Gamp Lane: Yu can only imagine how hard it is to get so many models and so many outfits together for this

Lavinia Carver: Definately. It has to be quite a chore.
Lavinia Carver: Do you have any tips for people who want to be a model or are up and coming models?
Gamp Lane: Well I have been modeling for more than a year now.  It is really a matter of wanting to do this..learning techniques and being consistent.   Most of us just love modeling as an art form and love fashion.  It is about showcasing our wonderful SL designers more than about the model.  So I would say that my best tip is just to get involved in everything..be around..meet people and love it all.  Meeting new friends is really the best part

Lavinia Carver: Ok, thank you. Are there any more comments you'd like published?
Gamp Lane: Well just that I am always amazed at all Sl has to offer.  Fashion is just one area.  I love to see all the good things we do in SL..it's not about sex and violence as it is sometimes portrayed in RL news.  We all really live here and have a full second life.  It's amazine!
Gamp Lane: thanks you so much for asking me;)

Lavinia Carver: No problem. Thank you for the interview, I'm sure the readers will appreciate greatly.

Now, without further delay, I present SWA!

Models: Anessa Stine, Kate Stockholm, nemi McCoy

This ensemble, at first glance, looks as though it is another, cheap reproduction of a matching bikini and shorts. But, upon close inspection, one will find it to be one of a kind. This outfit easily takes the boring, and makes it not so boring. I’m not sure exactly what it is about this outfit, but it just pops!

This cute little top matches the shorts almost perfectly, not just in their color coordination, but also in their style. The top is one of those particular tops that can be both semi-formal and casual, if you let it, but doesn’t lie in the middle of the two types. It seems to be able to switch between them and allow for the wearer to exhibit different looks.

This nice ensemble is perfect for the ‘lounging in the backyard’ or the ‘next door neighbor’ looks. The top is nicely complimented by simple lilac capris which help to bring out the yellows in the plaid. This is perfect for the casual night out.

Alright, this designer’s line was near perfect, but this outfit is not the best I’ve ever seen. It certainly wasn’t the worst, but it wasn’t really up there with the best or even the ok’s. First off, pink leather. The last time I saw pink leather, was on the Pink Ladies from Grease. I think the idea of the leather vest was fine, but not pink. Then there’s the shorts and the boots. Again, pink leather, but this time the boots had a pink feather frill. Simply, it’s just too much pink.

Well, there you have it. SWA overall did a great job, and I’m seriously thinking of adding them as my next store to hit, because, frankly, I have no casual clothes. Here’s the link: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Bryant%20Park/147/51/651

Many people have heard of Fashion Week. It is a week of nothing but fashion shows, with different tents sponsored by fashion magazines, each one competing for the better shows. Well, it’s not just in New York, London, Tokyo, and Paris any more. Now, fashion week has come to Second Life. I have been trying desperately to cover as much of it that I can, but real life gets in the way. So, I have no choice but to start with day 3!

The first show I was able to attend was the ::eLDee:: show. They had some beautiful designs, mostly casual/business wear. They had thrown some interesting other pieces in there, like swimsuits and a cocktail dress. Here is a quick overview of the show.

Models: Kate Stockholm, Emmz Tzara, Wenadrenia Soderstrom

This cute ensemble, Pomme, comes with the skirt and the flared shirt and is perfect for those times where you want to look fabulous, but just don’t want to look like you’re going to a formal party. The skirt’s color nicely compliments the darker hues in the shirt, giving the outfit a flowing feel.

This dress, Line, is by far one of the best that I saw. It’s perfect by itself if you just want to go for a casual outing or you could add elegant jewelry and make it the perfect cocktail dress. The texture of the fabric gives it a satin look and the colors obviously compliment each other and bring the red out.

This dress, Fling, I considered to be the best by this designer. The dress just pops without question. Wear this anywhere, and you’re sure to be noticed. It just screams flirtatious at you. The single strap dress is made from a bright green fabric with hints of floral print and elegant bordering on the waist and bottom.

With all designers, however, there can never be a show without a worst in show. I have to give the designer credit for trying, but swimsuits are definitely not her strong suit. This one is called Eva. The one piece idea seemed to have transformed into a bikini top and bottom that are connected by a small piece of fabric. The collar, however, is slightly over the top and would, perhaps, do better on a different type of outfit.

 Altogether, the designs of ::eLDee:: are fabulous, and you can be sure that I will be buying some of them! All the designers’ clothes are featured at the main house at the fashion week tents and can be purchased at any time. Here’s a link: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Bryant%20Park/147/51/651

I've been covering as much of SL fashion week as I can – and what kind of fashion week would it be without free stuff?! Here are some of the latest freebies from fashion week, all designer, top quality, and there's something to be had for everyone! I'll get right to the chase:

This is a double strapped gold top from Second Wave Apparel. The top comes with 3 options; you can wear it as a jacket layer, a shirt layer, or an undershirt layer.

This is a sporty ensemble, with Second Wave Apparel's Henly Tank in mint and their PerfectFit MiniSkirt. The skirt is not, "perfect fit" however. It is one of those attachments that only works for certain shapes and animations.

This is a dress, Flight, from Spork with their Cosmo gloves and black diamon choker. The dress also comes in many different styles, from mini to long and the top is changeable.

This is a neat little ensemble, not quite the type to wear around to business meetings, but good for casual wear. This outfit is, literally, straight off the runway, as I saw it on Sunday making its debut. The whole thing is called Lara, and can come in different colors, but this is the color that you get with the freebie. It is also paired with SWA's beret in purple (I just darkened the color a little).

That's all I have time to show, but there is more, including a dress that looks like it is full of holes and some Gorean wear, so if you feel like shopping, but are a little down in the pocketbook, take a look here!

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Bryant%20Park/147/51/651

Serious roleplayers may know of Virtue City, a roleplaying sim based on a futuristic world with body modifications which have caused the creation of villians and heroes. Alas, Virtue City is no more. That's right, the Virtue City storyline and sim have closed permanently.

In its place a new sim has been constructed, a dark rural roleplaying community with few restrictions and a storyline made up by the players and the players alone. I conducted an interview with sim owner Loch Newchurch on the destruction of Virtue City and the creation of Missing Mile.

Lavinia Carver: First of all, what was the Virtue City  story all about, for those readers who don't know?

Loch Newchurch: It started as a role-play inspired by the City of Heroes game. it was set in the year 2033. The basic theme was that in the future body modification was the rage a lot went wrong and heroes where born from it to battle the evil in the city.

Lavinia Carver: What prompted the destruction of Virtue City?

Loch Newchurch: Running a role-play sim takes a lot of time and effort and reliable people to help are very hard to come by. I kind of missed having time to myself and do other things freely. It became a job I didn't want anymore so that’s the main reason. Missed the carefree days do just be goofy with my friends; sometimes RP gets too serious and too much drama.

Lavinia Carver: And how did the story end?

Loch Newchurch: some of the more known villains got together and formed a plan to destroy the city. The Gates of Hell were open in the middle of the city where heroes had to battle with demons and such at the end when the portal closed it sucked the city in thus destroying it.

Lavinia Carver: I see

Lavinia Carver: How were the players' reactions to the news of destroying Virtue City?

Loch Newchurch: there was a lot of disappointment because many considered it their home. It was a hard decision for me because I like to please people but I told them the new sim will still have some RP just more layback and less rules. So they eventually accepted the idea.

Loch Newchurch: the regulars anyway.

Lavinia Carver: So, what are your plans for the next sim, and what will the storyline be like?

Loch Newchurch: the sim is lightly based on a vampire book called "lost souls" from Poppy z Brite but the sim won’t be just that. The background is very simple and basically the players will make most of the story. It is set on a dark rural town the year is current 2008. There aren’t many limits of what stories they can play in this background.

Lavinia Carver: Do you have any regrets or things you wish you did differently?

Loch Newchurch: Not really all though Virtue was mostly created more to please others than to please myself I enjoyed it a lot and met great people. Now I’m kind of following my heart. Doing things I like more and hopefully others will like it too.

    Now that Virtue City is now closed and Missing Mile is soon to open, many players have abandoned Virtue City are now lined up to start at Missing Mile. I am going to give Missing Mile good hard look, and then decide, but the choice is yours. From the ashes of destruction will birth the phoenix of creation.

While I was browsing around the other day, something just caught my eye. According to the advertisement, it was the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade in Second Life. Now, at first I was skeptical. I thought, "Come on, the Macy’s parade in Second Life? I know almost anything is possible in SL, but wouldn’t it be more fun to watch it in RL?"

A view of the parade

But I was wrong about that! This parade was fun to watch. Perhaps it didn’t have the interesting camera angles or fun commentary of the real one, but it was still fun all the same. See, what the owners did, was set up the parade, and then built a miniature version of New York around it! It was just too much fun! Of course I stayed and watched it twice! (while I folded napkins and placed them on the table. )

The turkey balloon! *gobble gobble*

Now, not many people were playing SL on Thanksgiving – the missing were people in the U.S. celebrating in RL, I hope! – so I can safely tell you that only a handful of people were there. The owner was standing right next to me in the BEST place to watch – the VIP box. I can’t really say she was much of the conversationalist, but she looked like she could be a good person to talk to – just not to me, I guess. Back to the parade. though! There were tons of floats, balloons, and even playing marching bands! some of my favorite characters – and I hope other people’s too! – were there, including Spongebob, Charlie Brown, and the ever present (forgive the pun) Santa.

Santa’s comin’ to town!

They even had the Monopoly man, which looked very much like a real balloon to me.

Sadly, I couldn’t find the famous Snoopy balloon.

But the parade was not the only thing to do. There was ice skating, free gifts, and an Empire State building you could climb and for a great view of New York!

The famous Empire State Building – with guest

All in all, I would wholeheartedly suggest that everyone should at least go and check it out! There are tons of things to do! It’s open until Christmas, so hurry on down. Here’s your limo:

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Antiqua%20Paradise/61/210/698

by Lavinia Carver

Dean’s Vegas Club – what a Cher celebration it was! First of all, there was a pretty good turnout, but of course, I came fairly late in the day. There may have been a bigger crowd earlier – you might expect that from a Cher crowd. What I do know is this was the hottest party on SL I’ve been to in a long time. After all the drama and woes of the SL land problem, this was really a nice break – and I’m not really keeping track of the land situation. I don’t even own land! Too much financial liability; I would be so behind on payments! .

The Cher celebration at Dean’s was one of the few times I have seen people on SL in a while. To tell you the truth, it seems that a boycott of SL seems to be in effect, or at least on the sims I go to.

There was a Cher impersonator, of course, but the interesting part is that it was the club owner. They also had very impressive backup dancers, all perfectly synchronized. Not a single glitch or lag problem. Now I don’t know about you, but I’m a sucker for Cher. Sure she’s 60 or something years old, but she’s still kicking’, and that’s impressive in itself, let alone the music’s good.

Anyway, the club had a great selection of everything from her classics to her modern day stuff, and it even had me up and dancing at one point! The club was exceptionally decorated, and I got a sneak peek (it’s not that hard!) into the VIP lounge, and every part is so perfectly decorated. It could legitimately be a Vegas club! Except for the ribbon roof.

All in all, this place gets 4 out of 5 stars for the club. I found almost nothing wrong with it. It’s a perfect place to have a romantic dinner and dance, or if you just want to go and meet some really nice people. I can only imagine how good it is during its “Rat Pack of SL” performances! So head on down, and see what all the buzz is about! All I can say is DEAN’S IN VEGAS BABY!!!

Oh, did I mention they have a full casino too? Don’t forget to check that out, if you’ve got the spare cash of course! http://slurl.com/secondlife/Rolypoly/39/149/52

Gotham

Just randomly browsing round the metaverse can actually prove useful. I found that out a little while ago, when I stumbled upon Gotham. I had first seen Gotham when it was mid-construction, so it didn’t look too good. It also took forever to build, so I personally thought it would take FOREVER to open.

I am not in any way fascinated by the whole superhero or super-villain thing. I’ve never read a single comic, DC or otherwise. Really the whole appeal was that this was as close to a modern day, realistic RP that I could get without having the mafia, magic, etc. involved.

Arkham Asylum, where many a villain has resided at some point of time

For those of you who have never heard of Gotham, (who hasn’t? Even I knew Batman!) it is the city of residence for one of the world’s most famed superheroes: Batman. Of course, the sim is not restricted to Batman only, it involves the whole DC universe and anything else you can make up! (if it doesn’t suck)

The Iceberg lounge, Gotham’s largest lounge and club

If you’re interested in rping, just search Gothamand it should pop up. Now, DON’T FORGET TO READ THE RULES. The owners and managers of the sim expect you to read them, and give almost no leeway on violations of those rules. If you’re just looking to go and pretend to be Batman for a while, forget it, two people already ARE Batman.

Wayne Manor, residence of Bruce Wayne, billionaire

I was unable to get an interview with any of the managers or owners due to a communication issue that cannot be fixed at the moment, but I can give new players a couple hints. First of all, this sim uses DCS2, so I suggest you find $75L and buy a DCS HUD and the free fist fighter at least. You can’t just go in and pretend to be a superhero or villain, you need to contact one of the managers to start talking about an audition. I have no idea how it works, because I’m happy with my civilian role. You’ll have to start as a civilian, but don’t let that discourage you. You can still go rob the bank or help stop a robbery in progress, just don’t do it until you join the group and have made yourself known to the city rp-wise. I actually would suggest starting as a freelance reporter at the Gotham Gazette or an officer at the Gotham City Police Department. You can just go to those and apply, but there is no audition for those, just fill out the form and follow the directions. That way you can learn the ropes of Gotham and really get in the swing before you shoot for the big stuff.

Overall, Gotham is a great sim, and the people on it are great too. Every one of them will be willing to help you out if you’re in a fix, or at least all of the ones I’ve come across. Lavinia, over and out.

by Lavina Carver

I’m so excited to be starting this new weekly post. Now, I must warn you that I may not be able to post every week, it being summer and all, so don’t go complaining to anyone about it. I also must warn you that, although the title says free, not everything in the pictures are free. Anyway, keep a good look out for these posts and I hope you enjoy all of the free stuff!

In this photo, I’m wearing the wonderful hair, Emma. It’s free and you can pick it up almost anywhere. A good place would be freebie beach. It comes in 10 different colors, natural and dyed, and it works for almost any situation, formal, casual, business, you name it!

Also worn is SATXi Aviators v1.2. You can find them on Onrez.com for $1L. They may not be totally free, but they look awesome!

This super cute semi-formal you can find on Onrez and is called Icing Night Mist. It is SOOO awesome and looks great on almost anyone!

If you don’t have these already, go get them now, and I mean NOW! They are the Slinky Stilettos by Maitreya. You can find them in front of the footwear section at the Maitreya mainstore. The work with almost every outfit and did I mention they look fabulous? (P.S. They are now going to be discontinued so get them soon!!!!)(you can also join the update group and there will be a message with them attached. )

This little number is the Mischief Clasped White Bikini from Onrez.com. It comes with the top, bottom, and the sarong shown. If you want to make an impression on the beach, here you are.

Some of these are found on Shop.Onrez.com and you need an account to get them. If you don’t have one, get one now, because you can find so much free stuff there, most of which are high quality too. Onrez is simply the Free Fashionista’s best friend

Lavinia Carver, over and out!