Designs of a higher Caliber

Some may think this section is just about Fashion so why is it called 'Design' ?
Because this section is about all kinds of things that are made in SL; some creative, some fashionable and some just truly beautiful and of course some are all three which is where I introduce Aurelius.
Aurelius Draken is the designer and builder of Caliber and Rivendell his furniture is amongst the most beautiful I have seen and I have a lot of it in our home (well before the wedding plans) I decided to chat to him about it and find out more:
Dana Vanmoer: Tell me how it all started, was it Nyre clothing range or your furniture?
Aurelius Draken: It was my furniture, and buildings. We had bought our first property, and couldn't find the things we wanted. Especially not for our library room, so I started making our own. Nyre became interested, and I taught her the basics of prim building, which she then took and branched into clothing all on her own.
I've always lusted after the library from the movie, "My Fair Lady", and since this was cyberspace, it was finally very feasible to realize :)
DV: How you you describe your furniture style?
Aurelius Draken: No matter what Nyre and I build, be it her clothing or my furniture or my structures, there's always one guiding, overriding principle; beauty. That's what we strive for, to make something that the eye finds very pleasing, something that your hand wishes to trace the graceful lines. Each line of furniture comes out of a lot of research and imagination; I try to make the furniture realize a concept, a theme. One line is Elven in conception, another is Victorian (mostly research and immersion in the ideas behind it), yet another is Gorean. The latest line is a Gothic Celtic theme.
DV: Do you ever think about how high prim it is, does it worry you?
Aurelius Draken: Prims are always a worry! I would love to build with complete disregard to the number of prims, but the reality of SL makes that unworkable. I try to be very efficient in my designs, and I use sculpties where I can. It's a balancing act, because while a sculpty may save prims, it causes as much lag as if I had used 10 prims. A lot of people are starting to figure out that sculpties aren't the be-all answer, but they do have their place. Some times, though... a design just has to use to the prims to still be beautiful, and credible. I'm really not fond of 'low prim' furniture that depends on textures, it's an illusion that's swiftly pierced, and once that happens, you're no longer in an immersive environment.
DV: Tell me about the apothecary and medical equipment?
Aurelius Draken: The medical equipment is a case-in-point for what we consider to be the cornerstone of Caliber :) . It's completely customer-driven. We listen to our customers, and prospective customers, actively soliciting their ideas, suggestions, and feedback. Customer service is extremely important to us, Dana. In many ways, we operate by the rule of treating our customers the way we would wish to be treated. The medical equipment began because, a bit over a year ago, there was very little on the market for SL doctors, so we had requests that we responded to. In turn, our customers have been fabulous, and we feel very fortunate in that regard. We hear a lot of horror stories from other content providers, but we've been blessed to have a really great group of customers. We try to be accessible to them, listen to them, and treat them as the VIPs they are to us.
DV: I know you started with several shops what led to a whole sim?

Aurelius Draken: We used to be located with a well-known property renter here in SL, and had a great relationship there for many months. But eventually, it became clear to us that it was time to move forward, so we searched and found a sim at a price we could afford. Once here, we decided to continue with our eclectic notion of blending Victorian and Elven styles together, and this sim really let us be creative in not only holding the new flagship store, but also providing interesting and beautiful things on the grounds for our visitors to enjoy. Our original place was much the same in that regard, we prefer to create an environment that people want to spend time in, rather than depending on contrived methods of traffic creation. Yes, we have a few camping 'chairs' now, but that's as far as we're willing to go. Towards that end, Rivendell itself now boasts a lovely promenade at the store level, horse and carriage rides, a gorgeous night club, and a build of Elrond's House of Rivendell on the ground below, reachable through the 'Elven Elevators'. There's riding paths, and the ground level has become exactly what what hoped for; a beautiful, relaxing place for people to play or take it easy in.
There's lots of places around the 'Net where you can meet people, chat, build communities... but SL permits anyone who has the desire, willpower to learn, and a vision, to bring that vision into virtual-being, with very little effort and resources compared with what it would take to do it in reality. SL is literally a place where dreams can be made manifest, where I don't have to tell you what I'm imagining, I can *show* you. To me, that's just phenomenal, and I can see a day where the next step will become feasible; when someone will figure out a way to make in reality, what we make here.
Aurelius Draken: Pictures don't begin to do it justice. You have to come see it for yourself, sit in it, use it, to see and understand. In our old store, I couldn't put many pieces out, we just didn't have the prims for it. Consequently, my furniture sales were very low.... But here, we have most of it out, and finally, people can see it, and they've demonstrated that they like what they see.

I know I like it :) and the texture change table and chairs I absolutely love.
If you are looking for high quality then this is a place to visit, the furniture is displayed all around the Caliber store, see it for yourself and I bet you don't walk away empty handed.
Dana

New Trends - June 1st

Click poster to teleport

Garments of Praise - A Special Virtual World Fashion Event for a Kenyan Orphanage

Event Date and Information:
*Date: June 01, 2008
*Time: 12PM SLT
*Host: Abbie Reinard
*DJ: Giela Delpaso
*Location: Sana Mall Sim (customized amphitheater) still being built
*Auction begins: 1PM (more info on auction at bottom of note)
Two women met during a recent Second Life beauty pageant that celebrated African heritage in the metaverse. Neither model made it beyond the pageant's second round but their friendship sparked conversation about beauty, fashion and charity. Abbie Reinard (model, writer and activist) and Keely LeFavre (supermodel, blogger and businesswoman) are pleased to send you the following announcement:
There is a prophecy in the Old Testament that reads "to give to them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness". It is this bit of the Bible that inspired Abbie Reinard to pursue a SecondLife career in fashion. "I've been working my hiney off in the SecondLife fashion world raising awareness and funds for a tiny AIDS orphanage in western Kenya," she says of her several months of effort. "One of my hopes has been to find someone to host a fabulous event showcasing SecondLife beauty and fashion creativity. Keely LeFavre and Sana Models are being wonderful and bringing this dream to life!"
The charity fashion show will take place on June 1st around mid-afternoon SLT at the lovely Sana Mall. The show will consist of 6 of the hottest SL models showing creations from 4 amazing SL Designers. Immediately after the show, an auction will take place for one outfit from each designer. All donations and proceeds will go directly to the Maseno Project.
The show promises to be something truly special and has attracted designers who rank among the most elite in Second Life's fabulously thriving digital fashion industry: Callie Cline (Callifornia), Giana Paine (GiGi couture) Sissy Pessoa (BAIASTICE) and Bianca Foulon (biancaF.). Each designer is showcasing at least 1 outfit that will be exclusively available for auction after the show.
"I love this show that Keely and Abbie are arranging. It's a wonderful opportunity to use my designs to make a real difference for these children." Garments of praise? Indeed yes! Abbie's excitment is evident, "This event will make such a huge difference in the lives of over 30 children who lost their parents to disease. Keely and I are amazed by the generosity of these stunning designers."
The Maseno Project is an intimate charity whereby people's donations make significant impact on particular lives. "Large charities are incredible and can accomplish so many amazing things! But we still need to pursue more intimate connections with personal relationship. Many small charities would simply dissappear without individuals who come alongside them," says Abbie. Due to the AIDS pandemic, a small village 20 miles west of Maseno has a large number of orphans. Most of these orphans have no means of support from either relatives or the local community. Among the necessities are: proper education, food, basic health care. This is a self-funded integrated community based project to establish education bursary plans for orphans, youth, the destitute and special cases such as the blind, deaf and the lame. And provide health care for the above groups. The centre has one ongoing activity early childhood education program which has 30 children, mainly orphans.
For more information about the Maseno Project visit Abbie's blog at http://masenoproject.blogspot.com or contact All Saints Parish, Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK), Diocese of Maseno North, P.O. Box 16 Luanda for info about the orphanage.For information about the upcoming show on June 1st including underwriting and advertising, please contact Keely LeFavre.Auction information:
*Bidding on each outfit will start at $200L and rise from there.
*All proceeds from the auction and donations kiosks will go directly to the maseno project Via Sana Models.
*Confirmation of monies received and sent will be sent to the designers and you can visit the Maseno Project Blog

KMADD MENS UNDERWEAR FASHION SHOW

Explore the rich, yet sexy culture of the sun-drenched ancient Mediterranean, as the winged MAD Agency male models tickle your fancy (along with other parts!) amidst the burning pyres and life-like statues of immortal gods on Saturday, May 24 at 1:00pm SLT.
The fashion show, sponsored by several leading SL businesses (VISTA Animations, Material Squirrel, Costa Rica Sims and Runway Magazine) and featuring KMADD City designers, offers colorful and sparkling reminders of the sophistication of Greek and Roman taste and style, from the marbled columns to the richly ornamented terracotta vases filled with fresh blooms. Yet lust permeates the air, with the gorgeous male models making their way through the slow-moving mists spanning the cracked granite. The colliding moods of the show can even be seen in the invitation photo, shot by up-and-coming photographer Damon Varriale, combining elegance with a sizzle.
Please arrive 20 minutes before the start of the show to ensure a seat, and make plans to stay afterwards, as DJ Azu spins the tunes to get your blood boiling and your body sweating
Featured designers: Hoorenbeek Aitui, Brief Encounter, Valiant Vita, MENGB Style, MD Underwear, Muism, Casa Del Shai, Mechanism
Sponsors:Material Squirrel, Costa Rica Sims, VISTA Animations, RUNWAY Magazine

Petal Power

Okay, passing on a little gem here for those acquisitive gardeners out there. I was investigating a very pretty sim (more on that later) when the beautiful ground cover plants caught my eye. Closer inspection led me to Botanica Petal Pushers Garden Centre and a spending spree. The garden centre has a great range of particle emitter plants on sale as well as butterfly poofers and flexi plants and at incredibly reasonable prices…I confess I went a bit crazy. Back at the Cortes shack I got busy with my purchases and the results are here for you to see! Whilst I was in a mood for carpets of wild pansies, those with a darker botanical bent might enjoy the range of carnivorous plants... perfect housewarming gifts for the vampire in your life.

Eshi Otawara and Chouchou together...

16th May at 6pm SLT

Click for full size poster

OMG! a little bit of difference goes a long way

This week I was looking around our office at Ian Bernard, just to see what was nearby and decided to explore OMG! Inc which is right next door to our main office.
I had been here before to their first ever fashion show and quite liked what I saw. So i went to see what was new.
I bumped into Kaddan Yue and we sat down for a chat. OMG! Inc is the brainchild of Kaddan and has been in the pipeline for over a year. Most people know her as a business woman, working for BNT/ACE, so a range of clothing? Where did that come from?
Kaddan Yue: Duchess and myself wanted to run a business, well our own
DV: Duchess?
Kaddan Yue: Duchess Shepherd, she is Co-CEO, Duchess is a designer in real life but not with photoshop she does hand drawings
Kaddan Yue: but I did the research and looked all over sl, to see what was out there. SL is a second life, so my second life is in learning to make clothing, but most important understanding how business works in SL. OMG helps me reach both goals. This is my dream.
DV: The designing or the business side of it?
Kaddan Yue: Well right now it is both, in the beginning it was just business. I am learning to actually make clothing myself, and I love the business end of it.
DV: What makes OMG clothes different?
Kaddan Yue: Well in the company right now, there are 3 and a 1/2 of us designing and we all come for different parts of the world, or USA, so we have a lot of styles.
DV: So the idea is to have different designers all under one label?
Kaddan Yue: Yes, and actually have it work, actually it is working pretty good, although I am the CEO, I am a team player, and we work as a team. We do have issues just like in real life, but that is part of being a professional.
Kaddan Yue: Their are a lot of designers and a lot that never make it on their own, so we are trying to make it together. We each have a part to play
DV: How many designers do you hope to have?
Kaddan Yue: I would like to have 6 solid designers all together.
DV: One section you seen to be missing is evening wear?
Kaddan Yue: Formal wear for women will be out next week, we have some great stuff coming out and feel the key is textures, and of course details.

Kaddan then gave me a sneak preview of some of the formal wear soon to be released and its well worth waiting for :)
I shall be keeping an eye on OMG! Inc, this team will be something to be reckoned with with Kaddans business mind and a good team of designers this is one company worth a visit.
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Sununu/119/119/51

Dana XxX

"You've had a makeover!"

Discovering prim hair is one of those things that once you do you wonder how you ever got on without it, personally i think i have about 50 styles of hair in many colors.

Yesterday I had a chat with a friend and after I TP'd him he said to me "You've had a makeover!"

Actually I hadn't but it made me think, what had I changed since I last saw him? The only thing I change is my hair, I have had the same naughty designs skin since the beginning (although I now have 2 makeups), any way i tried taking a snap of myself in 2 different styles and seeing how much difference it made.

I was quite surprised at how much it does change your appearance. For instance I can normally be seen with short reddish hair and even just switching between style changed my look drastically. My favourites shown above are the ETD, most people know Elikapeka Tiramisu's fantastic styles, although its a recent discovery of mine, I was always happy with Calla and rarely looked elsewhere. I also like the short Victoria from Frangipani Designs although I have stuck to Onyx LeShelle of Maitreya for a while as my main style her designs are so realistic and move so naturally.

I do like to wear long hair sometimes, usually if I am going somewhere formal. again I usually fall back on my Calla designs, red poppy for not so formal, then Saffron if I feel girly or Poinsettia for a real formal look. I do love the Naughty Designs Angel for both formal and girly. A friend wore the Rapunzel style from Mewf Demina of FreeSpeerit this is fantastically different - I love it for that quirky mood.

Whatever your style changing your hair can make a huge impact and with so many great designers out there its hard to decide. I suppose everyone has their own 'look' and this usually includes the hairstyle they wear the most. Next time you feel like a makeover maybe just a change of hairstyle will be enough.

Dana

Outfit from HAUTE STYLE & CO.

skin from Naughy Designs