Get Down to Earth, with Lutricia’s Luxuries

By Bixyl Shuftan

As a clothing store, Lutricia’s Luxuries offers a variety of dress and other items. This includes "family" items such as fashion for child avatars, and gothic wear for those searching for a darker look. The shop is located in the Earth sim (108, 136, 26) and owned by Lutricia Roux, “... my main passion is to design clothes, accessories etc :)”

Lutricia logged onto Second Life in August 2007, “I read about it in a newspaper and got curious.” She considers her start in SL a good one, “I got in touch with some Scandinavians (Lutricia is Swedish), and they were really helpful to me. They showed me the basics, freebie shops, etc. :) “ Lutricia has always been making clothes in Second Life, “Ever since I started, I have been interested in trying to make my own things and own clothes. I started to try, and discovered, and I developed. and started to see I might be able to do the things I saw for sale myself instead of buy them.”

She got the idea of selling clothes, “when I liked it myself enough to want to wear or use it." Lutricia did more than just clothes, “I also build some furniture and prefab, but I enjoy the clothesmaking, and work with tiny prims more. :) And scripting is great fun, but there is so many professionals out there, who are real scripters.” Eventually came the Lutricia’s Luxuries store, “The first time I set up my shop was almost a year ago. I have moved from my first location. Where we are now has been up since the middle of November.” Since last summer, sales “have really improved.”

The store has mainly family items on the first floor, and gothic ones upstairs. “Kids clothes, I try to keep them not so fluffy, more to the elegant side, with a touch of neko, grunge maybe. The adult-sized accessories and shoes, are more to the gothic side.” Besides clothing, “I sell teddy bears, both kids and grown ups buy them, hats ... lots of shoes.” Her best selling items are, “the kids’ outfits and my L's shoe collection, and themed teddy bears, such as Christmas, etc.” Her newest item, “I have recently released a pair of death dolls, covered in barbed wire.”

Lutricia says she met a variety of people in Second Life. Among the good, the people at the Mystery sim, “I have meet some great friends at the Queen of Hearts, very caring and loyal.” She eventually got a position there, “I am the manager of events at Queen of Hearts.” How does she find managing, “It is fun, I enjoy it. I produce the schedule of the week, then assign hosts and trainees to their roles. All host report back to me, I look after them, answer questions, etc., help if needed.” Valentine’s Day went very well for Mystery, “We noticed a big increase in traffic, and it is great for Valentine’s Day, romantic themed. Well, great for any day but extra good for that. :) “

At one point in the interview, Lutricia ran off, zipping away in a dust cloud and appearing on the other side of the store, “Hehe, sorry. I have this flight helper. If you touch the arrow keys twice, you go through walls, hehe.”

Lutricia’s Luxuries and Mystery have some cross-advertising of one another, “it is an idea from Tygeria. We will try to increase it, it has benefits for us both. She is very supportive to us all.”

Lutricia’s future plans are, “Basically I want to learn more and improve, and buy some more SL time. :)” She also planned on making some group gifts.

Before long, Lutricia had to rush off for something in real life, and so we had to part ways.

“I'm very grateful to all my loyal customers.”

Goddess Apparel

Goddess Apparel is a clothing store aimed at women with a taste for elegant fashion. Owner and designer Athene Forder has a style that has been described “as elegance with edge.” Her shop is located in the Star Land 2 sim (107, 154, 22), elegantly built with an obvious Classical influence with it’s statues and founts, built to be appealing and pleasing to the eye, “... I had to have water and elegance! So that is what I built. ;-) If you listen you can hear the wind chimes from the gazebo, and the trickle of the fountains.” The store also has a changing room, and landmarks to neighbors’ stores, “I do not want to feel like we are in competition, but rather that we compliment each other.”

I first encountered Athene Forder at the Mystery sim around the Christmas holiday. Tygeria Mirabeau introduced Athene to me as the kind of fashion vendor her sim had to offer. Athene had been working on holiday-themed dresses, going for colorful and rich fabrics. Recently, I met up with Athene again at her store Goddess Apparel, to talk about her place and her work.

Athene has been in Second Life for about a year and a half. Her favorite was and still is meeting people and making friends. Of building, her first project was a gazebo. Then she tried building clothes, “All of a sudden I found an outlet for my creativity. At first it was simply to supplement my wardrobe, my husband still teases me about its vast size. But as others around me encouraged me to make those designs available to others.”

Of what inspired the name and theme, “Well, I am a fan of Greek mythology, hence my SL name (laughter). Even my real-life name has Greek hints.” She had opened her first store in June 2008. “I do mostly dresses, both formal and club wear,” she told me, “The dresses range from full formal ballgowns to short, sassy club minis. I have some with a more conservative cut, like the Stellar or Demeter, or some with a bit more skin showing, like the Hera or Artemis. I even have a flapper outfit and boas and head pieces to go with it. (laughter) When I need a break, I put together a mask, or try learning something new. I have just started some footwear and have a line of boots in the store.” Her work has also attracted the attention of some musicians, “I have been lucky enough to have a few of the live singers in Second Life see my work and ask for some to fit their style on stage.” She plans to design men’s fashion in the future.

Goddess Apparel opened earlier this month, “I held my grand opening on January 3. It was wonderful! Honey Potez offered to do some trivia for me, and then Katia Keres came to sing. We filled the sim, though I think that Katia and her tremendous voice was more responsible for that.” She told me she left the dance poseballs as she intended to use them again, “I put them out for the grand opening, and have not found a reason to have to take them down. ... I am hoping to host events once a month or so.”

“I feel so blessed by all of those who support me at this store. I need to say that! :) For me, the designing is FUN, such fun. And it stretches my mind. But it is also something I never would have thought I could do. If others had not believed in me, there would be no Goddess Apparel.”

“And it is through the support of others that my store and designs have grown. Autov Forder, my husband, provides both needed critique and support as designing takes up my time. David Tuck of Shiraz was persistent in getting me to open my first store. Adrianna Biziou, the owner of La Scala, graciously offered me a second store in her desire to help new designers. And oh my God, Tygeria Miabeau is amazing in her support - she not only has commissioned several dresses, but she also has taken me under her wing, and through her I have had the opportunity to participate in Mystery's Winter bazaar. Nathan Alter and Annie Melson have both pushed and encouraged me. In fact, Annie's store is just a few stores away from mine. I could go on ... so many people impact me in such positive ways. In all of these people I have found friends, something that transcends Second Life.”

When asked about her most popular items, “The masks downstairs have sold the best, and that surprised me. Also the dresses that push the boundaries a bit do nicely. Like the newest: the Calypso, a body suit of lace with a few undergarments that keep it from being too racy. :) It is combined with a glitter fabric of a contrasting color that forms a slip beneath the long lace skirt, or a set of silks. I try to give several options with a dress if I can, since every woman has a different desire when they put on a dress. Oh, the Leto Edge is another big seller. It adds a latin flair to a traditional ballgown style and is done entirely of feathers.” She put it on, “This was designed for Katia Keres. She wanted something that would move well as she danced on stage. ... though I think she bought the red since that is her signature color. Oh, I might also mention that while this is Second Life, I try to use some real-life in my designs. I ballroom dance so I know what will move and what will not, and try to use that in my designs.”

The subject went back to red and her avatar having red hair, “(laughter) ... as a redhead, I have to be wary of what red I wear. In fact, being a redhead inspired some of the color choices. The red I used when I did the Aphrodite for Tygeria compliments mine, a deeper tone. And I can find a green that doesn't make me look like a Christmas tree if I put it on. Sometimes being the designer has its advantages.” She then put on a red dress with red hearts, saying she designed it for Tygeria, “this was made for the Queen of Hearts ... and it will do well with Valentine’s Day coming up.”

Athene reminded me she does commissions, “if someone is looking for something special. It gives me a chance to stretch my skills too.” Of her future plans, “Well, pushing my skills. I hope to do some pumps that will match my outfits. I have a few dresses on the drawing board as well. I want to continue designing clothes in Second Life, and hope so much that others will enjoy it as well. And if I get a chance someday to help others as I have been helped, that is my greatest goal, to get into that position. :) “

Athene and I eventually had to part, and she wished me well, “Goddess Apparel is already a success in that I enjoy it, and I have the help and support of friends.”

“In Second Life, it is safe to try for your dreams, to push your own envelope. ;-) “

Bixyl Shuftan

Styles of Edo Tuxedo Collection 2008

Click images to see full size

Tuxedo 3 co ordinate 10

Tuxedo 3 co ordinate 01

Tux 01, with the shirt from co ordinate o2 and the waistcoat from co ordinate 38.

Tuxedo 02 corodinate 05 and tuxedo 01 coordinate 38.

Tuxedo o1 coordinate 02 and tuxedo 01 coordinate 38 again.

For weeks I have been waxing lyrical about the Styles of Edo new tuxedo collection. I have told you about the multitude of variations available (Edo himself claims 96 variations, but if you buy the indiviual neck ties etc I am certain you can get more - but NINETY SIX VARIATIONS - and not a bad one amongst them!). I have sung the praises of the details, colours and texturing. I have whispered that Edo is a god among menswear designers.
Weeks ago I was hoping to bring you an article that was most pictures of a selection of the collection, unfortunately computers die, connections fry and things happen - so only now am I able to bring you that article.To end this article I would like to say that there are limitations to SL photography and to the quality levels I can get Blogger to reproduce for me - so this is by way of a teaser - these clothes are a hundred times better in world than I can manage to reproduce here.

I would also like to thank Minty Bachem for modelling (he is also available to escort ladies to any formal event - he even has the wardrobe), also much thanks to Hempy Weezles and Medow5571 Shilova for stepping into the breach when our photographer lost their internet connection leaving us somewhat in the lurch. Great job guys, thank you.

And again, gents, go - add at least one of these tuxedos to your wardrobe - then you too will be helping make SL a prettier place one male avatar at a time.

Rule Fashion Show

There are pro's and cons to a fashion show, the cons are mostly to do with the awful lag which is the curse of most shows. The upside of a fashion show is the pleasure of seeing clothes that the designer thinks are their best new work. When that designer is Edo, of Styles of Edo fame, then suddenly the pluses out weigh any down side. The Rule show, presented by Boulevard Agency was a delightful insight into the Formal collection by Styles of Edo. One thing I did notice, which saddened me, was the audience was more female than male - gentlemen you should be attending shows like this - they really are for your benefit.
As well as the new generation of tuxedos ( which are getting a full, in depth article to themselves later this week - don't miss it), there were examples of his new suits, with the trade mark fine detail which you already know makes me Edos number one fan, bright, bold colours and unique cuts.

There were suits that seem to be inspired by matador "suits of lights", which feature strong colours (I adore the red one) and fine gold embroidery. There were daily suits in striking pastal colours, hard to imagine that lilac can be a bold, strong, masculine colour - and I dare say that most designers couldn't make it work - but Edo not only makes it work but has done it with a style and flair that is unique. Colour in mens suits is a rare thing, but this collection has it, velvety shades of black, rich, dark chocolatey browns, organic greens, lusty reds, pearlescent whites, pulsing purples and playboy pastels all feature. This collection has colours, either in the subtle little touches like cummberbunds, waistcoats (vests for the Americans among you) and stitching, or for the more dashing man who isn't afraid to make a bold statement, in whole jackets of rich, vibrant colours. In real life, only in the very finest Italian designs do colours like this work so well.

And now I am going to wax lyrical about a personal favourite - Edos new tail suit. If ever there was a reason to insist that tail suits are not just for wedding, this suit is it, the flexi tails give movement and the styling would make any man look like a Hollywood movie star. Available in black or "white" (more a pure ivory than white in my opinion) this should be on every mans wish list. Edo's designs make me long for more formal events - really these suits - from the tail coats, to what I would call day suits and everything in between make me long for a ban on tshirts and jeans. Gentlemen - the chances are all the ladies you know have several wonderful formal gowns in their Second Life wardrobe - it's time you caught up - just having one suit and one tuxedo in your inventory is no longer enough - buy more suits, buy cumberbunds and ties to match your partners favourite outfits - revel in the almost lost art of wearing a formal suit with an almost casual grace - the women of Second Life will love you for it and if you follow my advice then your first stop should be to the Styles of Edo store, where your only dilemma will be which suit to buy first.
As well thanking Edo for bringing such wonderful designs to Second Life I also have to thank Dana Vanmoer and Echo Underwood for allowing me to use some of their pictures ( their pictures are the really good ones, in case you are wondering).

Styles of Edo New Release, a sneak preview.

As most of you know I have a special interest in mens clothing, good mens clothing, so I was delighted and excited to be asked to review the new tuxedo collection by Styles of Edo. Edo is justly famous for his wonderful menswear and with this collection he has surpassed himself. In the very near future (touch wood) I will be bringing you a full review of this collection with pictures that come close to doing the clothes justice.
Having said that, no picture can do these clothes justice - Edo is one of the most skilled texture artists/designers on SL, and anyone who doubts that should cam in on someone wearing one of these new tuxedos - there are black details, on black textures which give the clothes depth and feeling. There are paisley waistcoats (vests to our American cousins) which shimmer and shine with subtle, fine detailing. These clothes are very very special - in fact I would say unique.I admit that both I and my model were worried when there was no 'skirt' layer to the jackets, but, (and this is real mastery) these jackets do not have the sprayed on look that some of us have come to dread, they actually look like they should.

When I do the full review it will involve more details and LOTS of pictures but this collection is too good to only have one review. Styles of Edo have surpassed their usual high standards and. as someone who adores a well dressed male avatar, I, for one, thank them. If god is in the detail these clothes are truly divine. Gentlemen, I tell all of my clients they should own at least one decent tuxedo on SL, now I can amend that, every male avatar should own at least one (and good luck deciding which one - the variations are many and each better than the last) Tuxedo by Styles of Edo.

Styling your Second Life with Firehorse

Styling an avatar for free is easy – and something we have probably all done at one time or another.
Probably we all had a trawl around freebie warehouse and other such giant outlets when we were newbies, and, chances are we ended up with some sad fashion disasters.
Fellow residents, it does not have to be that way!
With a little help, a little inside knowledge and membership of just one group (just one of your oh so valuable group slots), you can save a fortune, try new things and have a huge amount of fun.
Today I am focusing on female avatars – but a lot of the knowledge is transferable to other genders/styles of av.
By no means is this a complete guide but it’s intended to be a good starting point, so if you are new or if you just need an outfit for a fancy dress party join me.
Ladies, your first stop in world should be to Pixel Dolls, find their subscribe-o-matic join, then touch again for history – there is a VIP group gift, crammed full of lovely lovely things, boots, outfits and an absolutely divine, high quality skin in many shades.
Your next move should be to find somewhere quiet and decide which group for freebie hunters you are going to join – personally I love Creamy Cooljokes Freestyle group – as with any freebie group you will get a LOT of notices most days – don’t worry though soon you will be as addicted as I am to just going to look…I don’t care what anyone says – you can NOT have too many clothes.
Once you have done that you need to get yourself down to Free Dove – much respect to the owners – what they have done is just amazing, here you will find freebies gathered from some of the top designers in second life, all under one roof – YES you will have to fight the lag, yes, if you go at one of the peak rush hours you will probably crash and/or freeze but it IS worth it. Here you can find everything from jeans and lovely girly sneakers to elegant Victorian dresses and delicate stiletto shoes. Plenty of jewelry, sexy underwear, skins and a host of shapes too – if you don’t follow any other advice from this article, even if you haven’t picked up a freebie since you were more than a week old, get down to Free Dove and be amazed. Free Dove also have their own group too – if I had more room I’d join (PLEASE LL, more groups, PLEASE).
As you have just crashed from ALL the loveliness you have found at Free Dove open up a web browser or two.
The best way to get a full picture is to jump on the interweb.
First of all if you aren’t already registered at http://www.onrez.com/ then you should be – here you can send yourself (and others) freebies, you can search by price, and there are some great bargains to be had – after all – you can’t get much cheaper than free.
Your next stop should be http://fabfree.wordpress.com/freebie-break-down/ a fantastic list of outlets which carry free stuff, many of whom are my favourite stores (if you haven’t been to http://slfreestyle.blogspot.com/ where Creamy and friends will not only be alerting you to todays best (and usually transient) freebies there are pictures too!
This article was supposed to be a short one – but that isn’t possible – here I have just managed to scratch the surface of what you can get. So if you have something you desperately need but can’t afford to pay for, or can’t find, drop me a notecard, if I can help I will – but seriously – if you follow the advice in this article you will be turned from Cinderella to a princess in just a few tps.

Basic clothing tutorial

Last Call for Last Call

When I was still a relative noob here in Second Life, I got a job as a dealer in a Texas Hold ‘em poker casino. I needed clothes. Dressy clothes, classy clothes, to greet guests and circulate on the floor of the casino. With a few of my own poker winnings in my account, I wanted to go shopping. A friend recommended Last Call by Dazzle Haute Couture. Once I ventured through those doors…I knew my inventory would never be the same.

Last Call is and will always be one of my favorite fashion houses in this amazing virtual world. Along with her talented collaborators, Katterina Dagostino and Devyn Carmicheal, Ginny Talamasca carved out a huge slice of the fashion industry in SL. Now sadly, so very sadly, Ginny Talamasca has left the building.

On January 11, 2008, at 9:00 am SL time, Last Call opened its doors to record setting crowds. All designs created by Ginny, Katterina and Devyn are on sale, marked down to $100L. The sim was jammed and inaccessible for nearly for the first 72 hours of the sale. I myself managed to teleport to a nearby location, and walk (maybe crawl is more the truth) to the front door. Once there, I could go no further. Outside the door were many hopeful av’s, all waiting their turn to grab some of the amazing bargains to be found inside. I knew that the sale would be running for a while, so I could wait. I wanted to pick up a few things that I didn’t have, and alternate colors of some of the things that I did.

I finally got in on the fifth day. Moving through the morass of lag was difficult, but doable. The sim was still jammed, and transactions were slow, but they were completed without a hitch. I managed to pick up a few coveted items. No doubt, before the sale is over, I will go back to pick up a few more. It’s in my blood.

The sale is set to run for at least a month, longer if the demand calls for it. But when this sale is over, it's over. These wonderful fashions will be gone. Yes, Ginny has left the building. And she will be sorely missed.

Mens fashion in SL?

Being down time today, I thought, what better way to spend my afternoon than buying a gift for the man in my life - turns out it was a long job, much longer than anticipated. Now mens fashion is something I have rarely looked for - the occasional suit for a friend - but fashion, no.

Ok SLExchange, the biggest shopping experience in SL I must be able to find something there? Well to be honest I did but what struck me most was the lack of mens clothing designers! Sure if you want shoes, boots, jewelry, or outrageous no problem, but day wear? Work suits of good quality? Yes I struggled.

There are some pretty good designers out there for the men - but nothing compared to the womans! The pictures you see here are a few of the ones I found today, and old favourites that I go to time and again, like RFYRE, NYTE N DAY and DE but I also found a few newer ones(at least new to me) like LAPOINTE DESIGNS (loved this shirt btw).

Classic menswear with style and wearability, probably what most men are looking for and its not that easy to find.

So if you know of a great mens designer add it to the comments here, let everyone share your good fortune - and designers maybe its time to think more about the menswear market?

DanaXxX

Merovingi Clothing Fair 2007 Cont.......

After hours of struggling to get back onto SL after a disastrous download/update I wandered along to the Merovingi Clothing fair, press day, for a sneak preview of what its all about.

I was amazed; I was teleported into heaven, that's what it looked like!

I was met by Pips Fetid and Nevah Lobo the hosts of the fair and also on the board of directors of the Merovingi group; A philanthropic group that donates all profit from its casino to :

Relay for Life & the Swedish Child Cancer Foundation.

Once i had rezzed i was invited to turn around to see the survivors wall, it was covered with pictures, some of SL members and some photographs of people all of whom had survived cancer, it was incredibly touching to see;

Nevah walked me over to the Memorial garden to see the dedications of loved ones lost;

Once i had looked around (and composed myself), I allowed myself to ask my host why he had done this:

Nevar Lobo: I did this because my best friend is a cancer survivor and i have just walked her through her pain and chemo, she is now in remission. When we were trying to come up with a charity it was the only one i could give every ounce of my effort to, because it was so personal, to many people we lose everyday cuz there is no cure. I am not able to fight for that cure in RL, so I'm fighting for it here and my staff. The owner of Merovingi is fighting just as hard.

Nevar Lobo: This is why we dedicated the fair to RFL myself, Pips Fetid and Hannah Liberty and we are all on the Board of Directors for the Merovingi Group oh and Chablis Crabgrass she worked with the cancer survivors to get the wall done, she is a survivor herself.

Nevar Lobo: what is important about this is that after the fair the Merovingi Group will move it and make a permanent display and garden for SL so none of the stones will be lost and in the garden here the stones that say In Memoriam on them are available for anyone to place a picture of someone they would like to remember.

Me: It must have been hard to build something so personal, to yourself and so many others?

Nevar Lobo: yes it was hard to build we all had our tears, but like fleicaa she will always be apart of SL and not forgotten.

Nevar Lobo: you know i need to give you two names of people from RFL that have just given all they can to help us Fayandria Foley is one and the person who did all the rfl work here and let us use a lot of these statues (beautiful statues can be seen all around the sim) is Tayzia Abattoir.

There will be 36 of SL's top designers showing at the fair and each and every one has a vendor in their stall with an item for sale for the RFL;

You will also find donation points around the site:

I didn't have time to see both sides of the fair but Nevah warned me: This is heaven so when you get to the gates of hell you have a whole new look and don't get lost in hell its breathtaking over there!

I can't wait to see it tomorrow!

I also hope that some of you will take the time to, not only visit the fabulous designers who have given 100% effort for this worthy cause, but also take the time to think about the reason for it.

I believe that at some point each person will be touched by this terrible disease and this is a small place to remember 'You are not alone'

More from the other side soon.................

Dana XxX