M&M Creations

As an aspiring photographer here in SL (and one who just cannot seem to build anything but a square box), I found a wonderful selection of items at M&M that I could use in my studio. So I'm making my list!

A vast array of creative lighting prims can be found to select from. Any number of them would serve well as props to provide "just the right" mood to the photos I take.

Their well-sculpted trees are breathtaking - so realistic! One or two of those added to a scene would add depth and character to any portrait. And... to my utter surprise and delight, M&M even offers particle poofers in a great variety of styles, colors and sizes.
But I was particularly excited to find the "Lily Mysticalia" chair ! Not only would it make a conversational enhancement to the land around my studio, but could double as a prop for an inspiring photograph!
M&M Creations truly does offer an incredible selection of products that add the finishing touch to your own creations - or... inspiration for ... even photos!
Mystique Sassoon

A Milliner in SL?

Sometime ago Breezes introduced me to Chigadee London and her hats. Now there are many hats in SL but i don't know of any other milliners.
For our Birthday celebrations Chigadee made us the newsboy hat you see on the right here which you can pick up free in our outlets.
Chigadee kindly answered some questions for us:

Q: How did you decide to become a milliner in SL?

A: (Grins). My hat building journey has the humblest of beginnings . I used to camp a lot , sorting my inventory and chatting with fellow campers. I started building to pass the time and since I do love hats in RL, it was an easy choice for me. I discovered Hosoi Ichiba where at the time had camping bar chairs which helped cover the texture upload charges. The owner was very kind allowing me to discreetly build behind the bar. After I made the hats, I gave them to all my camping buddies to wear and it was hilarious to see us all sitting there wearing my hats!

Q: Building hats and having a business are two different things entirely. How did you progress from being camper to business woman?

A: (Grins even more). My first friend in SL popped in one day after a long absence and I showed her what I had done with the hats and a little store I had set up called the Union Jack Store. It was just a little tent in the middle of nowhere with re-textured freebie items. We then had this hair-brained idea to open up a shop together and my first attempts were two hat stands with hats perched on them. The store was called Mad About Hats and my first purchase was from a Neko . I was in shock that someone would actually buy one of my products!

Q: You presently market under two store names, could you explain why?

A: Mad About Hats is a boutique which offers everyday elegance and casual styled hats based on RL hats. I have classic Fedoras, top hats, baseball and newsboys caps, sunhats, cowboy hats, cavalier hats etc. Couture Chapeau offers a higher end limited edition collection which I present every season. Here I am allowed to fully use my creativity and imagination. It is a line where you get a glimpse of what I am about since I throw my heart and soul into it. And of course, it is a hat which I enjoy wearing tremendously since I would never sell a hat I didn't absolutely adore. I have even had RL businesses approach me about designing for them but I'm not sure if I am ready for that.

Q: Where do you get your inspiration for your hats?

A: I get it from my RL experience and also SL experience. The Narnia Collection I presented in December last year was inspired by The Chronicles of Narnia which is still one of my all time favourite fantasy books.

I also have a RL fashion background and association with a world renowned designer, and my designs are often inspired from working with her on her collections. My forthcoming Christmas/winter collection will be totally glamorous with touches of rich colour and textures.

Q: Do you mind sharing some of your hat building secrets?

A: Oh believe me there is no great secret. At the beginning, I used all the simpler standard programmes, such as Wings 3D and Rokuro. I am rather slow, to tell you the truth or as someone kindly put, " exacting", so it took me a few months to get the shapes I was looking for. I made some dreadful mistakes but the funny part is that some of those mistakes turned out to be 'happy' ones and ended up being part of my best selling hats! So I one tip I will give to new sculptors is to never delete any of your scupltie textures…you never know when they could be useful one day! Right now I collaborate with a RL graphics designer and sculptie master who has tweaked my shapes and now provides new ones which I put together, embellish and get ready for sale.I also use the Photoshop to make my own textures and I am always open to learning more and upgrading my skills. I am a 'Jill-of-all-trades' and a painter among other things in RL. Second Life provides another blank canvas for me to create upon.

Q: What is your biggest challenge as a milliner and business woman in SL?

A: Oh that's easy to answer… prim hair and filling vendors! ( LOL) I spend a lot of time trying to help people to fit hats on their heads and now I have offered hair trimming classes at my store. I post notices in the SL community events under education when I offer them and also in my group I Love Hats! As for filling vendors, that is bane of my existence here in SL and I am forever making mistakes! Fortunately I have sweet understanding customers and I really do try to rectify any errors as soon as possible.

Q: As a relatively long time SL resident what words of advice would you give to up and coming designers?

A: First of all I have to explain that my products are not like a must have animation or hair so I operate a little differently. Friendships have been very important here in SL and my friends helped me much of the way. Many of my customers have also become friends and I am amazed at how much word of mouth business I get. The best advice is to treat everyone with respect and dignity, especially new residents… today's newbie could be SL next big magnate ! We can all learn the business part eventually but in the end it is a loyal following of customers and friends who will provide your bread and butter through referrals. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them all for their encouragement and help because without them, I would have closed up shop a long time ago.

Q: Anything else you would like to add?

A: In SL, my wish for residents is to have fun, enjoy the creativity and laugh a lot. In RL, my hope is for everyone to have MORE fun and to laugh harder!

Chigadee has a huge range of hats which you can see in the above pictures and also the top hat is on sale at on only 50Ls until the end of the year so if you are looking for that perfect accessory for your new years outfit click here and have a look!
Dana Vanmoer

Rustica

I have seen sculpted prims used a lot in building and furniture but this castle took my breath away, it was like stepping back in time, so perfect was the atmosphere created.
Rustica was built for the purpose of selling furniture and that is well designed, functional and also has a sense of fun when you read some of the poses :)
Maxwell graf the creator welcomed us and explained some of his reasoning:
Maxwell Graf: We just opened a day or so ago, but have had a store for some time on the mainland.
Maxwell Graf: This is the furnishings store, but also to explore.
Maxwell Graf: The other sim next to it will be a village of prefabs in the style of the castle.
DV: You have worked a lot with sculpts here?
Maxwell Graf: Yes. there are over 5000 sculpties in this building.
DV: How long did it take to build?
Maxwell Graf: I began Feb 23.
DV: And how long have you been making furniture?
Maxwell Graf: Since Dec. of last year
DV: I love the names you give the poses? A sense of humour or in period?

Maxwell Graf: Well, i wanted to say something with them...make it more a part of the item, integrated somehow, instead of sit or relax or

whatever. plus, it gave me a chance to use some dark humor.
JamesT Juno: I love this !
Maxwell Graf: These were some of the first I did, most of my items have opening doors and drawers, cabinets, etc. or some kind of functionality.
JamesT Juno cams around
DV: How do you fit the very modern elevator with rustica?
Maxwell Graf: Well, its really a jumble of various architectural styles and periods here... not architecturally or period correct. A number of earlier influences.
Essentially, I wanted it to appear as if I had put a modern usage inside an older structure, and adapted it.
He certainly succeeded this is a place worth seeing.
Search for Rustica and go to see this amazing castle and the great furniture 4 whole floors and lots of nooks to explore. Just be careful where you explore you may not always like where you find yourself (remembers being in a cell underwater).
Dana

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

Miss SL Ebony 2008 - Third Cycle

**SATURDAY 26TH APRIL AT 8 PM PST**

* EXCLUSIVE : In association with Chan Dejavu and Dejavu Isles, the beauty pageant next cycle will be a special 'unleash your creativity event' ! Indeed, a painting by Fabienne Arietti untitled 'Female Eyes Open' have been selected and the aspiring Miss SL Ebony 2008 will use their imagination to talk about it...
* HOW WILL IT BE JUDGED ?
The 15 girls still competing for the title will answers to the the following questions : - What does this painting inspire you ? (on the official poster) - How do you see cultural diversity and cultural identity in the metaverse ?
DIFFICULTY :
Models will have 5 minutes maximum to give their answers during the event. They will be judged upon their communication skills and their ability to follow strict guidelines (timeline for the speech.) Chan Dejavu is the special judge of this cycle !
* WHERE WILL THE SHOW BE ? http://slurl.com/secondlife/Motown%20City/32/194/23/

At the end of their performance, we will announce the 5 girls who will access the final step of Miss SL Ebony 2008 and get a chance to win over 100,000L$ ! There is excitment in the air... and also stress. If you can feel it, it means that you absolutely have to check this event out.

Re: Fashion Show and Anniversary Celebration

Come November 17, Saturday at 12 noon, Nuclear Boutique will be unveiling their latest spellbinding collection for their one year anniversary.

The Decadence Collection will be revealed in a fashion show featuring AVENUE Models. Following this breathtaking fashion show will be an anniversary celebration where there will be great music, dancing and prizes to be given out.
This new collection has been created to celebrate the First Anniversary of Nuclear Boutique. This new line of clothing includes formal gowns in rich silks adorned with jewels, alternative business attire, playful casual ensembles, and sexy lingerie. Each design is unique with beautiful detailing and luxurious fabrics.
The well known owner of Nuclear Boutique, Arikinui Adria, has been an artist for over 30 years. She focused on color and movement in her real life work and that has translated into the beautiful colorful designs that she creates for Nuclear Boutique.
Arikinui Adria first opened Nuclear Boutique in the last week of October 2006 with a small collection of casual clothing and 5 hair styles. Over the past year the store has grown immensely. Now the store includes formal wear, lingerie, business attire and casual separates.

Nuclear Boutique is located at its own tropical island called Archipelago Wild, there you find a relaxing atmosphere which ensures an enjoyable shopping experience.

What sets Nuclear Boutique apart from many stores is the staff of lovely models and helpful sales associates. You will find someone always willing to help make your shopping experience more memorable.
Nuclear Boutique will be closed from Monday, Nov 12 at 10pm SLT through Saturday, Nov 17th at 10am SLT while the island is remodeled and expanded to include spaces for shoes by Polish Up!, eyewear from Gudshu Glasses, and jewelry from Xessories by D'Nel DaSilva. There will also be a Nuclear Cafe where visitors can sit and enjoy the beauty of this tropical paradise.

Please join Nuclear Boutique in celebrating its First Year Anniversary. They promise you not only a memorable party but a wonderful fashion show featuring the Decadence Collection and a relaxing atmosphere.
Date : 17 November 2007 (Saturday)Time : 12 noon

Venue : Nuclear Boutique~Xplosive Fashions, Archipelago (209,30,251)*
Nuclear Boutique's Decadence Collection Fashion Show is organized by Nuclear Boutique and produced by Rusch Raymaker of AVENUE Inc.
For more information, please contact Arikinui Adria, (Owner) of Nuclear Boutique, or Annette Wilder (PR Manager) of AVENUE Inc.
http://www.arikinui.blogspot.com/

YSL in Secondlife !

Yves Saint Laurent in secondlife ! ( http://slurl.com/secondlife/YSL/127/11/21/ )