Second Life fashion is full of moments of synchronicity and this is one. It all started with the dress from Baiastice. It was released in many solid colors and prints, but I was most drawn to this earth-toned batik. I was fidgeting about, trying to choose hair and MiaMai released some gorgeous turbans with an Afro-centric inspiration and this tobacco version is perfect with the dress. Meanwhile, Kunglers released a necklace in a coffee color and of course, coffee and tobacco are the peanut butter and jelly of louche lotus-eaters. And then, if that were not enough, PXL Creations released a Jazz quartet of skins for Rhapsody. All events have no causal bearing on each other, but they are uncannily in synchronicity.
The combination of pieces made me think of Ballaké, a classic of African Jazz by Bembeya Jazz National— after all, Jazz developed in America from African roots and American music traditions. Then it migrated back to Africa and found a new iteration. These pieces draw their inspirations from Indonesia and Africa but are modified and changed in translation just as the music was. Continue reading