Quiet Contradictions

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I love when designers do the unexpected and take something that has been around a long time and use it in a new way. The Fall/Winter collection from Legal Insanity is all about fusing contradictory elements into something new and exciting. One element is the fabric. Through most of the collection, designer Datrip Blackbart uses traditional menswear fabrics – pinstripes and plaids. However, you never see them made into the traditional suit. For the men, they show up in dropped-crotch pants and hoodies and other urban casuals. Meanwhile, for women you see the quiet contradiction of the traditional menswear pinstripe in a strapless formal gown. These pieces deny the expected and take us in an unexpected direction – but more importantly, they work. Looking at this gorgeous pinstripe gown, you can see how perfectly it works.
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Studio Time: FLUX is Awash In Sugar Skulls

I was raised protestant in the middle of America. We don’t have sugar skulls. In fact, I only ever heard of sugar skulls in SL. So when the Flux theme was DAY OF THE DEAD and people started putting out sugar skulls – I went -oh, this is connected?

Since cultural appropriation is a serious trigger for many people, I decided I should probably look up what all this means before I go wearing it. I learned a lot. Most of it creepy (to me). Continue reading

What All the Fashionable Gladiator Are Wearing

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One of the dresses that entranced me at AVENUE Fashion Week was this one from Zanze. It’s called Clarice and features a bodice made of chain mail with intriguing triangle cutouts where the bodice meets the waist of the leather shirt, a scintillating little detail that makes the dress. It is so very fun to see these oh-so-masculine and martial materials being employed in a very feminine form, in a dress that except for that telling detail at the waist, is very traditional in its silhouette.

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Grooveallegiance

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For if our cause was unjust
We couldn’t bring this funk to you.
So we feel that it’s a must
It is something we should do

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Let me take you by the hand
And spread the funk across the land
It’s not hard to understand
Heading for the master plan…

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Pardon me, but I can tell
We know each other very well
Take my funk and let it grow
And then we’ll funk some more

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My Dakota gown

Yesterday i visited Collabor88 and, after waiting for everything to rez properly, i was really amazed at the sight of so many beautiful creations. Not that normally i’m not amazed by C88 things, but it doesn’t happen often that i like almost the whole collection, like in this case or like the famous anniversary case. I grabbed all the demos i wanted and went back home to try them on, cause the place was too laggy to try demoing there.
Just one thing disappointed me, tee*fy‘s stuff wasn’t out yet. You know, tee*fy’s spot is the first one i put my eyes on each time i go visit C88.
This morning – my morning, when yankees are probably sleeping and the place should be less crowded haha! – i went back to buy the things i wanted and i finally saw that tee*fy’s items were out.

And i drooled over the Dakota Corset Gown which i purchased without even trying the demo on.

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Wonderfully texturized, this is one of the most beautiful things i’ve seen recently on SL. This is a perfect example of mesh which i don’t often see on long dresses. Look at the way it “caresses ” the body with every movement, look at the perfectly irregular cut, look at the high front slit sensually showing the leg, look at the belt which stylishly completes the look.
Ahhh…Dakota, so sensual and elegant at the same time.

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More after the cut!
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Berry’s meme: a close friend

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I am still wandering Hogwarts, and thought you might like to see it. I’ve posted a few more photos of the sim over on my blog, but — GEMINIO. Here are more! In the bottom photo you can see my wand, the Schadenfreude Celestial wand. It’s beautiful and magical, and I swear I didn’t turn Allegory into the newt that hyasynth is holding.

Yesterday, I began to work on Berry’s meme, revealing the deep, dark secret that Acha was born a man but forced to cross-dress ever since. The second part of the meme is about friendship.

2. Blog about one of your closest friends in Second Life.

Lucky for me it’s hyasynth Tiramisu. I think the gist of this meme asks the question, what makes a good friend in Second Life? I think for me it’s a combination of honesty and loyalty. At the beginning of my career as a blogger, my pictures were horrendous crap. hyasynth has always gently assisted me, pointing out that I probably need poses other than my AO, that I should perhaps blog things besides her own clothing, that spending some time learning Photoshop would help me develop my eye. All of these things were true, and have helped me grow as a blogger.

I’m still growing and learning, but I’ll remember the lovely moment when hyasynth actually “liked” some of my photos on Flickr. It felt like my mentor was giving me a decent grade! Aside from simply helping me grow as an SL photographer, hya inspires me constantly with all of her art. She’s always growing and pushing herself, and is one of the hardest-working ladies that I know.

hyasynth and her newest baby

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Wizarding Faire:
Skin: My Ugly Dorothy – The Good Lady
Cloak: FATEplay Cloak – Drake – Medium – Serpent
Shoes: Lassitude & Ennui Batty Shoes in green/silver
Book: Schadenfreude Curious Flora (wearing)
Wand: Schadenfreude Celestial Wand

Other:
Pants: Plastik Elizabeth Mesh Pants in Darkness
Eyes: NP Lunar eyes in Lettuce
Glasses: Lassitude & Ennui Pince-Nex “Steampunk” silver
Hair: Little Heaven Quentin Silver (vintage)
Shirt: Schadenfreude Ivory Oxford
Collar and tie: Schadenfreude You-Know-Who necktie pack with oxford collar
Hands: Slink fist and casual

Chocolate Parfait

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I am in love with this new tunic/jacket combo from ISON for Collabor88. The high-low tunic is a slightly lighter shade of chocolate brown than the cutaway asymmetric leather wrap jacket. I love the modern minimal styling and the playing with form.

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Studio Time:It’s a Cinch at Collabor88

It’s never a question that I will blog items from Collabor88, but for me the question is who to blog FIRST. There is such a consistent level of quality at the creators of Collabor88 that it has become painstaking to figure out which box I will open and like first.

That’s a cherished thing for an event, I would never lie and say I love everything I see. But the things that I love tend to be really well done.

So we’ll start this month with The SECRET STORE. Maylee Oh again hits one out of the park with a cinched high waist dress that leans toward a corset cut, juxtaposed with a Peter Pan collar. Sexy but demure. The name, Jezibell, leans toward the vintage cinched waist’s hint at corset pulling, but definitely keeps it PG with a delicately gathered bodice in rich deep tones. The skirt is textured with broad but faint stripes and shaded to indicate the fabric stretched over your curves. Continue reading

I Am Afraid To Go To Her Store

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Diaxm of Ariskea has released such fabulous gowns for both the Spring/Summer and the Fall/Winter AVENUE Fashion Week’s that I am afraid to go to her store for fear I won’t have a single linden left to my name. Not one. This crop top and full length skirt are certainly contenders for my top five outfits of the year. I love the subtle autumnal ombre, the heavy silk fabric, the contrast of form and fabric with the ball gown skirt and the cropped tee that should not work but does. The look exudes confidence and insouciance pleasure in fashion.

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Berry’s meme: I’m a man, baby

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When I first heard about Wizarding Faire, I thought to myself: Oh yes, now I can be my favorite Harry Potter character, SIRIUS BLACK! So instead of trying on any of the fine clothing from the Faire itself, I scoured Marketplace for a green frock coat, so as to better embody Mr. Black. Sadly I didn’t find one. But I’ve done the best I could, aided by a tattoo beard and flowing RP locks from Calico.

Here’s Mr. Black defending himself from the Hogwarts Express. He’s going to be around all week, and I’ll probably tweak him a little here and there (over in my blog), so you can see the evolution of this RP character. (Hm. I wonder if the Wizarding World needs a good Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher…)

But on to the important part of this post, Berry’s meme. This week, it’s the “Your Avatar’s Private Life Challenge.” I realized that my Wizarding Faire post fits this meme incredibly well, because…

Here’s a secret: my avatar, Achariya Maktoum, was born a boy. That’s right, fresh-out-of-the-box Acha was something like “Gothic Male” (that was a thing in 2007, right?). I’ve always been completely honest about the fact that Acha’s player is a married mom, although I hear that this isn’t what the cool kids do. But along the way, I got seduced by all the pretty dresses (I blame hyasynth) and Mr. Achariya swiftly became Ms. Achariya.

Therefore…

1. Meme Suggested by Mr. Jefferson: “What does your avatar get up to after you log out?”

I always imagine Acha grumbling whenever I force him into a girl shape. “Darnit, player. You created me as a man, why can’t I just keep my manly shape?” “You be quiet, Achariya Maktoum! You get into that cute petite girl shape and PUT ON THAT FROCK!” So whenever I leave SL, I suspect that Acha immediately loses the girl shape and slides into a suit. “Ahhh, finally,” I can imagine him saying, “I can reattach my…”

That’s why this blog post suits the meme. I’m pretty sure that when I’m not around, Acha plays with his wand out of sheer relief. The wand, by the way, is by Schadenfreude for the Wizarding Faire, and it comes with three poses, beautiful texture options, and MAGIC.

2. Blog about one of your closest friends in Second Life.

I’ll do this part of the meme tomorrow.

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Homorphus!

Eyes: Shine Lustrous Arctic (large)
Watch: Elate Silver Pocket Watch Necklace
Pants: ~silentsparrow~ Batty Suit
Skin: Ugly Duck Uriel – beard – scars
Shirt: Schadenfreude Strigoi Oxford
Beard: [K] TMD Facial Hair – beard
Hands: Slink male hands – closed and relaxed. The closed one has the wand.
Shoes: Lassitude & Ennui Arcanist Shoes in black
Hair: Calico Liam in browns
Jacket: Phunk Mesh BW Pinstripe Suit
Wand: Schadenfreude Dragon Wand with magic and poses