Iris Ophelia's ongoing review of gaming and virtual world fashion
Innovation in men's fashion in SL often lags behind womenswear significantly -- women seem to be the more active (practically voracious) consumer market for virtual clothing and accessories so they tend to get the most attention, and until recently the mesh clothing market hasn't been much of an exception to that. Thankfully the tides are turning for the guys (who were pretty vocal in their disappointment with lacking options while their lady friends have been strutting around in an endless parade of mesh outfits).
There's been even more good news for fashion-conscious SL guys since Damien Fate, one of the designers behind coldLogic (whose launch I covered earlier this year), announced his upcoming mesh menswear brand FATEwear, which will be opening its doors in September. Don't let the wait bum you out though, you can get a taste of the goods right now -- keep reading for a preview of what FATEwear has in store!
Based on Damien's past store openings (and hints right from the horse's mouth) we can likely look forward to pretty diverse stock on opening day ranging from casual to formal, including the 4-piece outfit, named Willard, pictured on my male avatar above. Now I love a sharp suit like this as much as any woman does, but the packaging for this little bundle caught my eye even more: not your standard box, but rather an incredibly handsome black leather messenger bag, shown on the right. This bag will be the standard packaging for FATEwear's fatpacks, like a little bonus, with a different texture depending on the contents to keep things interesting. My fingers are crossed that this gorgeous bag may have a wearable (maybe even unisex) doppelganger among FATEwear's releases, but until then it'll be joining the decor in my humble little skybox!
Although FATEwear's not scheduled to open officially until September, the beautifully built FATEisland is open to explore now. This hyper-detailed structure is all mesh and it's well worth the trip to the island to check out all the elegant, well-crafted nooks and crannies.
If the highly-photogenic surroundings aren't enticing enough, swing by and subscribe to the FATEwear updater for a free promotional group gift, pictured on the right. I'll admit that the camo shorts personally aren't my cup of tea (camo in general is a certifiable Iris-repellant, sorry guys!), but the khaki button-up shirt that comes with this free ensemble is practically flawless. Something that Damien Fate often does better than most mesh designers in SL is recreate the stress and tension of material on the body. The wrinkles, the puckers, and the slight folds that he models and textures in his designs are realisic and always add a tangible quality to the fabric. You can almost feel the weight of the cloth, from gauzy dresses to sturdy tops like this one. Snap it up while you can, and keep your eyes peeled for more to come!
[Click here to teleport to FATEisland]
Iris Ophelia (Janine Hawkins IRL) has been featured in the New York Times and has spoken about SL-based design at the Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan and with pop culture/fashion maven Johanna Blakley.
That sim is beautiful, great example of how mesh builds can improve SL! De much detail.
Can't wait to see the clothing line. As someone who only runs a male avie my wardrobe is very lacking.
Posted by: Adeon Writer | Friday, August 24, 2012 at 12:32 PM
Fantastic, Men's fashion news is hard to find.
Keep up the good work Iris
Posted by: Jeremiah Whitfield | Wednesday, September 05, 2012 at 04:54 AM