New World Notes

Iris Ophelia Talks Asian Metaverse Style On Machinima-Based Fashion TV Show

NWN style correspondent Iris Ophelia has been on semi-hiatus to deal with those irksome real world necessities, but she'll be back writing here soon (and rumor has it, she's got a lot on her mind.) Meantime, here she is visiting Angie Mornington of Fabulous Fashion TV, mainly talking about the SL styles of Asian designers which often go unnoticed in the English-centric part of the metaverse. Just as interesting to me is the polish and pizazz of the show itself; the production values and presentation are about on par with a basic cable TV show, this one just happens to be shot as machinima in Second Life. Still find the VoIP lip sync off-putting, though.

Ophelia's Gaze: With Second Life Style, When is Bad Fashion Really Just Different Taste?

Exclusive to NWN, Iris Ophelia's ongoing showcase of all things stylish in SL

As much as I like to believe that Second Life has the potential to be (and sometimes is) a cooperative fashion utopia, the reality is that fashion and drama are pretty closely linked. As in most other matters of taste, there are very few certain things in fashion. Even the most stylish items can be worn hideously, and most of the people who consider themselves stylish, in RL or SL, seem to take at least a little bit of joy from looking at someone whose outfit is going in the opposite direction of taste.

Blogs like What The Fug? get a lot of traffic from critiquing some of the out-there outfits people wear in SL (along with offering constructive tips on how to improve your avatar.) However, in the What The Fug Flickr Group (NSFW), which shows bad outfit sightings contributed by fans of the site, things can get a lot less constructive. And in my opinion, arbitrary.  In a virtual world where nearly everything is possible, is it bad taste to have an overweight avatar, or to wear mismatched shoes? Where can the line be drawn between bad taste and different taste?  Keep reading for a few of my ideas on the subject!

Ophelia's Gaze: My Favorite Cosplay Fashion For Second Life

Exclusive to NWN, Iris Ophelia's ongoing showcase of all things stylish in SL

Confession: Since my very first days in SL, I've been a closet cosplayer. Let's face it, anime and Japanese video games are both filled with some really fabulous costumes and character designs, and Second Life is an excellent platform to play with them-- and you can even cosplay things in SL that would never be possible to do in RL, from miniature fairies to massive demons. 

Keep reading for three of my favourite cosplay styles, characters taken from the world of Final Fantasy, Shin Megami Tensei, and Chobits-- now brought to Second Life!

Ophelia's Gaze: Three Things I've Learned From My Mom and Dad's Second Life

At left and right, Mother and Father Ophelia

Exclusive to NWN, Iris Ophelia's ongoing showcase of all things stylish in SL

When I joined Second Life in 2006, I didn't expect a lot that's happened to me since then. I didn't expect to still be involved three years later, or become a regular SL fashion columnist, let alone lecture about virtual clothing at a New York design school. 

Most of all, though, I didn't expect my own real world parents to join me in SL.  But that's exactly what happened.

While I'm in my early twenties, my parents are middle aged and in Second Life's key demographic, so it really shouldn't have been that surprising.  The metaverse is what you make of it, and between three distinct personalities, my family's taken three equally different paths. While my parents would prefer to keep their Second Life names private, they did agree to pose for some family photos (in my kitchen), and let me write about their in-world identities.  The funny thing is, I learned a lot about my parents by sharing this virtual space, things I didn't know even after living with them for 20 years. 

Take my mother -- the club-hopping vixen who sometimes dances with herself.

Ophelia's Gaze: 3 Tips for Surviving RL Recession in SL Style

 

Exclusive to NWN, Iris Ophelia's ongoing showcase of all things stylish in SL

In economically difficult times, one of the first budget items we tend to cut back on is entertainment. Take Second Life shopping: for most of us, now is probably not the best time for L$100,000 spending sprees. But that shouldn't mean going entirely without, either. There are a few simple shopping tactics that will stretch your virtual fashion budget that much further. Keep reading for my three L$ pinching tips.

Ophelia's Gaze: What Scarlet, Kate, and Angelina Would Wear If The Oscars Were Held In Second Life

 

Exclusive to NWN, Iris Ophelia's ongoing showcase of all things stylish in SL

I've never really been someone who follows annual awards ceremonies closely, but even I can feel the buzz in the air today. Many Residents hold Oscar parties in Second Life, and that's not surprising. Where else is it easier to pull together a glamorous starlet look within a few minutes? If you're looking for something to wear tonight, here's four outfits, three of which are presented in avatars inspired by some of the most stylish stars in Hollywood: Scarlett Johansson, Kate Winslet, and Angelina Jolie.*

Keep reading for my red carpet picks!

Ophelia's Gaze: City of Heroes-esque Styles in Second Life

Exclusive to NWN, Iris Ophelia's ongoing showcase of all things stylish in SL

For a lot of Second Life users, indulging in other MMOs can be a bit like a vacation. For me the playability of a game is directly related to the customizability and quality of the avatar I'm playing with, so naturally one of my favorites is City of Heroes, which has such a seemingly infinite number of costume possibilities that it's nearly impossible to come across your doppelganger, even when you're new.  (I know a lot of other SL fashionistas who enjoy a round of CoH too.)

The system isn't perfect, though. Quality standards for games evolve very quickly, and so naturally a lot of the costume pieces in City of Heroes are starting to show their age. While there is some newer content that is quite well done, I decided to put some outfits together in Second Life to show a little of the potential of superhero style. Keep reading for three super-stylish outfits!

Ophelia's Gaze: Guide to Everyday, Catwalk-Free Fashion

 

Exclusive to NWN, Iris Ophelia's ongoing showcase of all things stylish in SL

It's exhausting to be hyper-fantastic all the time, especially (for example) if you're in-world to meet with co-workers or you use SL as an education resource with students.  Then, being too glammed up might seem inappropriate, or even make you appear less approachable. Even when the topic of an article is casual clothing, it feels like everything ends up just as glamorous as any party dress spread. Bright red lips and smoky eyes are not something I think of when I'm going out to run some errands. I'm pretty guilty of doing this in my own articles, so I felt that it was time to try and get true casual, non-glamorous clothing right-- everyday looks that mix practicality and charm, for those of us in SL who don't really need to look like we're on the runway all the time. Read on for three anti-glam looks to live by (and in.)

Ophelia's Gaze: Second Life Styles for the Michelle Obama Era of Fashion

Exclusive to NWN, Iris Ophelia's ongoing showcase of all things stylish in SL

As the world welcomes a new US President, they also welcome a new First Lady whose bold looks and regal elegance will surely influence what women wear for years to come. Will Michelle Obama also inspire the fashionistas of Second Life? Iris Ophelia found some styles which make me think so. Below, Iris presents three metaverse ensembles that Ms. Obama herself would be proud to wear-- and are likely to be all the rage in Second Life for four more years (and maybe more.) - Hamlet Au

The Hottest Male Avatar of 2008: Bone Mosten

Exclusive to NWN, Iris Ophelia's ongoing showcase of all things stylish in SL

The Hottest Male Avatars of 2007 were a great start, but this year we really upped the ante. After three weeks of semi finalist voting and a top eleven, there was still one thing left to do, and that was to crown the Hottest Male Avatar of 2008, based on a reader poll of ten finalists. With Prad Prathivi coming in 3rd place and Dpende Control coming in 2nd, Bone Mosten was crowned Hottest Male of 2008 in style at Seven Ultra Lounge, and even CNBC blogged the story. Bone's more than a pretty face, though. Read on to get to know Bone a little better.