New World Notes

Ophelia's Gaze: Three Favorites From The Vanity Universe Skin Fair -- And How To Wear Them

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

Vanity Universe's Skin Fair (SLURL link here), is running until Sunday November 22nd, and features a lot of new designers who weren't a part of the last fair, along with new releases from old favorites. Better yet, every designer at this Fair has an item out to benefit Care International, a poverty relief organization. If you're in the market for a fresh new face or a trendy makeup, the Skin Fair is the place to be this week. 

My favorite three fair finds are after the cut -- along with tips on wearing them well.

I Like Banana's (Second Life Travel and Fashion Blog)

Banana Vella is the quirky name of a fashionista with a yen for SL travel -- and her blog is named the same. Amid sporadic fashion spreads, she lavishly illustrates her many travels in SL, and they're locations you'll want to visit too: say the underwater dreamland in Raimondo, the magical Bentham forest, and an island called Photon Pinks, "sim that looks like someone threw up candy all over it. I mean that in the nicest way possible!" Now won't you care for some Banana too?

In Survey, 90% Call For Critical Second Life Fashion Blog -- Here's Some Advice on Writing One

Noting the dearth of SL blogs that are critical of Second Life fashion, I recently surveyed the demand for same. Here's the results: nearly 90% are potentially interested in reading an SL blog with negative product reviews. Iris Ophelia wrote a classic guide for spotting poorly made Second Life fashion, so here's three suggestions for blogging about them with a minimum of drama:

Ophelia's Gaze: 5 Signs of Low-Quality Second Life Fashion

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

I've decided to give you a pretty pic up top because it's going to get real ugly after the jump, believe me. There's been a lot of discussion going on lately about the value of highly critical fashion blogging in SL. Do you gloss over the flaws or zero in on them? Even if you aren't a blogger, how can you tell if the item you're wearing is truly well made? It's a fairly broad subject to cover, but I've got five points and some very valuable advice for anyone who wants to start poring over the contents of their virtual closet with a little more scrutiny.

So if you want to be critical of SL fashion, or you just want to be a more discerning consumer, here's what to look for...

Fine Caliber, Fine Fashion Blogger

Forget how I found her, but I dig the SL fashion blog of Fine Caliber, who creates slick, evocative, occasionally surreal style spreads to illustrate her clothing choices. Here for example is her film noir tableau, posted to celebrate her rez day: "Was required to get an SL account by a professor that held his office hours in-world. Set it and forget it for about two years before I find out Gossip Girl was doing some promotion thing via Second Life." Glad she stayed. And here's another nice spread, weirdly juxtaposing cheerleaders, fast food workers, and "Alice in Wonderland". Image credit: finethanks.tumblr.com.

Edo Sells Men's Fashion Line Inspired By New World Notes!

Keeping with Wednesday's wanton self-promotion theme, I'm proud to announce that Styles of Edo (a sponsor to this blog), has created a line of men's wear inspired by New World Notes, designed by Mr. Edo Tone: A set of white suits inspired by my avatar, who was in turn inspired by the styles of the original white suited writer, Tom Wolfe. I'll be modeling them personally, soon as Haver updates my avatar, but you can get one for your wardrobe now: SLurl teleport to Styles of Edo at this link.

Ophelia's Gaze: Hot Tips For Halloween in Second Life

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

It's not the first time that I've said this, and it definitely won't be the last, but Halloween is definitely the fashionista's holiday. In particular though, it's the weird fashionista's holiday, since it's a good opportunity to show off your most unique looks. I've picked six of my favorite special outfits for Halloween, and while most of them aren't all that scary, I think they're all frightfully fashionable!

Ophelia's Gaze: It's Boot Season in Second Life!

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

There's been a glut of great boot releases recently, and it shouldn't be a huge surprise. Fall is a big season for boots-- a little too cold for sandals, not cold enough for a pair of fuzzy mukluks, it's the perfect time of the year for stylish, ankle and calf-hugging footwear. Even in Second Life, where we're immune from every shifting season, it's a big time for tall footwear. Keep reading for four pairs of beautiful boots that I just couldn't ignore!

Ophelia's Gaze: RMB City Design Contest Prize Winner!

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

Last week, the artistic minds behind RMB City got together to choose the grand prize winner from the list of finalists selected for the RMB City design contest.The competition was fierce and it wasn't an easy choice, but ultimately all the judges agreed that one entry really captured the essence of RMB City. Keep reading to find out who won, if you haven't guessed already!

Virtual Fashion Show of Black Avatars Provokes Controversy

Last month, SL fashion magazine Avenue sponsored "Ebony", a runway show dedicated to black fashionistas, most whom are also black in real life, and it's provoked a minor drama among SL fashionistas, which in turn exposed a deeper unease with real world racial politics. Some like Gattina Dumpling of Shopping Cart Disco, complained about the show's lack of ethnic diversity: "In this day in age," she wrote, "shouldn’t we sort of be celebrating how alike we are rather than how different we are?" Which provoked others like Cajsa Lilliehook to complain about the lack of avatar ethnic diversity in SL at large. "It's sad that every single time African-Americas try to claim some territory, whites get so threatened that their dominance will be somewhat diminished that they have to raise their concerns and complain about blacks excluding them," she wrote. To further complicate things, it's apparently still difficult to find realistic black/Latino avatar skins, which means fashion shows like this provide a valuable service for Residents who want them. But because human avatars in SL are overwhelmingly white, a show solely comprised of non-white avatars is bound to be conspicuous. The question is, will the ethnicity of avatars in all SL fashion shows eventually become more diverse? Especially since it's possible to change one's virtual race with a few clicks?

Hat tip: Isadora Fiddlesticks, who has some pertinent if acidic thoughts.