Exclusive to NWN, Iris Ophelia's ongoing showcase of all things stylish in SL
The best things in Second Life are usually free. Exploring a great build, meeting new people, getting that perfect snapshot... But when it comes to SL fashion, that's rarely true. It’s fair to say that most freebies are junk compared to what else is available. But most doesn’t mean all, and there are a lot of excellent freebies out there just waiting to be added to your inventory. After the break, some of my favorites.
A perfect example is the Kira hair by Rach Snookums of Frangipani. Frangipani offers several free hairstyles in every single shade they sell their other hairstyles. Of all these free styles, I chose Kira because it has a sense of sweetness, whimsy, and uniqueness that is rare to find in regularly priced hair, never mind something that’s free (or L$1, just the same).
The only other free hair in SL that could rival Rach’s has to be by Truth Hawks of Truth, who has the same array of texture choices available in his freebie packs at Truth, but also has a light tipped and dark tipped version of each color included. Truth is without a doubt one of my favorite hair designers in SL, because his styles are often very bold and different from the norm, making his hairs essential to anyone who likes to stand out in the crowd. Pictured is Danny, which comes sized for men and women-- that’s another great thing about Truth, he doesn’t ignore the guys in favor of the gals.
The same can be said for many of the designers from The Block, including Donovan Brennan of GearShift, who is responsible for the spiffy T-shirt pictured above, and Dragontat Zagato of DMC, the creator of the jeans shown. Both stores can be found at The Block, but for all the freebies (including these) there’s a little shop called Loot tucked in a back alley stocked with some pretty choice items for the street-chic avatar. For more gifts from the designers at The Block, watch for their Block Parties, which have some exclusive and very limited creations out for attendees.
This won’t be the first time I’ve mentioned my love of Miko Omegamu’s ultra-feminine retro designs at Icing, and Miko has several freebies up for sale as well. My favorite is easily the crisp Petit Basier dress. It’s fresh, innocent, and simple enough to be usable for almost any style.
Another designer I absolutely adore (and would kill to see more from) is Namida Akami, who creates for several shops under the umbrella label of Datenshi Creations. While my favorite of Namida’s shops are the twee Pacotille and the more refined MUWU, OhLaLa has a freebie bundle that is worth a spot on your shopping list. My favorite item in this bundle is easily the Caraco Mini Dress, which comes in several color variations including the eyepopping Bollywood option shown.
I love colouful paint splatters, and the idea of looking a bit like a walking Jackson Pollock painting. I love them so much that I actually bought these pants by Namida twice... after receiving them as a gift as well. I was just as enthusiastic when Fallingwater Cellardoor of Shiny Things released these sculpted Painter Shoes as a freebie, sized for men and women. I bought these twice as well, in my excitement. While they’re not something you could wear out to dinner if your mother was looking, they’re another item where you can almost feel the amount of fun the designer had creating them.
Fallingwater currently has a free pair of shoes available to members of her group only, and she is one of many designers that treats her update group to sales and exclusives. This is why you shouldn’t be afraid to join the groups for stores you enjoy. Tuli Asturias of Tuli also has an outstanding group when it comes to member incentives. The skin and dress shown were both free gifts to members of her update group, and it’s not uncommon for Tuli to create special color variations of outfits for her group members. I don’t recommend joining groups just for the gifts, and remember that group notices aren’t stored forever. It’s best to find your favorite creators’ groups and join them, if you miss one neat group freebie from someone else it certainly won’t be the end of the world! That being said, when it comes to joining update groups, Subscribe-o-Matic's are a fashionistas best friend!
If I had to crown a designer for having the most original hairstyles in all of SL, momo Foulon of TekuTeku would be among the finalists if not the winner. I will admit that her texturing is not my favorite, but she takes those same old prims and wraps them into styles that are all her own. She also regularly releases free styles for holidays, seasons, and on pure whim. While this are usually only available in one or two basic textures, they’re ulra-cute and great for building up some inventory diversity.
It never ceases to amaze me how a shop as relatively small as Arbel Vogel’s Winter Moon can have an item for every mood I’m in, including broke. This little Valentine Hoodie hasn’t fizzled away like most holiday goodies, rather it’s stayed out on the gift table at Arbel’s shop for months... And I sincerely hope it never goes away. No, it’s not perfect, and no, it’s not the best hoodie in SL. However, it’s cute, it has layers, and it deserves to be a casual staple for every fashionista.
The final freebie is something that may seem underwhelming, but it is one of the most versatile things I’ve ever picked up. Cocomitsu Mayo and chocolat Yifu are the sister designers behind UnTone and UnTone Quilt, and several months back they put up a teaser poster in their shops for these Drop Earrings, which come in silver and black at UnTone and a sweet patterned pink variation at UnTone Quilt. I was smitten, and when they were finally released as freebies no less, I was in accessory heaven. I’ve worn these earrings more than any other earrings in my inventory, and they’ve become my fail-proof outfit accessories of choice when no other earrings look quite right. I just could not live my Second Life without these!
These freebies (with the exception of the Tuli group gifts) are all still currently available. The thing with freebies is that they usually aren’t out forever. Freebies are a good tool for designers for a few reasons: they’re a way to make use of dated or imperfect creations, a way to bring in traffic/publicity, and a way to keep customers feeling happy and appreciated. A lot of the best freebies are given out around holidays like Halloween, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, and St. Patrick’s Day, so it’s a good idea to keep your eyes peeled for seasonal freebies at those times. Also, don’t forget that Creator Stamp Rally 2008 Summer is coming in August, which will have freebies from some really outstanding shops like BP*, Cubic Effect, Gritty Kitty, Le Petit Prince, and so many more.
Iris Ophelia has been featured in the New York Times and has spoken about
SL-based design at the Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan.
Hi again Iris (was that annoying person asking about Japanese hair shops ages back)
ive asked this in another section as well sorry.
Where does the hair from the Block freebie pic come from. Strikes a chord I just cant find the rest of it. :s
Thanks and nice info, i'll have a look at Datenshi and the pain jeans and shoes.
Posted by: Kallie Faulkes | Thursday, June 26, 2008 at 09:38 AM
You're not annoying at all! I'm more than happy to answer these questions. ^^ That hair is Noam Sprocket's Czech Mate (in Rage) from Gritty Kitty. That boy is a hair genius. :D
Posted by: Iris Ophelia | Thursday, June 26, 2008 at 08:44 PM
Hello Iris,
This is Eden Minton from ::Pacotille:: :)
Namida and I would like to thank you for talking about us in your article, and are really glad you like our stuffs at Datenshi Creations. We're working on new stuff, which we will be releasing soon, so we'll make sure to send some of those your way :)
Take care :]
Posted by: Eden Minton | Monday, July 28, 2008 at 06:51 AM
this is a totally awesome site with some really hot chicks on itlol
Posted by: chickens have legs | Thursday, September 03, 2009 at 10:56 PM