Iris Ophelia's ongoing review of virtual world and MMO fashion
For many designers, a store is a utilitarian necessity; shelves of products and information are set out in a spartan way so customers can find what they need and leave. However, some see their store as an opportunity to build an entire experience to engage visitors, and it's these stores that really give me something to gush about!
Take Lula [SLurl], for example. At its heart is a breathtaking build that certainly doesn't scream "mall", even though it houses Lamb, Tres Blah, and Mon Tissu's main shops. I find myself coming back to this place again and again, even when I don't need to buy anything, just to soak in the atmosphere. This sim reminds me so much of the romantic little towns in the south of France, between the lush vegetation, rolling hills, and the colorfully varied buildings. Lula is easily one of the most charming shopping sims in all of SL.
This list isn't just limited to gorgeous builds. Keep reading for two more stores that provide eye-catching and ingenious shopping experiences!
Not long after sculpties changed the face of avatar customization a few years ago, I eagerly snapped up one of Verkin Raven's massive Seawolf Dragons, and Verkin's sim, Aggro [SLurl], is more than just a location to sell these hulking monsters-- it's a place to take them for a spin. The environment is scripted to interact with these avatars, so trees can be burnt with fire breath, and water sprays up quite dramatically when a dragon splashes down into the lakes and streams.
While I don't spend much time in non-human avatars elsewhere, I find myself slipping into my dragon avatar from time to time and re-visiting Aggro. Maybe it's just that a Canadian girl like me can feel at home surrounded by the pine trees and snow, but this sim is one of my favorite relaxing virtual retreats (even if it is technically just a big shop.)
I know a lot of you will think, "OMG, BareRose?! That place is a maze! How could that be considered a great shopping experience?!" It's true, I don't love the BareRose [SLurl] experience for the store layout. The walls of "B@R" have been positively packed with an assortment of everything from boleros to bondage gear since before I joined SL, and historically anyone unfamiliar with the shop has needed a sherpa and a sturdy mule to find what they're looking for.
All that changed when June Dion launched BareRose's website. In addition to showcasing new releases, it allows you to browse everything by category or search for something specific. The best part of all this is that the site has a SLurl location for every single outfit. While you'll still need to spot it on the wall, this incredibly streamlined online catalogue makes BareRose's mountains of diverse stock easy enough for anyone to navigate. There really is something in this store for everyone-- and now they can finally find it.
Do you know any more shops with gorgeous builds or brilliant gimmicks? Tell me about your favorite shopping experiences in the comments!
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.
No gimmicks aside from mad-science contraptions, but Port Caledon offers such an immersive experience when shopping. I feel myself strolling in an crazed part of a past-that-never-quite-was when I'm there. I always put a suit on the avatar before going shopping.
Such places make me realize why I dislike the SL Marketplace so much: a Web site is not an experience. But I prefer a face-to-face bookseller over Amazon, too (yet I shop at both).
Posted by: Ignatius Onomatopoeia | Monday, February 07, 2011 at 10:23 AM
A miserable SL (3D) experience made better by a (2D) web-site? No wonder SL has become such a joke.
Posted by: smiles large | Monday, February 07, 2011 at 12:57 PM
I love Victorian clothing from BlakOpal. They make elegant formal wear and pirate clothing for both men and women. Their clothes are lovely, move beautifully and come with things in appropriate multiple layers. Their inworld stores are pleasant places where it is easy to find things. Their SLMarketplace store is even easier to use than their inworld stores, and usually features some fantastic freebies.
The granddaddy of immersive SL shopping experiences is surely Grendel's. I am quite sure that MC Escher must have designed their main building - exploring it can easily take an evening, and I've never been able to come back and go straight to any of their items, even if I'm sure I remember where it lives. They have some of the most creative avatars around - see last week's Designing Worlds for examples - and their prices are unbelievably low.
Posted by: RivenHomewood | Monday, February 07, 2011 at 04:31 PM
@smiles I don't think that's a fair statement at all. The fact is, BareRose probably has more products available than any other store in SL. Each wall is piled with hundreds of very different things. 3D or not, if you're looking for something there it's like looking for a book in a library without being able to search the call number-- you know the general section it's in, but then you pretty much have to scan everything. Libraries solved this problem with card catalogues and computer searches, exactly like BareRose has.
Posted by: Iris Ophelia | Monday, February 07, 2011 at 05:47 PM
I agree Iris - thanks for highlighting it. I love the stuff at Bare Rose but if I'm looking for something in particular it can take an age to wander round - this means I can now look around quicker and then have a closer look at those I like.
Posted by: Hitomi Tiponi | Monday, February 07, 2011 at 06:32 PM
Take a look at Miladys Fancy (that's the name of the sim) - a wonderful little shopping village.
Posted by: Dylan Rickenbacker | Tuesday, February 08, 2011 at 04:12 AM
Ditto on the BareRose website, it's what made shopping at BareRose bearable for me. Though I do wish June would put the club/hangout space in a totally separate sim...far far away from the shopping.
I personally love a good simple layout with signage and maps that lets me find the stuffs I'm looking for. Always was a fan of Luth Brodie's layouts and the current Adam n Eve one is great. Truth's is pretty good too...would be even better if he "encouraged" people not to group up at the entrance and actually LEAVE when they're done and not just hang out.
Posted by: CronoCloud Creeggan | Tuesday, February 08, 2011 at 06:18 AM