Iris Ophelia's ongoing review of virtual world and MMO fashion
The 3rd Vanity Universe Skin Fair [SLurl] is running from February 20th to March 6th, featuring new and old releases from dozens of amazing skin designers. I love a well put-together fair because it's an ideal way to get caught up on what both established designers and emerging ones have been up to, without the hassle of scouring blogs and teleporting all over the place. I'm definitely not the only one who feels this way, since the sim has been consistently filled since opening day. If you haven't been able to get there yet (or if you're wondering if it's worth the trouble), here are my favorite new skins from this year's lineup.
I can't say that I've been a devotée of Monyka Benelli and Monicuzza Babenco's brand, YS & YS, in the past. However their latest skin, Liu, caught my eye at the fair and has turned me on to the brand a little more. Normally I wear the palest skin tones, but the paler version of this skin, named Susan, didn't quite wow me as much as Liu. I think that there's just something about the face itself that seems to "pop" more in tan– Susan can seem almost sallow in comparison. The real signature of the skin is the shading on the lips, which give them the appearance of curving and dipping down in the middle in a way that is impossible to achieve without using image editing software. I've seen other skinmakers try to achieve this effect before, but with far less success than Liu.
Keep reading for two more drop dead gorgeous finds from the Vanity Universe Skin Fair!
Lara Hurley is another creator and brand that I had noticed before, but never fully embraced. There were a lot of skins at the fair with very over-the-top makeup, so my preference for slightly more natural styles lead to me leaving a lot of fair booths empty-handed. Thankfully, Lara Hurley's booth was a breath of fresh air to say the least. Her newest skin, Ava, won me over with soft features and a clean, simple style. Ava is a classic kind of skin, not too overdone and not likely to look dated any time soon.
Gala Phoenix, designer of the Curio skin line, has been releasing new faces like crazy in the past few weeks. From the asian Jasmine, to the Valentine-themed Sweetheart, and now Yum2 and Pout at the skin fair. I haven't worn Curio skins for over a year, but after Jasmine and Sweetheart lured me back, Pout sealed the deal. It's the same fabulous detail and body expected from Curio, but with an adorable pouting mouth perfect for the lacy doll-like outfits I've been hoarding recently. This skin has a lot of expression and charm, and Gala's even got some Pout tattoo lipsticks set out for free if you want to get the most of your pouty purchase.
Honorable mentions definitely go out to Tuli, Dutch Touch, and Mynerva. I'm a big fan of each of these brands, even though their releases for skin fair didn't quite hook me as much as they have in the past. And before you teleport over, consider brushing up on your ARC etiquette as well: remember that it's just as bad to be the one with a rendering cost in the red as it is to be the one yelling at them!
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.
Gala Phoenix is amazing, I bought a full pack (52 skins)i year ago.
Never felt the need to change!
And the combos of makeup it allows, always feeting the mood im in, its more then a gift.
Wish I could found her skins on Os grid, that would make me at least try to go there.
Posted by: Foneco Zuzu | Friday, February 25, 2011 at 02:17 AM
Who sells the sculpted clothes in the YS & YS pic on top, they look amazing :o
Posted by: Jake | Wednesday, March 09, 2011 at 10:54 AM