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For a month now, I have been having a very bad time.
I know that Fashionista is not a place to post personal problems, but I am at wits end!
I am sure I am going to upset some people with the next statement.
You see I am married to the most beautiful person in Second Life. Now before you start to question that statement, let me tell you a little about Jula Carnell.
I met Jula on her second day in Second Life.
From the moment I laid eyes on her I knew that she was the one I wanted to spend my Second Life and Real Life with.
I even hired her to work for me, just to be close to her. ( It was hard for me to keep finding something for her to do at a job that ran on it own.)
We have had our fair share of ups and downs, just as in any relationship.
Mostly because of me, but I won't take all of the credit!
Jula will go out of her way to help anyone that she can.
One time she spent the day helping a girl who wanted to be a model, gave her clothes, lindens, and told her what to buy . The girl never even said thank you! Jula I love you because I know you would do it again.
Jula, got me on flickr, gave me a desire for fashion, photography and modeling.
Jula loves modeling more than anyone I know. she is one damn model, who works her heart out doing it. Jula would give it all up for me, if I asked her.
Jula I love you.
She is always there for me in Second Life, and Real Life.
We talk for hours everyday, sometime not even speaking a word for the longest time, but just knowing she is there, is all that matters. We finish each other sentences, have the same thoughts on most things.
We are getting ready to renew our love for each other. Two years of happiness, two years of love.
I love you Jula Carnell, more than you will ever know.
I did not come to SL to fall in love, but I am so happy that I have!
Second Life and Real Life will end one day, but my love for you will last forever.
Now getting back to my problem, you see Jula has just about every piece of Jewelry that can be found in SL. She has just about every fashion designer's creations. So what do I get her for Valentines Day?
Jula all I can give you is my love. All I can give you is my complete devotion. This is all I can give you. The only thing is, you already have it.
I love you Jula,
Have a Happy Valentines Day.
Love,
Mr. K
Just as in real life, our second life has it's ups and downs.
I was at the Opium Sim Grand reopening, enjoying seeing old friends and making new ones, when I glanced over and saw a familar face. A few years older, but still as glamous as always. She was standing by herself. As I approached her she quickly turned to go. I reached out and grabed her arm. Nicki Glam was one of Second Life's first top models. She had every agency after her, She graced the cover of every SL magazine in one month! She was the cover girl for SL Swim and SL Vogue for a combined 12 times, a record that still stands today, then suddenly she disappeared. There have been rumors of her turning up at different fashion events, but no real hard evidence. That is till now!
She hurried to put on her sunglasses and lowered her head as we exchanged greetings. ( We had met a couple of years ago, she had just agreed to do an interview with me, before she mysteriously dropped out of the fashion world.)
As we chit chatted I began to notice that this was not the over confident "I'm on top of the world" Nicki Glam that I once knew. This Nicki Glam was more timid, shallow and colder. Almost to the point of being rude!
The Opium fashion show was just getting started, I told her how nice it was to see her again and that I needed to get back to the show. I said good bye and as I turned away she grabbed my arm and said " I still owe you an interview" she handed me a sticky note with a phone number scratched on it, and told me to call her the next day then disappeared.
The next day I called Nicki, and we met at the harlem sim, just outside of the Apollo Theater. She proceeded to lead me accross the street and up the stairs of an old rundown apartment building. We walked up 4 flights of stairs before we reached her flat. I was overwhelmed as I entered. The walls were all covered with pictures of Nicki when she was at the height of her career, it was like stepping back in time. We sat at a small table overlooking the Apollo.
She told me I could ask one question and one question only.
There had always been rumours about Nicki concerning drugs,drinking and her sex life. What could I ask ? After several minutes I asked......
Why?
That simple question turned out to be her life story, from the first modeling job she got until the moment I saw her at Opuim.
As she begain her story, those enchanting eyes of her's had a far way look as if she was reliving her past all over again.
This is Nicki's story in her own words.
The first week in SL I got a job as a dancer at a sleeze bar. The same one Anshe started at, but she had left by the time I started. I think most models start as dancers, well the first ones in the fashion world that is. Models are no different than dancers. Both stand around waiting to be noticed. Putting on that fake smile, telling how beautiful each other look. A Dancer's life revolves around a pole, model's around a camera, both of us putting on a show when that spot light hits. Then going back to our lonely life. Wondering if we can aford to pay rent, or buy a new pair of boots at Stiletto Moody. Waiting for that sugar daddy or mama to come along. Waiting for our 15 mintues of fame!
There was this one guy that would come about two nights a week and watch me dance. He was young always smiling, not a good tipper but still sweet. Well one night after work, he asked if I would join him for a cup of coffee. I thought why not, free coffee is better than nothing!
What harm can a man named Frolic do. He turned out to be wonderful company, talking of his big plans building a business empire.
By the time he finished talking about himself the sun was rising. I told him I needed to go, as I got up he stood, and being a gentleman help me into my coat. He walked me to my home. As I stood on the bottom step, he bent down and our lips touched. My heart raced. It had been along time since I kissed a man. Just as soon as the kiss started it ended, as he pulled back. Our eyes locked, then he turned and parted.
I did not see him for awhile. Every night as I danced my eyes glued on the entrance hoping he would come through.
The night he did come back, is when my life changed.
Best mens shoes- Redgrave
Best mens slacks- Redgrave
Best mens shirts- Redgrave
Best lag- REDGRAVE!I love shopping at Redgrave, I just do not like going at 12:00 am slt when there is less lag.
As successful as Redgrave is they should open a couple of more stand alone stores.
Best Mall design- LE.Look
Best selection for males- LE.Look
Best selection for females- LE.Look
Best designers in one place-LE.Look
Best lag- LE.LOOK!
The day LE.LOOK opened I fell in love! Had to be the best shopping experience in SL. I went everyday for two weeks spending a couple of hours there everyday. Then Second Life's worst enemy stepped in, LAG!
In Second Life people try to be a success, to become in SL something that is alot harder to do in RL. I guess just like being a RL success, Second Life has it's price to pay. Long hours and hard work to make ones dreams come true. The price of being successful in SL has to be LAG, you know you hit the big time when it takes your customers several minutes and several crashes to go from one store to another. It is with great sadness that I will not be shopping at Redgrave and LE.LOOK anytime soon, unless I sneak away after 12:00am slt.
If any of you can bare to put up with the lag, and you feel like buying me a gift from Redgrave or LE.LOOK, send it my way, till then I'm shopping lag free!
When Fashion calls for desperate measures.
" Greta Garbo, and Monroe
Dietrich and DiMaggio
Marlon Brando, Jimmy Dean
On the cover of a magazine
Grace Kelly, Harlow, Jean
Picture of a beauty queen
Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire
Ginger Rogers, dance on air
They had style, they had grace
Rita Hayworth gave good face
Lauren, Katharine, Lana too
Bette Davis, we love you"
When Modonna released Vogue she hit fashion on the head!
I have noticed that Second Life fashion agencies are scraping the bottom of the barrel with their fashion shows. Just within the last five days, two of SL's fashion agencies have put on some very different type of fashion shows.
One was tat's and jeans, the other "model their best fetish gear" of latex and leather. Now I am sure the models enjoyed the 500 or so Lindens they made from doing the show, but is it fashion?
Believe it or not, it is the designers with the help of the fashion agencies, magazines and blogs who help set fashion trends in Second Life. I know that there are a lot more tats, jeans, and latex being bought than Fashionista style of clothes, but would it be defined as fashion? I would take Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers Fashion over tats and latex any day!
So anyone know when an agency is going to do a tee shirt show?
Runway shows are a thing of the past.
One of the hardest jobs in SL has to be running a fashion agency.
Not only are you running all over trying to find a designer willing to pay for a show, you also have a pool of models that you keep trying to find work for. As the CEO of Le Belle Facon, I have realized that runway shows are dying off. So I will tell you why I think Runway shows are a thing of the past.
The number one reason for me is LAG, along with CRASH and Burn!
A few weeks ago I went to a sim that was having a runway show, it took me 25 mintues before I could get in, the sim was full, so the only way I could get in was when someone crashed. It would usually be a model that would crash. There were whispers that people was being asked to leave or being ejected so the models could tp back, now I do not know if it was true, but knowing some agencies, I would not doubt it.
Another thing you have to take into consideration is the numbers.
Let say a fashion agency is having a show, with 3 different designers, charging 15,000L's per designer, that is 45,000L's.
Lets say the agency is using 15 models, plus 5 staff members, the 3 designers and their friends, That totals up to 23 people involve in the show.
I have been to shows that the runway sat in 4 corners of sims, people were crashing with 65 people on the sims. Most class 5 sims start crashing at about 50 or about 60 people on them. Let just say to me, the 15,000 Lindens are not worth it! Take away the 23 or so people working the show, that leaves only about 30-35 people who are able to see the show. That would mean the designer is paying about 200 per person seeing the show, now add the other two designers, they are paying the agency a combined 600L's per person to see their new creations!
I can think of better ways to spend those Lindens, and have those beautiful creations shown to 100's if not 1,000's of people.
For Le Belle Facon, the runway shows are being swept under the door, as we move on, in helping the designers reach a much larger audience for their Lindens. (Now we will do runway shows if a designer wants one) We would more than be happy to charge you 200L's per person that comes to the show, even if most of them are friends of the models and staff of the agency. A designer spends a lot of long hard hours creating their fantastic designs, so Le Belle Facon will give them what they deserve "EXPOSURE!" So it is time that fashion agencies give the designers what they are paying for! I know I am.
Finding nice quality mens fashions has always been limited is SL.
This past year, the selection has been getting better.
I recently went to SF Designs to pick up a shirt. What I like about SF Designs is that you get a great quality product, without going broke.
While I was there. I noticed a sign for their "high end" mens and womens fashions, "High Society". Being the picky fashionista that I am , I decided to go have a look.
"High Society" offers a very nice selection of formal mens and womens fashions.
Usually when I pop into a store for the first time, I will buy one item, and try it on before I buy anything else.
That was not the case at High Society! I even had to go to the bank and load up on some lindens, to buy all that I wanted!
The selection that you get for each outfit can't be beat for the prices of their creations. SF Designs you have opened a store, that has earned you the "Fashionista Fashion" award!
All you Fashionista's be sure and check out High Society!
Being a Fashionista is more than a look, it is a lifestyle. Everything you say or do. The way you live says alot about you. After spending the last few weeks working at Di Carnelli's Landscaping and Wedding Center, I thought I would start to do some articles on living the fashionista life.
Jula's favorite place at Di Carnelli's is the veggie patch. She can spend hours there. Well till she see a bug, then she runs screaming "Mr K, Mr K!
My favorite part of Di Carnelli's is the Cactus garden. Most of the cactus can be seen at the Ranch house, our weekend get away. Di Carnelli's has the largest selection of cactus in SL!
Truly Scrumptious Confectionary is Jula's cake shop. These cakes are truly a scrumptious Fashionista! Let Jula custom design your cake. She does cakes for all occasions. It is a labor of love to her!
Di Carnelli's Landscaping and Wedding Center has a very large selection of flowers and plants to give your house or business the Fashionista Look! We are very honored that Margie Snookums a master gardner, has relocated to Di carnelli's. Margie is well known in SL for her beautiful Climbers and orchids. So if you are looking for that specical plant or wedding decoration Di Carnelli's is the place the Fashionista's go.
